Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Net Announces Expansion of Plans Providing Coverage in Mexico, United States
Woodland Hills-based Health Net on Friday said it would expand its cross-border insurance plan, in which members are covered whether they seek medical care in the United States or Mexico, as part of an effort to target small and mid-sized Latino businesses in East Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Prescription Drug Reimportation Could Save Orange County $2 Million Per Year
Orange County officials are continuing to examine the possibility of allowing county employees to reimport lower-cost, U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada, a plan they say could reduce costs by $2 million per year, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Some Hospitals Charge More Than Twice the Cost of Care, Study Finds
The nation’s hospitals charge an average of 232% more than gross health care costs, according to a study released Thursday by the Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Policy, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
U.S. Postal Service Underestimated Risks of Anthrax Attacks, GAO Finds
U.S. Postal Service officials took action to protect postal employees in the 2001 anthrax attacks, but they should clarify guidelines for their response to future attacks, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Friday, the Washington Post reports.
More U.S. Residents Used Prescription Drugs for Nonmedical Purposes in 2003, Survey Finds
The number of U.S. residents ages 12 and older who used prescription drugs — including Vicodin, OxyContin, Hydrocodone and other pain relievers — for nonmedical purposes increased to 31.2% in 2003 from 29.6% in 2002, according to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released Thursday, the Washington Times reports.
Lawsuit Alleges Albertsons Violated Pharmacy Customers’ Privacy Rights
Grocery store chain Albertsons and its pharmacies have used customers’ prescription drug information to send letters or call customers to encourage them to renew or extend prescriptions, or in some cases change medications, according to a lawsuit filed by San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Schwarzenegger Asks Drug Manufacturers To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Thursday telephoned several unnamed pharmaceutical company executives asking them to voluntarily lower prices for prescription drugs for low-income California residents, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums Increased by 11.2% in 2004, Survey Finds
Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased an average of 11.2% in 2004 — the fourth consecutive year of double-digit increases, according to a new survey released Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, the New York Times reports.
Health Care Cost Increases May Have Negative Effect on Economy, Labor Department Data Indicate
Increasing health care costs “could be an even bigger factor than gasoline in slowing the American consumer spending machine that drives the economy,” according to Labor Department data, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Orange County Hospitals Have Higher Prices Than State, National Averages, CNA Study Says
Price markups on a “wide range of medical goods and services” at most Orange County hospitals are higher than statewide and national averages, according to a study released on Wednesday by the California Nurses Association, the Orange County Register reports.