Latest California Healthline Stories
President Bush Promotes Medicare Prescription Discount Drug Card Program in Missouri Visit
President Bush on Monday promoted the new Medicare prescription drug discount card program in Missouri, the Washington Times reports.
San Jose, Santa Clara City Ambulances Have Lower Utilization Rate Than County Ambulances
San Jose and Santa Clara in 2001 spent more than $1.9 million to acquire 10 ambulances for patients who could not be expediently reached by county ambulances, but the city vehicles have so far transported just 23 patients — an annual average of about one patient per ambulance, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
San Francisco Launches Web Site To Help City Residents Purchase Prescription Drugs From Canada
San Francisco on Tuesday launched a Web site that lists three Canadian pharmacies from which city residents can purchase lower-cost prescription drugs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
President Bush Will Not Ease Restrictions on Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
President Bush does not plan to relax his policy limiting human embryonic stem cell research, despite calls for expanded research by former first lady Nancy Reagan and many House and Senate members, White House spokesperson Scott McClellan said on Monday, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.
Contra Costa County Supervisors Hold Hearing on Proposed Budget Cuts to Health Care Services
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Monday held a hearing on proposed county Health Services Department budget cuts totaling $18.8 million, drawing 100 speakers and a “standing-room-only crowd of clients, parents and advocates” who urged the board to maintain services at the county hospital, homeless shelters, mental health and substance abuse clinics and the George Miller centers, the Contra Costa Times reports.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies on Monday voted 8-6 to approve an amendment to a bill that would prevent FDA enforcement of a federal ban on the reimportation of prescription drugs from other nations, CQ Today reports.
CalPERS in a press conference on Monday said it would oppose a proposed merger between Indianapolis-based Anthem and Thousand Oaks-based WellPoint Health Networks health plans because of concerns over proposed executive compensation packages totaling more than $600 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Few States Use Surplus in Budgets To Restore Health Programs
The Los Angeles Times on Monday examined the “turnaround” in many state budgets for fiscal year 2004-2005 and concerns from some advocates for low-income individuals that the “emerging economic recovery has not translated into more funds” for health care and other social service programs.
California Legislators Should Seek Guarantees on WellPoint-Anthem Merger, Editorial States
California legislators “should seek more binding promises” before deciding whether to “bless or try to block” a proposed $15.5 billion merger between Indiana-based Anthem and California-based WellPoint Health Networks, a Los Angeles Times editorial states.
Unionized Nurses Approve Contract Agreement With San Diego-Based Sharp HealthCare
Sharp Professional Nurses Network — a local affiliate of the United Nurses Associations of California — on Friday announced that members approved a tentative contract agreement with San Diego-based hospital chain Sharp HealthCare, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.