Latest California Healthline Stories
Palo Alto Fire Department Launches Less-Expensive Ambulance Shuttle Service
The Palo Alto Fire Department has launched a shuttle service that uses ambulances to transport fragile patients to hospitals, doctors’ offices, rehabilitation centers and convalescent facilities at a lower cost than most private ambulance companies, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Legislation to require Californians to maintain basic coverage for catastrophic medical costs would be “a vast improvement on SB 2,” a law that will require some employers to provide health insurance to employees or pay into a state fund to provide such coverage, a San Jose Mercury News editorial states.
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Orders Investigation of Claims Made by CMS Chief Actuary
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday ordered the department’s Office of Inspector General to investigate claims made by Richard Foster, CMS’ chief actuary, that he was told by former CMS Administrator Tom Scully not to reveal to lawmakers his estimates for the Medicare legislation, the New York Times reports.
President Bush Discusses Health Care Proposals in Campaign Speech
Speaking before small business owners at an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, President Bush on Tuesday discussed his health care initiatives designed to lower the cost of benefits for employers and create jobs, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports.
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson has named Surgeon General Richard Carmona as chair of the 13-member Task Force on Drug Importation, which will conduct a study on the safety of prescription drug reimportation from Canada and other industrialized nations, CongressDaily reports.
CalPERS Committee Votes To Approve Regional Membership Plan
The CalPERS health committee on Tuesday voted to approve a plan that would divide its membership into five regions and charge different rates for health coverage based on which region a member lives in, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Health Insurance Premiums in California Increased 15.8% in 2003, Faster Than National Average
Employees’ share of employer-sponsored health insurance premium costs for families in California increased 70% in the past four years, with more than half of that increase coming in 2003, according to a study released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
GAO Reopens Investigation of Medicare Advertising Campaign
The General Accounting Office on Monday announced that it has reopened its probe into the legality of a government-sponsored advertising campaign to promote the new Medicare law, after discovering that HHS has been distributing to local television news stations ready-made segments about the legislation, Roll Call reports.
Senate Unanimously Votes To Confirm Kim Belshe as Secretary of Health and Human Services
The Senate on Monday voted 34-0 to confirm Kim Belshe as secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Assembly Subcommittee Votes To Allocate Funds to Prostate Cancer Program Slated for Elimination
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services on Monday voted to maintain the Improving Access, Counseling and Treatment for Californians with Prostate Cancer, or IMPACT, program using money that had been allocated to the program in previous years but had not been spent, the Sacramento Bee reports.