Latest California Healthline Stories
Legislation Introduced To Allow American Indian Tribe To Sell Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Assembly member Bill Maze (R-Visalia) on Friday introduced a bill (AB 2780) that would allow the Inyo County-based Fort Independence American Indian Tribe to sell workers’ compensation insurance, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Legislation To Provide Tax Credits to Biotechnology Companies Introduced
Assembly member Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) on Wednesday introduced a bill (AB 2230) that would provide tax credits to biotechnology firms that locate in California, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Schwarzenegger Meets With HHS Secretary To Discuss Medi-Cal Reform
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Sunday met privately with HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to discuss Medi-Cal reforms that could reduce costs for the program, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Physicians Group, Doctors Medical Center Staff Sue Blue Cross of California for Defamation
Doctors from physician group Valley Heart Associates and the medical staff of Doctors Medical Center in Modesto have filed a defamation lawsuit in Stanislaus County Superior Court against Blue Cross of California, accusing the insurer of making “ghoulish and debasing” claims, the Modesto Bee reports.
Federal Government To Review New Medicaid Rules
The federal government will revisit “tough new rules” on Medicaid financing that are designed to “curb creative bookkeeping” methods used by states to obtain additional federal matching funds, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson told participants at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association on Sunday, the New York Times reports.
New York Times Examines Revision of HHS Health Disparities Report
The New York Times on Sunday examined a federal racial health disparities report that the Bush administration has admitted altering.
In compliance with a new state law, United Blood Services last week sent letters to about 38,000 blood donors in California warning them to protect themselves against identity theft after two computers that contained donors’ personal information were stolen from a Phoenix repair shop, the Ventura County Star reports.
CDC on Thursday released a case study on a Los Angeles County pilot program that uses e-mail to alert the sex partners of people who have been diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases, the AP/Washingtonpost.com reports.
A plan proposed by President Bush in his fiscal year 2005 budget to close a loophole in the Medicaid upper payment limit would result in a $1.5 billion reduction in federal Medicaid matching funds for states and could lead to reductions in services for beneficiaries, the Billings Gazette reports.
State programs to reimport less-expensive, U.S.-manufactured prescription drugs from Canada could limit innovation in the biotechnology industry, FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said on Thursday after he met with industry leaders in a private conference in Claremont, the Los Angeles Times reports.