Latest California Healthline Stories
Orange County could lose millions of dollars in Medi-Cal reimbursements because a new computer system installed to process and submit Medi-Cal claims to the state does not work properly, the Orange County Register reports.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle To Introduce Bill To Extend Health Coverage for Reservists
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) on Monday announced plans to introduce legislation with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that would extend health coverage for National Guard members and reservists, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports.
Los Angeles County Reports First Increase in Incidence of AIDS Since 1992
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services on Tuesday announced that the number of AIDS cases in the county increased from 1,555 in 2001 to 1,562 in 2002, the first increase in AIDS cases in the county since 1992, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Riverside Press-Enterprise Series Looks at Medical Cost Increases
The Riverside Press-Enterprise on Sunday published a series of articles that highlighted efforts to control increasing medical costs.
Wal-Mart Imposes Financial Burdens on Local Governments, Congressional Report Says
The “[s]ubstandard” health benefits and pay available to Wal-Mart employees impose financial burdens on local governments, which ultimately provide workers with subsidized medical care and other taxpayer-supported services, according to a congressional report released Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Los Angeles Times Considers Proposed Funding Cuts for Some State Programs, Including Health Care
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) fiscal year 2004-2005 budget proposal suggests that California “retrench in areas where it outpaces the rest of the country,” including broad eligibility for health and welfare programs, the Los Angeles Times reports.
FDA, California Pharmacists Association Launch Information Campaign Against Reimportation
FDA and California Pharmacists Association on Tuesday launched an information campaign in California to convince residents not to reimport lower-cost, U.S.-manufactured prescription drugs from Canada, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined the “growing number of large employers” that “are forcing employees to get their prescription drugs through the mail rather than a local pharmacy.”
California Hospitals Upgrade Information Technology Systems as Part of Seismic Retrofit Projects
California hospitals could spend billions of dollars for information technology system upgrades and new data centers as part of an effort to comply with state seismic retrofit requirements, ComputerWorld reports.
Disapproval Rating for President Bush on Health Care Issues Increased in Past Year, Poll Finds
Public disapproval of President Bush’s handling of health care issues has increased 13 percentage points since last year, despite the administration’s hope that the new Medicare law (HR 1) would win the support of elderly voters, according to a new Gallup survey, the Washington Times reports.