Latest California Healthline Stories
1st District Court of Appeal Hears Arguments in Health Insurance Law Referendum Case
As expected, the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco on Thursday heard oral arguments in a case concerning the placement of a proposed referendum to repeal an employer-sponsored health insurance law (SB 2) on a state ballot this year, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Health Plan of San Mateo Directors Consider Strategies To Continue Operations
Directors of Health Plan of San Mateo are beginning to “contemplate drastic cutbacks to keep the system alive” in the event the state does not restore $5 million in funding that had been approved by officials of former Gov. Gray Davis’ (D) administration, the San Mateo County Times reports.
PhRMA President Alan Holmer Expected To Announce Resignation
Alan Holmer, president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, on Friday is expected to announce his resignation, The Hill reports.
American College of Physicians Offers Plan for Health Care Reform
The American College of Physicians on Thursday unveiled a four-part health reform plan that it suggested Congress use as a guide in the new session, CongressDaily reports.
Pharmacy Group, PBM To Seek Approval for Medicare Discount Cards
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts have announced that they will seek government approval to offer a prescription drug discount card under Medicare, the AP/New York Times reports.
Moseley Braun Ends Democratic Presidential Campaign, Endorses Dean
Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) on Thursday announced that she will end her campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination and endorse former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D), the New York Times reports.
Funding cuts for health programs included in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) fiscal year 2004-2005 budget proposal would “leave hundreds of thousands of low-income residents without health care” and result in a loss of more than $800 million in federal matching funds, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote to Schwarzenegger in a letter Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
CDC Estimates Annual Cost of Accidental Injuries at $117 Billion
Injuries caused by falls, motor vehicle crashes and other accidents each year cost the U.S. economy $117 billion, or about 10% of U.S. medical spending, according to a CDC report released Thursday in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Reuters/Houston Chronicle reports.
Alameda County Medical Center Hires Consulting Firm To Help Cut Costs
Alameda County Medical Center has hired consulting firm Cambio Health Solutions to help the health network reduce its estimated $71 million budget deficit, CEO Efton Hall announced Tuesday, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Los Angeles Times Looks at Effects of State Investigation of Western University of Health Science
A merger announced last year between Western University of Health Sciences, a medical school in Pomona, and Chapman University in Orange has been halted pending an investigation by the attorney general’s office of allegations that the medical school provided improper loans to its top officials, the Los Angeles Times reports.