Latest California Healthline Stories
Davis Reportedly Likely To Sign Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Bill
There are “growing indications” that Gov. Gray Davis (D) will sign a bill (SB 2) that would require some employers in the state to provide health insurance to employees or pay into a state fund that would provide coverage, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Conferees Fall Behind Schedule on Medicare Negotiations
Members of the conference committee charged with reconciling the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) have fallen behind their planned schedule to complete work on a final Medicare bill by Oct. 17, CongressDaily reports.
New York Times Examines Campaign Battle Over Dean’s Medicare Record
The New York Times on Wednesday examines the “difficulty” faced by Democratic presidential candidate and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) for his stance on Medicare spending in the mid-1990s.
Majority of Likely Voters Oppose Proposition 54, Los Angeles Times Survey Finds
Likely voters in the Oct. 7 recall election oppose Proposition 54 by a 54% to 31% margin, according to a telephone survey of conducted by the Los Angeles Times between Sept. 25 and Sept. 29.
Office of the Patient Advocate Releases Annual HMO Ratings
California’s HMOs improved their immunization of children and management of chronic diseases over last year but did not do as well in preventive care and mental health services, according to a report released Tuesday by the Office of the Patient Advocate, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Minnesota Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against GlaxoSmithKline Over Reimportation
Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch (D) on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline alleging that the pharmaceutical company is violating antitrust laws by “spearheading an industry-wide conspiracy” to prevent U.S. residents from reimporting U.S.-made prescription drugs at a lower cost from Canada, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
USA Today Examines Census Bureau Report on the Uninsured
The U.S. Census Bureau report that says the number of the uninsured rose last year at the fastest rate in a decade has “invigorated calls for legislative action, focused attention on a drop in employer-based coverage and raised questions about how the total number is tallied,” USA Today reports.
USA Today Examines California Budget Deficit, Health Care Expenditures
USA Today on Wednesday examines the state budget deficit and how health care and other expenditures have contributed to the problem.
The Hill Features Analysis of Policies To Boost Access To Care
The Hill on Wednesday features a special section on health care, including articles and opinion pieces about the Medicare reform bills.
Additional Charges Filed Against Administrator at Tenet Healthcare-Owned Alvarado Medical Center
The Department of Justice on Thursday filed additional charges against Alvarado Hospital Medical Center associate administrator Mina Nazaryan, who was arrested last week as part of a federal investigation into alleged illegal payments to physicians by a subsidiary of Santa Barbara-based Tenet Healthcare that owns the hospital, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.