Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Ventura County To Lay Off 14 Mental Health Employees

Fourteen mental health workers at the Ventura County Behavioral Health Department will be laid off as of June 21, and county administrators said more job cuts are likely because of a “worsening budget crunch,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Private Health Plan Participation in Medicare Could Increase Costs, Reports Find

According to two reports, efforts in Congress and by President Bush to increase the participation of private health plans in Medicare could “substantially increase Medicare costs,” as the fees paid to providers by private health plans generally are higher than those paid by fee-for-service Medicare, the New York Times reports.

Washington Times Examines Implementation of HIPAA Medical Privacy Rule

The Washington Times today looks at the changes in the health care industry as a result of the new federal patient privacy regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that took effect April 14.

Davis Signs $3.6 Billion Package of Budget Cuts

As expected, Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday signed a series of bills that will reduce California’s record budget deficit by $3.6 billion through borrowing against state pension funds and cutting some state programs, including Medi-Cal, the Los Angeles Times reports.

HHS Releases $100M To Help States Revise Smallpox Vaccination Plans

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday announced that the CDC will release $100 million to states to revise their smallpox vaccination plans and to improve the public health infrastructure, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.

State Lawmakers Consider Changes to Inmate Health Care System

The state budget shortfall has prompted some lawmakers to consider ways to lower the cost of health care in the prison system, including the possible release of permanently disabled inmates, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Gephardt Health Coverage Plan a Central Issue in First Democratic Presidential Debate

Democratic presidential candidates on Saturday discussed how to provide health care to the nation’s 41 million uninsured at their first debate, which was held on the campus of the University of South Carolina, the New York Times reports.

Los Angeles Times Examines Criticism of HMO Molina Healthcare

The Los Angeles Times yesterday examined Long Beach-based Molina Healthcare — one of the nation’s largest and most profitable HMOs — which some health care providers, consumer advocates and independent reviewers have said has increased profits at the expense of low-income members.

Lawmakers Consider Bill To Require More Secure Prescription Forms To Prevent Drug Abuse

In an attempt to balance doctors’ need to prescribe strong painkillers and law enforcement efforts to track prescription drug abuse, the Senate is considering a bill (SB 151) that would create new drug prescribing forms, the Sacramento Bee reports.