Latest California Healthline Stories
New House Panel Criticizes FDA Enforcement of Prescription Drug Reimportation Law
Responding to claims by members of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness that the FDA is “scaring seniors who are trying to get more affordable medicine,” agency officials yesterday defended their new policy to increase enforcement of laws barring the importation of U.S. prescription drugs from Canada, where they are often cheaper, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Privatization in the Medicare Program
In what could be a preview of the upcoming debate over Medicare reform, Democrats and Republicans disagreed over the effects of including more private plans in Medicare during a Senate Finance Committee hearing yesterday, CongressDaily reports.
Cancer Cases Could Increase 50% Worldwide by 2020, WHO Report Projects
The number of cancer cases worldwide could increase 50% by 2020 because of unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, increasing tobacco use and extended life spans, according to a World Health Organization study released yesterday, the Boston Globe reports.
House Committee Passes Bill That Would Expand Health Plan Options for Trade-Displaced Workers
The House Ways and Means Committee yesterday passed a tax bill that includes language that would expand the type of health plans eligible for a tax credit established last year to help some U.S. workers displaced by international trade to purchase health insurance, CongressDaily/AM reports.
Contra Costa Officials Examine Workers’ Compensation
A Contra Costa County Risk Management Department study of workers’ compensation found that Contra Costa is “wasting millions of dollars” by paying injured workers the most money for the longest period compared to five other counties while it faces a projected budget shortfall of over $50 million next year, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Medi-Cal Enacts Tighter Controls on AIDS Wasting Drug
In an effort to combat the black market sale of the AIDS wasting drug Serostim among bodybuilders and other people, state officials on Thursday announced the enactment of tighter restrictions on the drug, on which officials say Medi-Cal has spent $175 million in the past four years, the Los Angeles Times reports.
More Staff, Better Procedures Needed for State Workers’ Compensation System, Report Says
California’s workers’ compensation system is understaffed, has an antiquated computer system and lacks standardized procedures, according to a report commissioned by the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation and conducted by the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, the Los Angeles Times reports.
California Medical Association Calls for Mercury Warning Labels for Fish
The California Medical Association last week adopted a resolution “urging” the placement of mercury warning labels on fresh and canned fish, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Kentucky’s ‘Any-Willing-Provider’ Law
The Supreme Court yesterday unanimously ruled that states may require HMOs and other insurers to accept into their networks all doctors, hospitals and other providers that agree to the insurer’s terms of service, the Washington Post reports.
House Committee Approves Medicare Administrative Reform Bill
The House Ways and Means Committee yesterday voted 19-13 along party lines to approve a bill that would streamline some administrative operations in Medicare but would not make fundamental revisions to the structure or benefits of the program, CongressDaily/AM reports.