Latest California Healthline Stories
CMS Clarifies Decision on Together Rx Program, GSK and Bristol-Myers Reinstate Discounts for Seniors
CMS officials yesterday announced that pharmaceutical companies do not have to offer the same discounts to Medicaid beneficiaries as they offer to low-income Medicare beneficiaries under the Together Rx pharmacy discount card program, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Online Patient-Physician Communication Could Reduce Costs, Improve Satisfaction, Study Finds
Online patient-physician consultations can reduce costs, save time and improve patient and physician satisfaction, according to a preliminary report from RelayHealth, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Long Beach Memorial Nurses Hold One-Day Strike; Hospital Imposes Four-Day Lockout
As expected, registered nurses at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center yesterday held a one-day strike, prompting hospital officials to impose a four-day lockout on the nurses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Most Research Contracts Fail To Follow Conflict-of-Interest Guidelines, NEJM Study Finds
Most research contracts between academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies that fund clinical trials do not follow guidelines issued last year to prevent bias and conflict of interest in published research, according to a study in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Health Care Market Needs ‘Honda’-Like Competition, Enthoven Writes in Opinion Piece
Increasing health care costs and “inefficiencies that plague the market won’t change until competition forces old models to be redesigned,” Stanford University business professor emeritus and director of eBenX Inc. Alain Enthoven writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.
Washington Post Profiles New NIH Director Zerhouni
The Washington Post today profiles new NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, who after five months in the position has begun to discuss his “scientific and political priorities,” such as the future of the agency and his position on embryonic stem cell research.
Raley’s Files Lawsuit To Force Pharmacists To Vote on Proposed Contract
Raley’s supermarket chain on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in federal court that asks for an order to force the company’s unionized pharmacists to hold a second vote on a contract agreement rejected earlier this month, the Sacramento Bee reports.
HHS Launches Medicare Beneficiary Education Campaign
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday announced a new $25 million annual Medicare education campaign to help beneficiaries nationwide “get answers to their questions and make informed decisions about their health plans.”
California ‘Compares Poorly’ with Other States in Childhood Health Care, Report Finds
California “compares poorly” with other states in the provision of adequate services, such as health care, for young children and their families, according to a study released today by the not-for-profit advocacy group Children Now, the Los Angeles Times reports.
New York Times Looks at Factors Behind Health Care Cost Increases
The health care industry is “thriving” as health care costs “spira[l] into another year of double-digit increases,” the New York Times reports.