Latest California Healthline Stories
FDA Agreement with Drug Companies Would Allow Agency to Use Fees for Post-Market Oversight
The FDA and the pharmaceutical industry have reached a tentative agreement stating that the agency could use the fees paid by drug companies for expediting the drug approval process to monitor drugs once they enter the market, CongressDaily/AM reports.
Judge Bars DMHC From Collecting or Disclosing Financial Information About Medical Groups
Siding with the California Medical Association, a state judge in Sacramento County has ruled that the Department of Managed Health Care cannot collect or distribute information about the financial stability of medical groups, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Riverside Hospital Dropped from Medicare and Medi-Cal, Closes Emergency Room
Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside closed its emergency room Monday night after state regulators said the hospital could not participate in Medicare or Medi-Cal, the hospital’s “largest income source,” the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Bush to Nominate Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Official as New NIH Director
President Bush has decided to nominate a senior scientist and administrator at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to become the director of the NIH, “ending a long and politically sensitive search for new leadership,” the Baltimore Sun reports.
Risk of Lung Cancer Death for Individuals in Polluted Metropolitan Areas Increases 12%, Study Finds
People living in the most heavily polluted metropolitan areas of the United States have a 12% greater risk of dying from lung cancer than those living in the least polluted areas, according to a study published in today’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Drug Maker Eli Lilly Unveils New Pharmacy Discount Card for Medicare Beneficiaries
As expected, Eli Lilly yesterday unveiled a prescription drug discount card that will allow low-income seniors to obtain 30-day supplies of medication for $12, the New York Times reports.
Senate Debate Over Human Cloning Ban ‘Escalates’ with Testimony from Supporters, Opponents
The debate in the Senate over human cloning intensified yesterday as numerous supporters and opponents of a cloning ban expressed their views before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and during two media events, the Washington Post reports.
Drug Maker Eli Lilly to Announce Pharmacy Discount Card for Medicare Beneficiaries
Eli Lilly today plans to announce a discount plan allowing Medicare beneficiaries to obtain its drugs for a $12 monthly fee, the “lowest-cost” industry discount plan yet, the Wall Street Journal reports.
States Cutting Optional Medicaid Benefits, Increasing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing to Reduce Expenses
The Los Angeles Times today looks at how states, facing tight budgets and soaring health costs, are cutting back on their Medicaid programs.
Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Increasing in California
Drug-resistant strains of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea are on the rise in California and other parts of the West Coast, forcing health officials to reconsider current treatment recommendations, the Los Angeles Times reports.