Latest California Healthline Stories
Democrats Criticize Bush’s $77B Proposal for a Medicare Rx Drug Benefit
Democrats yesterday criticized President Bush’s 10-year, $77 billion proposal to provide prescription drug coverage to three million Medicare beneficiaries as “too skimpy,” the Detroit Free Press reports.
Thompson Expected to Propose Bush Plan for the Uninsured
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson today is scheduled to appear at a Washington, D.C.-area health center to “fles[h] out” the Bush administration’s plan to provide health benefits to the country’s uninsured, the AP/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Newspapers, Organizations Respond to State of the Union Address
Several newspapers and advocacy groups responded today to President Bush’s State of the Union speech.
Bush Offers More Flexibility on Damages in Patients’ Rights Bill
The White House, hoping to “strike a deal” on a patients’ rights bill, has “signaled greater flexibility” on proposed caps that would limit the amount of damages that plaintiffs could receive in lawsuits against health plans, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Marsh Leaves UC-Davis Medical Center to Head Stanford Health System
Martha Marsh, director of the University of California-Davis hospital and clinics, will become president and CEO of the Stanford hospital system in April, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Davis Defends Ads Questioning GOP Challenger Riordan’s Abortion-Rights Stance
Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday defended a campaign television ad in which he questions Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Riordan’s position on abortion rights, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Los Angeles Health Director Proposes Steep Service Cuts to County Health System
Los Angeles County’s acting health director Fred Leaf proposed a series of cuts yesterday that “could lead to virtually dismantling the public health care system for the area’s 3.2 million poor and uninsured people unless major new funding is found,” the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Most Counties Unprepared for Bioterrorism Attack, Study Finds
Fewer than 10% of the nation’s county health departments are “fully prepared” to handle a biological terrorist attack, and more than one-fifth are completely unprepared, according to a study released yesterday by the National Association of Counties, the Washington Post reports.
Many Americans Do Not Receive Dental Care, Report Says
Millions of Americans are not receiving adequate dental care, mainly due to a lack of access to providers and inadequate preventive services, according to a new report.
Bush Proposes $190B Plan To Overhaul Medicare, Add Drug Benefit
President Bush yesterday announced a $190 billion, 10-year plan to “overhaul” Medicare and provide states with federal funds to offer prescription drug coverage to low-income seniors, the New York Times reports.