Latest California Healthline Stories
Health Issues Will Be ‘Hard to Ignore’ in Election Cycle
Although “almost no issue will be harder, more expensive or more divisive” for President Bush and Congress to address than health care, the New York Times reports that in an election year marked by recession and increased health costs, the issue “will be very hard to ignore.”
FTC Opposes Bristol-Myers in BuSpar Lawsuit
The Federal Trade Commission has filed a brief with a federal court saying that Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. “shouldn’t be immune to antitrust claims” in its legal fight with two generic drug makers over the anti-anxiety drug BuSpar, the Wall Street Journal reports.
USA Today Debates ‘Less Risky’ Cigarettes
Promotions for new brands of cigarettes claiming “[r]educed carcinogens” and “[l]ess of the toxins” are “giving consumers a false sense of security,” a USA Today editorial says.
Computer Glitch Prevents Cigna HealthCare Members in Virginia from Filling Prescriptions
A problem with electronic transmission of patient eligibility information is making it difficult for some Cigna HealthCare members in Virginia to fill their prescriptions, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
Harris Poll Finds Majority Prefers Medicare Rx, Public Health Boost
The American public considers creating a Medicare prescription drug benefit and strengthening the public health system to be more important “health care priorities” than a patients’ bill of rights or overall Medicare reform, according to a new Harris Interactive poll.
Supreme Court To Hear Case on Independent Review of HMOs
The Supreme Court will hear a case on Wednesday that could either “upset statutes enacted in many states” to reform managed care practices or “undercut” the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which has “shielded” many health plans from state regulations, the Hartford Courant reports.
DMHC Drops Portion of Case Against Kaiser, But Maintains $1.1M Fine
The state Department of Managed Health Care has dropped its claim that Kaiser Permanente did not provide “timely ambulance services” from a larger case alleging that the company did not provide adequate “access to care, continuity of care” and resolution of grievances connected with three patient deaths, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Davis Unveils $100B Fiscal Year 2002-2003 Budget That Includes Cuts in Several Health Programs
Amid an estimated $12.5 billion state budget deficit, Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday unveiled his proposed $100 billion fiscal year 2002-2003 budget, which includes “substantial cuts” in several state health care programs, including Medi-Cal, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Panel Recommends Legislation Banning Reproductive Cloning But Allowing Therapeutic Cloning
A state-appointed advisory panel on human cloning has recommended that California lawmakers ban cloning for reproductive purposes but allow the practice to be used for medical research, according to a report obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.
State, Hospitals Settle Lawsuit Over Medi-Cal Reimbursement Rates
Gov. Gray Davis (D) announced yesterday that California has agreed to settle an 11-year-old lawsuit by the state’s hospitals over Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for outpatient care, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.