Latest California Healthline Stories
Democrats Ignore Bioterrorism Veto Threat, Push for Funds
Senate Democrats today will attempt to add $7.5 billion for bioterrorism prevention and other homeland protection measures to the annual defense spending bill, even though President Bush has threatened to veto any additional spending on homeland security, the Washington Post reports.
More Health Plans Look into Reimbursing Physicians for E-Mail Consultations
An increasing number of health plans are exploring the possibility of reimbursing physicians for e-mail consultations with patients, although several obstacles, including legal concerns, patient confidentiality issues and time requirements, remain, according to a feature in the current issue of HealthPlan, a magazine published by the American Association of Health Plans.
House OKs One-Year Transactions Compliance Delay for HIPAA
The House Tuesday approved a bill that would delay the compliance deadline for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s transactions and code set regulations by one year, until October 2003, Health Privacy News reports.
U.S.-Mexico Border Health Symposia to Begin This Week
The first Bi-National U.S.-Mexico Symposium on Border Health Research, one of four scheduled meetings that aim to “develop and increase health research capacity” along the U.S.-Mexico border, begins Dec. 7.
Ventura County Supervisors Give ‘Conceptual Approval’ for 51-Bed Residential Center for Mentally Ill
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday granted “conceptual approval” for the construction of a proposed 51-bed supervised residential center for people with mental illnesses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Compromise on Mental Health Parity Remains Elusive
Negotiations over the Senate-passed mental health parity measure continued yesterday, but senior House Republicans and business groups remain “staunchly” opposed to a compromise that would expand the 1996 parity law but allow some businesses an exemption, the New York Times reports.
Under New Insurance Plan, Sickest Workers Pay More
Several of the nation’s largest health insurers are planning to introduce a new type of health plan featuring fixed accounts that are expected to result in lower costs for individuals and families with low medical bills but could lead to substantially increased costs for people with higher medical expenses, the New York Times reports.
HHS Calls on Drugmakers to Use Bar Codes
HHS Assistant Secretary Bobby Jindal yesterday announced a proposal calling for all “hospital-administered” medications to carry “supermarket-style” bar codes to reduce drug errors, the AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
West Hollywood City Council Declares City a Medical Marijuana ‘Sanctuary’
The West Hollywood City Council on Monday declared the city a medical marijuana “sanctuary,” the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Davis Seeks $5M for Local Health Departments to Prepare for Bioterrorism
To strengthen California’s preparedness for a bioterrorist attack, Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday announced plans to provide county health departments with $5 million for disease surveillance, the Sacramento Bee reports.