Latest California Healthline Stories
States Question Bush’s Rx Drug Benefit Plan
State lawmakers and policy experts are expressing “skepticism” over President Bush’s proposal to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, sayng that the plan “could prove ineffective and place an unfair burden on states.”
Chan Offers Bill to Boost Kids’ Enrollment in Public Health Programs
To help parents enroll their children in public-sponsored health plans, Assembly member Wilma Chan (D-Oakland) last week introduced a bill (AB 383) to provide “family health coordinators” at state-subsidized child care centers, the Oakland Tribune reports.
CALPERS Rejects All HMO Bids as Too Expensive
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public purchaser of health insurance after the federal government, yesterday rejected all 11 bids from HMOs offering to provide coverage next year for CalPERS members, saying that the premium increases they sought were too high, the Wall Street Journal reports.
FBI Seeks More Funds For Health Care Fraud Investigation
The FBI is seeking more funding to combat health care fraud, Bloomberg News/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Four California Studies to Examine Therapeutic Uses of Medical Marijuana
California has commissioned four new studies examining the use and benefits of medical marijuana for patients with AIDS and other illnesses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Three PBMs Launch New Online System
Three of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit management companies have teamed up to create an electronic prescription system aimed at reducing the number of medication errors, Reuters/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Syphilis Outbreak Could Signal Complacency on HIV/AIDS, CDC Reports
Risky sexual behavior among men who have sex with men may be on the rise, according to a new CDC report on last year’s Southern California syphilis outbreak.
President Bush Proposes 10% Increase in Medicare Spending
In his first news conference since taking office, President Bush said yesterday that he will propose in his budget a $21 billion increase in Medicare spending, the Washington Post reports.
Aetna Tries to Recover from Recent Woes
While over the past five years Aetna Inc. has “grown into a behemoth,” providing health coverage for one in 10 insured Americans, the company has also become “one of the most vilified” managed care firms, and the Wall Street Journal reports that CEO Dr. John Rowe may face “the toughest task in the $1.3 trillion health care industry” in his effort to “save” the company.
California’s Minorities Lack Health Care, PPIC Reports Finds
African Americans and Hispanics in California have less access to health care than other racial and ethnic groups, according to a Public Policy Institute of California report released yesterday.