Latest California Healthline Stories
CalVet Spent $28M On Failed Computer System: Audit
The California Department of Veterans Affairs aimed to provide vets consistent care across different locations, but the new system wasted staff time and has not been fully deployed. In other veteran health news, the Navy will now take PTSD into account in misconduct cases resulting in discharge.
Drug Take-Back Programs: Calif. Handed The Industry A Win After It Lost In Wash.
Areas in both states were considering ordinances that would require drug companies to be responsible for consumers’ unused or unwanted medication.
California Rolls Back Medi-Cal Estate Recovery To What Is Federally Required
The federal government gave states the option to recover costs of general medical care for people 55 and over in addition to nursing home care — and, in 1993, California became one of the few states to participate in it.
Startup Geared Toward Wealthier Clientele Offers On-Demand Surgical Care
The group of surgeons is looking to capitalize on the growing concept of concierge medicine — in which patients pay a membership fee to get access to their physicians.
California Regulator Slams Anthem-Cigna Deal, Calls On U.S. To Block Merger
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says the deal would likely result in higher costs for consumers and businesses, fewer choices for coverage and lower quality of care. His recommendation cannot derail the deal, but it could influence the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision.
As Premium Spikes Loom, White House To Dole Out $22M For States To Keep Insurers In Check
The grants may inflame an already tense relationship with insurers, who say they’ve had a tough year on the Obamacare marketplace. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Republican plan to replace the health law will lack concrete financial details, aides and lobbyists say.
West Nile Turns Up In Sacramento’s Mosquitoes, Birds Earlier This Season
“Heat increases the life cycle of mosquitoes, so we weren’t surprised, after we had over-100 degree days, when we saw the increase in activity,” says Luz Maria Rodriguez, the spokeswoman for the Sacramento-Yolo mosquito district.
The Faces Of The Fast-Growing Medical Marijuana Industry
A wide-range of individuals are seeking profits from what they see as the next big boom.
Quest To Open Blood-Testing Sites In Safeway
The Theranos competitor has already tested two centers in Arizona and says the customer response has been positive.
Low-income Californians who have insurance under the expanded Medi-Cal program are turning to primary care clinics and away from family planning ones, which are now either having to close or transform their business models to compete in the age of Obamacare.