Latest California Healthline Stories
Johnese Spisso, now VP of medical affairs for the University of Washington and chief health system officer for UW Medicine, will take over on Feb. 8.
Hearing On HealthNet-Centene Merger Triggers Tough Questions
“I have a question of the witnesses,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones at the hearing to examine the insurers’ $6.8 billion merger. “I’m wondering if there are any recent peer-reviewed studies which demonstrate that consumer prices for health insurance or managed care went down after a health insurance or managed care merger.”
Fast Food Restaurants Struggle After Cutting Workers To Avoid ACA Fines
“A lot of the fast food franchisees that did this are now coming back and saying, it was a great idea for reducing the number of people that I have to offer benefits, but now I can’t run my restaurants,” says Kaya Bromley, an attorney who consults with employers on how to comply with the Affordable Care Act.
LA Using Data To Combat Food Borne Illnesses
Meanwhile, California Attorney General Kamala Harris announces a settlement with Nabisco after the company failed to warn California consumers about lead in their food products.
Some public health experts have blamed the heavy use of online dating apps.
After Exhibiting Symptoms, Pregnant Berkeley Woman Tested For Zika
Meanwhile, public health officials in LA and Orange County are taking steps to prevent the illness among women there, and WHO warns that the outbreak will likely affect every country but two in the Americas.
SoCalGas To Be Required To Fund Health Study After Uncontrolled Leak
Los Angeles County health officials, who note that Porter Ranch residents have complained of such ailments as headaches and respiratory irrigation from an odorant in natural gas, have said past studies found only short-term health effects from the odorant. But they said continued health monitoring is needed.
Retiring California Lawmakers Share To-Do Lists
Sen. Barbara Boxer’s priorities include keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and people with mental health problems, supporting research on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and limiting e-cigarette advertising aimed at children, while Rep. Lois Capps Capps, a former nurse, wants Congress to approve her bill to reauthorize federal funding for nursing programs.
Covered California Continues Push As Deadline Looms
Elsewhere, President Barack Obama touts the health care law just days before the current enrollment period ends on Jan. 31. And the House postpones a vote on the Affordable Care Act due to a snowstorm that struck the nation’s capital over the weekend.
As Drug Cost Battle Is Waged, Patients Could Lose Access To Favored Medications
Prescription management organizations are trying to spark a price war between pharmaceutical companies, but patients could be forced to switch to a different brand of medication in the process. In other pharmaceutical news, drug shortages in ERs have spiked.