Latest California Healthline Stories
Patient Advocacy Groups Rake In Donations From Pharma
A new study shows that 83 percent of the largest patient advocacy groups take contributions from drug, medical device or biotech firms.
Candidates Decry High Drug Prices But Have Few Options For Voters
Drug prices rise for a variety of reasons but opportunities for the government to control them is limited.
Tossing Unused Surgical Supplies Wastes Millions Of Dollars, Study Finds
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco estimate that hospitals could lose nearly $1,000 per surgery by throwing away opened but unused supplies, such as gloves and sponges.
Could This Be The Year That California Lawmakers Stop Surprise Medical Bills?
The bill would help consumers avoid pricey bills from out-of-network docs.
This Patient Advocate Has No Quarrel With Big Pharma
Liz Helms of the California Chronic Care Coalition takes some surprising positions on prescription drug costs.
Your ZIP Code And Your Health Plan Determine Your Care, New Data Show
A new online “atlas” reveals big differences in the cost and quality of care across California and across health plans.
California Drug Price Measure Fiercely Opposed By Pharmaceutical Industry
Proposed legislation would require drugmakers to disclose and justify price hikes. The industry has taken to Facebook and Twitter, warning that the proposal could lead to medication shortages in some regions of the state.
Zoom, a medical group and insurer, is targeting millennials in Oregon and Washington with quick, accessible care as well as fitness, yoga and cooking classes.
Prices And Health Care Quality: Many Consumers Don’t See A Link
A study in the journal Health Affairs found a majority of people don’t associate price and quality in health care services. The study provides useful information for health care organizations that are trying to understand how people make choices and developing consumer tools, says the UCSF professor who led the research.
State Regulator Cites Price, Access As Top Concerns In Proposed Anthem-Cigna Merger
In a public meeting Friday, consumer advocates urged the Department of Managed Health Care to hold Anthem’s feet to the fire before signing off on the planned $54 billion purchase of Cigna Corp.