Latest California Healthline Stories
Bill Regulating Biosimilar Drugs Vetoed
Until FDA works out standards for biosimilar drugs, regulating them now would be premature, said Gov. Brown in vetoing a bill aimed at overseeing less-costly alternatives to biologic drugs.
Statewide Health Data Gateway Opens
Politicians posturing over the federal budget and Californians looking for health insurance through the new exchange have generated much attention this month, but another milestone — the opening of a statewide electronic health information gateway — could have a bigger impact in the long run.
Licensed midwives no longer need to be under the supervision of a physician and are restricted to attending to normal births under a bill signed into law Thursday.
California Hospital Group Proposes Ballot Initiative for Medi-Cal Provider Fee
The California Hospital Association wants a formula in place to assure that fees levied on hospitals will be used to fund children’s health care and access to care for low-income residents.
Rx Drug Donation System Hopes To Grow
SIRUM — a Stanford-bred program that allows unused medications at hospitals and nursing homes to be donated to safety-net clinics — hopes to expand within California and serve as a model for other states.
What Covered California Did Right in Week One — and What Other States Did Better
It was a bumpy debut for Covered California, as the state’s health insurance exchange launched last week with long wait times and a glitch-filled website. How did the Golden State grade out?
California Weighs Policy Changes To Address Provider Shortage
Bill Barcellona of the California Association of Physician Groups, Dawn Benton of the California Society of Health System Pharmacists, Sen. Ed Hernandez and Paul Phinney of the California Medical Association spoke with California Healthline about legislative efforts to address the state’s primary care physician shortage.
Governor Signs Physical Therapy Bill
A bill allowing California patients to seek treatment from a physical therapist without a physician’s referral was signed into law Monday.
Tax Credits? Subsidies? Provider Networks? What These Obamacare Terms Mean To You
Q: Will doctors and hospitals who accept health insurance from companies like Blue Shield accept insurance sold by the health insurance exchange? I’ve heard that Cedars-Sinai, for example, will not accept coverage from Covered California. A: You heard right, Lily. Let’s say you currently buy health insurance on the open market. But you discover that […]
Governor Agrees To Finish State Makeover of Long-Term Care Ombudsman’s Office
A new law will increase penalties on providers who interfere with investigations by the state’s long-term care ombudsman.