Latest California Healthline Stories
Are Blues’ Plans Benefiting Unfairly From Program To Offset Cost Of Sicker Patients?
Other insurers complain that Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have bloated overhead costs and reap too much from the Obamacare risk-adjustment fund, paid for by insurers. The companies deny it.
Hospitals Say They’re Being Slammed By Drug Price Hikes
In a report out tuesday, hospital groups said drug prices have skyrocketed since 2013, triggering a huge increase in what hospitals spend on pharmaceuticals.
Pricey New Treatment Roils Issues Of How To Treat Prostate Cancer
High-intensity focused ultrasound, often not covered by insurance, leads to discussions about which patients benefit in the real world.
Young Boy’s Struggle To Survive Sparked Push For Drugs For Terminally Ill
Ten-year-old Josh Hardy died last month. His struggle to survive helped to spur laws to get unapproved drugs to the terminally ill.
Beware Of Unapproved Stem Cell Treatments
Pricey and unproven therapies that sound too good to be true probably are.
A Golden Ticket That Fast-Tracks A Drug Through The FDA
A voucher awarded to companies that find treatments for rare childhood diseases can be sold to the highest bidder — and then used to speed up approvals for much more common drugs.
Poll Finds Majority Of Americans Want Restraints On Drug Prices
As the spiraling costs attract headlines, many people are looking to the government to rein in prescription drug prices, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
Specialty Drug Costs Soar 30% For California Pension Fund
Such medications account for more than a quarter of the state agency’s $2.1 billion in pharmacy costs.
New California Law Allows Organizations to Buy EpiPens For Emergencies, But Will They?
The new law isn’t mandatory, and concerns about training and who can give life-saving shot remain.
It’s Not Just For Kids: Medicare EpiPen Spending Up 1,100 Percent
The number of prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries is on the rise, too.