Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Pharmaceutical Company Has Hiked Price On Aid-In-Dying Drug
Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes Seconal, the drug most commonly used in prescribed for terminally ill patients who want to end their lives, physician-assisted suicide, has doubled the price to more than $3,000.
Long-Term Care Insurance: Less Bang, More Buck
Seniors slammed with big premium increases face tough choices.
How Will We Pay For Long-Term Care?
As baby boomers grow old, demand for long-term care is expected to explode. But it is expensive, and the patchwork system that pays for it now won’t be sustainable for much longer. A debate about new ways to finance it is heating up.
With Donated Drugs, San Jose Pharmacy Dispenses Free Medications
Once bound for the hazardous waste incinerator, surplus pharmaceuticals are directed to people who find it hard to pay for prescriptions.
Study Finds No Harm In Allowing Surgeons-In-Training To Work Longer Shifts
Researchers found little difference in patient outcomes or satisfaction after placing restraints on medical residents’ working conditions in the past decade. Officials have previously sought to prevent inexperienced doctors from making mistakes caused by fatigue.
Surprise! Here’s Another Bill For That ‘Paramedic Response’
California cities increasingly are billing patients for paramedic services that they say were not covered by insurers. One 85-year-old woman took on city hall.
Californians Split On Spending Surplus
Californians are evenly split on whether the state’s $2 billion surplus should go toward paying off debt or restoring social service programs, according to a survey released yesterday.
California Voters Will Have Their Say On Drug Prices
Heated battle expected over November ballot proposal to curb state’s prescription drug costs, as pharmaceutical industry opens its pocketbook to defeat the measure.
Debating The New Ballot Measure To Control Prescription Drug Prices
The California Drug Price Relief Act would mandate that the state pay no more for prescription drugs than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. David Gorn sat down with Rand Martin, Sacramento lobbyist for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is sponsoring the ballot measure, and Kathy Fairbanks, campaign consultant for the committee opposing it.
Unreasonable Rate Hike? Proposed Legislation Would Tell You About It
A new Senate bill proposes that the state inform consumers when state officials find health insurance rates to be unjustified.