Latest California Healthline Stories
California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices
Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price transparency law. Prices for generic drugs rose nearly 38% during that time.
Taking The Cops Out Of Mental Health-Related 911 Rescues
Denver is considering adopting a new 911 alternative used in Eugene, Ore., that allows mental health and medical professionals, not police officers, to respond to some emergency calls, saving money and de-escalating situations with mentally ill people.
‘We Vape, We Vote’: How Vaping Crackdowns Are Politicizing Vapers
In response to the crackdowns on vaping, those who use or sell the e-cigarette products are mobilizing. Touting the “We Vape, We Vote” slogan, this burgeoning movement is positioning itself to be a factor in 2020 elections.
As Vaping Illnesses Rise, So Do Pleas To Quit-Smoking Help Lines
Tobacco-cessation help lines — traditionally aimed at cigarette smokers — are receiving a surge in calls from people who use vapes and want to quit.
VCU Health Will Halt Patient Lawsuits, Boost Aid In Wake Of KHN Investigation
Patients at VCU Health will no longer be taken to court and can more easily get financial assistance to pay their bills.
Medicare Fraudsters Now Tap Telemedicine In Medical Equipment Scams
Scammers bent on defrauding Medicare are embracing the new technologies of remote diagnosis. Federal law enforcement is cracking down.
They Enrolled In Medical School To Practice Rural Medicine. What Happened?
Eight years ago, a new medical program opened in Salina, Kan., as an experimental way to promote rural medicine. Hailed as a solution to the rural doctor shortage, only three of its eight newly minted doctors are now working in the most rural communities.
Congenital Syphilis Continues to Rise at an Alarming Rate
The number of U.S. infants who acquired syphilis from their mothers during pregnancy rose 40% last year. Just five states, including California, accounted for nearly two-thirds of the cases.
As Medicare Enrollment Nears, Popular Price Comparison Tool Missing Key Details
For more than a decade, customers used the online plan finder to compare dozens of policies. Yet after a redesign of the website, the search results no longer list which plan offers a customer the best value. Federal officials say it will be fixed before enrollment begins next week.
Trump’s New Order For Medicare Packs Potential Rise In Patients’ Costs
The president’s directive, which he said is designed to give beneficiaries more choices in their health care, could lead to higher costs for seniors. Final rules are to be written by the Department of Health and Human Services.