Latest California Healthline Stories
New Medicare Drug Benefit Might Be a Tough Sell
Advocacy groups in California and nationwide are preparing to help Medicare beneficiaries enroll in the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and are specifically preparing to educate beneficiaries about provisions of the benefit while addressing their concerns about enrollment and the benefit itself.
Health Care Players Look at Possible Effects of Future Health Insurance Mergers
After last year’s debate over the Anthem-WellPoint merger, health care players now are looking at what a proposed merger between PacifiCare and UnitedHealth Group could mean for the health insurance market.
CPOE Study Draws Strong Reaction From Medical, IT Community
A March study on computer physician order entry systems in the Journal of the American Medical Association has continued to elicit reaction from the health care and information technology communities, with some stakeholders saying media coverage of the report could slow implementation efforts.
New Medicare Drug Benefit Excludes Some Medicines
The new Medicare drug benefit does not provide coverage for all classes of prescription drugs, and some patient advocates are particularly concerned about the exclusion of benzodiazepines.
CNA Efforts Expand Beyond California’s Borders
Although some nurses have welcomed the California Nurses Association as it seeks to expand the scope of its work, other nurse unions and hospital operators have been critical of CNA’s efforts on nurse representation and broader health care policy initiatives.
Data From Medicare Drug Benefit Eyed for Rx Safety Project
CMS Administrator Mark McClellan in May proposed using prescription drug information collected through the new Medicare drug benefit to improve FDA surveillance systems. McClellan and HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt have said personal data will remain secure, but some advocates have raised questions.
Additional Subsidies Available to Some Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries
Low-income Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible for some additional financial assistance under the new drug benefit, but some consumer advocates have raised questions about outreach efforts.
Medem Launches No-Cost Electronic Health Records Service
Medem earlier this month launched no-cost electronic personal health records for the general public, a development that some observers say could spur wider adoption of health care information technology.
California, Federal Officials Address Medi-Cal Funding Strategies
California and 14 other states are in talks with federal officials to address some accounting practices related to Medicaid. California officials say the practices are legitimate but have agreed to some changes requested by CMS officials.
California Insurers Expect Widespread Participation in Medicare Drug Benefit
Although some critics have questioned how many health plans will sign on to offer prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries, California health plans in urban and rural areas alike say they will participate in the Medicare drug benefit program. Some advocates continue to voice concerns about how health plans will implement the program and what beneficiaries can expect.