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Insulin to Cost $30 as California Secures Contract to Combat Diabetes

California will cut patients’ cost for insulin by 90% to $30, regardless of their insurance plan, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday. The state has a contract with non-profit generic-drug company Civica to obtain insulin, a hormone used for treating diabetes. When the new, cheaper drug will become available is not clear: Civica and the state Health and Human Services Agency are working to identify a manufacturing facility in California, according to the governor’s announcement. Patients who pay cash for insulin will save $2,000 and $4,000 a year, Newsom’s office said, citing “egregious ...

New California Health Laws for 2023

While the legislature passed various new laws impacting health care in California, significant focus was placed on legislation intended to protect physicians and patients in response to the United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs. The California Medical Association (CMA) published a summary of new laws of interest to physicians that cover reproductive rights, emergency services, healthcare facilities, and more. You can view the PDF HERE.

Growing Numbers of Californians Are Having Problems Paying Medical Bills — and Half Say They Have Skipped or Postponed Health Care in the Last Year Due to Cost

The rising cost of health care continues to be one of California’s most urgent issues, with one in four Californians saying they have struggled to pay at least one medical bill in the past 12 months — up from 20% last year — and 49% saying they have postponed care due to cost, according to a newly released statewide survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago. Of those who postponed care, the survey finds, 47% report their health condition worsened as a result, ...

Doctor, hospital groups organize to oppose single-payer in California

A group of influential, deep-pocketed business and health care organizations that have long helped shape the legislative agenda in California have joined forces to oppose any future effort to craft a universal, single-payer health care system for the nation’s largest state. The main focus of the coalition, called “Californians against the costly disruption of our health care,” is to kill any single-payer health care bill in the state Legislature, said Ned Wigglesworth, a political strategist for the coalition. Read More...

Health Net Federal Services experiences significant challenges with TRICARE transition

On January 1, 2018, Health Net Federal Services (HNFS) became the new Defense Heath Agency (DHA) managed care contractor for the TRICARE West Region, serving approximately 2.9 million beneficiaries in 21 western states, including California. HNFS took over the contract previously held by UnitedHealthcare Military and Veterans’ Services (UMVS). The California Medical Association (CMA) has learned that HNFS has experienced implementation issues related to provider contracting and credentialing, beneficiary reassignment to new primary care managers (PCM), and provider directory inaccuracies. Read More