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 ... March 20, 2023 Healthcare, Insurance, legislation, Patient Care Insulin 0 0 Comment Read More »
California Senate’s New Health Chair to Prioritize Mental Health and Homelessness Article by Rachel Bluth of California Healthline California state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, a Stockton Democrat who was instrumental in passing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature mental health care legislation last year, has been appointed to lead the Senate’s influential health committee, a change that promises a more urgent focus on expanding mental health services and moving homeless people into housing and treatment. Eggman, a licensed social worker, co-authored the novel law that allows families, clinicians, first responders, and others to petition a judge to mandate government-funded treatment and services for people ... January 9, 2023 General, legislation, Medi-Cal, Mental Health, Patient Care, Public Health Health Care Reform, Homelessness 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH HEALTH ADVISORY: Reminder to Lower Barriers to Prescribing COVID-19 Therapeutics to Mitigate Impact of COVID-19 December 2, 2022 California Department of Public Health Link California Medical Association Link Background Currently, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing in California. Importantly, other viruses such as influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are also circulating, affecting vulnerable populations including children and the elderly, and straining the state's healthcare systems. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommend that everyone 6 months of age or older has an annual influenza vaccine and stays up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including the bivalent booster that is ... December 12, 2022 COVID19, Patient Care, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. December 12, 2022 Advocacy, CMA, Drug Prescribing/Dispensing, General, Healthcare, Insurance, Medi-Cal, Medicare, Mental Health, Patient Care, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls for Regular Screening By Collen DeGuzman from California Healthline Jessica Oberoi, 13, can’t exactly remember when her eyesight started getting blurry. All she knows is that she had to squint to see the whiteboard at school. It wasn’t until last fall when her eighth grade class in Bloomington, Indiana, got vision screenings that Jessica’s extreme nearsightedness and amblyopia, or lazy eye, were discovered. She’s been going through intense treatment since then, and her optometrist, Dr. Katie Connolly, said Jessica has made great improvements — but her lazy eye, which causes depth perception problems, may never go ... June 13, 2022 Patient Care Children's Health, Vision Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
