California plans to implement a closed drug formulary for its workers comp system and is consulting its counterparts in Texas and Washington state in its effort to reduce opioid use and overall costs, officials said.

Besides a special session on Medi-Cal, the big health care issue waiting action by lawmakers when they return from summer recess today is the high cost of new specialized prescription drugs.

The debate over new taxes and fees - a dominant theme in the final weeks of the legislative session - kicked off Monday, with some Democratic lawmakers calling for a new tax on health insurance plans to pay for Medi-Cal and other social services.

More info coming soon.

For years, Republicans have openly pined for pushing Medicare further into the private sector.

This week, President Obama signed into law a bill (HR 2514) by a California lawmaker that seeks to help veterans save money to cover health care expenses, the Lake County Record-Bee reports.