Latest California Healthline Stories
Richmond City To Vote on Sweetened Drink Tax Measure
Last week, the Richmond City Council approved a November 2012 city ballot measure that would impose a penny-per-ounce sales tax on sweetened drinks, including soda and fruit beverages that contain less than 10% juice. Proponents of the measure say it would help address the obesity rate in the city, particularly among children, by generating funds for anti-obesity programs. Opponents argue that moderate consumption of sweetened beverages can be part of a healthy diet. Contra Costa Times, KQED’s “State of Health.”
Monning Wants Public Health To Be Part of Local Planning
In a recent interview with Capital Public Radio, Assembly member Bill Monning said he plans to push legislation in January, when the Legislature reconvenes, that would establish state guidelines to encourage local governments and transportation planners to consider public health when developing housing, roads and businesses. The guidelines would not be mandatory. Supporters of the legislation say it could help curb rates of obesity, asthma and other diseases. Capital Public Radio.
Report Finds Health Issues for Santa Clara Vietnamese
On Monday, the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health released a report showing that the rates of cancer, heart disease and tuberculosis are higher among the county’s Vietnamese residents than other ethnic and racial groups. County officials cited several reasons for the disparity, including a lack of employer-sponsored health insurance, low English language skills and challenges navigating the health care system. Van Lan Truong — chair of the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans and a member of the advisory board for the survey — said the report should help guide policy and funding decisions for programs designed for the Vietnamese community. San Jose Mercury News.
UC, Union Reach Five-Year Labor Deal for Clerical Staff
Under a new five-year agreement that the University of California and the Coalition of University Employees reached last week, more than 12,500 UC clerical staff will continue to receive the same health care benefits and pay the same rates as general UC employees through Health Net Blue and Gold and Kaiser medical plans. In addition, UC clerical staff will contribute to their pension plans at the same rate as other UC employees, and UC will increase its pension contributions from 4% to 7%. The deal also includes a 3% wage increase, retroactive to July 1, followed by an annual 3% salary increase for three years and a 2% increase for 2015-2016. Sacramento Business Journal.
Humboldt County Website Offers Public Health Alerts
The Humboldt Health Alert website now lets users subscribe to have public health alerts sent directly to their computers, phones or mobile devices. The website — which was launched five years ago by the Department of Health and Human Services’ public health branch — provides information about communicable diseases such as the flu and pertussis, updates about vaccines and vaccination clinics, notices about product recalls and alerts about local water conditions. Eureka Times-Standard.
Opinion: More Medi-Cal Cuts Might Cause Doctor ‘Exodus’
“Today only a small percentage of San Diego physicians accept Medi-Cal — even before Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature chose to balance the budget by implementing major new Medi-Cal reimbursement reductions,” Robert Wailes — president of the San Diego County Medical Society — writes in a San Diego Union-Tribune opinion piece. Wailes writes, “When payments for services rendered are further reduced to a preposterous level, the departure of the few providers willing to see Medi-Cal patients will accelerate.” According to Wailes, data from the society “already indicate a near total exodus from Medi-Cal by individual doctors, particularly specialists.” He concludes, “Cutting Medi-Cal’s already abysmal rates will harm the health of Medi-Cal recipients and our state, will cost all of our citizenry more money and affect their health care — making a mockery of the principal goal of health care reform, i.e., reducing the ‘uninsured.'” San Diego Union-Tribune.
Thousands of Rx Drug Files Missing at Vallejo Pharmacy
Last week, Vallejo Rite Aid officials announced that prescription drug files on about 3,000 customers have been missing since August. At the end of August, employees at the newly renovated Rite Aid on Solano Avenue realized that several boxes containing prescription records were missing. Spokesperson Ashley Flower said that the company has electronic copies of the files and that the missing files do not contain any credit card or Social Security numbers. Rite Aid retained a risk consulting firm to notify affected customers. Vallejo Times-Herald.
California Nurses Association Plans Strike at Several Hospitals
About 4,000 nurses represented by the California Nurses Association are planning a walkout at Sutter Health facilities on Dec. 22. CNA also is planning a strike at two non-Sutter hospitals over labor negotiation issues. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Berwick Lashes Out at GOP Critics of Health Reform Law
At the Institute for Health Improvement’s annual conference in Florida last week, former CMS Administrator Donald Berwick criticized Republicans who stood against the federal health reform law. He criticized some of the opposition rhetoric surrounding the reform law, including the notion of so-called death panels, which he described as “hogwash.” Berwick also discussed the GOP’s use of the term “rationing,” saying that “the true rationers are those who impede improvement, who stand in the way of change, and who thereby force choices that we can avoid through better care.” The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules.”
L.A. Officials Seek To Block Adult Film Condom Mandate
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office on Thursday filed a lawsuit to block a proposed June 2012 city ballot measure that would to require actors in adult films to use condoms. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has collected and submitted to city officials more than 71,000 voter signatures for verification to qualify the measure for the ballot. The lawsuit argues the proposed measure is unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer money because state law already requires employers to implement safety measures, such as using protective barriers when workers could be exposed to bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. City attorneys are urging the court to take immediate action, rather than wait until after the election to invalidate the measure. AP/San Jose Mercury News.