Latest California Healthline Stories
Obese People Face Higher Lifetime Medical Costs
Despite shorter life spans, obese and extremely obese young adults will have significantly higher lifetime medical costs than their normal-weight peers, according to a new study in the journal Obese. About one-third of U.S. residents are obese. USA Today.
Privacy Advocates Take Issue With California Bill on Pharmacy Mailings
The bill would allow drug companies to pay for mailings from pharmacies and eliminate a requirement that patients provide prior consent to receive such mailings. Supporters of the bill say the mailings would help increase patient compliance with their prescriptions. Sacramento Bee.
Number of Americans With Inadequate Health Insurance Up 60%
A Commonwealth Fund study finds that the number of underinsured U.S. residents increased by 60% from 2003 to 2007. People who received coverage through small firms or bought individual policies were most likely to have high deductibles or limited coverage. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Hemet Mulls New Charges for Nursing Home Facilities
Hemet is considering charging skilled-nursing facilities $120 for each 15 minutes emergency responders are at a facility, which already has trained medical staff. The proposal is expected to raise $100,000 annually, but some say health care facilities are being singled out. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Tobacco Firm Gives $50,000 to Ventura County GOP
The Altria Group — parent company of Philip Morris USA, the country’s largest tobacco company – – has donated $50,000 to the Ventura County Republican Central Committee. Jim Knox, vice president of the American Cancer Society Action Network, said the tobacco industry played “a major role in killing health care reform in California last year.” Ventura County Star.
Iowa Senator Sends Letter to UCLA Medical Center Over Transplants
Sen. Chuck Grassley is requesting more information about liver transplants at UCLA Medical Center for four suspected members of Japanese organized crime groups. Current rules do not bar people with criminal records from receiving transplants in the U.S. Los Angeles Times.
Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft Launch Online Records Pilot Program
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente announced a partnership with Microsoft that will allow Kaiser’s 156,000 employees to use Microsoft’s electronic health record service. If the project is successful, Kaiser will roll out the service to its 8.7 million members. Reuters/Washington Post et al.
California Representative Introduces Alzheimer’s Bill
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) has introduced a bill that would boost funding for research of Latinos with Alzheimer’s disease. The legislation aims to increase participation of Latinos in NIH and CDC studies to better address Alzheimer’s. Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Fresno County Budget Cuts To Affect Health Services
A proposed Fresno County fiscal year 2008-2009 budget released Friday would force the Department of Behavioral Health to close several mental health clinics and eliminate nearly 60 positions, including office assistants, mental health nurses and clinicians, according to Giang Nguyen, director of the department. Fresno Bee.
Pensions, Retiree Health Benefits Hitting Businesses
A new book considers the history of labor unions’ negotiations with U.S. businesses, especially automakers, over pension and retiree health care benefits. In the past year, health care benefits have played a central role in unions’ contract negotiations with employers. NPR’s Morning Edition.