Latest California Healthline Stories
American Medical Association Supports Cord Blood Donation
The American Medical Association encouraged doctors to talk to pregnant women about donating umbilical cord blood. New laws in California aim to make it easier to donate cord blood, which includes stem cells that can treat certain cancers. AP/Los Angeles Times.
House To Attempt Override of Appropriations Bill Veto
Without additional Republican support, Democrats likely will not have enough votes to override President Bush’s veto of the fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. The president vetoed the bill this week because it exceeded his discretionary spending request by about $10 billion. CQ Today et al.
New York Announces Third Deal on Physician Rankings
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield will create a physician ranking system based on nationally recognized quality-of-care standards and disclose to consumers how the program is designed. Cuomo in the past two months has brokered similar deals with Cigna and Aetna. AP/Long Island Newsday, AP/Houston Chronicle.
Medicare Launches New Online Tool for Choosing Rx Drug Benefit Plans
Users can enter a list of prescription drugs to obtain a comparison of premiums, copayments and deductibles for various Medicare prescription drug benefit plans. Wall Street Journal, NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
Assembly Panel OKs Democrats’ Health Care Overhaul Proposal
On a party-line vote, the Assembly Health Committee approved a health care reform plan by Democratic legislative leaders, sending it to the full Assembly for a vote later this month. However, projections of a growing state budget deficit are raising concerns about the viability of a health care overhaul plan this year. Sacramento Bee et al.
Breast-Feeding Rates Vary Significantly at Hospitals
A report released by the UC-Davis Human Lactation Center and the California WIC Association found that the percentage of California women who exclusively breast-feed ranges from less than 1% at three hospitals to a high of 93% at El Camino Hospital. Los Angeles Times.
Trends in Diabetes Care, Research Raising Questions
A four-day series examined recent developments in diabetes research, as well as factors contributing to increases in the disease’s prevalence. Demographics play a role in susceptibility to diabetes, but diet and exercise habits also come into play, according to researchers. USA Today, ABC’s “World News.”
Edwards Calls for Universal Health Coverage by 2009
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said that as president he would cut off lawmakers’ health insurance if they do not extend coverage to all U.S. residents by July 2009. Edwards also said he would consider ending patent protection for some new drug discoveries to improve access and lower costs. Nashua Telegraph, Reuters.
Democrats’ Health Care Reform Plan Goes Before Assembly Health Panel
Gov. Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders likely will make more changes to the plan before a final vote in the Legislature. However, a Republican leader warns that opponents might seek to repeal any compromise law in the June 2008 election. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
Patent Ruling Sparks Debate on States’ Legal Immunity
A federal law protecting states from being sued over patent infringement charges allowed California to win a case against a biomedical company seeking royalties on a patented method of screening birth defects in fetuses. Wall Street Journal.