Latest California Healthline Stories
Frist Shifts Focus to Health Care
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is discussing health care reform while he considers seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2008, according to a recent column. Los Angeles Times.
Local Television Health Care Coverage Lacks Context
Health care issues often lacks adequate context in local television coverage and in some cases stories are inaccurate, a study finds. USA Today, Los Angeles Times.
Orange County Must Repay AIDS Grant
Federal officials are demanding that Orange County return nearly $150,000 in AIDS funding for minorities because they say the money was misspent. Orange County Register.
Oregon Releases 2005 Assisted Suicide Data
The number of terminally ill Oregon residents who sought physician-assisted suicide remained about the same between 2004 and 2005. AP/Seattle Times.
Bathhouses, Sex Clubs Oppose New Health Regulations
Some bathhouses and sex clubs in Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit claiming that they are not commercial sex venues and should therefore not have to comply with new regulations issued by the county health department. Los Angeles Times.
Experts Question Fidelity Estimate of Retiree Health Costs
Some financial experts and other observers say people who retire without employer-sponsored health care coverage might need more money for health care than Fidelity estimated. Wall Street Journal.
Doctors Oppose Changes to Lethal Injection Procedures
A federal judge will decide in May whether proposed changes to the state’s lethal injection procedure are enough to ensure that an inmate does not feel pain during execution. San Francisco Chronicle.
Uninsured Patients Receive Surgeries Through Group
Operation Access, a program that provides outpatient surgeries to the uninsured, linked 23 patients with health professionals who volunteered their time. Contra Costa Times.
Letter Questions FDA Delay on Plan B Application
California Rep. Henry Waxman alleges that FDA is “mischaracterizing” its review of an application for nonprescription sales of emergency contraception. CQ HealthBeat, et al.
U.S. Residents Living Longer, Healthier Lives
Researchers expect the U.S. population over age 65 to almost double from 2000 to 2030. At the same time a trend showing that a smaller percentage of seniors has significant disabilities is expected to continue to decrease. New York Times, et al.