Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Corrigan Sworn in as Associate Justice of State Supreme Court

Carol Corrigan (R) on Wednesday was sworn in as an associate justice of the California Supreme Court after the three-member Commission on Judicial Appointments on Wednesday voted unanimously to confirm her, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Study Finds Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Treatment

Black patients with treatable lung cancer are less likely to undergo comprehensive diagnostic procedures and surgery than white patients with the same severity of the disease, regardless of whether they have similar access to specialized medical care, according to a study scheduled to appear on Jan. 20 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the New York Times reports.

AARP Softens Position on Reimportation, Says Medicare Benefit Cheaper

AARP in a new analysis said that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit could save beneficiaries more than buying prescriptions from outside the U.S., “soften[ing]” its position on drug reimportation legislation, The Hill reports.

New WellPoint Health Plan for Uninsured Young Adults Examined

The Indianapolis Star on Dec. 25, 2005, examined a new low-premium, high-deductible health plan from Indianapolis-based WellPoint for individuals ages 19 through their early 30s “who are likely to go without health insurance.”

Medicare Verification Problems Mark Launch of Rx Drug Benefit

Difficulties with enrollment verification, computer glitches and other problems with the launch of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit on Monday led to delays in prescriptions for many beneficiaries, USA Today reports.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Patients Use Electronic Health Records System

About 54,000 at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation have been using a personal health record system that provides them with access to their health information and helps them become more active participants in the health care process, United Press International reports.