Latest California Healthline Stories
The Hill Examines Rx Drug Plan Marketing Efforts
The Hill on Wednesday examined efforts by health insurers to market Medicare prescription drug plans.
Studies Examine Adverse Events in Government Smallpox Vaccine Program
A government program to inoculate first responders and other medical personnel against smallpox did not create the high level of adverse reactions that many health experts had feared, but it remains unclear why a small number of civilian participants in the program experienced serious complications including heart attacks and heart inflammation, according to two studies published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Washington Post reports
Republicans Set To Discuss Budget Reconciliation Legislation
Republican congressional leaders have set “ambitious goals” of reaching agreement on a budget deficit reduction package and reviving the Labor-HHS spending bill that the House rejected last month, the Wall Street Journal reports.
FDA Division Director Resigns, Third Official To Leave Since August
David Orloff, an FDA division director who oversees the review of drugs to treat metabolic and endocrine disorders, has announced plans to leave the agency and join Medpace, a contract research firm based in Cincinnati that runs clinical trials, the New York Times reports.
San Diego County Supervisors Approve New Income Limits for County Medical Services
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a new eligibility limit for uninsured, low-income county residents to qualify for the County Medical Services program, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Judge Sets Date for Proposition 71 Trial; ICOC Adopts Interim Intellectual Property Policy
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Bonnie Sabraw at a hearing on Tuesday set a trial date of Feb. 27 to hear arguments as to whether Proposition 71 violates the state Constitution, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
State Meets Half of Bioterrorism Preparedness Objectives
California scored five out of a possible 10 points for bioterrorism preparedness — the same score the state received last year — according to ratings issued Tuesday by the Trust for America’s Health, the Sacramento Bee reports.
DGS Announces Contracts for Prescription Drug Services
The Department of General Services on Tuesday announced two pharmaceutical contracts for state prisons, youth correctional facilities, mental hospitals and centers for the developmentally disabled, and employees of state universities, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Women, Blacks, Elderly Less Likely To Receive Chemotherapy, Study Finds
Women, blacks and elderly patients with advanced colon cancer are less likely to receive chemotherapy than other patients despite evidence that the treatment improves survival rates, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Articles, Opinion Pieces Address Medicare Drug Benefit
Several newspapers recently examined issues related to the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.