Latest California Healthline Stories
State Agency Evaluating Need for Care Facility Investigators
The Community Care Licensing Division, the unit of the Department of Social Services that monitors care facilities, is “reconsidering” whether to maintain its staff unit to investigate allegations of abuse and wrongdoing, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Schwarzenegger, Legislative Leaders Reach Budget Agreement
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and legislative leaders on Tuesday agreed on a state fiscal year 2005-2006 budget totaling about $117 billion that does not increase taxes and adds funding for some health care programs, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Governor Signs, Vetoes Health Care Bills
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last week signed into law a bill (AB 1075) that will allow the Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority to provide health insurance to about 3,000 children in San Luis Obispo County, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports.
Senate Finance Committee Begins Investigation of Johnson & Johnson Educational Grants
The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday began an investigation into whether Johnson & Johnson awarded educational grants to promote pediatric use of the heartburn medication Propulsid, despite internal company concerns in the 1990s about the safety of the treatment in some children, the New York Times reports.
BART Negotiators Reach Contract Agreement
Unionized workers for Bay Area Rapid Transit early Wednesday reached a labor agreement, possibly including increased union contributions to health care premiums, less than two hours before a scheduled strike, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
States Vary in Ability To Recover Medicaid Costs From Estates of Deceased Beneficiaries
Programs in different states that recover the cost of Medicaid services from the estates of some deceased beneficiaries “differed markedly” in their ability to recover funds, according to a study from the AARP Public Policy Institute, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Newspapers Examine Advances in Health Care Technology
Two newspapers on Wednesday examined the use of new communication technologies in the medical community.
House Members Introduce Bill To Establish Mandatory Online Clinical Trial Database
Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) have announced the introduction of a bill (HR 3196) that would establish a mandatory federal clinical trials database, CQ HealthBeat reports.
O’Connor’s Supreme Court Resignation Prompts Abortion Rights Debate
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on Friday announced her resignation from the court, sparking a debate over abortion in the United States and the potential influence a new justice could have in deciding legal rights for abortion, the Washington Post reports.
States Fight Against Payments to Federal Government To Help Fund Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Many states are “openly resisting” a requirement that they pay billions of dollars annually to the federal government to help finance the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, the New York Times reports.