Latest California Healthline Stories
CDC Director Gerberding Says Study Showing Overweight People Live Longer Flawed
CDC Director Julie Gerberding at a news conference on Thursday said that there were possible flaws in a recent study that found overweight people might live longer than those considered to be of normal weight and apologized for the “confusion” the study’s results may have caused, the AP/Washington Post reports.
Group Seeks To Create Rules for Universal Data Exchange Software for Patient Insurance Information
A group of 50 major health insurers, medical associations, hospitals and technology companies have partnered to develop the first set of information-exchange rules for obtaining patients’ health insurance information, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Personal-Care Products, Cosmetics Can No Longer Be Certified Organic by USDA
USDA recently announced that personal-care products and cosmetics no longer will be permitted to carry “USDA Organic” labels, the Washington Post reports.
Governors Decide Not To Participate in Federal Medicaid Study Commission
The National Governors Association’s executive committee on Wednesday unanimously agreed not to join a new Medicaid study commission, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
San Mateo County Budget Proposal Would Add 88 Employees at County Medical Center
San Mateo County Manager John Maltbie’s fiscal year 2005-2006 budget proposal would add 88 positions at San Mateo Medical Center, its clinics and the Burlingame Long Term Care facility, the San Mateo Times reports.
Rate of Uninsured Californians Will Increase as Employers Drop Coverage, Report Says
The percentage of working adults in California with employer-sponsored health insurance will decrease from 58% in 2004 to 53% in 2010 if premiums continue to rise by 10% annually, according to a study released Wednesday by the University of California-Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Garamendi Recommends 18% Reduction for Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rates
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) on Wednesday called for an 18% reduction in workers’ compensation rates for policies that begin or are renewed on July 1 or later, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Tobacco Industry Studied How To Appeal to Women Smokers, Report Finds
Tobacco companies have performed “extensive studies” on gender preferences in smoking to help them design products that appeal specifically to women, according to a report in the June issue of the journal Addiction, Long Island Newsday reports.
Frist Supports Biodefense Initiative To Combat Bioterrorism
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on Wednesday said the United States should undertake a large-scale initiative to defend against bioterrorism and naturally occurring diseases, the New York Times reports.
Leavitt Discusses Low-Income Assistance Under Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
The federal government is mailing applications for financial assistance with the new Medicare prescription drug benefit to millions of potentially eligible beneficiaries this month, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.