Latest California Healthline Stories
Washington Post Examines Stalled Federal Effort To Limit Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
The Washington Post on Sunday examined how President Bush “rarely mentions” medical malpractice reform in speeches during his second term, despite previous campaigning on the issue.
Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in the next few months plan to propose legislation to provide pharmaceutical companies that develop products used to respond to a bioterrorist attack or an outbreak of an infectious disease with a six-month to 24-month extension of a patent of their selection, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Federal Government Web Site Provides Information on 17 Quality Measures for U.S. Hospitals
The federal government on Wednesday launched a new Web site to provide information on hospitals’ compliance with 17 widely used quality measures in treating heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia, the Wall Street Journal reports.
San Francisco Enacts 45-Day Moratorium on New Cannabis Clubs, Calls for Stricter Regulations
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 9-0 to enact a 45-day moratorium on new cannabis clubs while the city drafts new laws to regulate them, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Medicare Part B Premiums To Increase by Estimated 14% in 2006, CMS Says
Monthly premiums for Medicare Part B will rise by an estimated 14% to $89.20 in 2006, largely because of an unexpected 15% increase in spending on physician visits and other outpatient services in 2004, CMS said in a letter on Thursday to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the Washington Post reports.
Advocacy Groups Send Letter to HHS To Criticize Sex Education Web Site
Nearly 150 advocacy groups on Thursday sent a letter to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt criticizing a government Web site designed to help parents discuss sexual abstinence with their teenage children, saying that the site provides biased and inaccurate information to parents and does not emphasize the need for contraception if a teenager becomes sexually active, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Many U.S. Pharmacies Increase Security To Prevent Prescription Drug Theft
Pharmacies nationwide are “fighting a battle of wits” with the increasing number of people who abuse prescription drugs and attempt to steal or illegally obtain the medications, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Health Care Advocates in Fresno County Establish Coalition To Address Reform Efforts
Physicians, consumers and health care advocates on Thursday announced the establishment of a coalition to expand health care coverage in Fresno County, the Fresno Bee reports.
Grant Will Fund Development of Mobile Mammography Service for Underserved Populations
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation of the Sacramento Valley has awarded a $1.5 million grant to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton to build a mobile digital mammography system that will serve a 17-county area, the Stockton Record reports.
Legislation Addresses Chemicals That Might Have Negative Health Effects
Assembly member Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) has introduced a bill (AB 908) that would prohibit the sale and manufacture of products containing phthalates, chemicals added to plastics and other products that some say affect users’ health, the Sacramento Bee reports.