Latest California Healthline Stories
Bush Administration Officials Reject Calls To Revise New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Bush administration officials on Wednesday “rebutted claims” that legalizing prescription drug reimportation and allowing the federal government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies would lower the cost of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Washington Post reports.
Passage of Proposed Legislation To Require Health Care Coverage Questioned
Legislation by Assembly members Joe Nation (D-San Rafael) and Keith Richman (R-Granada Hills) that would require California residents to maintain health care coverage is “considered a long shot for passage,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Lawmakers Introduce Legislation To Expand Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senate and House members on Wednesday introduced a bill (HR 810) in both chambers that would expand federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research and vowed to “do whatever it takes” to pass the legislation, the Denver Post reports.
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt Testifies on Medicaid Plans in Budget Proposal at Senate Hearing
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Wednesday testified before the Senate Finance Committee on plans in the fiscal year 2006 budget proposal released last week by President Bush to reduce federal Medicaid costs, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Senate Committee Hearing Examines Benefits, Risks of Prescription Drug Reimportation
Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in the first day of a two-day hearing on Wednesday discussed the potential risks and benefits of legislation that would allow U.S. residents to reimport lower-cost prescription drugs from other nations, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Health Officials in Southern California Work To Address Increase in Number of Staph Infections
Southern California health officials are taking action to combat an outbreak of infections caused by a new form of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat such infections, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Los Angeles City Council Approves Proposal To Study Prescription Drug Reimportation Program
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to look into establishing a Web site to help residents reimport medications from Canada, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Cities Use Free Office Space To Compete for Headquarters of Stem Cell Institute
Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn (D) this week announced he has arranged free downtown office space as part of the city’s bid to win the headquarters of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the stem cell research organization created by Proposition 71, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Republican and Democratic senators on Tuesday said that President Bush’s fiscal year 2006 budget proposal would not provide enough funding to maintain current levels of health services for veterans, and the problem would be exacerbated by soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, the New York Times reports.
FDA Advisory Committee Recommends ‘Black Box’ Warning for Eczema Treatments
An FDA advisory panel on Tuesday concluded that two common treatments for eczema “may increase the risk of some forms of cancer” and should feature “black box” warnings on their labels, the Washington Post reports.