Latest California Healthline Stories
New Documents Raise Questions About Merck’s Knowledge of Vioxx Risk; Mercury Levels in Vaccines
Previously undisclosed documents show that Merck was preparing to conduct a large-scale cardiovascular study of its COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx in 2002 but canceled the trial as it was about to begin, the New York Times reports.
Riverside County Regional Medical Center Due $1.4 Million in State Building Refund
The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development this week said that it would refund Riverside County $1.4 million in state building fees for Riverside County Regional Medical Center, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Santa Clara County officials on Monday informed administrators at Regional Medical Center of San Jose that some staffing and training issues must be resolved before the county would consider its application to open a new trauma center, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Bush Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Proposal Would Reduce Funding for Medi-Cal
Federal funding for Medi-Cal would decrease by about $550 million to $18.96 billion under President Bush’s fiscal year 2006 budget proposal, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Senate Begins Debate on Class-Action Amendment to Tort Reform Legislation
The Senate on Monday began debate on a proposed amendment to a class-action lawsuit reform bill (SB 5), and consumer groups sought “to garner support for amendments they said would make an objectionable bill somewhat more palatable,” the Washington Post reports.
Number of Autism Cases Treated at State-Funded Centers Increases
The number of people treated for autism at regional centers throughout the state operated by the Department of Developmental Services increased by 13% from 2003 to 2004, and autism now accounts for about half of new cases handled at the centers, which treat a number of developmental problems, according to state data, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
President Bush’s Budget Proposal Would Increase Fees, Copayments for Some Veterans
President Bush’s fiscal year 2006 budget proposal — to be announced on Monday — would more than double some veterans’ copayments for prescription drugs and implement a $250 “user fee” for health care services for some veterans, according to administration officials, the New York Times reports.
California Healthline on Friday incorrectly reported that Health Net on Thursday announced its fourth-quarter earnings. The story should have stated that PacifiCare Health Systems on Thursday announced a fourth-quarter profit of $72 million, or 76 cents per share. Health Net is scheduled to announce its fourth-quarter earnings Feb. 8.
Rate of Employer-Sponsored Coverage in the State Decreases, Study Finds
About 53.8% of nonelderly state residents received employer-sponsored health insurance in 2003, according to a University of California-Los Angeles Center For Health Policy Research study released Sunday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Appeals Court Rejects Potential $280 Billion Penalty in Federal Lawsuit Against Tobacco Companies
A federal appeals court on Friday “delivered a major victory” to the tobacco industry by ruling that the federal government cannot claim the $280 billion in profit disgorgements it had sought in its case against major U.S. tobacco firms, the New York Times reports.