Latest California Healthline Stories
Some consider the purchase of prescription drugs by the Department of Veterans Affairs a “negotiation” with pharmaceutical companies, but “really what is going on … is something that does not sound quite as appealing: price controls,” Benjamin Zycher, a senior fellow in economics at the Pacific Research Institute, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece.
President Bush’s Inaugural Address Notes Ownership in Health Care
President Bush on Thursday in his Inaugural address opened his second term “with an ode to ‘the force of human freedom,'” and he referred to his support for an “ownership society” in regards to health care, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Speier Introduces Legislation To Strengthen Investigations of CalPERS Disability Claims
Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) on Thursday introduced the first of three bills that would “help rein in fraudulent disability claims” under CalPERS, the Sacramento Bee reports. Speier’s bill would permit the pension fund to require employees who are past retirement age to submit to medical exams to determine if they are still disabled.
Democrats Criticize Schwarzenegger Budget Proposal, Announce Plans for Alternate Budget
Democratic leaders this week criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) fiscal year 2005-2006 state budget plan and said they will present an alternate budget in the coming weeks, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Environmental Protection Agency Finds About 17% of Airplanes Have Contaminated Water
About 17% of 169 randomly tested passenger airplanes had drinking water that failed to meet federal safety standards, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday, USA Today reports.
Sacramento Bee Looks at Stem Cell Board Members’ Biotech Interests
The Sacramento Bee on Friday examined issues involving members of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the board created by Proposition 71, who recently disclosed financial interests, as required by the ballot measure.
CDC Issues Recommendations for Some Individuals Exposed to HIV
CDC on Thursday in a “major policy shift” recommended that people exposed to HIV through unprotected sexual intercourse, sexual assault, shared needles or accidents receive immediate treatment with antiretroviral drugs to prevent infection, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.
Sacramento Bee Examines Schwarzenegger Proposal To Reduce State Contribution to IHHS Worker Wages
The Sacramento Bee on Thursday examined budget reductions proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) for the In-Home Supportive Services program, which provides services for low-income seniors and state residents with disabilities, as part of an effort to balance the $111.7 billion state budget.
Medical Board of California Executive Director David Thornton on Friday in a board meeting plans to propose system changes including increasing physicians’ licensing fees, but such reforms “could be scuttled” by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) proposal to eliminate the board and give its responsibilities to the state’s consumer services agency, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Newly Discovered Gene Could Be ‘Molecular Master Switch’ for Cancer
A newly discovered cancer-causing gene could be the “molecular master switch for the disease,” according to research published in the journal Nature, Reuters/Arizona Daily Star reports.