Latest California Healthline Stories
Schwarzenegger Administration Responds to Criticism of Proposed Delay To Nurse Staffing Rules
Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Belshe at a news conference in Sacramento on Monday said “there has been some confusion” about changes in the implementation of nurse staffing rules in state hospitals, the Sacramento Bee reports.
New York Times Examines Effect of FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill on National Science Foundation
Funding for the National Science Foundation under the 2005 omnibus spending bill is $272 million less than requested by President Bush and $105 million less than last fiscal year, the New York Times reports.
Newspapers Examine Child Weight-Loss Techniques
The Los Angeles Times and New York Times recently published stories examining weight-loss techniques for children.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Dukakis Addresses Strategies To Expand Health Coverage to the Uninsured
A “state-imposed mandate that requires most employers and their employees to contribute to the cost of health insurance” would expand health coverage and save “responsible employers and the taxpayer the billions of dollars we are spending on uninsured employees and their families,” former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (D) writes in a Boston Globe opinion piece.
Medi-Cal Coverage for Specific Diseases Examined
The Sacramento Bee on Thursday examined the state of Medi-Cal, including coverage for conditions such as prostate cancer, for which the federal government does not provide specific funding to offset treatment costs.
Student Fitness Levels Improve Over 2003, State Report Finds
About 27% of California’s fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders achieved minimum fitness levels in the California Physical Fitness Test last spring, up from 25% in 2003, state schools Superintendent Jack O’Connell announced Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Department of Managed Health Care Approves WellPoint-Anthem Merger
The Department of Managed Health Care on Wednesday issued final regulations approving the proposed $16.4 billion merger of California-based WellPoint Health Networks and Indianapolis-based Anthem, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Case on State Regulation of Medicinal Marijuana
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a case to determine whether states have the authority to allow residents to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, the AP/New York Times reports.
New York Times Looks at Contracts That Restrict Access to Research Data
The New York Times on Monday examined pharmaceutical companies’ research contracts with academic institutions, which often give drug makers control over self-financed research data by guaranteeing the companies the rights to the information.
Groups Prepare To Seek Funds From Ballot Measure To Expand Mental Health Services
Groups including the California Mental Health Directors Association have begun planning how to win funding under Proposition 63, a state ballot measure approved Nov. 2 that raises the state’s personal income tax by 1% on annual incomes that exceed $1 million to fund mental health services, the Sacramento Bee reports.