Latest California Healthline Stories
Tobacco industry attorney Robert Northrip on Monday testified in the trial of a Department of Justice lawsuit filed against several large U.S. tobacco companies over alleged violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act that government lawyers were incorrect when they indicated that he had direct knowledge about tobacco companies destroying documents related to the case, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports.
San Jose Mayor Asks Lockyer To Review HCA’s Planned Closure of San Jose Medical Center
San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales in a letter Tuesday asked Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D) to determine whether HCA’s decision to close San Jose Regional Medical Center would compromise the community’s health and emergency medical care, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to file a lawsuit against Service Employees International Union Local 660, which represents nurses at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, for an alleged violation of a restraining order, the Los Angeles Times reports.
JCAHO Makes Recommendations To Help Hospitals Prevent ‘Anesthesia Awareness’
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations on Wednesday asked hospitals to take additional steps to prevent “anesthesia awareness,” instances in which patients regain consciousness during surgery, USA Today reports.
Newspapers Examine Advertisements Addressing Referendum on Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage Law
Two newspapers recently published analyses of television and radio advertisements addressing Proposition 72, a referendum on the Nov. 2 statewide ballot under which state residents can vote “yes” to uphold or “no” to repeal SB 2, a state law that will require some employers to provide health insurance to their employees or pay into a state fund to provide such coverage.
Berkeley Advocacy Group To Petition HHS on Medical Marijuana Policy
Berkeley-based Americans for Safe Access on Monday announced plans to petition HHS to “admit publicly that marijuana is routinely used for medical treatment” and that the agency’s stance that marijuana has no accepted medical use violates federal law, which requires federal agencies to base policies on scientific fact, the Oakland Tribune reports.
House Conferees Reject Provision in Corporate Tax Bill To Allow FDA To Regulate Tobacco Products
Members of a House conference committee on Tuesday voted 8-3 to defeat a Senate proposal in the corporate tax bill (HR 4520) that would allow FDA to regulate the manufacture, promotion and sale of cigarettes, despite Senate conferees’ vote of 15-8 to include it, the Washington Times reports.
Editorial, Opinion Piece Respond to Governor’s Veto of Reimportation Bills
An editorial and opinion piece recently examined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) decision last week to veto a series of bills addressing the importation of lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada.
Boston Globe Examines Role of Lobbyists in Medicare Vote
The third part of a three-part Boston Globe series on the practices of the 108th Congress on Tuesday examined the passage of the new Medicare law — “just one small example of how the Washington spoils system went into overdrive as Republicans and Democrats alike sought to build support for the bill while also taking care of their home states and special-interest groups that mounted an enormous lobbying drive.”
Editorial, Letter Recommend Support for Measure to Fund Mental Health Services
A recent editorial and letter to the editor address Proposition 63, a measure on the Nov. 2 statewide ballot to finance an expansion of mental health services by a 1% increase in the state personal income tax for individuals whose annual incomes exceed $1 million.