Latest California Healthline Stories
Articles, Opinion Pieces Examine Schwarzenegger’s First Year as Governor
Recent newspaper articles examined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) first year in office and his legislative accomplishments to date, including those on health care.
San Francisco Hotel Workers Strike; Health Benefits Among Negotiation Points
About 1,400 employees of four “prominent” hotels in San Francisco who are represented by the union Unite Here on Wednesday morning began striking in protest of a range of issues, including protecting health benefits, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bush Administration Abandons Proposal To Require Hospitals To Ask Patients About Immigrant Status
The Bush administration is “backing off” its proposed plan to require hospitals that treat undocumented immigrants to ask patients about their immigration status to obtain federal funds for providing indigent emergency care, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Tenet Sells Four Orange County Hospitals for $70 Million
Santa Barbara-based Tenet Healthcare on Thursday announced that it will sell four of its nine Orange County hospitals for $70 million to Integrated Healthcare Holdings, the Orange County Register reports.
Merck Withdraws Vioxx From Market Over Safety Concerns
Merck officials on Thursday announced that the company is withdrawing from the market the blockbuster arthritis drug Vioxx after a study “confirmed simmering concerns” that the drug raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, the Washington Post reports.
Ventura County Board of Supervisors Approves Health Care Plan Costing $5.1 Million
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve a health care plan for members of three unions representing county employees that will cost $5.1 million this fiscal year, up from $3.2 million last year, the Ventura County Star reports.
House Ethics Committee Admonishes DeLay, Miller, Smith Over Medicare Bribe Allegations
The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct on Thursday unanimously voted to issue a rare “public admonishment” against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) for allegedly attempting last November to offer his political support to Rep. Nick Smith’s (R-Mich.) son in exchange for the congressional member’s vote on the Medicare legislation, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Schwarzenegger Signs Eight, Vetoes Seven Health-Related Bills
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) recently signed eight and vetoed seven health-related bills.
Pfizer Official Faces Investigation Over Support for Reimportation of Prescription Drugs
Pfizer official Peter Rost, who has publicly supported the legalization of prescription drug reimportation, on Thursday said that the company has launched an investigation into his political activities, the Washington Post reports.
Institute of Medicine’s Childhood Obesity Report Receives Praise, Criticism
Anti-obesity advocates and food industry representatives “generally praised” a report released on Thursday by an Institute of Medicine committee that included recommendations to reduce the prevalence of obesity in children, but some of the recommendations “immediately met resistance” from HHS officials, who said that the establishment of a task force to “develop advertising and marketing guidelines is outside the agency’s authority,” the Washington Post reports.