Latest California Healthline Stories
Schwarzenegger Signs Prison Tobacco Ban Into Law
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Monday signed into law a bill (AB 384) that will ban tobacco use among inmates, employees and visitors at state correctional facilities, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Reduces Funding for Mental Health Services
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has eliminated five staff positions and reduced some service contracts from the county Mental Health Services Board to reduce the board’s budget by $1.6 million for fiscal year 2004-2005, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Some State Medicaid Programs Pay More for Prescription Drugs, HHS OIG Report Finds
Some states’ Medicaid programs pay 12% to 4,073% more than others for prescription drugs, and data that would help them negotiate lower prices is withheld by the federal government, according to an HHS Office of Inspector General study released Friday, the Boston Globe reports.
Scientists To Launch Campaign To Inform Voters About Alleged Bush Administration Misuse of Science
Scientists from a new political action committee on Monday announced that they would visit closely contested states in the presidential election over the next month to give lectures arguing that President Bush’s administration “has ignored and misused science,” the New York Times reports.
California Highway Patrol Commissioner Michael Brown on Thursday said that he would examine department medical pensions awarded in the past four years for possible improprieties and “revive” a CHP unit to address workers’ compensation fraud, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Suburban Sprawl Linked to Certain Health Problems, Study Finds
U.S. residents who live in metropolitan areas with higher levels of suburban sprawl have more health problems — such as diabetes, respiratory illnesses, migraine headaches and high blood pressure — than those who live in areas with lower levels, according to a study in the current issue of Public Health, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Advocacy Groups Analyze Effects of Return of SCHIP Funding
Some states could face budget shortfalls for their SCHIP programs in 2005 if $1.1 billion in unspent state SCHIP program funding is returned to the U.S. Treasury on Sept. 30, money that could be used to provide health coverage to 750,000 children, according to analyses by advocacy groups, the Washington Post reports.
San Francisco Chronicle Examines Measures on Nov. 2 Ballot, Including Health-Related Measures
The San Francisco Chronicle on Monday examined measures on the Nov. 2 statewide ballot, including five health-related measures.
Bustamante Considering Run for Insurance Commissioner
Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D) this month filed papers with the Office of the Secretary of State to create a fundraising committee to run for insurance commissioner in 2006, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Friday signed a bill (AB 2193) that will prohibit children younger than age 14 from using tanning booths without a doctor’s prescription as part of an effort to reduce the incidence of skin cancer, the Sacramento Bee reports.