Latest California Healthline Stories
San Francisco Public Health Official Asks FDA To Classify Viagra as Controlled Substance
A San Francisco public health official has petitioned FDA to make Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction drug Viagra a controlled substance because of studies showing an association between use of the medication and higher rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Governor Signs Bill Mandating Expansion of Testing of Newborns for Genetic Disorders
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last week signed a bill (SB 142) that will provide $2.7 million to expand infant testing for rare genetic diseases, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Private Insurers Balk at Multistate Regional Plan Under New Medicare Law
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans have sent separate letters to the Bush administration “stat[ing] emphatically” that to entice private insurers to participate in Medicare, the federal government will have to designate 50 regions — one for each state — instead of larger, multistate regions “as the White House wants,” the New York Times reports.
Los Angeles Times Examines Unorthodox Employer Strategy To Reduce Health Care Costs
The Los Angeles Times on Monday profiled retired surgeon David Crowder and the “small revolution” he has launched at two Wyoming coal-mining companies to lower health care costs and improve quality of care for employees.
California Performance Review Committee Holds Hearing on Health, Human Services Recommendations
The California Performance Review Commission on Friday at the University of California-San Diego held a hearing on its recommendations for health and human services, the North County Times reports.
U.S. Department of Justice Launches Probe Into Medical Suppliers’ Contracts With Hospitals
The Department of Justice recently subpoenaed more than a dozen medical supply companies in what “appears to be a wide-ranging” criminal investigation into whether hospitals and other providers are fraudulently overcharging Medicare and other public health programs for products used in medical services, the New York Times reports.
Teens’ Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Illicit Drugs Declined in Last Two Years, Statewide Survey Finds
Use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco among California teenagers has declined in the last two years following several years of increases in the 1990s, according to a biennial statewide survey released Wednesday, the Ventura County Star reports.
Line-Item Veto Will Eliminate Mental Health Coverage for Some Children
About 15% of children enrolled in Children’s System of Care, a program that provides intensive mental health services for children statewide, will lose coverage for mental health services as a result of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) line-item veto last month that “sliced almost all the funding” for the program, the Los Angeles Times reports.
FDA Releases Documents Related to Antidepressant Risk Analysis
FDA on Friday “took the unusual step” of posting on its Web site “numerous documents” to be considered by an advisory panel next month that are related to the agency’s latest analysis of the risk of increased suicidal tendencies in children who take antidepressants, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Schwarzenegger’s Background Affects Debate Over Dietary Supplement Regulation Legislation
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) background “colors an otherwise typical tug of war between consumer advocates and free-market proponents” over a “handful of bills” that lawmakers hope to pass before the Legislature adjourns on Aug. 31, the Sacramento Bee reports.