Latest California Healthline Stories
Many Children With Mental Illnesses Improperly Held in Detention Centers in 2003, Report Finds
About 15,000 children with mental illnesses were improperly incarcerated in detention centers in 2003 because of a lack of access to treatment, according to a report released on Wednesday at a Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs hearing, the New York Times reports.
San Francisco Supervisor Daly Drops Plan To Reduce City Employee Retiree Health Benefits
San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly on Wednesday dropped plans to push for scaled-back retirement health benefits for city workers in the face of opposition from unions representing the employees, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Eden Township Healthcare District Completes Purchase of San Leandro Hospital
Officials for the Eden Township Healthcare District last week announced that it has completed its purchase of San Leandro Hospital from Texas-based hospital chain Triad Hospitals for $35 million, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Disability rights advocates on Wednesday filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco federal court alleging that Alameda County and its Social Services Agency violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and wrongfully deny general assistance payments and food stamps to county residents with mental disabilities by not properly identifying such residents or making it too difficult for them to identify themselves, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Uninsured People Ages 50 to 64 Have 43% Higher Death Risk Than Insured, Study Finds
The risk of death among uninsured people ages 50 to 64 is 43% higher than it is for people in that age group who have insurance, and more than 105,000 U.S. residents in that age group may die prematurely in the next eight years because they lack insurance, according to a study in Wednesday’s Health Affairs, the Boston Globe reports.
Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross Support Ballot Initiative To Alter State Consumer Protection Law
Kaiser Permanente has given its support to a ballot initiative that seeks to weaken the state’s consumer protection law, which allows consumers to sue businesses to “stop unfair and deceptive business practices,” by “sharply limit[ing] who can sue and under which circumstances,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Health Insurance Costs Increase for Smaller Firms, Study Finds
Increases in health benefit costs for small- and medium-sized employers decelerated last year, with the slowdown representing “a reprieve from higher rates, not an end to them,” according to a survey released Tuesday by benefits consulting firm Marsh, the Boston Globe reports.
Schwarzenegger Appoints Three Members to State Fund Board
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday appointed three new members to the five-member board of directors for the State Compensation Insurance Fund, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Kerry Selects John Edwards as Running Mate
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) on Tuesday selected as his vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), a former rival who has similar positions on health care and other issues, the Associated Press reports.
Judge Orders Nurses at USC Medical Center To Halt ‘Sickouts’
Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs on Monday issued a temporary restraining order to halt a series of “sickouts” among nurses at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center who are members of the Service Employees International Union Local 660, the Los Angeles Times reports.