Latest California Healthline Stories
Senate Health Committee Approves Bill To Ban Mercury in Certain Vaccines
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 10-2 to approve a bill (AB 2943) that would ban the use of thimerosal — a preservative that is about 50% ethyl mercury — in vaccines administered to pregnant women and children younger than age three by 2006, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Kerry, Bush Presidential Campaigns Address Issue of Patients’ Rights
Renewed debate over patients’ rights legislation “dominated the presidential campaign” on Wednesday, as presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) and President Bush traded “barbed exchanges” over the issue, USA Today reports.
House Bill Would Expand Federal Funding for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Reps. Michael Castle (R-Del.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would loosen federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, the Boston Globe reports.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on June 29 will vote on a proposal to cut $1.6 million per year from the general fund budget by eliminating 60 jobs from the George Miller Centers, which are located in Concord and Richmond and annually provide services to 450 people with developmental disabilities and their families, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
State To Hold Public Hearing on WellPoint-Anthem Merger
Officials from the Department of Managed Health Care on Wednesday announced that they will hold a public hearing July 9 on a proposed merger between Indiana-based Anthem and California-based WellPoint Health Networks, despite speculation last month that regulators would approve the deal without hearing testimony, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved by voice vote a draft agriculture budget for fiscal year 2005 that includes an amendment that would bar FDA from enforcing its ban on importing prescription drugs, CQ Today reports.
King/Drew Medical Center Limits Use of Tasers on Patients; Remains Eligible for Federal Funding
CMS inspectors on Wednesday said that Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center will remain eligible for federal funding because the hospital had “agreed to limit the use of police officers and Taser stun guns to subdue psychiatric patients,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Some Republican Legislators May Withhold Vote From Budget Because of Inclusion of Abortion Funding
As many as eight Republican Assembly members might vote against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) state budget for fiscal year 2004-2005 because it would continue to allocate funding for abortions, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday said a Supreme Court decision this week that limited the ability of patients to file suit against HMOs in state court will renew debate over patients’ rights legislation, but congressional Republican leaders said that lawmakers likely will not pass such a bill this year, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Approves Budget Including Funding Cuts for Health Programs
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Friday approved a balanced $3.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2004-2005 that includes $200 million in across-the-board funding cuts, including 10% reductions for mental health programs, drug and alcohol abuse programs and social services, the Gilroy Dispatch reports.