Latest California Healthline Stories
The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday erroneously reported that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a fiscal year 2004-2005 budget that maintained $44 million in funding for county mental health programs.
Senate Committee To Vote on Bill To Ban Mercury in Vaccines
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday is scheduled to hold a hearing and vote on a bill (AB 2943) that would ban mercury from vaccines administered to pregnant women and children younger than age three, the Los Angeles Times reports.
A coalition of trial lawyers on Tuesday added eight more lawsuits against not-for-profit hospitals to the 13 suits filed last week alleging that the institutions violated their obligation as charities by overcharging uninsured patients, the AP/Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Representatives of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry plan to meet on Thursday with staff members of three Democratic senators who might introduce legislation that would require pharmaceutical companies to make public the results of all clinical trials in a database administered by the federal government, the New York Times reports.
Schwarzenegger Expected To Compromise on Plan To Reduce In-Home Workers’ Wages
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is “expected to retreat, at least partly,” from a proposal to reduce the amount the state contributes to wages for workers who provide services to the elderly, blind and disabled, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Coronado City Council Approves First Part of Planned $10 Million Bailout for Sharp Coronado Hospital
As part of its $35.9 million city budget for fiscal year 2004-2005, the Coronado City Council last week unanimously approved a $500,000 increase in funding to Sharp Coronado Hospital, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Public Disclosure of Hospital Prices
The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight on Tuesday held a hearing on whether hospitals should have to publicly disclose their prices for consumer comparison, the Boston Globe reports.
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni Proposes New Agency Ethics Rules at House Subcommittee Hearing
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni on Tuesday proposed additional revisions to ethics rules related to consulting agreements between agency employees and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to help avoid potential conflicts of interest, the Washington Post reports.
The Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday defeated a bill (SB 1168) that would have made California the first state to conduct widespread, ongoing monitoring of residents for potentially dangerous chemicals in their bodies, the Ventura County Star reports.
Coalition Announces Plans To Expand Children’s Health Coverage in Los Angeles County
A coalition of health care providers on Tuesday will announce plans to expand health coverage to an additional 150,000 Los Angeles County youths as part of a $112 million program called the Children’s Health Initiative, the Los Angeles Times reports.