Latest California Healthline Stories
Blood Pressure Increases Among Children Due to Rise in Obesity, Study Finds
The increase in obesity and physical inactivity among children and teenagers has caused their blood pressure to rise for the first time, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Washington Post reports.
U.S. Residents Often Do Not Receive Recommended Care, Study Finds
People in the United States receive appropriate treatments and preventive care only about half of the time, regardless of where they live, according to a study in the May/June issue of Health Affairs, the New York Times reports.
Health Net Posts 79% Decrease in Q1 Profit, Sets Plan To Lay Off 500 Employees
Officials for Los Angeles-based Health Net on Tuesday reported that the health plan’s first-quarter earnings decreased by 79% to $15 million, or 13 cents per share, from $72.1 million, or 60 cents per share, a year earlier, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Study Examines Quality in Five Countries, Including United States
Although the United States spends about twice as much per person on health care as Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand, the overall quality of care is no better, according to a study in the new issue of Health Affairs, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Assembly Health Committee Tables Bill To Require HIV Testing for Adult Film Actors
The Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday set aside for further examination a bill (AB 2798) that would have required adult film actors to be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases two weeks before filming and also would have prohibited producers from hiring actors who test positive for HIV or other STDs, Reuters reports.
The California Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday reiterated its opposition to a law (SB 2) that will require some employers to provide health insurance to workers or pay into a state fund to provide such coverage, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Schwarzenegger Signs Bill Restoring County Health Care Funds Lost Through ‘Poison Pill’ Measure
As expected, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday signed into law a bill (AB 1457) that will restore as much as $160 million in health care funding for counties jeopardized by a “poison pill” measure included in a state law regarding vehicle license fees, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tenet Reports Higher Than Expected First-Quarter Loss
Officials for Santa Barbara-based Tenet Healthcare, the nation’s second-largest for-profit hospital chain, on Tuesday reported a first-quarter net loss of $122 million, or 26 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $20 million, or four cents per share, a year earlier, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Assembly Committee Approves Bill That Would Prohibit Smoking in Vehicles With Minors
A bill (AB 2997) under which motorists could have to pay fines for smoking in vehicles with children on board was “quietly passed” by the Assembly Transportation Committee last month and “could be difficult to stop if it begins to gather political momentum,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Baltimore Sun Examines Veterans Affairs’ Prescription Drug Purchasing
The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday examined the Department of Veteran Affairs’ “muscular approach to drug purchasing,” which is the “envy of private employers and insurers.”