Latest California Healthline Stories
New York Times Examines Ethics of Overseas Drug Testing
The New York Times on Friday examined U.S. biotechnology companies’ decision as to “what, if anything, they owe the patients who served as test subjects” in clinical trials conducted outside of the United States.
Los Angeles County had the highest number of asbestos-related deaths among counties nationwide from 1979 to 2001, and the incidence of asbestos-related illnesses in the county likely will increase over the next 20 years, according to a report released Thursday by the Environmental Working Group, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Kaiser Permanente To Expand Facilities in West Contra Costa County
In response to growing membership in West Contra Costa County, Oakland-based HMO Kaiser Permanente will expand its facilities in Richmond and Pinole, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Increase in Health Insurance ‘Scams’
Witnesses at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday discussed ways to reduce the “growing problem of health insurance scams,” including the possible effect of association health plans on such scams, CongressDaily reports
The California Medical Association in its Feb. 26 newsletter announced that it would begin selling to physicians stickers for their cars that under a state law CMA said would exempt physicians “from most speeding laws” if they were not driving recklessly, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Senate should refuse to confirm FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan as CMS administrator until he ends his opposition to prescription drug reimportation as part of an effort to reduce U.S. drug costs, according to a Los Angeles Times editorial.
Harvard Scientists Create 17 New Stem Cell Lines, Will Allow Free Access
Harvard University scientists on Wednesday announced that they have created 17 healthy embryonic stem cell lines that could be used for research and will offer them free of charge to hundreds of scientists throughout the United States, the Boston Globe reports.
Federal Funding to Bay Area HIV/AIDS Programs Reduced
The San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday examined Bay Area officials’ reaction to reduced federal grants for programs that serve people with HIV/AIDS.
Schwarzenegger Meets With Top Legislators on Workers’ Compensation Reform
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Wednesday met with four Republican and Democratic legislative leaders to discuss workers’ compensation reform, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Veterans Affairs Officials Present Report, Recommend Hospital Closings
During a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday, Department of Veterans Affairs officials recommended closing or downsizing several VA hospitals, The Hill reports.