Latest California Healthline Stories
Aetna Introduces Health Plans for Small Businesses as Part of California Expansion Strategy
In a “much-anticipated move,” Connecticut-based insurer Aetna on Wednesday introduced several new health plans for employers with four to 50 workers as part of an effort to expand its California business, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Rise in U.S. Obesity Rates Main Cause of Increased Disability Rates, Study Finds
Disability rates among U.S. residents in their 30s and 40s increased “dramatically” in the last 20 years, in large part because of increased obesity rates, according to a study published in the January/February issue of Health Affairs, USA Today reports.
U.S. Health Care Spending Increased 9.3% in 2002, CMS Data Find
Driven by hospital and prescription drug costs, health care spending in the United States increased 9.3% to $1.55 trillion in 2002, the largest increase in 11 years and the fourth year in a row that the rate of increase surpassed growth in the rest of the economy, according to new data from CMS that is published in the current issue of Health Affairs, the New York Times reports.
More Than 90 Children Have Died From Influenza This Season, CDC Reports
The number of children that have died from influenza since October increased to 93 this month from 42 last month, but according to CDC Director Julie Gerberding, “there is no way to determine whether this season is more severe for children than earlier years” because the illness is not nationally reported, the New York Times reports.
FDA Decides Not To Allow Market Reentry of Silicone Breast Implants, Requests Additional Study
The FDA on Thursday rejected the recommendation of an advisory committee to allow market reentry for silicone breast implants manufactured by California-based Inamed and said that “more research was necessary to prove their safety,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Wall Street Journal Examines State, Local Efforts To Address Issue of the Uninsured
The Wall Street Journal on Friday examined state and local efforts to provide health coverage to the uninsured, as political tensions and a “ballooning federal deficit” indicate that the federal government is unlikely to address the issue “anytime soon.”
Schwarzenegger To Introduce Budget Proposal Today
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Friday is expected to introduce his fiscal year 2004-2005 budget proposal, which “cuts billions of dollars from public health and welfare programs” to help close a projected $14 billion state budget deficit, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.
Employees Charged With Elder Abuse Following Sting Operation at Escondido Facility
Twelve employees at SunBridge Care & Rehabilitation for Escondido-East were arrested this week on felony charges of elder abuse following a sting operation that marked the first time that the attorney general’s office used a hidden video camera to detect patient neglect, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soft Drink Manufacturers To End Sales of Soda in Some Canadian Schools To Address Childhood Obesity
Soft drink manufacturers in Canada have decided to end the sale of soda in Canadian elementary and middle schools before the next academic year begins to help address childhood obesity, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a group of state regulators, this month plans to finalize “tough new guidelines” for prescription drug wholesalers as part of an effort to “crack down” on counterfeit and diverted medications, the Wall Street Journal reports.