Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Schwarzenegger Calls for Workers’ Compensation Reform by March 1 in State of the State Address

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in his 27-minute state of the state address Tuesday called for reforms to the state’s $29 billion workers’ compensation system, urged voters to support ballot initiatives to help balance the state budget and pledged not to increase taxes to close the remaining budget gap, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Six Democratic Presidential Candidates Discuss Tax Cuts, Health Care in NPR Radio Debate

Six of the nine Democratic presidential candidates on Tuesday in Des Moines, Iowa, participated in a radio debate that centered mainly on domestic issues, including tax cuts enacted by President Bush and health care, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

New York Times Examines Hospital Strategies for Addressing Nursing Shortage

The New York Times on Tuesday examined strategies that hospitals are using to reduce their nurse vacancy rates, which some experts predict will worsen in the next 10 to 20 years.

Business Group Proposes Workers’ Compensation Reform Initiative for November Ballot

The Small Business Action Committee, a business advocacy group that sponsored budget-related rallies held by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last month, has proposed including an initiative on the November ballot that would mandate several of the governor’s cost cutting proposals for the state workers’ compensation system, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Schools Should Not Sell Soda Because of Obesity Concerns, Pediatricians Say

Schools should eliminate soda from vending machines and sell only real fruit and vegetable juices, water and low-fat milk as part of an effort to reduce childhood obesity, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement published Monday in the January issue of Pediatrics, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

State Supreme Court Rules Parolees With Mental Illnesses May Refuse Medication

Prisoners with mental illnesses who are receiving treatment in state hospitals after completing their sentences have the right to refuse psychiatric medications unless a judge finds them incapable of making an informed decision or “recent incidents show they are dangerous to themselves or others,” the state Supreme Court on Monday ruled in a 6-1 decision, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Contra Costa County Physician Group May Face Bankruptcy After Cancellation of Health Net Contract

East County Medical Group, the “dominant” physician group in east Contra Costa County, may have to file for bankruptcy after Woodland Hills-based Health Net last month canceled a contract with the group, several East County board members said last week, the Contra Costa Times reports.

Democrats Plan Attack on New Medicare Law When Congress Returns

With Congress preparing to reconvene on Jan. 20, Democrats who opposed the Medicare legislation (HR 1) on Monday “denounc[ed] the arm-twisting tactics used to pass the bill in the House” in November and said they are gearing up to continue their fight against the new law, the New York Times reports.

Many States Receive Grades of ‘F’ on Tobacco Prevention Efforts, Report Finds

Many states have failed to adequately fund anti-tobacco programs and protect residents from secondhand smoke despite the billions of dollars that they have received from the 1998 national tobacco settlement, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Lung Association, the AP/Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.