Latest California Healthline Stories
National, State, Local Lawmakers Push for Legalization of Prescription Drug Reimportation at Hearing
At a congressional field hearing in Boston on Tuesday, national, state and local lawmakers promoted plans to reimport lower-cost U.S.-manufactured prescription drugs from Canada, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Burton To Introduce Bill to Repeal Workers’ Compensation Reform Laws in Special Legislative Session
Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) plans to introduce a bill that would repeal new workers’ compensation reform laws in a special legislative session next month, the Orange County Register reports.
Los Angeles Unified School District Approves Measure To Ban Junk Food in Vending Machines
The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a measure that will ban candy, fried chips and other junk food from vending machines next year at the 713 Los Angeles Unified School District campuses, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Medicare Conferees Near Agreement on Generic Drug Provision
Negotiators attempting to reconcile the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) are “nearing agreement” on including a provision that would speed generic prescription drugs to market, the Wall Street Journal reports.
NIH Notifies Researchers That Congress Questions Some HIV/AIDS, Sexuality Studies
An “apparent mix-up” with Congress prompted NIH officials over the past several weeks to notify and inform more than 150 researchers studying AIDS, sexuality and high-risk behaviors that lawmakers are “taking a skeptical look” at their research, the Los Angeles Times reports.
FDA Issues Advisory on Antidepressants for Teenagers, Children
The FDA on Monday issued a public health advisory that asks physicians to prescribe antidepressants to teenagers and children “with caution” because of a potential for increased suicide risk, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Health Disparities Among California Elderly Exist Along Economic, Racial Lines, Report Finds
About 70% of California residents ages 65 and older report their health status as “good,” “very good” or “excellent,” but Latinos and people with limited English-language skills report more health problems and less access to care than other seniors, according to a study released Monday by the University of California-Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Medicare Conferees Reject Health Savings Security Accounts
Negotiators attempting to reconcile the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) have decided not to include a House-passed provision that would have given tax breaks to U.S. residents who set up Health Savings Security Accounts, the Washington Post reports.
Anthem To Purchase WellPoint for $16 Billion in Stock, Cash
As expected, officials from Indiana-based Anthem on Monday announced an agreement to purchase WellPoint Health Networks for $16.4 billion in cash and stock, the New York Times reports.
The California Medical Board and the San Francisco district attorney on Thursday filed a joint civil suit against Arizona-based AmeriScan over allegations that the company falsely advertised the effectiveness of a breast cancer test, the Los Angeles Times reports.