Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Health Care Leaders Await Schwarzenegger’s Health Care Policies

Health care leaders say that with little information on Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) stance on health care, it remains “anyone’s best guess” how the new administration’s future policies will affect the state’s health care system, the Contra Costa Times reports.

State To Place Medical Device Additive on List of Chemicals Related to Health Risks

The California Environmental Protection Agency this week is expected to vote to place a chemical compound known as DEHP on a state list of chemicals linked to cancer or reproductive health problems, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Offers To Share Equal Control of Health Fund

Unionized mechanics who have been on strike since Oct. 14 have agreed to discuss on Tuesday a new Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposal that proposes the union and MTA share control of the mechanics’ health care fund, as the union has requested, if the union agrees to bear financial responsibility for future fund cost overruns, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Medicare Conferees Agree To Allow Federal Government To Guarantee Prescription Drug Coverage

Negotiators attempting to reconcile the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1) reached an agreement late Monday on a provision that would require the federal government to intervene and provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in areas where fewer than two private plans decide to participate, CongressDaily/AM reports.

Sheriff’s Deputies’ Union, Kern County End Contract Talks Without Agreement

Officials for the Kern Law Enforcement Association, which represents 475 sheriff’s law officers and district attorney’s office investigators, broke off contract negotiations with Kern County administrators on Thursday after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the timing of changes in health benefits and salary increases, the Bakersfield Californian reports.