Latest California Healthline Stories
FDA Warns California Officials About Reimporting Drugs From Canada
The FDA last week sent a letter to California officials warning them that state, county or city efforts to reimport U.S.-made prescription drugs from Canada would “nearly always” be in violation of federal law, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Conference Committee Meets To Consider Workers’ Compensation Bills
Six members of a joint Senate-Assembly conference committee convened last week to sort through all the proposed legislation to reform California’s workers’ compensation program, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Grassley Withdraws Staff From Medicare Reconciliation Negotiations
Staff members for Senate Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) last week withdrew from negotiations to resolve differences in the House and Senate Medicare bills (HR 1 and S 1), the New York Times reports.
Senate Approves Bill To Expand Health Benefits to Registered Domestic Partners
The Senate on Thursday voted 23-14 to approve a bill (AB 205) that would expand legal, financial, employment and health benefits to same-sex, registered domestic partners, the Los Angeles Times reports.
27 California Agencies To Leave CalPERS Health Plan
Twenty-seven public agencies last week announced that they would discontinue health insurance coverage through CalPERS and would instead find their own coverage, citing the fund’s 2004 health insurance rate increases, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Schwarzenegger Announces Support for Abortion Rights, Medical Marijuana
Gubernatorial candidate and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Wednesday during an appearance on a syndicated radio show said that he supports abortion rights and the use of marijuana for medical purposes, but he added that does not support so-called “partial-birth” abortion, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Senate Passes Bill To Limit Soda Sales at Schools
The California Senate Thursday voted 22-14 to pass a bill (SB 677) that would restrict the sales of soda at middle schools and elementary schools, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Children in State Custody Receive ‘Inadequate’ Mental Health Care, GAO Report Says
Many of the thousands of children who were turned over by their parents to child welfare or juvenile justice systems so they could obtain mental health services have not received adequate care, according to a General Accounting Office report, the New York Times reports.
Urban Sprawl Contributes to Obesity, Study Finds
Residents of counties that contain large amounts of urban sprawl walk less, weigh more and are at a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, USA Today reports.
Lawsuit Alleges Proposition 54 Ballot Inclusion Violates Voting Rights Act
Merced and Kings county voters last Monday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Fresno, alleging that putting Proposition 54 on the governor recall ballot violates the federal Voting Rights Act and requesting that the proposition be placed on the March ballot, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.