Latest California Healthline Stories
Editorials, Opinion Pieces Address Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Debate
Several editorials and opinion pieces published recently examine the congressional debate over a Medicare prescription drug benefit.
HHS Approves $60M in New Funds To Expand Health Centers
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday announced more than $60 million in new funds to allow health centers in rural and inner-city areas in 30 states to provide care to more patients.
Assembly Committee Should Include High Schools in Proposed Soda Ban, Editorial States
The Assembly Education Committee, which on July 9 plans to debate a bill (SB 677) that would limit sales of soda and other carbonated beverages in elementary and middle schools, should reinstate a provision in the legislation that would limit sales in high schools, a San Francisco Chronicle editorial states.
High-Dose Chemotherapy Does Not Prolong Life in Breast Cancer Patients, Studies Find
A high-dose chemotherapy regimen for breast cancer patients in advanced stages of the disease does not appear to prolong survival but may reduce the rate of relapse, according to two studies published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Food Labels Will List Trans Fat Amounts ‘Very Soon,’ FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan Says
Food labels will “very soon” include information on the amount of trans fat, FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said yesterday at meeting in Cambridge, Mass., with food industry executives, government officials and academic researchers, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Kraft Foods Announces Plan for Healthier Products To Address Obesity Issue
Kraft Foods, the nation’s largest food company, yesterday announced plans to eliminate marketing to children in schools, introduce smaller portion sizes and develop healthier food products in an effort to help combat the nation’s obesity epidemic, the New York Times reports.
Final Medicare Reform Bill Will Include Cap on Costs, House Speaker Dennis Hastert Says
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has promised Republican lawmakers that the final Medicare bill that comes out of House-Senate conference committee will include caps on costs, the Washington Times reports.
Department of Health Services Announces New Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Rules
The Department of Health Services yesterday announced new regulations that limit nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals, the Los Angeles Times reports.
‘Bureaucratic Logjam’ Blocking Hospitals’ Ability To Meet Seismic Safety Deadline
A “bureaucratic logjam” caused by vacancies at the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development is interfering with hospitals’ plans to meet the state’s Jan. 1, 2008, seismic safety deadline, C. Duane Dauner, president of the California Healthcare Association, writes in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece.
Opinion Pieces Address Congressional Debate Over a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Several editorials and opinion pieces published recently examine the congressional debate over a Medicare prescription drug benefit.