Latest California Healthline Stories
Arrests of 30,000 Caregivers Cause Backlog for Social Services Department
About 30,000 of the 738,000 workers who care for children, seniors and people with disabilities at state-licensed facilities have been arrested for various offenses since January — about double the number of arrest reports that the Department of Social Services received last year — causing a backlog of arrest reports to be investigated, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Placer County May Eliminate $5.6 Million From Health and Human Services Department Budget
Placer County officials may eliminate $5.6 million from the county Health and Human Services Department budget through decreased funds for staff, health care programs for seniors and low-income residents; treatment for former jail inmates with mental illnesses; and teen pregnancy prevention programs, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Opinion Pieces Examine Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Debate
Several opinion pieces published recently address the congressional debate over a Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Wall Street Journal Examines Health Care Cost Shift to Employees
The Wall Street Journal today examines “aggressive” efforts by employers to shift a larger share of their health care costs to employees through increased copayments, deductibles and premiums.
CDC Predicts Sharp Increase in Diabetes Without Diet, Exercise Modifications
One-third of U.S. children born in 2000 and an even greater percentage of minorities will develop diabetes in their lifetimes without improvements in diet and exercise, according to a study presented by the CDC at an American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans, USA Today reports.
Los Angeles County Announces Health Care Layoffs
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services officials on Thursday announced that they would lay off about 130 employees, including 40 doctors, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Orange County District Attorney’s Office Files Charges Against Herbal Drug Company Founders
The Orange County District Attorney’s office on May 29 filed criminal charges against three founders of an herbal drug company, alleging that they conspired to alter a variety of herbal pills with prescription drugs and falsely promoted the pills as cancer treatments, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Senate Finance Committee Approves Medicare Reform Proposal
The Senate Finance Committee yesterday voted 16-5 to approve a nearly $400 billion, 10-year Medicare reform bill (S 1), the Washington Times reports.
The House Education and the Workforce Committee on Thursday voted 26-21 to pass legislation (HR 660) that would allow small businesses to join together to form association health plans across state lines without having to adhere to state-mandated coverage requirements for certain diseases, CQ Today Midday Update reports.
About $2 Million Restored to San Francisco Public Health Department
About $2 million of $20 million in proposed cuts to the San Francisco Department of Public Health budget has been restored, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.