Latest California Healthline Stories
Assembly Subcommittee Hearing Addresses Health Coverage at American Indian Casinos
Leaders of several American Indian Tribes at an Assembly subcommittee hearing on Tuesday defended their labor practices and criticized a report released last month that found employees of a casino operated by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians enroll their children in public health insurance programs because they cannot afford dependent coverage, the AP/Oakland Tribune reports.
Marin County’s High Breast Cancer Estimates Based on Inaccurate Census Numbers, NCI Says
Marin County’s high breast cancer rates reported last year were based on “faulty” population estimates, and while the estimated rates are still above the national average, they are “not far out of line” with rates in other parts of the state, according to the National Cancer Institute, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Senate HELP Committee Passes Smallpox Compensation Bill Supported by Republicans
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee yesterday voted 11-10 along party lines for a bill supported by Republicans that would give a $262,100 lump sum payment to survivors of people who die or to people who become disabled as a result of receiving the smallpox vaccine, the New York Times reports.
Tobacco Companies File Suit Against State To Block Anti-Tobacco Advertisements
Tobacco companies R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in Sacramento federal court that seeks an injunction against state-produced anti-tobacco advertisements, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ventura County Supervisors Decide To Allow County-Employed Reservists To Retain Health Coverage
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors this week decided that county-employed military reservists who are called to active duty can retain their health insurance, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Residential Care Facilities Admission Agreements Misleading, Study Finds
Many of the care agreements in California residential care facilities contain misleading information, according to a recent report by the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Senate Committee Delays Markup of Bill To Revise Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee yesterday decided to delay markup of a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) that would make several revisions in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to allow committee members more time to negotiate over provisions in the legislation, CongressDaily/AM reports.
Influenza Vaccine Reduces Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke in Elderly, Study Says
People older than age 65 who receive influenza vaccinations are less likely to be hospitalized for heart disease or a stroke, according to a study in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.
Assembly Committee To Consider Bill To Ban Use of Children as Interpreters
The Assembly Business and Professions Committee next week will vote on a bill (AB 292) that would prohibit the use of children as interpreters for state-funded groups that provide medical, legal or social services except in emergencies, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
Use of Tamoxifen To Prevent Breast Cancer Would Benefit 2.4 Million Women, Study Finds
Taking the breast cancer treatment tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer would benefit an estimated 2.47 million women, mostly middle-aged and white, despite the drug’s risks, a new study has found, the AP/Boston Globe reports.