Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Davis Signs Bills To Ban Ephedra Sales to Minors, Require Dietary Supplement Warning Labels

Gov. Gray Davis (D) signed two bills on Friday related to the sale of the weight-loss dietary supplement ephedra, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Orange County Pediatric Health Programs Will Receive $28 Million from Proposition 10 Tobacco Tax Funds

Pediatric health programs in Orange County will receive more than $28 million from revenue generated from Proposition 10, the 1998 ballot measure that levied a 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes, to improve prenatal care and health care for children ages five and younger, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Number of Uninsured U.S. Residents Rose by 1.4 Million in 2001, Census Figures Find

The number of uninsured people living in the United States increased by 1.4 million in 2001, to 41.2 million, or 14.6% of the total population, compared to 39.8 million, or 14.2%, in 2000, according to figures released today by the Census Bureau, the New York Times reports.

Lawsuit Against Aetna Raises Questions about Insurers’ Liability for Medical Care

The family of a California man who died of cancer-related complications in 2000 has sued Aetna, alleging that the insurer discharged the man from a hospital prematurely and sent him to a nursing home that did not provide adequate care, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Uncompensated Hospital Care for Undocumented Immigrants in Four Border States Cost $200M in 2000, Study Finds

Undocumented immigrants cost hospitals in the four U.S. states on the Mexican border over $200 million in uncompensated care in 2000, according to a study released yesterday, the Washington Times reports.

Miami Judge Grants Doctors Class-Action Status in Lawsuits against HMOs but Denies Patients

Insurance companies yesterday “suffered a major setback” but also gained a “key victory” as a U.S. district judge approved a class-action lawsuit for up to 600,000 doctors suing HMOs for alleged fraud but denied class-action status on similar charges for millions of HMO patients.

New San Diego County Web Site Provides Health, Program Information to Seniors, Disabled

San Diego County yesterday unveiled a new Web site that provides health information to seniors and individuals with disabilities and includes information about programs and resources available to them, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Jury Orders Philip Morris To Pay $850,000 in Compensatory Damages to California Smoker

A Los Angeles jury yesterday ordered Philip Morris to pay $850,000 in compensatory damages to a California smoker diagnosed with lung cancer after smoking the tobacco company’s cigarettes for decades, the Los Angeles Times reports.