Latest California Healthline Stories
California Healthline Highlights Opinions on House GOP Medicare Reform Bill
A number of newspapers, columnists and organizations have issued opinions on the GOP-sponsored, $350 billion Medicare reform bill (HR 4954), which includes a prescription drug benefit, which the House passed last Friday.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee last Wednesday approved a bill (AB 2197) that would expand Medi-Cal coverage to HIV-positive individuals who have not received an AIDS diagnosis.
Warner-Lambert Officials Failed To Inform FDA About Rezulin’s Potential Side Effects
Executives at Warner-Lambert Co., which marketed the diabetes treatment Rezulin, did not tell FDA officials about “early indications of the drug’s danger to the liver” and delayed telling doctors about its “lethal toxicity,” according to internal company documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times reports.
Queen of Angels-Hollywood Medical Center Fires 18 Nurses Over Alleged ‘Unlawful Sickout’
Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center last Friday fired 18 nurses for their alleged participation in an “unlawful sickout” the day before the nurses went on strike in May, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Proposition 36 ‘Remains Controversial’ One Year After Enactment
Proposition 36, the voter-approved ballot measure that allows many first- and second-time drug offenders to receive treatment rather than prison sentences, “remains controversial” one year after the law took effect, the Fresno Bee reports.
U.S. Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Maine Rx, Ky. Provider Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court last Friday agreed to hear a case on whether Maine may enact a program that would allow the state to serve as a pharmacy benefit manager and obtain reduced drug prices for the 325,000 state residents who lack prescription drug coverage, the New York Times reports.
Washington Post Examines Debate over Nation’s ‘Digital Divide’
The Washington Post on Saturday examined the “political fight” that has developed over the nation’s “digital divide” — the gap between individuals with and without access to the Internet, which can have a number of health-related applications — after the Bush administration cited several studies that found the divide “seems to be disappearing” as the basis for a decision to eliminate funds for some programs to promote Internet access.
Supreme Court Ruling Will Allow Schools To Conduct Student Drug Tests
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that school officials can require students who participate in extracurricular activities to undergo “regular or random” drug tests, which the court said is a “safety and health” measure to protect students, not an invasion of privacy, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Senate Health Committee Approves Legislation to Raise State Smoking Age from 18 to 21
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday passed a bill (AB 1453) that would raise the state’s legal smoking age from 18 to 21, the AP/Long Beach Press-Telegram reports.
A group of community and labor organizations has asked Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D) to bar Tenet Healthcare Corp. from closing Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital in Marina del Ray while the attorney general’s office investigates whether Tenet violated commitments it made when it purchased the hospital, the Los Angeles Times reports.