Latest California Healthline Stories
Parents Report ‘Significant Variations’ in Quality of Care for Children, AHRQ Study Finds
Parents report “significant variations” in the quality of health care that their children receive, depending on their children’s age, race, ethnicity and insurance coverage, according to a study released Tuesday by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Despite Budget Deficits, States Have ‘Mostly’ Refrained from Cutting Medicaid, CHIP Eligibility
While many states have reduced spending and considered tax increases to compensate for budget deficits, states have mostly refrained from cutting enrollment in their Medicaid and CHIP programs, according to a new study.
Health Indicators for Children Mostly Improved Nationwide, Kids Count Survey Finds
Health indicators for children mostly improved nationwide during the 1990s, according to the 2002 Kids Count report released yesterday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
House, Senate Negotiators Reach Agreement on Bioterrorism Preparedness Legislation
House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement yesterday on legislation to strengthen the nation’s preparedness against bioterrorist attacks, the New York Times reports.
Lack of Health Insurance Leads to Delayed Diagnoses, Premature Death, IOM Study Finds
As expected, the Institute of Medicine yesterday released a report demonstrating that the lack of health insurance leads to “delayed diagnoses, life-threatening complications” and as many as 18,000 “premature” deaths annually, the Washington Post reports.
California attorneys offered closing arguments on Monday in the state’s case against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., saying the tobacco firm should be fined $20 million and banned from advertising in 50 magazines to prevent the company from “targeting” teenagers, the AP/San Mateo County Times reports.
Americans Show Improvements on Some Health Indicators, Declines on Others, Study Finds
Americans are showing improvements in some areas of health, including cancer screenings and adult vaccinations, but declines in others, such as alcohol consumption and smoking, according to a study appearing in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association.
Responding to Gov. Gray Davis’ (D) proposed cuts to Medi-Cal, two coalitions yesterday suggested increases in taxes to “soften the blow to the health care system,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Daschle May Appoint Conferees This Week To Negotiate Agreement on Patients’ Rights Legislation
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said yesterday that he may appoint conferees as early as this week to negotiate an agreement with the House on patients’ rights legislation, CongressDaily/AM reports.
Kaiser Permanente, SEIU Local 250 Agree to Expand Hospital Employee Program to Northern California
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente and Service Employees International Union Local 250 on Monday agreed to expand a pilot program that will provide “stable and improved working conditions” for employees in Kaiser hospitals in Northern California.