Latest California Healthline Stories
WHO Treaty Talks Fail to Produce Ban on Tobacco Ads
The latest negotiations on a pact to reduce the use of tobacco worldwide have failed to produce agreements on “some of the most contentious issues,” including a global ban on tobacco advertising, as antismoking advocates “insisted that the Bush administration was echoing the tobacco industry stands,” the New York Times reports.
HHS Awards $428M Smallpox Vaccine Contract to Acambis
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday announced the signing of a $428 million contract for 155 million doses of smallpox vaccine by next fall, which combined with other orders and existing stocks, “should be enough to protect every American against the deadly virus,” the New York Times reports.
Northern California Breast Cancer Screening Centers Struggle with Low Reimbursement, Labor Shortage
Low Medicare reimbursement, increasing demand and a “crippling labor shortage” have forced several Northern California breast cancer screening centers either to close or consolidate, leading to waiting periods for mammograms of up to four months, the East Bay Business Times reports.
Health Disputes May Slow Stimulus Agreement
House and Senate leaders met last night to discuss a compromise on economic stimulus legislation — which would likely include a provision to help unemployed workers purchase health insurance — “signifying the first movement” toward an agreement on a bill, the Washington Post reports.
Online Access to Birth Records Raises Privacy Concerns
Citing the more than 24 million birth records sold by the state and posted online, state Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) is looking for a way to restrict access to such information because of concerns over privacy, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
DEA Approves Medical Marijuana Study at UCSD
The Drug Enformcent Administration Wednesday approved the first medical marijuana study, allowing two University of California-San Diego Medical Center professors to study the effects of marijuana on people with multiple sclerosis and those with AIDS-related neuropathy, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
House Bill Would Reduce Medicare Provider Fee Cut
The leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday introduced legislation that would nearly eliminate a scheduled 5.4% cut in physician fees under Medicare, CongressDaily reports.
AIDS Activists Arrested for Alleged Criminal Conspiracy, Stalking and Making Terrorist Threats
San Francisco AIDS activists Michael Petrelis and David Pasquarelli were arrested yesterday in San Francisco on charges of criminal conspiracy, stalking and making terrorist threats against San Francisco Chronicle employees and public health officials, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Rx Drug Costs Limit Compliance, Survey Finds
More than one-fifth of adults did not fill at least one prescription during the last year because of the cost, suggesting that rising co-payments are serving as a barrier to drug compliance, according to a new survey released last week by Harris Interactive, the AP/Nando Times reports.
New Diabetes PSA Campaign Encourages Annual Eye Exams
While diabetic retinopathy is the cause of as many as 24,000 new cases of blindness each year, fewer than 50% of patients with diabetes receive an annual dilated eye exam that could detect the condition early enough for preventive treatment.