Latest California Healthline Stories
Davis Should Sign ‘Compassionate Release’ Bill, Chronicle Says
Gov. Gray Davis (D) should sign a measure, already passed by the House and expected to pass the Senate, that would make it easier for terminally ill inmates to be released from prison and “die at home among families and friends,” a San Francisco Chronicle editorial states.
What Does Supreme Court Ruling on Medical Marijuana Mean for California?
As reported yesterday, in a “setback, but not a definitive blow” to the medical marijuana movement, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 that “medical necessity” is not a valid defense against a federal law banning the distribution of marijuana, the New York Times reports.
Janlori Goldman Discusses Privacy on ‘Morning Edition’
Janlori Goldman, director of Georgetown University’s Health Privacy Project, discussed the need for health care privacy rules this morning on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
Gov. Davis Unveils Revised Budget, Calls for Some Cuts
Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday released his revised state budget for the 2001-02 fiscal year, unveiling $5.7 billion in cuts and “shifts” in funding for some services, including health care, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Wilensky Replaced as Medicare Payment Commission Chair
Gail Wilensky, chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which advises Congress on Medicare issues such as reimbursement rates, is being replaced over concerns about her “substantial investments” in health care companies, the New York Times reports.
Board Recommends Closing Mt. Diablo Medical Center Obstetrics Unit
An advisory board to the John Muir/Mt. Diablo Medical System has recommended closing the obstetrics unit at Mt. Diablo Medical Center in Concord by the end of June and moving those services to John Muir Medical Center, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Judge Rules State May Not Be Sued Over Medicaid Benefits
A federal judge has ruled that Michigan state officials may not be sued in order to force them to provide medical benefits guaranteed under federal Medicaid law, the New York Times reports.
Supreme Court Bars Medical Defense for Marijuana
In a “major defeat” for medical marijuana advocates, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled this morning that the Controlled Substances Act, which classifies the drug as illegal, contains no exception for sick individuals, the AP/Washington Post reports.
Health Policy Expert Recommends Hospitals Give RNs More Influence
The nursing shortage at California hospitals could be “alleviated in part by giving nurses more influence in patient care,” according to Edward O’Neil, co-director of the San Francisco-based Center for the Health Professions, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports.
Chronicle Questions Effectiveness of Proposition 36
Calling Proposition 36 a “hopeful, if dubious, answer to one of society’s most corrosive problems,” a San Francisco Chronicle editorial outlines several potential flaws in the voter-approved initiative, which stipulates treatment for first- and second-time nonviolent drug offenders instead of jail time.