Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Rural California Health Care System in ‘Dire’ Straits

Rural California faces a number of “pressing” health care issues — including “serious shortages” of medical professionals, low government reimbursement rates, hospital closures and HMO pullouts — leaving about 17% of the state’s residents in a “very dire situation,” the California Journal reports.

PDR Lists Benefits, Risks of Dietary Supplements

A new book released by the publishers of the “Physicians’ Desk Reference” contains nutritional and scientific information on “hundreds” of nutritional supplements, the Oakland Tribune reports.

Wyden-Smith Proposal to Help the Uninsured Passes by Voice Vote

The Senate passed by voice vote on April 5 an amendment, sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), that would use tax credits and extra Medicaid funding to provide health coverage to individuals without health insurance, the Portland Oregonian reports.

Report Finds Evidence of ‘Lax Computer Security’ at Government Agencies

At least 155 federal computer systems were temporarily “taken over by hackers” last year, including a system that contains medical information about Medicare beneficiaries, the AP/Wall Street Journal reports.

Unions Compete for Workers at Good Samaritan Hospital

The United Steelworkers of America union is attempting to unionize the 800 workers at the San Jose-based Good Samaritan Hospital, placing the union in a recruitment “battle” with the Service Employees International Union, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.

Bond, Breaux Introduce Prenatal Care Bill

Sens. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) and John Breaux (D-La.) last Friday introduced the “Mothers And Newborns Health Insurance Act Of 2001,” which would allow states to provide prenatal care coverage through their CHIP programs to low-income, uninsured pregnant women age 19 and older.

Bush Unveils Details of $1.96T Spending Plan

President Bush yesterday offered Congress his detailed FY 2002 budget proposal, a $1.96 trillion spending package that would “make modest reductions” in a number of government programs — including many health-related initiatives — and “give the government a more conservative cast,” the Washington Post reports.

Poll Shows Covering Uninsured a Higher Priority Than Tax Cuts

The majority of Americans prefer that the federal government spend more money on health care for the uninsured than “see it cut their own income taxes,” according to an ABCNews.com poll.

San Francisco Chronicle Lauds Wyden-Smith Plan to Expand Coverage

By unanimously approving an amendment to the Senate’s 2002 federal budget proposal that would set aside $28 billion during the next three years to extend health coverage to adults who are “too young for Medicare and not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid,” the Senate has performed “an act of admirable bipartisan cooperation,” a San Francisco Chronicle editorial states.