Latest California Healthline Stories
Los Angeles Times Examines Lung Cancer’s Possible ‘Gender Gap’
Increasing evidence exists that women are more likely than men to contract lung cancer, but proof of this “gender gap” remains “elusive,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
High Court to Weigh Medical Necessity for Marijuana
The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments on the “seemingly irreconcilable conflict” between a state’s legalization of marijuana for medicinal use and federal antidrug laws that “explicitly forbid” marijuana possession, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Former JAMA Editor Discusses State of Medicine
In his new book “Severed Trust: Why American Medicine Hasn’t Been Fixed,” former editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association Dr. George Lundberg writes about changes in the medical profession he has observed since entering the field in the 1950s.
Oracle, HealthSouth to Create ‘Digital Hospital’
Alabama-based HealthSouth and software developer Oracle Corp. are expected to announce today a joint venture to create a “digital” hospital that “closely integrates information technology with patient care, to automate systems, reduce paperwork and improve quality,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Medigap Premiums Rising Over 10% a Year
The average cost of supplemental insurance policies purchased by Medicare beneficiaries to help cover prescription drug expenses has risen 37% in the last three years, according to a new study from Weiss Ratings.
Legislation Mandates Background Checks for In-Home Care Providers
County-employed in-home caregivers for seniors and the disabled would be required to undergo background checks and fingerprinting under a bill (SB 1005) sponsored by state Sen. Maurice Johannessen (R-Redding), Scripps-McClatchy/Contra Costa Times reports.
Kids Face Hurdles to Sickle Cell Testing, Treatment
Children with sickle cell anemia face many “hurdles” in obtaining treatment for their condition, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Large Hospitals Exempted from Blackouts
The Public Utilities Commission ruled Friday that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Southern California Edison Co. must exempt hospitals with more than 100 beds from rolling blackouts, even if they have backup power generators, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tuberculosis Cases in California Decline
Tuberculosis cases in California declined for the eighth year in a row, dropping 8.6% last year, according to new statistics from the state Department of Health Services.
State Supreme Court to Decide Smokers’ Rights Under State Law
The California Supreme Court voted unaminously last week to review whether a 1998 state law that allows smokers to sue tobacco companies over tobacco-related illnesses applies to those who became ill before the law took effect but were diagnosed afterward, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.