Latest California Healthline Stories
Drug Companies To Pour $100M Into Battle Against Price Control Ballot Initiative
The initiative, likened by one lobbyist to a “grenade being rolled into the conversation,” would require the state to pay no more for prescription drugs than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the industry is gearing up to fight back.
Viewpoints: The Data Behind UnitedHealth Decision; Zika’s Effects On The Population
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Suicide Rate In U.S. Spikes To Highest Levels In Nearly 3 Decades
From 1999 to 2014, the overall rate increased by 24 percent, while middle-aged women saw a sharp uptick of 63 percent. Meanwhile, the number of suicides for girls 10 to 14 tripled. Last decade’s severe recession, more drug addiction, “gray divorce,” increased social isolation, and even the rise of the Internet and social media may have contributed to the growth in suicide, according to a variety of people who study the issue.
After UnitedHealth’s Exit, What’s Next For Health Exchanges?
CBS News breaks down how consumers might be affected by the insurer’s decision to leave the health law marketplaces.
Not Just Cigarettes: Researcher Warns Of Dangers Linked To Second-Hand Marijuana Smoke
Regardless of whether it comes from cigarettes, pot or other burning substances, Matthew Springer, a cardiovascular disease scientist, concludes, “it is very clear that second-hand smoke is health hazard.”
Drug-Masking Technology Lands Biotech Company Possible $500 Million Deal
The deal between CytomX Therapeutics Inc. and AbbVie Inc. is aimed at a tough-to-target protein found in many cancers.
UC Berkeley’s Budget Troubles Could Shut Down Joint Medical Program
The program is on the chopping block as the School of Public Health is mandated to cut its budget by 3 percent. Meanwhile, UC San Diego is joining the largest-ever autism study.
Inadequate Resources, Underfunding Root Of Problem At LA Coroner’s Office, Grand Jury Says
The Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury report said that if the problems with staffing and backlogs were not addressed, it is likely to lose its accreditation, which would open county officials “to attacks on their credibility in criminal cases.”
How Theranos’ Fall From Grace Killed Walgreens’ Infatuation With The Startup
In 2013, Walgreens hoped to bask in the glow of the blood-testing company that was one of Silicon Valley’s hottest unicorns. Now, as Theranos faces multiple investigations into its practices and technology, the chain is trying to distance itself as much as possible from its once-touted partner.
Adventist To Acquire Three Rural Clinics From Colusa Regional Medical Center
In other industry news, a study finds that less than half of stroke patients in California hospitals were asked their preferences about life-saving measures, while the California Department of Public Health warns state facilities to be on alert for fentanyl overdoses.