Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif. Assembly Approves Vaccine Bill; Opponents Vow Legal Action
Yesterday, the California Assembly approved a bill that would end all personal belief exemptions to the state’s childhood vaccination requirements. The bill now returns to the state Senate for a concurrence vote, after which it will be sent to Gov. Brown. Supporters praised the bill’s passage, while opponents have vowed legal action. San Jose Mercury News et al.
Official: CalPERS Unlikely To Meet Annual Earning Target
California’s public pension fund earned just 3% in the first 10 months of the fiscal year, significantly short of its 7.5% annual target, according to a CalPERS financial report released Thursday. During a CalPERS board meeting last week, CalPERS’ Chief Investment Officer Ted Eliopoulos said the public pension fund likely will not meet the annual target when the fiscal year ends this month. Los Angeles Times.
Santa Clara Workers Approve Strike, Rally Over Public Health, Safety Issues
On Thursday, dozens of Santa Clara County workers represented by the Service Employees International Union 521 rallied outside of the county government building over public health and safety issues. On Tuesday, the workers, including 911 dispatchers, child welfare employees and nurses, voted to go on strike if a contract deal is not reached. San Jose Mercury News.
USC Taps Former UC-San Diego Researcher To Head New Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute
The University of Southern California has named former UC-San Diego researcher Paul Aisen as the founding director of its newly created Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute. Aisen, who was leading a nationwide cooperative study on the disease at UCSD, said USC’s new institute will aim to accelerate the development of effective Alzheimer’s therapies. U-T San Diego.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of June 26, 2015
Health care workers have filed a complaint against Riverside Hospital for several patient care violations. Nearly 5,000 patients at UC-Irvine Medical Center have had some of their health information compromised in a recent data breach.
While moderate- or high-quality evidence exists to support the use of marijuana to treat certain medical conditions, it does not exist to support use to treat other medical conditions, according to a research review published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. During the review, researchers found moderate-quality evidence for using marijuana to treat chronic pain, involuntary movements and muscle spasms. However, the review did not find strong evidence to support using marijuana to treat HIV-related weight loss, sleep disorders, Tourette syndrome or a host of other medical conditions. Reuters.
Half of U.S. Residents Think ACA Should Be Repealed or Significantly Changed, Poll Finds
The public is still divided on the Affordable Care Act, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. It found that 50% of respondents thought the law should be scrapped or significantly overhauled. Meanwhile, 48% said the law is working well or needs only small adjustments. Wall Street Journal.
SCOTUS Ruling Upholds ACA’s Federal Subsidies in King Case
Today, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling upheld the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase coverage through HealthCare.gov. Observers say the ruling represents a significant setback for ACA opponents and puts the law on more stable ground for the rest of President Obama’s term. Wall Street Journal et al.
Most Exchange Plans Will Not See Double-Digit Rate Hikes in 2016
A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds that few consumers will experience rate increases of more than 10% for 2016 exchange plans. Meanwhile, state insurance commissioners have told House lawmakers that some states have seen record-low proposed premium rate increases under the Affordable Care Act. National Journal, Wall Street Journal.
L.A. Veterans Criticize VA’s $1.5M Redevelopment Plan
During a town hall hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs this week, local veterans criticized the department’s new $1.5 million “master plan” to create a redevelopment plan for a campus in West Los Angeles. The veterans accused the VA of wasting both time and money. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”