E-Cigarette Legislation Moves Along
Amid heavy vaping industry opposition, California Senate lawmakers passed a bill out of committee that would require all tobacco laws to apply to electronic cigarettes.
Panel Votes To End Vaccine Exemption
At a contentious and sometimes unruly hearing in the California Legislature yesterday, a bill proposing to eliminate an exemption for childhood immunizations had its first test — and passed it.
Bill Highlights Health Disparities Among Asian, Pacific Islander Populations
Grouping a number of ethnic populations together under one catch-all phrase leaves problems of some ethnic subgroups unaddressed, according to a bill in the California Legislature.
Study: Income Affects Cancer Detection
In communities with a steep divide between rich and poor, wealthy women were much more likely to get a genetic test for breast cancer, according to a UCLA study.
Full Plate of Health Care Bills Pending as Legislature Reconvenes
A number of high-profile and controversial health care bills in the Califonria Legislature get their first tests this week when new legislation starts being debated for the first time in committees.
Scope-of-Practice Bill for Anesthesia
A dearth of anesthesiologists has prompted legislation to create a new tier of health care provider — anesthesia assistants — in California.
Study Shows Sharp Differences With Introduction, Withdrawal of Fructose
Patients displayed marked changes in just nine days of a fructose-heavy diet — and showed a similar reversal of changes when that fructose was withdrawn, a UC-San Francisco pilot study finds.
HIV Medication Decision in Florida May Have Implications in California
A lawsuit in Florida triggered an insurer’s decision to lower the price of certain HIV medications for consumers by assigning the drugs to the generic drug tier. Advocates say the move may affect California’s pricing.
State Submits $17B Waiver Plan; Advocates Urge Medi-Cal Rate Review
State officials’ request to renew California’s Medicaid waiver includes $17 billion in payment reform and delivery system projects. Advocates urge CMS to review Medi-Cal reimbursement rates in the process.
No-Cost Dental Event Highlights Care Gap
Thousands flocked to the Expo Center in Sacramento for a weekend of no-cost dental care, shining a spotlight on access and reimbursement issues in Denti-Cal.