Latest California Healthline Stories
Lawmakers United Against High Drug Prices Bare Partisan Teeth
Clear differences of opinion emerged between Democrats and Republicans during a House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing about how to make prescription drugs more affordable in the Medicare program.
Drugmakers Funnel Millions To Lawmakers; A Few Dozen Get $100,000-Plus
Drugmakers’ contributions to lawmakers have peaked as surging drug prices emerge as a hot-button political issue. In the past decade, members of Congress have received nearly $79 million from 68 pharma PACs. And the giving crosses the aisle: In California, seven of the top 10 beneficiaries are Democrats — though Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House majority leader, tops other Golden State lawmakers in Congress by a wide margin.
Cancer, Schmancer. In California, Coffee Is King
The Golden State, with the rare support of the Trump administration, is seeking to circumvent a court order that would require cancer warnings in every establishment that sells a hot cup of Joe.
California To Drug Users: We’ll Pay For You To Test Your Dope
Fentanyl, a significant cause of overdoses and deaths across the country, has begun showing up in California street drugs. State health officials have responded with a bold but controversial policy: paying for test strips so users can check their stash.
Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
Wednesday marked the end of open enrollment for Golden State residents who purchase their health insurance through Covered California or on the private market.
As Marijuana Laws Relax, Doctors Say Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Partake
Some mothers who smoke pot see it as a harmless remedy for everything from pain to postpartum depression. But doctors say the active ingredients in marijuana can be passed onto the baby and may affect developing nervous systems.
As Doctors Drop Opposition, Aid-In-Dying Advocates Target Next Battleground States
Will efforts to expand the practice to Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Hawaii succeed this year?
In Trump’s First Year, Anti-Abortion Forces Make Strides Despite Setbacks
As a candidate, President Trump promised a ban on abortions that take place after 20 weeks and federal funding to Planned Parenthood, but Congress has not obliged. Still, other anti-abortion policy goals have been realized. They are anathema in California, which has a long history of supporting abortion rights.
How A Shutdown Might Affect Your Health
For some federal health programs, a shuttered government means business as usual. But the congressional impasse over funding will hit others hard.
Gloves Off, Fists Up: Nurses Storm Capitol To Renew Single-Payer Fight
The state nurses union struck a defiant tone at a Capitol rally and hearing, promising to continue their in-your-face tactics until the legislature passes a bill to create universal health coverage in California.