CMA Press Clips
Daily reports on health care policy and medicine from newspapers and magazines throughout California and around the nation.

Study: Many Medi-Cal patients overprescribed Tylenol
Sacramento Business Journal - 7/21/10 - Thousands of Medi-Cal patients may be taking dangerous amounts of acetaminophen, new research from University of California Davis reports.

City's health care costs stay flat, but long-term liability looms
Bakersfield Californian - 7/20/10 - The city of Bakersfield and its employees got some good financial news Tuesday: Health insurance premiums won't go up next year.

Radio host covers rural health care in Northern California
Eureka Times-Standard – 7/21/10 -- A lack of transportation, poverty, and a harsh winter climate are among the many factors preventing Northern California residents from receiving adequate health care. This is what Scott Shafer, the host of the “California Report” and “Health Dialogues,” found while working on a story about basic health services in rural Northern California, which brought him to Humboldt County.

New survey says California's child care centers not notifying parents of pesticide use
San Jose Mercury News - 7/21/10 - A new survey of California's child care centers found that more than half of them are ignoring state regulations to notify parents that they are using potentially dangerous pesticides.

World Health Organization may ease flu concerns
SF Chronicle – 7/21/10 -- Public health experts are likely to tell the world this month it can breathe easier: The swine flu pandemic is ending.

Almost all mother-to-infant HIV spread could be prevented
USA Today – 7/21/10 – Approximately 400,000 infants still get HIV/AIDS from their mothers each year despite the availability of drugs that can block "nearly all" mother-to-child transmission, researchers reported Tuesday.

Cuts in Home Care Put Elderly and Disabled at Risk
New York Times – 7/21/10 – As states face severe budget shortfalls, many have cut home-care services for the elderly or the disabled, programs that have been shown to save states money in the long run because they keep people out of nursing homes. Since the start of the recession, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia have curtailed programs that include meal deliveries, housekeeping aid and assistance for family caregivers, according to the Cengter on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization. That threatens to reverse a long-term trend of enabling people to stay in their homes longer.

Shake-up at Anthem Blue Cross as its president steps down
Los Angeles Times – 7/21/10 – The president of Anthem Blue Cross announced her resignation Tuesday amid stinging criticism of double-digit rate increases that infuriated consumers, lawmakers and government regulators.

UnitedHealth Net Rises 31% as Some Key Costs Fall
Wall Street Journal - 7/21/10 - UnitedHealth Group Inc. posted a 31% increase in second-quarter net income Tuesday and boosted its full-year guidance for the second time this year—strong numbers that are likely to foreshadow a booming earnings season for insurers.