01/05/2009
On Jan. 1, various health care-related laws took effect in California. For example, new laws aim to establish a new state privacy office and require physicians to provide terminally ill patients with information about end-of-life care options. Los Angeles Times et al.
12/23/2008
A former Cedars-Sinai Medical Center employee is accused of using the personal information of more than 1,000 patients to steal at least $69,000 from insurance companies. Affected patients were notified last week. Los Angeles Times.
12/05/2008
A survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that the strong Democratic tilt of the California electorate was responsible for the defeat of Proposition 4, a measure that would have required parental notification of minors seeking an abortion. According to the survey, 66% of Republicans supported the measure, while 65% of Democrats opposed it. Ventura County Star.
12/02/2008
A former administrative specialist at UCLA Medical Center could face a 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine for inappropriately accessing celebrities' medical records and selling information to the National Enquirer. AP/San Jose Mercury News.
11/26/2008
Medical privacy laws that will take effect on Jan. 1 will toughen the penalties for breaches of medical records in California. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the legislation after high-profile privacy and security lapses at UCLA Medical Center earlier this year. American Medical News.
11/19/2008
On Tuesday, a federal court upheld a New Hampshire law that prohibits the sale of physician-specific prescription drug data. Two data mining companies -- IMS Health and Verispan -- filed a lawsuit to block implementation of the New Hampshire law. New York Times.
11/10/2008
Proponents of Proposition 4 say they will try again to pass a parental notification measure. Proposition 4, which was defeated by voters last week, would have required parental notification and a 48-hour waiting period for minors seeking an abortion. Oakland Tribune.
11/05/2008
Kathleen Billingsley of the California Department of Public Health's Center for Healthcare Quality, Roxanne Moster of UCLA and Patrick Schlesinger of the University of California discussed security breaches with California Healthline.
10/30/2008
In its sixth report detailing patient privacy problems at UCLA Hospital System, the California Department of Public Health said a total of more than 1,000 patients’ records had been breached. The department launched the investigation after media reports about celebrities' medical records being improperly accessed by UCLA staff. Los Angeles Times.
10/30/2008
KPBS' "KPBS News" asked California teenagers about their opinions on Proposition 4, which would require parental notification and a 48-hour waiting period for minors seeking an abortion. Voters twice have rejected similar parental notification measures, but a recent poll found that this year's initiative has a slight lead among California voters. KPBS' "KPBS News," KPBS' "These Days."
10/28/2008
As Nov. 4 approaches, opponents and proponents of a measure that would require parental notification for minors seeking an abortion are targeting Hispanic voters. Two previous attempts to require parental notification have failed on statewide ballots. KPCC's "KPCC News."
10/20/2008
The Sacramento Bee provides an overview of Proposition 4, which would require parental notification and a 48-hour waiting period for minors seeking an abortion. An opinion piece by Catherine Short, an attorney and co-author of Prop. 4, urges voters to approve the parental-notification measure, while an opinion piece by Cheryl Rollings -- president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties -- recommends that voters reject it. Sacramento Bee et al.
10/14/2008
A recent Field Poll found that 49% of likely voters support Proposition 4, which would require parental notification for minors seeking an abortion. The poll found that 41% of likely voters oppose the measure and 10% are undecided. Includes other coverage on Prop. 4. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
10/09/2008
In an opinion piece, Jasmyne Cannick, a Los Angeles-based critic and commentator, urges voters to reject Proposition 4, which would require parental notification for minors seeking an abortion. She writes, "Proposition 4 isn't going to put an end to teenage pregnancies, I can assure you of that." Capitol Weekly.
10/08/2008
Gov. Schwarzenegger has approved two new laws that will let the state fine health care organizations that do not adopt protections aimed at protecting patient privacy. A consultant said that the laws use federal privacy and security rules as a base level. Computerworld.