U.S. Bill Would Establish Survey To Collect Health Data From Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders

Madeleine Bordallo, the U.S. delegate from Guam, has introduced legislation that would fund a survey to collect health data from Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, the Pacific Daily News reports. The legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to fund the survey through HHS.

Bordallo said, “Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are eager to move forward with their efforts to improve public health. This scientific survey would establish baseline health information to inform health policy and interventions so that individual and community health can be properly tracked and evaluated.”

New Jersey Senate Passes Bill Requiring Pharmacists To Tell Consumers If Generic Drugs Can Replace Brand-Name Prescriptions

The New Jersey Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation (A 2030) that would require pharmacists to inform consumers when they have substituted generic drugs for brand-name prescriptions, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The General Assembly approved the legislation in February and it now moves to Gov. Jon Corzine (D).

If Corzine signs the bill, the law would take effect within 180 days, making New Jersey the first state in the U.S. to have such a requirement. State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R) said, “We’re hoping that other states will follow our lead” (Megerian, Newark Star-Ledger, 5/22).

U.S. Bill Would Establish Survey To Collect Health Data From Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders

Madeleine Bordallo, the U.S. delegate from Guam, has introduced legislation that would fund a survey to collect health data from Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, the Pacific Daily News reports. The legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to fund the survey through HHS.

Bordallo said, “Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are eager to move forward with their efforts to improve public health. This scientific survey would establish baseline health information to inform health policy and interventions so that individual and community health can be properly tracked and evaluated.”

Cheryl Gillan’s Autism Bill Passes Crucial Milestone

The Government has, for the first time, declared its support for what could be England’s first Autism Bill. The National Autistic Society (NAS) celebrated the move as a vital development for people with autism as Care Services Minister Phil Hope committed to enshrining in law a raft of new measures, via the Autism Bill, which could drive a dramatic improvement in local authority and NHS services for people with the condition.

Last night, MPs voted yes to the Government’s proposed blueprint and time scales to improve support and in a major development the Care Services Minister gave the forthcoming national adult autism strategy extra force by adding it to the Autism Bill. The Bill now awaits its third reading scheduled for the 19th June and with the support of the Government is likely to pass to the House of Lords.

Oregon House Approves Bill Mandating Insurance Coverage Of HPV Vaccine

The Oregon House on Wednesday voted 48-12 to pass a bill (H.B. 2794) that would require state-regulated insurance plans to cover the cost of the human papillomavirus vaccine for girls and women, the Oregonian reports. The vaccine, which FDA approved in 2006 for girls and young women ages nine to 26, protects against certain strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The bill does not require that people receive the vaccine, and its coverage requirements do not apply to “large companies that are self-insured.”

Okla. Senate Approves Bill Requiring Reporting Of Detailed Data On Women Seeking Abortions

The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday passed the Statistical Reporting on Abortion Act (H.B. 1595) that would require doctors performing abortions to provide the Oklahoma State Department of Health with detailed information about women seeking the procedure, including their age, race, marital status, number of previous pregnancies and reasons for seeking an abortion, the AP/Oklahoman reports. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Todd Lamb (R), passed by a vote of 34-10, with with all “no” votes cast by Democrats. It would require abortion providers to gather information from “37 sections of questions,” which the health department would use to produce an annual report. The bill also would prohibit abortions based on the sex of the fetus.

New Jersey Senate Unanimously Passes Bill Mandating Hospitals Publicly Disclose Preventable Medical Errors

The New Jersey Senate unanimously passed a bill requiring the state to publicly report preventable patient-safety errors at all New Jersey hospitals, CongressDaily reports. The measure builds on legislation passed in 2004 mandating that hospitals report errors to the state. The new measure requires the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to include in annual hospital performance reports certain patient-safety indicators and preventable medical errors for each hospital. The legislation also would ban physicians and hospitals from charging patients or third-party payers for medical errors or hospital-acquired conditions that are ineligible for reimbursement under CMS’ medical error guidelines. The bill is now being considered by the state Assembly (CongressDaily, 3/23).

New York Times Examines New York City Bill To Protect Patients, Staff At Abortion Clinics

The New York Times on Sunday examined a bill introduced by New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn that aims to protect patients and staff at local health clinics that provide abortion services. The bill, introduced by Quinn in September, would protect patients and staff from “harassment by antiabortion activists who gather outside the clinics’ doors,” according to the Times. “You ask a lot of New Yorkers, they would say, ‘This doesn’t go on in our city, in New York,'” Quinn said, adding, “The truth is, it does.”

CQ’s Carey Discusses Economic Stimulus Bill, Senate Efforts To Draft Health Care Legislation, Rep. Waxman’s Victory In House Panel Race, More

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines Congress’ failure to pass a second economic stimulus package that would have provided additional Medicaid funding for states, senators’ efforts to develop comprehensive health care reform legislation, Rep. Henry Waxman’s (D-Calif.) taking over as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and President-elect Barack Obama’s reportedly naming former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) to the position of HHS secretary in this week’s “Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ.”

New York Times Examines California HIV Testing Bill

The New York Timeson Thursday examined a California bill (AB 1894) that requires health care plans operating in the state to pay for routine HIV testing. The bill was signed into law on Tuesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) (Cathcart, New York Times, 10/2). According to the California Office of AIDS, about 40,000 Californians are HIV-positive but are not aware of their status. CDC figures show that about 40% of the U.S. population has ever received an HIV test (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/1). The law will provide coverage for routine HIV testing for 22.19 million people, according to the California Health Benefits Review Program.