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California Healthline is a free news digest reporting on health care policy and politics.
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House Lawmakers Look To Resolve Differences on Immigrant Coverage
House lawmakers seek an agreement on legislation that would allow certain immigrants to purchase health coverage. House members disagree on whether immigrants should be deported if they do not obtain insurance or fail to pay health care bills. Los Angeles Times et al.
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CDC: U.S. Adults Continue Unhealthy Behaviors
Many U.S. adults continue to take part in unhealthy behaviors -- such as smoking, heavy drinking and sedentary lifestyles -- that have kept the country's overall health from improving, according to a CDC report released Tuesday. The report noted that about 60% of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. HealthDay/Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Resistance From Calif. Prison Officials Growing, Kelso Says
In a report filed in federal court on Wednesday, federal receiver J. Clark Kelso -- who is monitoring California's prison health care system -- said state officials have changed their tone toward his orders in cases involving valley fever outbreaks at prisons "from acquiescence bordering on support ... to opposition bordering on contempt." Kelso said that resistance from state officials has increased since a panel of judges denied their request to end a federal prison population cap. A state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation official said the receiver's report is "less about the health of inmates and more about shifting blame." KPCC's "Represent!"
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Task Force To Examine Developmental Centers
Diana Dooley, secretary of the state's Health and Human Services agency, yesterday announced formation of a task force to take a hard look at the viability of closing four developmental centers in California.
"I don't know if the four developmental centers we operate can all close," Dooley said. "I want to hear from the stakeholders with an open mind. Clearly there is a problem with these centers, but we also have to address the fiscal issues. If they cannot operate, then we should look at a timeline for closing them."
Developmental centers in California have come under fire recently -- with allegations of chronic abuse of patients, investigations by multiple government agencies and loss of federal certification. The state has taken a number of steps, particularly at Sonoma Developmental Center, to investigate possible abuses and improve safety of the centers' clients. 
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Number of Elective Surgeries Varies by Region, Study Finds
A California HealthCare Foundation study finds wide variations in the number of elective surgeries by region. CHCF publishes California Healthline. According to the study, several factors, including access to information about the procedures, physician preferences and patient input, contribute to the geographical differences. Los Angeles Times.
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