- California Healthline Original Stories 2
- Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
- How To Ease The Financial Pain Of High-Deductible Health Plans
- Covered California & The Health Law 1
- Premiums In Calif. Could Skyrocket By More Than 40 Percent Without Individual Mandate, Subsidies
- Hospital Roundup 1
- Lawmaker Strips Bill Of Requirement To List Superbug Infections On Death Certificates
- Health Care Personnel 1
- State's Inspector General Blasts Prison For Its 'Critical' Doctor Shortage And Work Environment
- Public Health and Education 1
- Biotech Firm Sees Option For Home Addiction Treatment Similar To Giving Insulin For Diabetes
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
Health insurers must submit initial rates to California’s exchange on Monday, but confusion persists over core elements of the current health law. (Chad Terhune, )
How To Ease The Financial Pain Of High-Deductible Health Plans
You might save money on premiums with a high-deductible health plan only to find you’re spending more on the back end. These tips will help you minimize your expenses for medical treatment and prescriptions. (Emily Bazar, )
More News From Across The State
Covered California & The Health Law
Premiums In Calif. Could Skyrocket By More Than 40 Percent Without Individual Mandate, Subsidies
The study also concluded that some 340,000 Californians would drop from individual coverage in 2018.
KPCC:
Covered California Wades Back Into Obamacare Fight
The head of California’s health insurance marketplace waded back into the political debate over the future of Obamacare Thursday, warning that certain actions contemplated by President Trump and Congressional Republicans could cause premiums for individual plans to spike dramatically in 2018. Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee unveiled an analysis of what would happen if the federal government chooses not to enforce the Affordable Care Act's tax penalty on people without insurance and does away with cost-sharing subsidies that lower out-of-pocket costs. (Faust, 4/27)
Capital Public Radio:
Study Finds Republican Health Proposals Would Increase Premiums
Peter Lee, Executive Director of Covered California says these changes would be a setback for California's insurance market. "Changes in federal policy would pull the rug out from under what has been working, and working better year over year, over the last four years," Lee says. The two measures have been floated by either Congressional Republicans or President Donald Trump. (Schilling, 4/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Covered California Premiums Could Soar If Feds Stop Enforcing ACA
The projected increase would apply to all health plans in California’s individual insurance market, which includes 1.3 million people who buy plans through Covered California as well as 1.1 million people who buy plans directly from insurers outside of the exchange. (Ho, 4/27)
California Healthline:
Running Short On Time, Covered California And Insurers Seek Obamacare Answers From GOP
With a major deadline looming, California’s health exchange and a key insurer pressed Republican leaders in Washington to clear up confusion over their commitment to key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Health insurers participating in the Covered California exchange for individuals and families must submit initial rates for 2018 on Monday. Peter Lee, the exchange’s executive director, warned in a conference call Thursday that rates could jump by more than 40 percent if the Trump administration and Republican-led Congress walk away from crucial elements of the health law. (Terhune, 4/28)
Lawmaker Strips Bill Of Requirement To List Superbug Infections On Death Certificates
State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) was getting pressure from hospitals and physicians to remove the measure.
Los Angeles Times:
Under Fire From Hospitals, Legislator Drops Measure Requiring Reports Of Superbug Deaths
After complaints from California hospitals and physicians, a state legislator has stripped his bill of a measure that would have required doctors to record deadly infections on death certificates. The California Hospital Assn. and the California Medical Assn. wrote letters saying they opposed the plan by state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo). The measure would have required physicians to include drug-resistant bacterial infections on the death certificate if in their opinion it helped cause a person’s death. (Petersen, 4/27)
In other hospital news —
The Bakersfield Californian:
Daughter On Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Fine: 'This Means Justice For My Mom'
Loretta Shaver doesn’t want to remember her mother, Terry Smith, as the woman whose death might have been avoided at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. She prefers remembering her for who she was: the energetic 53-year-old jokester who played practical jokes and could spin a yarn. The one who spent the last year of her life caring for her 14-year-old son, despite struggling with a brain tumor. When Shaver read headlines last week about the state fining Bakersfield Memorial Hospital $75,000 after an investigation revealed nurses failed to provide adequate supervision to a patient who choked to death, who Shaver said is her mother, her reaction was succinct. “This means justice for my mom,” Shaver told The Californian. “And maybe for a lot more patients that this could happen to.” (Pierce, 4/27)
State's Inspector General Blasts Prison For Its 'Critical' Doctor Shortage And Work Environment
According to the report, medical staff at the California State Prison in Sacramento struggled to respond quickly to emergencies, properly review medical records, maintain oversight of inmates receiving opioid-based medication and arrange medical appointments for new inmates.
Sacramento Bee:
‘Unprecedented’ Doctor Shortage At California Prison Hurting Inmate Care, Audit Says
A summary of the unidentified inmate’s death is included in the latest report by a state inspector general calling attention to “inadequate” health services at a prison with a difficult population of 2,400 inmates that sits next door to Folsom State Prison. The new report, released in late March by the state Office of Inspector General, faulted a “critical shortage” of doctors at the prison and a “seemingly unprecedented ability to recruit and retain” primary care providers. (Ashton, 4/27)
Birth Defects' Link To Pesticides Well-Known Before Boy's Birth, Witness Says At Trial
The trial concerns 9-year-old Erik Joe Morales, who has been diagnosed with hemifacial microsomia, a condition in which the lower half of one side of the face does not grow normally.
Ventura County Star:
Warning Of Birth Defect Data Was Ample, Witness Says
An expert witness testified in a trial Thursday that there was ample information linking pesticides with birth defects years before the birth of an Oxnard boy who sued over his condition. A lawsuit filed on behalf of 9-year-old Erik Joe Morales claims that he developed a serious facial birth defect because his pregnant mother absorbed pesticides into her body while she was harvesting strawberries at an Oxnard farm in 2007. The boy has been diagnosed with hemifacial microsomia, a condition in which the lower half of one side of the face does not grow normally. Erik has sued four agricultural firms over his condition in a case that entered its third day of trial Thursday in Ventura County Superior Court. Named as defendants are Well-Pict Berries, Soilfume Inc., T.T. Miyasaka Inc. and Ramco Enterprises, the labor contractor that employed Erik's mother. (Wilson, 4/27)
Oakland Health Department Faces $1.35M Cut Under Trump's Proposed Budget
The money currently goes to anti-poverty programs and public awareness campaigns.
East Bay Times:
Trump Proposed Budget Could Cost Oakland Millions
The city could lose $10.5 million in federal funds under the White House’s proposed budget, according to an analysis from the city administrator’s office. It is too early to know exactly what to expect, as the president’s 62-page summary of budget priorities released in February is only the first step in negotiations between the White House and Congress, which could take until Oct. 1 to decide how to allocate federal spending for fiscal 2017-18. Nonetheless, “these proposed cuts should not be taken lightly. … Some could drastically impact the city’s operations and services if they were to be written into law,” city Budget Administrator Sarah Schlenk wrote in a late March report. (Hedin, 4/27)
In other news from across the state —
The Bakersfield Californian:
As New Law Nears, Frontier High Students Learn How To Save A Life
Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation last year requiring California high schools to teach hands-on CPR training by 2018-2019. [Kern High School District ] just received $25,000 worth of CPR training kits thanks to a donation from Chevron that will be used in every high school. The energy company has been working with KHSD for two years on the initiative.If Armstrong were performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a classmate or teacher who had gone into sudden cardiac arrest, instead of a plastic simulator, that person’s chances at survival would have gone up dramatically, experts say. (Pierce, 4/27)
Orange County Register:
Chapman Mumps Cases Slowing But Too Soon To Call Outbreak Over
A mumps outbreak at Chapman University has reached 13 cases, the county Health Care Agency said Thursday. Although the pace of illness has slowed – there were 12 cases two weeks ago, – officials said it’s too soon to say the outbreak is coming to an end because of the long incubation period of up to 25 days. (Perkes, 4/27)
Biotech Firm Sees Option For Home Addiction Treatment Similar To Giving Insulin For Diabetes
Brady Granier, the CEO of California-based BioCorRx, says that he hopes to develop a low-dose, injectable-form of naltrexone that uses a small needle so that people could administer it at home.
Stat:
Company Hopes To Make Addiction Treatment For Home Use
A California-based addiction treatment company hopes to change the way patients struggling with substance abuse disorder receive a popular form of medication-assisted treatment. If approved, patients could self-administer naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, in the comfort of their own homes — like insulin, but for recovering addicts. The promise of this advancement has some addiction experts excited about a product that could reduce the stigma surrounding recovery. Others, though, remain wary of moving such treatment out of a doctor’s office and away from wraparound services seen as essential for staying clean. (Blau, 4/28)
Intraparty Struggles On Display As GOP Leaders Concede Health Care Vote Won't Come This Week
An amendment on preexisting conditions and essential health benefits was added to the legislation to woo conservatives, but now leaders aren't sure if they have enough moderate votes. The White House had been pushing for a vote before President Donald Trump's milestone of 100 days in office.
The New York Times:
Health Law Repeal Will Miss Trump’s 100-Day Target Date
An 11th-hour White House push to give President Trump a major legislative victory in his first 100 days in office broke down late Thursday as House Republican leaders failed to round up enough votes for their bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. ... [S]eesawing commitments and the reservations from numerous lawmakers throughout Thursday laid bare the difficulty that Republican leaders faced in trying to push through a repeal bill. (Kaplan and Pear, 4/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Rep. Jeff Denham Says He's A 'No' On The New GOP Healthcare Bill, But Most California Republicans Are Undecided
Nearly two-thirds of the 14 Republicans in the California congressional delegation are still reviewing changes to the GOP healthcare plan, and only four have taken a firm position on it. (Wire, 4/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
‘Skinny’ Plans Can’t Trim The Real Fat Under New GOP Health Bill: Experts
In the latest version of their plan to repeal large portions of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are proposing letting states opt out of the requirement that insurance plans cover a specific set of benefits. Republicans hope consumers could save money by buying “skinny” plans, excluding items they may not need such as maternity care. But many experts and studies indicate such changes might not drive down premiums very much, since insurance plans would still cover big, necessary items like hospital stays and doctor’s visits. (Hackman, 4/28)
Los Angeles Times:
GOP Shuts Out Doctors, Experts, Democrats — Pretty Much Everybody — As They Work On Obamacare Repeal
The White House and its House GOP allies are hoping to reschedule a vote on their overhaul plan in the coming days, following last month’s embarrassing retreat when the bill was pulled shortly before a vote. But they continue to refuse to reach out to Democrats. Even Senate Republicans have been largely sidelined, though their support will be crucial to putting a measure on Trump’s desk. And senior House Republicans and White House officials have almost completely shut out doctors, hospitals, patient advocates and others who work in the healthcare system, industry officials say, despite pleas from many healthcare leaders to seek an alternative path that doesn’t threaten protections for tens of millions of Americans. (Levey, 4/27)
NPR:
Health Insurers Try To Plan Ahead As Congress Deliberates On Health Law
As Republicans in Congress debate changes to the Affordable Care Act, insurance executives across the country are trying to make plans for next year. Companies that sell policies on the exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, face fast-approaching deadlines to inform states about what plans they want to sell, and what they intend to charge. "Insurance companies need to file rates in 2 1/2 months," says Tom Policelli, CEO of Minuteman Health, which sells Obamacare policies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. (Kodjak, 4/27)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Disputes Over Abortion, Financial Rules Slow Spending Bill
Political fights over abortion, financial regulations and Puerto Rico have slowed Republican and Democratic negotiators working on a sweeping, government-wide spending bill. President Donald Trump's tweetstorm lashing out at Democrats didn't help. (4/27)
The Washington Post:
Trump Nominee To Head FDA Clears Key Panel, Moves To Full Senate For Vote
The Senate health committee voted 14-9 Thursday to approve physician Scott Gottlieb to be the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, sending the nomination to the full Senate. All 12 Republicans on the committee voted in favor of Gottlieb, a former venture capitalist who served as an FDA deputy commissioner during the George W. Bush administration. Two Democrats, Michael F. Bennet of Colorado and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, also voted yes. (McGinley and Bernstein, 4/27)
USA Today:
VA Whistle-Blowers Leery Of Donald Trump Order Creating Accountability Office To Protect Them
As President Trump signed an executive order Thursday seeking to provide more protections to whistle-blowers at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the very people he's trying to protect are leery. In locations spanning from Arizona to Delaware, and Florida to Wisconsin, current and former employees who endured retaliation from superiors after they reported abuses have watched as those managers retained their positions — and were even promoted in some cases. (Slack, 4/27)
The Washington Post:
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act Of 2017 Was Introduced By Democrats In Congress
Democratic lawmakers this week introduced a bill that would ban the practice of “conversion therapy,” treatments that historically have targeted the LGBT community and claim to be able to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 was introduced Tuesday by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), along with Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). About 70 other members of Congress, all Democrats, have said they support the bill, which would allow the Federal Trade Commission to classify conversion therapy and its practitioners as fraudulent. (Wang, 4/27)
Viewpoints: Insurers Are Pushing Changes That Help Their Bottom Line, And GOP Is Giving In
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
How Trump And The GOP Are Plotting To Give Big Health Insurers Exactly What They Want
The nation’s biggest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group, had a pretty good quarter, judging from the preening by its executives during a conference call with Wall Street analysts this week. The company turned a profit of $2.2 billion on revenue of $48.7 billion for the quarter ended March 30. That was partially the result of the company’s bailing out entirely on Affordable Care Act individual insurance exchanges, on which it was losing money. (Michael Hiltzik, 4/21)
Los Angeles Times:
He's Covered, He Makes His Payments And His Insurer Still Drags Its Feet
Most attention on the healthcare front has been focused on Republicans’ single-minded efforts to eviscerate Obamacare. Largely overlooked has been the frustration Americans with employer-based coverage often face in dealing with tight-fisted insurers. For the roughly 150 million workers and family members covered by employers, healthcare all too frequently is an obstacle course of denied claims, bureaucratic headaches and go-slow tactics intended only, or so it seems, to boost insurers’ bottom line. (David Lazarus, 4/28)
Modesto Bee:
Jeff Denham Ignores Crucial Health Concerns Of 15,000 In His District Who Depend On Planned Parenthood
Congressman Jeff Denham made it abundantly clear at his April town hall that he doesn’t put a priority on the health of women in his district. When asked why he doesn’t support Planned Parenthood and the reproductive health services the organization provides to thousands of his constituents, Rep. Denham responded that he’s “pro-life” and always has been. “It’s a personal view for me,” he said. (Cheri Greven, 4/26)
Los Angeles Times:
This One Unbelievably Expensive Iowa Patient Makes The Case For Single-Payer Healthcare
Back in mid-2016, Iowa customers of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, the dominant company in the state’s individual insurance market, got a shock: Premium increases of 38% to 43% were in store for many of them for this year. Three weeks ago they got a bigger shock: Wellmark was pulling out of Iowa’s individual market entirely, leaving the state with one company selling individual policies. Wellmark placed some of the blame on congressional Republicans’ failure to come up with a coherent repeal plan for the Affordable Care Act, leaving plans for 2018 in legislative limbo. With Wellmark’s departure, Iowa’s individual market may be down to a single insurer next year. (Michael Hiltzik, 4/24)
Sacramento Bee:
Aging California Needs A Fountain-Of-Youth Solution
Within two decades, 25 percent of Californians will be 65 and older. Under current guidelines, they’ll be Medicare-eligible and almost eligible for full-retirement age Social Security benefits. They’ll also increase California’s aging dependency ratio, one comparing the percentage of those typically not in the workforce to those who are. (Edward Joseph Pierini Jr., 4/21)
Sacramento Bee:
Use Tobacco Tax Money As Intended: To Help Fund Dental Program
Voters clearly understood the urgency and made the crucial connection: tobacco use causes big, expensive health problems, including long-term oral disease across our state. Given that nearly 14 million children, seniors and working families rely on the state’s Denti-Cal program, the lack of access to dental care for our most vulnerable residents is a problem that carries negative consequences for our physical and economic health, school attendance and workplace productivity. (John Luther, 4/24)
San Jose Mercury News:
Here Are Five Issues On Which California Is Flying Data-Blind
Sometimes the state has legitimate reasons for not collecting or publishing such data: confidentiality concerns, resource constraints, the inherent limitations of what technology can and cannot track. Sometimes the explanations are less compelling. Whatever the case, the data points below represent a diverse set of policy questions for which Californians are flying data-blind. (Matt Levin, 4/26)
San Jose Mercury News:
Cupertino Sex Education Plan Is Not Age-Appropriate
The proposed new curriculum, Teen Talk MS (published by Health Connected), was unacceptable to many parents who found it to be neither age-appropriate nor culturally sensitive for the proposed target group (11-13 year olds in 7th grade, in a school district with a unique demographic)... This conflation of parental concerns about an inappropriate curriculum with LGBTQ issues polarizes the debate by portraying Cupertino Union parents as being out of touch with their children’s needs. (Srividya Sundaresan and Vaishnavi Sridhar, 4/26)
Los Angeles Times:
I'm Not 'Addicted' To My Smartphone. I Depend On It To Survive
In a recent “60 Minutes” segment, Anderson Cooper interviewed Tristan Harris, a former product manager at Google, who compared smartphones to slot machines because both have a built-in reward system that we find hard to resist — the thrill of pulling a lever and making money versus pushing a button and getting a notification. Cooper suggested that tech companies, by getting us hooked on mobile apps, are “hijacking” our brains. This argument seems inarguably correct to those who’ve seen comScore reports suggesting that Americans spend more than 70 hours a month on average using smartphone apps, and that the number is growing each year. (Jamison Hill, 4/24)