- California Healthline Original Stories 2
- California Withdraws Bid To Allow Undocumented Immigrants To Buy Unsubsidized Obamacare Plans
- Trump's Nominee For Agriculture Has Key Health Role
- Covered California & The Health Law 1
- At Hearing In McCarthy's Hometown, Health Leaders Express Dismay At Threat To ACA
- Sacramento Watch 2
- Candy Tax Could Be Reinstated After 25 Years Of Exemptions
- Bill Would Require State Agency To Inspect Wrappers On Edible Marijuana Products
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California Withdraws Bid To Allow Undocumented Immigrants To Buy Unsubsidized Obamacare Plans
State lawmaker says he was worried the Trump Administration would use information on those who purchased plans to try and deport them. (Ana B. Ibarra and Chad Terhune, )
Trump's Nominee For Agriculture Has Key Health Role
From nutrition assistance programs to preventing food-borne illness, the Agriculture Department is deeply involved in health policy. (Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, )
More News From Across The State
Covered California & The Health Law
At Hearing In McCarthy's Hometown, Health Leaders Express Dismay At Threat To ACA
The supporters of the law want House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to know how much his constituents may be hurt if the health law is dismantled.
The Bakersfield Californian:
Democrats To McCarthy: Repealing Obamacare Will Hurt Your District The Most
As House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy leads the charge to gut and replace the Affordable Care Act in Washington, a group of California senators held a hearing in his hometown Thursday to highlight what they said would be the horrible repercussions here. They did not invite McCarthy or critics of the health care law to speak. Members of the state Senate Committee on Health, as well as patients and speakers from the health care and nonprofit world, hammered the congressman and other Republicans for, in their words, making “repeal and replace Obamacare” their war cry while offering no specific replacement plan. (Pierce, 1/19)
Sacramento Bee:
California Senator Holds Hearing In Support Of Obamacare
The outlook is dreary for millions of low-income Californians and others who over the past six years have received expanded access to health care under Obamacare. That’s the warning from Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-Azusa, should congressional Republicans repeal the federal health care law, as promised, without a sufficient replacement plan. (Hart, 1/19)
Candy Tax Could Be Reinstated After 25 Years Of Exemptions
“We tax necessities like tampons but exempt chocolate bars,” Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, said in a statement after introducing a constitutional amendment that would restore the candy tax.
Mercury News:
Is California Ready For A Candy Tax?
Taxing candy and other sugary snacks would generate nearly $1 billion a year for California, estimated Garcia, whose bill to exempt tampons and other feminine products last year was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Californians passed a cigarette tax increase last fall, despite heavy opposition from Big Tobacco, and hard-fought soda taxes have popped up in some California cities, including Berkeley, Albany, Oakland and San Francisco. But will the Legislature — and, ultimately, voters — agree to tax the snack aisle? (Murphy, 1/19)
Bill Would Require State Agency To Inspect Wrappers On Edible Marijuana Products
Assemblyman Ed Chau wants to let the state decide if any of the marketing is targeting children. In other news, President Barack Obama commuted the sentence of a man for his role in the California Healthcare Collective.
Los Angeles Times:
One California Lawmaker Hopes The State Will Inspect Marijuana Candy To Make Sure It Isn't Marketed To Children
The coming sale of marijuana-infused candy and baked goods for recreational use in California has one lawmaker demanding close inspection of every wrapper by the state to make sure the products are not marketed to minors. Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) has introduced a bill that would require a state agency to inspect the labeling of any edible pot product to make sure it is not attracting children and inspect its packaging to make sure it is child-resistant. Labels with cartoon characters or child-friendly names could be vetoed by the state Bureau of Marijuana Control. (McGreevy, 1/19)
McClatchy:
Obama Commutes Prison Sentence Of California Healthcare Collective Pot Dealer
President Barack Obama on Thursday commuted the 20-year prison sentenced imposed on Richard Ruiz Montes, convicted in 2008 for his role in the Modesto’s pot-dealing California Healthcare Collective. In one of his final presidential acts, Obama used his executive authority to cut Montes’ sentence by more than half. Now held at a federal facility in Atwater, according to the Bureau of Prisons’ inmate locator, the 36-year-old Montes will be released May 19. (Doyle, 1/19)
Health Care Clinics Would Be Overwhelmed If Planned Parenthood Funds Are Cut
The centers don't have the resources or staff to handle the influx of patients they would see if Planned Parenthood loses its federal aid.
Sacramento Bee:
Planned Parenthood Cuts Would Hit California Clinics
Contrary to recent claims by House Majority Leader Paul Ryan, R-Wis., experts say the nation’s community health centers don’t have the staff or funding to handle the estimated 400,000 people who could lose access to care if Planned Parenthood’s federal Medicaid funding is shuttered. Ryan wants to cut the group’s federal funding, including more than $400 million in annual Medicaid reimbursements, as part of legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The loss would take roughly half the group’s revenue and fulfill a longtime conservative desire to bankrupt the organization that provides a host of reproductive health services, including abortions. (Pugh and Caiola, 1/19)
Cities With Higher Lead Levels Than Flint Launch Groundswell Of Activity To Address Problem
A Reuters report shines a light on the communities, including ones in California, that have been affected. Officials there say it was a wake-up call they needed. "This has just laid out that it's not just a Detroit issue, it's not just a Baltimore issue," said Ruth Ann Norton, president of Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a Baltimore-based nonprofit.
Reuters:
U.S. Cities Move To Curb Lead Poisoning Following Reuters Report
Cities and towns across the United States are taking action after a Reuters report identified thousands of communities where children tested with lead poisoning at higher rates than in Flint, Michigan. (Schneyer and Pell, 1/19)
State Hits S.F. Hospital With Maximum Fine Over Patient Safety Violations
An investigation revealed that a hospital employee failed to lock both wheels of a patient’s wheelchair, causing him to fall onto the road. He died two weeks after the incident.
San Francisco Chronicle:
SF’s Laguna Honda Hospital Fined $100,000 Over Patient’s Death
San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital has been fined $100,000 for safety violations that led to the death of a patient, the California Public Health Department said Thursday. The fine is the most severe penalty regulators can level under state law. The incident occurred in November 2014, when the patient, unnamed in the state report, fell out of his wheelchair while on an outing to a movie theater. (Allday, 1/19)
In other news from across the state —
Orange County Register:
Costco To Pay $11.75 Million To Settle Pharmacy Control Allegations
Costco Wholesale will pay $11.75 million to settle Department of Justice allegations that the chain’s pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions. Investigations were conducted by federal authorities in Washington, Michigan and California. Costco was accused of filling prescriptions that were incomplete, lacked valid DEA numbers and were for substances beyond doctor’s scope of practice. (Madans, 1/19)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
County Reports Six More Flu-Related Deaths
County health officials on Thursday reported that six more people have died of influenza-related causes, bringing the death toll this flu season to 14, compared with three this time last year. A previously healthy 45-year-old woman was among the most recent flu-related deaths, officials said. The other recent fatalities involved older people who had underlying medical conditions, according to the county Health and Human Services Agency. (1/19)
Trump To Take Office Amid Deep Uncertainty Surrounding Future Of Health Care
It's still unclear how Donald Trump's views on health care will mesh with congressional Republicans' ideas, but the eyes of a nation are watching as they navigate dismantling Barack Obama's signature legislation.
The Wall Street Journal:
Donald Trump’s Presidency: A Look At His Proposed Policy Shifts
Mr. Trump takes office grasping a lightning rod of American domestic policy—health care. His party has already begun on the repeal, and potential replacement, of Barack Obama ’s signature health-care law, but the task of reworking a sweeping social program six years into its lifespan is proving messy. Republicans, including Mr. Trump, have put forward various ideas to serve as alternatives to the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which extended insurance to millions of Americans but also triggered criticism over rising premiums for some users and insurer withdrawals from the individual market. The party has yet to unify behind a single plan, and it remains unclear how much influence will be exerted by Mr. Trump and his administration and how much they will leave to four congressional committees and other groups of interested lawmakers to hash out in the House and Senate. (1/20)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Company That HHS Pick Invested In Faced Criminal Penalty
A medical device company in which Rep. Tom Price purchased stock last year has faced years of legal problems and agreed in December to a $17 million Justice Department criminal penalty in a foreign bribery case. (1/19)
ProPublica:
When A Study Cast Doubt On A Heart Pill, The Drug Company Turned To Tom Price
The $3 pill known as BiDil was already a difficult sell when a Georgia-based pharmaceutical company bought the marketing rights a few years ago. A treatment for African Americans suffering from heart failure, BiDil had never really caught on, forcing the drug company that developed it to take a buyout offer. One strike against the drug was a 2009 study that raised questions about its safety and effectiveness. So last summer, the new owner of the drug, Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC of Atlanta, sought to get the study taken down from a government website. For help, the company turned to the office of a congressman to whom the CEO had given the maximum $2,700 campaign donation — Rep. Tom Price, the Georgia Republican nominated by Donald Trump to become head of the Department of Health and Human Services. (Faturechi, 1/19)
Stat:
NIH Director Francis Collins To Stay On, At Least For Now, Under Trump
Dr. Francis Collins is being held over as the director of the National Institutes of Health by the Trump administration, his office announced Thursday afternoon. Collins had been prepared to step down from the post on Friday, after Trump’s inauguration, and return to his lab at the NIH Bethesda campus. However, with Thursday’s news, he will remain as director for the time being. (Scott, 1/19)
Stat:
Your Guide To The Weird World Of Obamacare Rhetoric
The Obamacare repeal effort is just getting underway and already the political wordplay is dizzying. On the GOP side, the rhetoric has gone from “repeal and replace” to “insurance for everybody” to “repair and rebuild.” Meanwhile, Democrats continually warn that the Republicans are trying to “rip apart our health care system.”To help you keep pace with the debate, we’ve assembled this handy glossary of buzzwords and talking points. (Ross, 1/19)
USA Today:
Anthem To Change Opioid Treatment Policy Under Deal With NY Regulators
Anthem, the nation's second-largest insurance company, has ended its policy of pre-authorizations for drugs to treat opioid use disorder following an agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, his office said Thursday. The agreement, which affects Anthem plans across the United States and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield customers in New York, followed an investigation into Empire's practices in New York. (O'Donnell and DeMio, 1/19)
USA Today:
EpiPen Competitor Will Be Out In February, Free To 200M People
Five months after the CEO of Mylan faced an irate House panel over price increases for its EpiPen auto injectors, a former competitor will be back next month — at a far higher list price, the company announced Thursday. Kaleo, the maker of the Auvi-Q, says the price paid by consumers with commercial insurance will still be far lower for its reintroduced epinephrine auto injector than any of its brand name or generic competitors. (O'Donnell, 1/19)
Viewpoints: Trump's Difficult Insurance Pledge
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Cheaper, Better 'Insurance For Everybody'? Good Luck With That
Let’s give Donald Trump, who will be sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, the benefit of the doubt. Let’s take him at his word that he has a plan to provide “insurance for everybody” that is “much less expensive and much better,” as he said in an interview with the Washington Post. How will he do it? Trump didn’t reveal any details .... So I turned to several prominent healthcare experts — people who, unlike Trump, have spent many years studying this stuff — and asked how you’d cover everyone and do it better than current insurance plans and for less money. The experts were unanimous. It can’t be done. (David Lazarus, 1/20)
Orange County Register:
Repeal Of Affordable Care Act Would Hurt Californians; Fix It Instead
While state leaders are working to blunt the potential effects of the more extreme policies supported by President-elect Trump and congressional Republicans, the devastating effects that would result from the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would be unavoidable. Right out of the gate, nearly 5 million Californians would lose their health insurance.More than 3.7 million low-income adults — 1.1 million of whom live in Los Angeles County — would lose their Medi-Cal coverage. (Dianne Feinstein, 1/14)
Sacramento Bee:
A Better Way On Health Care
The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board makes dire predictions about what repealing Obamacare will mean for California, (“McCarthy may be hazardous to his own district’s health”; Editorials, Jan. 17). Unfortunately, the board gravely neglects the facts. It is true that millions of Californians receive health insurance coverage through Obamacare and in particular through the Medicaid expansion. But the number of insured matters little when the quality of the insurance is so dismal. (Kevin McCarthy, 1/19)
The Bakersfield Californian:
McCarthy May Be Hazardous To Kern County's Health
Gov. Jerry Brown and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones couldn’t have differed more in the style of their recent responses to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s request for “ideas” on the pending repeal of the Affordable Care Act. But the substance, in both cases, was sobering. Brown’s letter was to the point. Jones’ was 23 pages, with footnotes.Both boiled down to a fairly clear message: Finding a real alternative is fine, but repealing Obamacare with no viable replacement will wreck insurance markets, send premiums soaring, blow a hole in the state budget and return us to a time when millions were just one health emergency away from the poorhouse. (1/19)
Modesto Bee:
Congress Must Take Care To Ensure That Access To Healthy Care Is Not Diminished
As the most populous state in the nation, California has reaped enormous benefits from recent health care reform. With the federal government as its partner, California has expanded access to affordable, high-quality, medically necessary health care programs and services to approximately 3.7 million children, seniors and individuals from working families. Imagine what that means to a family who previously could not afford preventive care, routine examinations and medications. (Daryn Kumar and Gary West, 1/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Donald Trump, Rand Paul And The Myth Of A Cheap Obamacare Replacement
News on the Obamacare-replacement front was dominated this past weekend by Donald Trump and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who both touted their Obamacare replacement plans. To be absolutely precise, they touted the claim that they had Obamacare replacement plans. They didn’t go into any great detail about what would be in those plans. (That didn’t stop CNN from captioning its interview with Paul, “Rand Paul Releases Obamacare Replacement Details.”) (Michael Hiltzik, 1/17)
Orange County Register:
America Needs Health Care That Works
Repeal of Obamacare has become a mantra of the new administration; one of many decrees to clean the proverbial swamp. Not so fast we hear from some in the GOP and the political left. And they’re probably correct to be cautious rather than cavalier and concentrate on fixing health care. Repeal gets us nowhere. It’s campaign rhetoric. The GOP needs to focus on a replacement that works to bring an opportunity for every American to purchase the affordable medical and health care that they need and want. (Marcy Zwelling-Aamot, 1/13)
Los Angeles Times:
How To Fight Back When An Insurer Denies Your Healthcare Claim
Insurance companies are playing the odds, patient advocates say. They’re counting on people not having the stamina to challenge every denied claim, even when there’s a valid medical reason for a drug or treatment being covered... Today I’ll provide some tips on jumping through the myriad hoops the insurance industry might throw your way if you choose to appeal a denied claim. While the appeals process is time-consuming and frustrating, it’s often worth putting up a fight. A 2011 study by the Government Accountability Office found that for the relatively small percentage of denied claims that were challenged, about half ended up being reversed. (David Lazarus, 1/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Glendale Is Bad For Your Health
If you do a simple Google search, you will see that Glendale routinely makes headlines as among the nation's most dangerous cities in which to drive, and this danger is compounded for pedestrians and bicyclists. We also have the highest insurance rates. These findings are based on insurance studies as well as California DMV data. (Shant Minas, 1/19)
Modesto Bee:
Sex-Ed Materials Need More Than A Switch To Digital
Modesto City Schools just considered new DVDs for its fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade health videos on family life and sex education to dump VHS tapes they no longer have enough VCRs to play. But not only the technological format needs an update. Modesto trustees in 2002 picked elementary films as part of their abstinence-only Sex Can Wait program adopted earlier, which remains the guiding policy of the district, said Marla Mack, senior director for elementary education services. Mack and a committee of parents, teachers and trustees found the replacements for VHS tapes no longer available in their original versions. (Nan Austin, 1/19)