- California Healthline Original Stories 3
- Open Your Mouth And Say Goo-Goo: Dentists Treating Ever-Younger Patients
- Caregivers Draw Support By Mapping Their Relationships
- Podcast: 'What The Health?' Zombie Repeal-And-Replace Bill Rises Again
- Covered California & The Health Law 3
- Majority Of States Including Calif. Would Lose 'Jaw-Dropping' Amounts Of Funding Under GOP Bill
- Mass Protests Planned In California Over Republicans' Latest Efforts To Repeal Health Law
- For GOP, Political Incentive Is 'As Much Of A Reason As The Substance' To Pass Repeal Bill
- Spending and Fiscal Battles 1
- This Funding Fight Is Flying Under The Radar, But Could Devastate Community Clinics
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Open Your Mouth And Say Goo-Goo: Dentists Treating Ever-Younger Patients
A shift in dental guidelines encourages first dental visits for infants as young as 6 months, or when the first baby teeth emerge. That makes some dentists uncomfortable. (Laurie Udesky, )
Caregivers Draw Support By Mapping Their Relationships
Innovative CareMaps tool helps caregivers understand their roles and take steps to improve their lives. (Judith Graham, )
Podcast: 'What The Health?' Zombie Repeal-And-Replace Bill Rises Again
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss Senate Republicans’ last-ditch effort to upend the Affordable Care Act ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline. ( )
More News From Across The State
Covered California & The Health Law
Majority Of States Including Calif. Would Lose 'Jaw-Dropping' Amounts Of Funding Under GOP Bill
A new study by Avalere Health finds that red states would disproportionately benefit, while 34 states would be hit hard by cuts under the proposal for Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Would Lose $78 Billion — More Than Any Other State — Under GOP Health Bill
California would lose more federal funding than any other state under the latest GOP plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the health policy consulting firm Avalere Health. By 2026, California would lose $78 billion in federal money for the Medi-Cal insurance program for the poor and in federal subsidies for low-income residents who buy health insurance through Covered California, the state exchange created under the ACA. (Ho, 9/20)
Los Angeles Times:
Republicans' New Repeal Bill Would Probably Leave Millions More Uninsured, New Analyses Suggest
“The vast majority of states lose money, and some lose truly jaw-dropping amounts,” said Jocelyn Guyer, managing director of Manatt Health, a consulting firm that has analyzed the Graham-Cassidy proposal. “That suggests coverage losses that are likely somewhere between significant and vast,” she said. (Levey, 9/20)
The Associated Press:
Study: Most States Would Take A Hit From GOP Health Bill
Most states would take a stiff budgetary hit if the latest Senate GOP health care bill becomes law, according to an analysis released Wednesday. That would likely result in more uninsured Americans. The study by the consulting firm Avalere Health found that the Graham-Cassidy bill would lead to an overall $215 billion cut to states in federal funding for health insurance, through 2026. Reductions would grow over time. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 9/20)
The Washington Post:
Cassidy-Graham Bill Would Cut Funding To 34 States, New Report Shows
More than half of the overall cuts in the legislation — named for its primary sponsors, Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) — would come from Medicaid, the analysis shows. States with relatively low medical costs, skimpy Medicaid benefits and no program expansion would win out. Texas would gain more than any state, about $35 billion from 2020 through 2026. On the other hand, states with higher-priced medicine and generous benefits for their low-income residents, such as California and New York, would lose billions of dollars. (Goldstein, Weigel and Eilperin, 9/20)
The Washington Post:
Under Latest Health-Care Bill, Red States Would Benefit Disproportionately
The latest Republican proposal for curtailing the Affordable Care Act was assembled with such haste that it may get a vote before a full cost estimate is finished. But it is not a new idea. At its core, the bill introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) would implement a decades-old conservative concept, capping the amount that taxpayers spend on Medicaid and giving states full control over the program. As he’s sold the legislation to conservative governors and activists, Graham has described it as a possible triumph for federalism, and a way to end the progressive dream of universal health care managed from Washington. (Weigel, 9/20)
The Hill:
34 States Would See Funding Cut From New ObamaCare Repeal Bill: Study
Cassidy, Graham and the other co-sponsors of the bill said the legislation is about fairness. It aims to redistribute money from high-spending Medicaid expansion states — like California — to states that rejected the expansion — like Texas. But it isn't just blue states that stand to lose under the Graham-Cassidy proposal. (Weixel, 9/20)
Mass Protests Planned In California Over Republicans' Latest Efforts To Repeal Health Law
Protesters are particularly targeting California’s 14 House Republicans.
Fresno Bee:
Obamacare Repeal Effort Ignites Protests Of California House Republicans
Mass protests this week are targeting California’s 14 House Republicans, with activists seeking to pressure them to oppose the latest Republican Obamacare repeal proposal from Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. California would be hardest hit state in the nation, with an estimated cut of $28 billion to its health care system by 2026, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Hart, 9/21)
Los Angeles Times:
Ads Target California's GOP House Members On New Healthcare Bill But It's Not Clear Who's Paying For Them
Five of California's House Republicans are being featured in new digital ads urging them to oppose the so-called Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill to roll back Obamacare. (Mai-Duc, 9/21)
For GOP, Political Incentive Is 'As Much Of A Reason As The Substance' To Pass Repeal Bill
The driving force behind this last-ditch attempt for many lawmakers it the simple fact that they promised their constituents they'd make it happen. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote next week -- but only if he's sure it will pass.
The Associated Press:
Republicans See Political Necessity In Health Care Effort
It's divisive and difficult, but the Republican drive to erase the Obama health care overhaul has gotten a huge boost from one of Washington's perennial incentives: Political necessity. In the two months since Senate Republicans lost their initial attempt to scuttle President Barack Obama's statute, there's fresh evidence GOP voters are adamant that the party achieve its long-promised goal of dismantling that law. This includes conservative firebrand Roy Moore forcing a GOP primary runoff against Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., who's backed by President Donald Trump, and lots of money, plus credible primary challenges facing Republican Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Nevada's Dean Heller. (Fram, 9/21)
The New York Times:
How The Latest Obamacare Repeal Plan Would Work
The latest Republican proposal to undo the Affordable Care Act would grant states much greater flexibility and all but guarantee much greater uncertainty for tens of millions of people. The legislation, proposed by two Senate Republicans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, would not only reduce the amount of federal funding for coverage over the next decade, but also give states wide latitude to determine whom to cover and how. The result is a law that would be as disruptive as many of the Republicans’ previous proposals, but whose precise impact is the hardest to predict. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 9/20)
NPR:
Republicans Try One Last Effort To Repeal Obamacare
Graham-Cassidy essentially deconstructs all of the major programs created by the Affordable Care Act, gathers up the money and hands it over to states to run their own health care programs. It gets rid of both the subsidies that help people buy individual health insurance policies and the reimbursements to insurance companies for offering price breaks on copayments and deductibles to the lowest-income customers. It rolls back the Obamacare Medicaid expansion that was adopted by 31 states and Washington, D.C., and it eliminates the Basic Health Program that was created under the ACA and implemented in New York and Minnesota. (Kodjak, 9/19)
Stat:
Abortion Coverage Would Be Restricted Under New GOP Health Care Plan
The GOP health care overhaul barreling toward a possible Senate vote this month would restrict abortion coverage for some people as early as next year. Most of the major changes included in the package, from Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, wouldn’t take effect until 2020. That’s when the legislation would end the subsidies currently available to consumers who don’t get their health insurance through their job or a government program. It’s also when the legislation would overhaul — and cut — government contributions to state Medicaid programs. (Mershon, 9/20)
The Hill:
GOP Takes Heavy Fire Over Pre-Existing Conditions
The new ObamaCare repeal measure from Senate Republicans would give states a way to repeal protections for people with pre-existing conditions, a controversial move that opponents of the bill are denouncing. The provision attracted widespread attention on Wednesday after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel blasted Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a lead author of the legislation. Kimmel said the senator is violating the “Jimmy Kimmel test,” which Cassidy coined as a way of saying that no one should be denied care because they can’t afford it. “This guy Bill Cassidy just lied right to my face,” Kimmel said. (Sullivan, 9/20)
The Washington Post:
McConnell Intends To Bring Repeal Bill To Senate Floor Next Week, Spokesman Says
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to bring a bill to undo the Affordable Care Act to the Senate floor next week, a McConnell spokesman said Wednesday. His statement marked McConnell’s most concrete commitment yet to moving ahead with the bill from Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.). It signaled that a vote would be expected next week. (Sullivan, 9/20)
The Hill:
The Two Senators Who Will Likely Decide Fate Of ObamaCare Repeal
All eyes are on Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) as Republicans try to approve a new ObamaCare repeal bill in the next 11 days. The two were among the three Republicans who sank the last GOP effort to repeal ObamaCare, and President Trump and his allies probably can’t afford to lose either if they are to win a vote next week. (Hellman, 9/20)
Politico:
The Unlikely Group Who Brought Obamacare Repeal Back To Life
Senate Republicans’ last-ditch attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare rests on the unlikely collaboration of a veteran senator who can’t stand health policy, a wonky freshman who has never passed major legislation and a former senator who lost his seat a decade ago. Together, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum crafted the latest GOP repeal bill in hopes of delivering on the party’s seven-year-old campaign promise to repeal Obamacare. (Haberkorn and Bade, 9/21)
The New York Times:
‘Chuck And Nancy,’ Washington’s New Power Couple, Set Sights On Health Care
When Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, introduced Chuck Schumer to members of her caucus this month, she warmed up the room with a well-worn joke about her Senate counterpart: “You know they say the most dangerous place in Washington is between Chuck and a camera.” Mr. Schumer’s love of the spotlight aside, it has been behind the scenes where “Chuck and Nancy,” as President Trump calls them, have forged what may be the most surprisingly potent partnership in Mr. Trump’s Washington. (Stolberg, 9/20)
The New York Times:
Insurers Come Out Swinging Against New Republican Health Care Bill
The health insurance industry, after cautiously watching Republican health care efforts for months, came out forcefully on Wednesday against the Senate’s latest bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, suggesting that its state-by-state block grants could create health care chaos in the short term and a Balkanized, uncertain insurance market. In the face of the industry opposition, Senate Republican leaders nevertheless said they would push for a showdown vote next week on the legislation, drafted by Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. (Pear, 9/20)
The Washington Post Fact Checker:
Sen. Cassidy’s Rebuttal To Jimmy Kimmel: ‘More People Will Have Coverage’
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel attacked Cassidy over the health-care repeal plan crafted by Cassidy and Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) as a last-ditch effort to replace the Affordable Care Act. Kimmel asserted, among other things, that the proposed law “will kick about 30 million Americans off insurance. ”Firing back, Cassidy flatly stated that “more people will have coverage … There are more people who will be covered through this bill than under the status quo.” (Kessler, 9/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Critics Of GOP Health Bill Turn Jimmy Kimmel’s Tirade Into Political Weapon
As Senate Republicans promised to push their latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act to a vote next week, their Democratic counterparts sought Wednesday to take advantage of a late-night broadside by television host Jimmy Kimmel against a replacement plan. (Lochhead, 9/20)
This Funding Fight Is Flying Under The Radar, But Could Devastate Community Clinics
Local health centers could see a 70 percent reduction in their federal grant funding if Congress fails to reauthorize their funding by Sept. 30.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Health Centers Could Lose Millions Without Action By Congress
Even as Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C. wage a last-ditch effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a major funding deadline for health centers is looming — and getting little attention. The funding consists of billions of dollars in federal grants that help health centers pay for general operations aimed at low-income and uninsured patients. (Espinoza, 9/20)
Health Care Field Could Be Hit Hard By Any Change To DACA
DACA recipients contribute to diversity in health professions classrooms, increasing all students' abilities to provide culturally competent care, more than 70 medical groups wrote in a letter to Congress.
KPCC:
DACA Fight Is Also About People Working In Health Care
Following President Trump's decision to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, more than 70 medical groups are asking Congress to pass legislation ensuring that unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children can continue their education and employment in the health care fields. (Plevin, 9/21)
Multiple Reports Called On San Diego Over The Years To Address Human Waste Issue
Each of the reports called on the city to either add more all-hours, publicly available restrooms or bolster its street cleaning regimen to ensure the public would not be exposed to human waste. Health officials say such exposure helped fuel San Diego’s growing hep A outbreak.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Officials Were Warned About Restroom Shortage Repeatedly Before Hepatitis Outbreak
As San Diego officials scramble to stop a deadly hepatitis A outbreak linked to a lack of downtown public restrooms, they can’t say they weren’t warned. A U-T Watchdog review of public records found that since 2000, four grand jury reports attempted to steer attention to the risks posed by human waste on city streets and a shortage of toilets available for use by the city’s growing homeless population. (DeHaven, 9/20)
KPBS:
Amidst Deadly Hepatitis A Outbreak, Largest Provider Of Homeless Services In San Diego Speaks Out
Together, Father Joe's and San Diego County Health and Human Services have worked to vaccinate around 1,200 people at the shelter. Handwashing stations have also been set up outside the facility. (Hoffman, 9/20)
California's 'Shocking' Rise In Amputations Mystifies Diabetes Experts
Experts are a bit stumped at the increase, but have theories, including an aging population and inadequate attention to diagnosing and managing the disease in some populations.
inewsource:
Diabetes-Related Amputations Increase In California — And San Diego
Clinicians are amputating more toes, legs, ankles and feet of patients with diabetes in California — and San Diego County in particular — in a “shocking” trend that has mystified diabetes experts here and across the country. Statewide, lower-limb amputations increased by more than 31 percent from 2010 to 2016 when adjusted for population change. In San Diego County, the increase was more than twice that: 66.4 percent. (Clark, 9/20)
After Witnessing Benefits Of Narcan, Mayor Pushes For Police To Carry Overdose Medication
“It brought her back to life,” recalled Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait during a City Council meeting. “It allowed her to go to a hospital and get treatment.”
Orange County Register:
Anaheim Police Officers Will Train In Using Narcan To Treat Opioid Drug Overdoses
Mayor Tom Tait saw it with his own eyes. Five or six years ago during a police ride along, he and Anaheim Police Chief Raul Quezada responded to a suspected drug overdose. When they arrived at the scene, they found police officers giving CPR to a woman, who had supposedly overdosed on an opioid drug. But it wasn’t until Anaheim Fire & Rescue paramedics arrived moments later and used Naloxone – better known as Narcan – to treat her that the woman revived. “It brought her back to life,” recalled Tait during a recent City Council meeting. “It allowed her to go to a hospital and get treatment.” Tait’s personal experience along with growing opioid abuse in the city and Orange County are reasons why the mayor said he pushed his colleagues last week to allow for police to train and use Narcan along with the Fire & Rescue crews to treat overdose victims. (Pimentel, 9/20)
In other public health news —
Modesto Bee:
A Modesto Man Had A Very Slow Heart Rate. The Answer Was A Device The Size Of A Pill
The Micra Transcatheter Pacing System recently made its debut in Modesto and hospitals in Sacramento after the device received approval last year from the Food and Drug Administration. While a conventional pacemaker is embedded under the skin of a patient’s chest, the Micra device is inserted through an incision in the groin, directed through blood vessels to the heart and then anchored in the muscle of the lower, right ventricle. (Carlson, 9/20)
San Francisco Business Times:
'Druggable' Protein Could Halt Deadly Brain Cancers, If Only For A Few Months
The type of brain cancer diagnosed in Arizona Sen. John McCain — a nefarious type of tumor that hijacks the normal work inside the brain — could be treated by a drug already tested in humans, Stanford University research finds. (Leuty, 9/20)
East Bay Times:
Lady Gaga Has Fibromyalgia: So What Is It?
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is characterized by symptoms including chronic muscle pain and crippling fatigue. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 5 million American adults have fibromyalgia — and between 80 and 90 percent of those affected are women. Patients also experience a variety of other symptoms, including sleep disruption, headaches, intolerance to medications and abdominal, bowel and bladder issues. (D'Souza, 9/20)
Officials Warn Of Spike In Mosquito Population That Has Potential To Carry Zika, Other Viruses
Orange County officials are warning residents to take steps to combat the insects.
Los Angeles Times:
Invasive Mosquito Population Up 330% In Orange County; Officials Urge Residents To Take Precautions
The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District alerted residents this week to a large spike in the number of invasive Aedes mosquitoes. Officials reported a 330% increase in the mosquito population across Orange County this year, with the largest numbers found in Santa Ana neighborhoods. (Tchekmedyian, 9/20)
Ventura County Star:
Mosquitoes Collected In Simi Valley Test Positive For West Nile Virus
According to local health officials, the recent results and a wild bird collected in late August that also tested positive means that the virus is "established" in the county and that additional positive test results are expected. (Diskin, 9/20)
In other news from across the state —
Los Angeles Times:
Head Of Georgia Agency Picked To Run L.A. County Department Of Children And Family Services
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has selected Bobby Cagle as head of the Department of Children and Family Services, the sprawling child welfare agency that has suffered from mismanagement, a handful of high-profile child deaths and a shortage of foster homes in recent years. (Agrawal, 9/20)
The Mercury News:
Cupertino Extends Marijuana Urgency Ordinance Another 12 Months
The city of Cupertino has extended an urgency ordinance to give city officials 12 more months to come up with a plan for dealing with commercialized marijuana within city limits. The extension, approved by the council on Tuesday, imposes a moratorium in the city on all commercial, non-medical marijuana land uses including dispensaries, cultivation and cultivation facilities, commercial cannabis activities and transport and deliveries. (Wilson, 9/20)
Capital Public Radio:
Local Hubs Distribute Food Aid Across Sacramento County
Local food pantries battle on the front line of food insecurity. ... So, a network of more than two hundred food aid organizations across Sacramento County relies on the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services to aggregate, store and distribute food aid to them. (Mitric, 9/20)