Viewpoints: Lawmakers Should Seize Opportunity To Curb Surprise Medical Bills
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Ending The Scourge Of Surprise Medical Bills
California lawmakers have been trying for more than a decade to protect hospital patients from being hit with huge bills from doctors who aren’t part of their health insurer’s network. They have another opportunity to do so this year, and they should seize it. The problem arises when patients go to an in-network hospital or clinic to be treated by an in-network surgeon or other physician, but wind up receiving care (often without their knowledge) from an anesthesiologist, pathologist, radiologist or other specialist who’s not in the network. A nasty surprise arrives weeks later, when the out-of-network specialists bill them for the portion of their fee that the insurer wouldn’t cover — an amount that can be in the thousands of dollars. (7/12)
Los Angeles Times:
Now On Starbucks' Menu: Less Health Coverage
Starbucks announced Monday that it will give its U.S. workers a raise that will boost compensation by 5% to 15%. That’s very cool. The coffee giant also said it will offer employees more affordable health insurance that will cut costs by being less comprehensive. That’s not so cool. (David Lazarus, 7/12)
The Sacramento Bee:
Even With Health Care Reform, It’s Hard To Find A Doctor
The federal health reform known as the Affordable Care Act has dramatically reduced the number of Americans without insurance. In California, the rate of adults under age 65 without coverage has fallen from 23.7 percent to 11.1 percent since the law took effect. But as many of the newly insured have discovered, there’s a big problem lurking behind those numbers: Even with insurance coverage, it can still be very difficult for consumers to find a doctor. (Daniel Weintraub, 7/11)
Los Angeles Times:
The Zika Crisis: How Congress Abandoned Its Duty To Govern
It’s tempting to blame Republicans and Democrats equally for the impasse, but that’s not what the facts dictate. It’s the GOP that has insisted on saddling Zika funding measures with riders that are in some cases irrelevant and in others actually damaging to public health. Democrats have resisted these cynical stunts, with good reason. (Michael Hitlzik, 7/13)
Oakland Tribune:
Turning Medical 'Frequent Fliers' Into Healthier Homebodies
Though our nation's uninsured rate is at historic lows, we still haven't adequately addressed those patients whom doctors sometimes call "frequent fliers" due to their recurring health care visits. They account for half of all American medical expenses -- $1.45 trillion dollars annually -- yet represent just 5 percent of the overall population. They are the sickest and most vulnerable among us, often diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions. (Larissa Estes and Peter Long, 7/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Don't Make Marijuana California's Cash Cow
Running out of time and options to raise money to address the homelessness crisis, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors turned Tuesday to a new funding source: weed. The supervisors agreed to seek voters’ approval in November for a gross receipts tax of up to 10% on marijuana businesses. But it’s far from clear that marijuana could — or should — be the pot of gold that county leaders are hoping for. ( 7/14)
The Sacramento Bee:
Shady Union-Hospital Deal Is Double-Crossing Voters
California voters have been duped, defrauded and double-crossed twice, and now they’re being fed an outrageously disingenuous lie to cover it up. Earlier this month, a judge blocked an attempt by Oakland-based Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West to place on the November ballot an initiative to limit the pay of nonprofit hospital executives. Why did the judge block it? Because it’s a bad idea? No. Because it was written incorrectly? No. (Sal Rosselli, 7/13)
Oakland Tribune:
Tobacco Tax Increase In California Is Long Overdue
Proposition 56, increasing the tobacco tax in California by $2 a pack, is the most important health care measure on the November ballot. By passing it, voters can save thousands of lives, substantially reduce the state's health care costs and increase its atrociously low reimbursement rates for doctors who treat poor patients. California spends $9 billion a year on tobacco-related medical care, and taxpayers pay about one-third of it. (7/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Britain's Diabetic Leader Reflects Differing Healthcare Systems
Britain has a new prime minister – Theresa May – and much of the coverage this week has focused on her being only the second woman in the country’s history to run the government. An equally intriguing factoid is that, as far as anyone knows, May, 59, is the first contemporary world leader with Type 1 diabetes. This provides an opportunity to look at how Britain’s universal-coverage health insurance system compares with the largely for-profit, market-oriented American approach. (David Lazarus, 7/15)
LA Daily News:
Successful Aging: Zero In On The History Of Blue Zones And How It Works
Most people want to live a long and healthy life. The question is how best to achieve it. The Blue Zones Project provides us with some answers based on the study of the longest lived people in the world. (Helen Dennis, 7/11)