San Francisco Chronicle: GOP Health Care Bill Would Send California’s Costs Skyrocketing
The Republican-backed bill that would overhaul the Affordable Care Act would shift billions of dollars in health care costs from the federal government to states, with California on the hook for $6 billion in 2020 and growing to $24.3 billion by 2027, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration. Nearly 14 million Californians, one in three adults and half the state’s children, are covered by Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program. Four-million residents enrolled through the Affordable Care Act. It’s unclear how the state would deal with the added costs under the bill — whether through new taxes, cuts to other state services or by dropping coverage or enrollees in the program. (Gutierrez, 3/22)

The Mercury News: GOP Health Plan Would Be Devastating For Poor, California Officials Say 
With House Republicans poised to vote Thursday to dismantle the Affordable Care Act by replacing it with a pared-down health plan, a new California analysis reveals that the substitute would severely impact the state’s ability to pay for health care for its poorest residents. The study released Wednesday by the Department of Health Care Services and Department of Finance shows that California would lose almost $6 billion in federal Medicaid funding in 2020 — a figure that would increase to $24.3 billion annually by 2027 if the GOP plan is passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. (Seipel, 3/22)

The Associated Press: California Warns Trump Health Care Bill Would Cost State Billions
In their first detailed analysis of the bill’s impacts on Medi-Cal, state officials said lawmakers would eventually have to decide whether to spend additional money on the program that provides health coverage for the poor. They may have to cut costs by covering fewer people, reducing their benefits or paying less to doctors and hospitals. (3/22)

Fresno Bee: Low-Income Californians Will Be Hit Hard By Proposed American Health Care Act Changes 
The federal health care plan being pushed by President Trump that would repeal the Affordable Care Act would have devastating effects financially to the medical safety net and on people’s health in the central San Joaquin Valley, said dozens who spoke at a state Assembly Health Care Committee hearing at Fresno City Hall on Wednesday. From a self-employed couple who got health care through Covered California (the state’s health care exchange) to mothers of severely handicapped adult children on Medi-Cal, people lined up at the three-hour hearing to express their concern over the potential passage of the proposed American Health Care Act. (Anderson, 3/22)

Gov. Jerry Brown travels to D.C. to lobby for California's interests in the debate —

Los Angeles Times: With His Governing Legacy On The Line, Gov. Jerry Brown Dives In To Washington's Healthcare Debate
The oratory that made Gov. Jerry Brown a rising political star in his youth returned on Wednesday as he joined Democrats on Capitol Hill in rebuking President Trump and congressional Republicans for efforts to dismantle the nation’s sweeping, 7-year-old healthcare law. Brown’s fury, though, had some extra fuel: A new analysis by his advisors showed that the GOP effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would blow a $6-billion hole in California’s budget in just three years, a significant threat to the governor’s legacy as the architect of the state’s newfound fiscal stability. (Myers, 3/22)

The New York Times: House Republicans Search For Votes To Repeal Obamacare
Hardline conservatives in the House will meet Thursday morning with President Trump to hammer out changes to the House bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, pressing to eliminate federal requirements that health insurance plans provide a basic set of benefits like maternity care, emergency services and wellness visits. House Republican leaders called off a meeting with all members of their party early Thursday at the Capitol, placing their faith in a House Freedom Caucus negotiating session at the White House with President Trump. If the president and the conservatives can reach an agreement, a vote on the House floor, still scheduled for Thursday, can move forward. (Kaplan and Pear, 3/23)

Politico: Obamacare Repeal In Jeopardy As Trump Offers 11th-Hour Concessions
The Republican push to replace Obamacare – backed forcefully by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan —is in jeopardy, as a last-ditch bid by the White House to win conservative support late Wednesday appeared to repel moderates. Moderate Republicans huddled with Speaker Paul Ryan and House leaders for nearly two hours Wednesday night but emerged without consensus -- and a vote on the health measure still teed up for late Thursday. Immediately after exiting the meeting, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), leader of the House’s moderate Tuesday Group, panned the bill, known as the American Health Care Act. (Cheney, Bade and Bresnahan, 3/23)

The Washington Post: GOP Health-Care Plan Hangs In Balance As House Leaders Push For Thursday Floor Vote
The Republican health-care overhaul faces its greatest test ever on Thursday as President Trump and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) work feverishly to persuade enough Republican lawmakers to back the measure and push it to a floor vote. Late Wednesday, the White House and House leaders were still scrambling to grow support, and signaled at the 11th hour a willingness to rework the measure to mollify conservatives. (Eilperin, DeBonis and Weigel, 3/23)

USA Today: 8 GOP House Members Whose Votes On Health Care Will Be Crucial
Pressure on undecided members has been intense, with President Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and other Republican leaders pushing their GOP colleagues to approve the legislation while some conservative groups and some Republican governors plead with them to reject the bill. Here's a look at eight GOP House members whose votes will be crucial in deciding the outcome. (Kelly and Collins, 3/23)

If the bill passes the U.S. House, its prospects are uncertain in the Senate. And "Trumpcare" can still come to pass through regulations —

The Wall Street Journal: The Tough Senate Math For The GOP Health Plan
The Republican health plan, which is expected to face a tight vote in the House this week, is also likely to encounter a rocky road in the Senate. Some states have seen big improvements in recent years in the number of residents with health insurance, and some GOP senators are wary of losing those gains. Here is a look at where senators stand. (Rust and Shin, 3/22)

Politico: Is Trumpcare Already Here?
No matter what happens to the Republicans’ troubled health bill in Congress, Trumpcare is here to stay. The Trump administration has already begun to transform the health insurance market, wielding executive power to rewrite coverage rules, slash Obamacare’s marketing budget and signal an all-out assault on his predecessor’s health care law. And Republicans have high expectations the administration will take additional measures to unwind Obamacare, such as targeting its contraception coverage requirement at the center of two recent religious liberty cases at the Supreme Court. (Diamond, 3/23)

Los Angeles Times: Trump's Awkward Alliance With Ryan Faces Biggest Test. Will Healthcare Vote Bind Or Push Them Apart?
The two are not natural allies, something that was clear during the presidential campaign. As any number of Trump controversies swirled, particularly those that raised questions about the nominee’s temperament and judgment, Ryan (R-Wis.) did his best to keep his party’s standard bearer at arm’s length. But they began working closely after Trump’s victory in November to set a strategy for their legislative agenda. Healthcare was the first big item — the bill that would fulfill a central campaign promise for the GOP and open the way to other priorities, including a major tax cut. (Bierman and Memoli, 3/22)

The Hill: GOP Rep: Trump Could Be 'One-Term President' If Healthcare Bill Passes 
A Republican member of the House is warning President Trump that his first term in office could be his last if the GOP's current healthcare measure becomes law. During an appearance on CNN Wednesday night, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said that the plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will only become less popular over time, further degrading its already tepid support. (Greenwood, 3/22)

The Associated Press: Republicans Rebelling Against Health Care Risk Trump's Wrath
Hard-line House Republicans considering voting against the House GOP health bill are bracing for payback from a president who claims his favorite biblical passage is "an eye for an eye." Many appear ready to risk it. (Lemire, 3/22)

CNN: Kochs Pledge Millions To GOPers In 2018 -- If They Vote No On Health Care Bill
In a last-minute effort to sink the Republican health care bill, a powerful network of conservative donors said Wednesday it would create a new fund for Republican 2018 reelection races -- but they'll only open it up to GOPers who vote against the bill. (Schleifer, 3/23)

Politico: White House Shift To Right On Health Care Angers Moderates
The Republican push to replace Obamacare — backed forcefully by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan — is in jeopardy, as a last-ditch bid by the White House to win conservative support late Wednesday appeared to repel moderates. Moderate Republicans huddled with Speaker Paul Ryan and House leaders for nearly two hours Wednesday night but emerged without consensus. Immediately after exiting the meeting, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), leader of the House’s moderate Tuesday Group, panned the bill, known as the American Health Care Act. (Cheney, Bade and Bresnahan, 3/22)

The New York Times: As Rivals Stand Silent, One Health Insurer Protests G.O.P. Plan
In recent weeks, Dr. J. Mario Molina has anxiously approached lawmakers on Capitol Hill and governors across the country, warning them that the Republican efforts to overhaul the health care system could be devastating for insurers and patients alike. As head of the California company founded by his father, Dr. Molina has become one of the few insurance executives publicly criticizing the House bill, which he believes could strip away coverage for millions of their clients and cause considerable turmoil for the insurance industry. The major insurers have mostly stayed silent during the debate, supporting some of the Republicans’ provisions that promise near-term stability for the insurance exchanges and a repeal of a tax on health insurance. (Abelson, 3/22)

Fresno Bee: Fresno Doctors Say Don't Rush The American Health Care Act 
So far, the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association have voiced concerns about the American Health Care Act, also called Trumpcare, and how it could affect access to doctors. But doctors have long complained about Obamacare, as many call the Affordable Care Act. Finding physicians who accept the insurance has been difficult in the central San Joaquin Valley for lower-income patients under the expanded Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) portion of the law, and also for people buying private health plans through Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange. (Anderson, 3/23)

The Associated Press: A Winner In GOP Plans To Repeal Obamacare: Tanning Salons
As Republicans try to shore up support for their health care overhaul, one group can't wait for the replacement: owners of tanning salons. (Kennedy, 3/23)

Los Angeles Times: What Would Stay And What Would Go In The House Republican Plan To Roll Back Obamacare
If the bill passes the House, it must still go through the Senate, where many changes are expected to be made. But if the American Heath Care Act were to become law, it would mean big changes for millions of Americans. Here is a rundown of what would change and what wouldn’t under the House plan. (Levey, 3/23)

Stat: This Unheralded Part Of Obamacare Just Shot To The Center Of The Health Care Debate
As Republicans frantically scramble to find votes to pass their health care bill, the most important debate may be about one issue: essential health benefits. That is the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health insurance plans sold to individuals and small groups cover 10 types of services, from prescription drugs to substance abuse treatment to maternity care. That requirement was never as widely discussed or debated as Obamacare’s individual mandate or Medicaid expansion. But it is now central to understanding the debate in Congress. (Scott, 3/22)

Los Angeles Times: Obamacare Repeal Threatens Health Programs Just As They're Starting To Work
As hundreds of thousands of Coloradans gained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, known as or Obamacare, Denver built an extensive new system to keep patients healthy, hiring dozens of mental health specialists and nurses, expanding dental clinics and launching efforts to help patients manage debilitating illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease. Now, the model is in jeopardy, just as Denver and other cities nationwide are beginning to reap its benefits. (Levey, 3/22)

The Associated Press: Republican Health Bill Would Widen America's Big Wealth Gap
House Republicans' health care bill provides massive tax cuts to the wealthy while increasing taxes for many lower income families, adding to America's big income gap between the rich and everyone else. Over the past quarter century, only one group of people has seen significant increases in income — those at the very top. Families in the middle or at the bottom of the economic ladder have seen little or no increase in wages. (Ohlemacher, 3/23)

The Washington Post: Repealing Obamacare Could Cost The Average Poor Family Benefits Worth A Third Of Its Income
The Republican health care bill could cost the average poor family benefits worth a third of their income while giving the most affluent families a $5,000 tax break, according to the first detailed report on the income distribution effects of President Trump and GOP lawmakers' plan to undo the Affordable Care Act. (Johnson and Ehrenfreund, 3/22)

The Associated Press: Retirement Dreams Fizzle For Some With 'Obamacare' Repeal
Workers dreaming of early retirement are getting the jitters as Washington debates replacing the Obama-era health care law with a system that could be a lot more expensive for many older Americans. The uncertainty over the cost of coverage in the individual market has caused some in their 50s and early 60s to put plans on hold. Others who already left jobs with health benefits before reaching Medicare age are second-guessing their move to self-employment. (Johnson, 3/22)

Los Angeles Times: California Gov. Jerry Brown On Paying For Universal Healthcare: 'How Do You Do That?' 
Gov. Jerry Brown stuck to his skeptical view on matters of broad healthcare reform on Wednesday, dismissing the idea of a universal healthcare system as something akin to a financial impossibility. "Where do you get the extra money? This is the whole question," Brown said in an interview after wrapping up a day's worth of events and meetings in Washington. The governor won applause at an earlier Capitol event in the day, criticizing Republican efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act with a smaller, cheaper program. (Myers, 3/22)

Sacramento Bee: Jerry Brown Casts Doubt On Single-Payer Health Care 
Gov. Jerry Brown, in Washington warning about the billions his state could lose on the eve of a Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, strained Wednesday to understand the logic behind pushing another system like single-payer... Universal healthcare has gained in popularity, particularly among liberal groups in California, as an answer to what they see as the undermining of Obamacare. (Cadelago, 3/22)

KPBS: Quality Of Care For Kidney Dialysis Improved In San Diego County
[Steve] Brown, 70, is one of more than about 468,000 people in the nation — roughly 5,000 in San Diego County — whose kidneys no longer remove waste products through urine. They are in stage 4 or 5 kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease, and must go through this ordeal called dialysis. (Clark, 3/22)

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Flu Kills 17-Year-Old Girl In San Diego County 
The flu killed a teen from inland North County in late February, according to the latest influenza report from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. The 17-year-old girl, who had gotten her flu vaccination but also had other unspecified health problems, died on Feb. 25. But her death was not reported to the health department until last week. No additional information, including her home city or more information on her health status previous to the influenza infection, was released Wednesday. (Sisson, 3/22)

The Washington Post: New Research Identifies A ‘Sea Of Despair’ Among White, Working-Class Americans
Sickness and early death in the white working class could be rooted in poor job prospects for less-educated young people as they first enter the labor market, a situation that compounds over time through family dysfunction, social isolation, addiction, obesity and other pathologies, according to a study published Thursday by two prominent economists. (Achenbach and Keating, 3/23)

Another survey finds that when it comes to aging, Americans worry most about memory loss and health deterioration —

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Seniors Worry Less About Finances And More About Memory Loss, Independence
Americans may be worrying a little too much about the size of their retirement nest eggs and not enough about how they will maintain their independence and close relationships later in life, according to a large survey from the San Diego-based West Health Institute that will be released Wednesday.Interviews with more than 3,000 adults indicate that among those in their 30s, 40s and 50s, financial security was the top retirement concern. But Americans 60 or older worried most about memory loss, with finances way down their list after poor health, loss of independence and ending up in a nursing home. (Sisson, 3/22)

KPBS Public Media: New Survey Reveals Americans' Fears About Aging 
There is no generation gap when it comes to people's biggest worries about aging. A new survey from the La Jolla-based West Health Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago reveal losing one's memory, developing health problems, and not having financial security were the biggest worries across all age groups. The nationwide survey polled more than 3,000 adults over the age of 30. (Goldberg, 3/22)

Los Angeles Times: Olympus' Redesigned Scope Linked To Infection Outbreak
Doctors have tied a superbug outbreak at a foreign health facility to a medical scope that Olympus modified last year in an attempt to reduce its risk of spreading bacteria between patients. Five patients treated with the modified device tested positive for the same potentially deadly bacteria, according to a report filed with the Food and Drug Administration. (Petersen, 3/22)

NPR: Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment For Deadly Sepsis
It's hard not to get excited about news of a potentially effective treatment for sepsis, a condition that leads to multiple organ failure and kills more people in the hospital than any other disease. But there have been so many false promises about this condition over the years, it's also wise to treat announcements — like one published online by the journal, Chest — with caution. The study, from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., reported some remarkable success in treating patients who were at high risk of sudden death. (Harris, 3/23)

The Associated Press: Ex-Pharmacy Exec Convicted In Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
The former head of a Massachusetts pharmacy was acquitted Wednesday of murder allegations but convicted of racketeering and other crimes in a meningitis outbreak that was traced to fungus-contaminated drugs and killed 64 people across the country. Prosecutors said Barry Cadden, 50, ran the business in an ‘‘extraordinarily dangerous’’ way by disregarding unsanitary conditions to boost production and make more money. (Lavoie, 3/22)

Stat: 'Right To Try' Is Becoming The Law Of The Land, State By State
Over the past three years, “right-to-try” advocates in 33 states have helped enact legislation to eliminate legal obstacles blocking terminally ill patients from treatments that aren’t yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Those advocates are showing considerable momentum in the remaining 17 states, potentially upending the established order for experimental drugs. The movement has been fueled in no small part by the anti-regulatory sentiment that propelled Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency and by the explicit support of Vice President Mike Pence. (Tedeschi, 3/23)

NPR: Breast Implants Linked To Rare Blood Cancer In Small Proportion Of Women
The Food and Drug Administration says at least nine women have died of a rare blood cancer after receiving breast implants, and that the agency is officially acknowledging an association between the implants and the disease. On Tuesday, the agency announced that as of Feb. 1, it had received 359 breast implant-associated reports of a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma called anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or ALCL. (Hersher, 3/22)

The Associated Press: Some Of The Youngest Opioid Victims Are Curious Toddlers
Curious toddlers find the drugs in a mother's purse or accidentally dropped on the floor. Sometimes a parent fails to secure the child-resistant cap on a bottle of painkillers. No matter how it happens, if a 35-pound toddler grabs just one opioid pill, chews it and releases the full concentration of a time-released adult drug into their small bodies, death can come swiftly. (Ehlke, 3/23)

The Associated Press: Expert: Bird Flu Outbreak Nation's Worst Since 2015
A bird flu outbreak that has led officials to euthanize more than 200,000 animals in three Southern states already is the nation's worst since 2015 and new cases are still popping up, an expert said Wednesday. (Reeves, 3/22)