- KFF Health News Original Stories 1
- Suspension Of California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Leaves Sick Patients In Limbo
- Elections 1
- Calif. Gubernatorial Candidate Pledges Universal Health Care Coverage Push Following Primary Victory
- Sacramento Watch 1
- Advocates Tout Proposed Legislation That Would Strengthen Mental Health Services For Children
- Hospital Roundup 1
- Interim Care Programs Help Combat Pervasive Problem With Hospitals 'Dumping' Patients
- Public Health and Education 1
- Mental Health And Suicide In Spotlight Following Designer Kate Spade's Death
Latest From California Healthline:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Suspension Of California’s Aid-In-Dying Law Leaves Sick Patients In Limbo
Doctors have stopped writing lethal prescriptions and pharmacists have stopped filling them after a court fight over how the law was enacted. (JoNel Aleccia, 6/5)
More News From Across The State
Calif. Gubernatorial Candidate Pledges Universal Health Care Coverage Push Following Primary Victory
Gavin Newsom, the Democratic lieutenant governor and a proponent of a single-payer health care system, won a spot in the general race for governor last night. He'll face Republican businessman John Cox in the fall.
The Associated Press:
Republican Advances In California Primary With Trump's Help
John Cox, a Republican business owner who has tried and failed for nearly two decades to win elected office, snagged a spot in the November runoff for California governor with the help of President Donald Trump, but that support could hurt him in the winner-take-all race with Democrat Gavin Newsom. Cox got about a quarter of the votes counted so far in Tuesday's election to easily outdistance former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for second to Newsom, who won by a comfortable margin. Cox had been struggling to break clear of fellow Republican Travis Allen until Trump tweeted his endorsement two weeks ago — 273 characters that rallied the president's fans but set up a hyper-partisan battle with Newsom. (6/6)
The New York Times:
Gavin Newsom And John Cox To Compete In California Election For Governor
“It looks like voters will have a real choice this November — between a governor who is going to stand up to Donald Trump and a foot soldier in his war on California,” Mr. Newsom told hundreds of supporters at a San Francisco nightclub, as he pledged to push for guaranteed health care for all and “a Marshall Plan for affordable housing.” Mr. Cox, speaking to friends and donors in San Diego, continually painted Mr. Newsom as “part of the status quo” and knocked the Democrat's attacks on Mr. Trump. (Nagourney and Burns, 6/6)
Los Angeles Times:
It's Newsom Vs. Cox In November As Villaraigosa Tumbles In Governor's Race
The results mark a stunning defeat for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, representing the fall of a politician who embodied the growing power of the Latino electorate when he was elected mayor in 2005. Villaraigosa conceded late in the evening, urging those who voted for him to give their support to his opponent. “I’m asking you to get behind Gavin Newsom,” said Villaraigosa, surrounded by his family. “I’m asking you to stand up and pressure every one of us — Democrat and Republican alike — pressure every one of us to stand up for you, to fight for you, not just for ourselves, but for all of us for an America and a California where every one of us are growing together.” (Willon, Mehta, Mason and Cosgrove, 6/5)
Sacramento Bee:
Who Is John Cox? CA Governor Candidate Backed By Trump
This is already Cox's most successful campaign in two decades of trying to break into politics. He previously launched half a dozen failed bids for office in Illinois, where he grew up and began his career as an attorney. But he will face an uphill battle in the coming months against Newsom, who has vastly outraised Cox in liberal California. Last week, the Secretary of State reported that Republican registration has for the first time fallen behind the number of voters with no party preference. (Koseff, 6/6)
The Mercury News:
Who Won California Election For Senate, Plus Other Key Races
In the race for U.S. Senate, former state Senate president Kevin de León has pulled ahead of little-known Republican James P. Bradley for second place, based on election results as of Wednesday at 5:46 a.m. With 96.9 percent of California precincts reporting, it appears de León will be in the November runoff against U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who cruised through the primary with 44 percent of the vote. (Gomez, 6/6)
Meanwhile —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Judge Aaron Persky, Who Ruled In Sex Assault Case, Recalled In Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky was recalled from office by the voters Tuesday, two years after he set off national outrage by sentencing a Stanford athlete to six months in jail for sexually assaulting and attempting to rape an unconscious woman. With 43 percent of precincts reporting, 59 percent of the county’s voters favored recalling Persky while 41 percent opposed the recall. (Egelko, 6/5)
KCRA:
2018 Full Primary Election Results For California
As California votes in the June 5, 2018 Primary Election, get ongoing coverage and election vote results as returns come in from the polls. (6/5)
Advocates Tout Proposed Legislation That Would Strengthen Mental Health Services For Children
Right now, only about a third of California children who report needing help for emotional or mental health problems receive counseling. The bills would seek to improve services to those in need.
The California Health Report:
Bills Seek To Bolster Children's Mental Health
As California struggles to meet children’s mental health needs, lawmakers are pressing for two bills that would take steps to address the problem. The bills seek to strengthen mental health services for children and youth, either through targeted funding or by instituting new training requirements for people who regularly work with young people. The state Senate recently approved the bills, SB 906 and 1019, and they are now awaiting a vote in the Assembly. Although the future of the bills is uncertain, their consideration by the state legislature offers an encouraging sign that lawmakers are starting to take children’s health more seriously, said Lishaun Francis, senior associate for health collaborations with the advocacy group Children Now. (Boyd-Barrett, 6/5)
Interim Care Programs Help Combat Pervasive Problem With Hospitals 'Dumping' Patients
The programs offer homeless patients a place to go as they recover. There's a growing movement to curb the problem where hospitals discharge patients into homeless shelters and other facilities that are not equipped to handle their care.
Capital Public Radio:
Hospitals, Counties Seek Alternatives To ‘Patient Dumping’
When Laurie Teel was nearing the end of her stay at Sutter Auburn Faith hospital this January, she was terrified she’d end up back in the streets. Teel, then 54, was recovering from a heart attack. It happened just weeks after a landlord evicted her and her pit bull. She told staff at the hospital that she didn’t feel safe on her own. “I wasn’t going back,” she said. “I couldn’t go back. I’m homeless, and I didn’t want to go back to her old neighborhood because it wasn’t good for me.” So the hospital’s caseworkers made some calls. They got Teel a spot at an interim care program in a local shelter. Run by WellSpace health and funded by Sacramento’s four major health systems, interim care programs all over the region give homeless people a warm, clean place to recover from illness or injury. (Caiola, 6/5)
Mental Health And Suicide In Spotlight Following Designer Kate Spade's Death
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and it "does not discriminate," advocates say.
Los Angeles Times:
Designer Kate Spade's Death Renews Conversation About Mental Health Awareness
The death of Kate Spade has renewed discussions of mental health awareness, with celebrities mourning the fashion designer’s death with missives about depression and suicide prevention. Spade, whose colorful handbags, bold prints and cheerful sayings once dominated American fashion, was found dead on Tuesday in her New York apartment in an apparent suicide, according to the Associated Press. A former accessories editor at the now-defunct magazine Mademoiselle, Spade founded her fashion label in 1993 with her husband, Andy, who was involved with his own fashion label, Jack Spade, and now has the branding venture, Partners & Spade. (Saad and Paniogue, 6/5)
In other public health news —
Orange County Register:
Orange County Spending $4 Million On Plan To Train Schools For Active Shooter Situations
Orange County supervisors on Tuesday approved a three-year, $4 million contract with the Orange County Department of Education to run a school-based violence reduction project that includes training to deal with active shooters. The county has had a School-Based Violence Prevention Education Services program dating back to 2013, but this year training for active shooters was added. (Collins, 6/5)
What Happens To Those Who End Up In Coroner's Office, But Whose Bodies Aren't Claimed?
When a person who was homeless dies, it's a long process before they can be settled in their final resting place.
KQED:
Caring For The Unidentified Dead At The Orange County Coroner's Office
In 2017, at least 195 homeless people -- and probably over 200 -- died in Orange County. While most were claimed by their families, at least 17 were not. These are the people who the county classifies as "indigent," meaning their families could not afford or refused to claim their bodies. (Wiley, 6/5)
In other news from across the state —
Los Angeles Times:
Federal Judge Tours O.C. Armory As He Works Toward Homeless Solution
U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter gathered local officials and law enforcement early Tuesday at the Santa Ana Armory to observe what homeless people do when they leave that seasonal shelter. The tour’s aim was to gauge the adequacy of the armory, which, along with another armory in Fullerton, is serving a more prominent role in the county’s homelessness efforts after two prominent encampments in the Santa Ana riverbed and Civic Center were removed. (Brazil, 6/5)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Baby Boom: The Nest & Company Offers Tools To Aid New, Expectant Parents
The Nest & Company, led by owner and CEO Jenica Willis, is a one-stop resource center for expectant parents, offering childbirth education, lactation support, CPR and first aid classes and more. While the space has been open for a few months, it's officially celebrating with a grand opening on Saturday. ... The Nest is about a year in the making, with Willis officially starting it last April before finding the physical space for it off Stockdale Highway earlier this year. From the outside, the building looks like any other office, but inside are a few plush couches where parents and parents-to-be can meet for classes or groups. (Ardis, 6/5)
The Medicare trust fund, which covers hospitalizations, will be depleted in 2026, the Trump administration reports. An aging population is also putting strain on the reserves.
The New York Times:
Medicare’s Trust Fund Is Set To Run Out In 8 Years. Social Security, 16.
The financial outlook for Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund deteriorated in the last year, and Social Security still faces serious long-term financial problems, the Trump administration said on Tuesday. The projections are the first from the administration since President Trump signed a $1.5 trillion tax cut into law in December. They show no sign that a burst of economic growth will significantly improve the finances of the government’s largest entitlement programs. (Pear, 6/5)
The Associated Press:
Trustees Report Warns Medicare Finances Worsening
The report from program trustees says Medicare will become insolvent in 2026 — three years earlier than previously forecast. Its giant trust fund for inpatient care won't be able to fully cover projected medical bills starting at that point. The report says Social Security will become insolvent in 2034 — no change from the projection last year. The warning serves as a reminder of major issues still languishing while Washington plunges deeper into partisan strife. Because of the deterioration in Medicare's finances, officials said the Trump administration will be required by law to send Congress a plan next year to address the problems, after the president's budget is submitted. (6/5)
USA Today:
Medicare, Social Security Face Money Challenges, Affordable Care Act
Trustees said the trust fund for hospital expenses is not sufficiently financed over the next decade. That's in part due to lower payroll taxes because of lower wages and lower Social Security benefit taxes, the trustees said. Spending was also projected to be somewhat higher than last year’s estimates due to legislative changes that led to higher hospital and Medicare Advantage payments. (O'Donnell and Alltucker, 6/5)
California Healthline:
Medicare Financial Outlook Worsens
A senior government official briefing reporters attributed the worsened outlook for Medicare to several factors that are reducing funding and increasing spending. He said the trustees projected lower wages for several years, which will mean lower payroll taxes, which help fund the program. The recent tax cut passed by Congress would also result in fewer Social Security taxes paid into the hospital trust fund, as some higher-income seniors pay taxes on their Social Security benefits. The aging population is also putting pressure on the program’s finances. (Galewitz, 6/5)
The Washington Post:
A Crucial Medicare Trust Fund Will Run Out Three Years Earlier Than Predicted, New Report Says
Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, called on Congress to embrace Medicare proposals in President Trump’s budget, saying that they “would strengthen the integrity of the Medicare program.” Along with strategies to try to slow spending on prescription drugs, one proposal would shift responsibility for uncompensated care payments from the Medicare program to the Treasury. The annual reckoning of the stability of the nation’s two largest entitlement programs amplifies earlier warnings that both are unsustainable over time. It also urges Congress to revise the programs to ward off the shortfalls soon to “minimize adverse impacts” on the tens of millions of elderly and other vulnerable people who rely on the government help. (Goldstein, 6/5)
Politico:
Medicare To Go Broke Three Years Earlier Than Expected, Trustees Say
President Donald Trump has avoided major changes to Medicare or Social Security after promising not to cut them during the campaign. Trump has argued a growing economy would forestall cuts to the programs, but today’s report underscored the financial challenges facing the nation‘s entitlements as more baby boomers reach eligibility age. The Medicare trust fund only pays for Part A, which covers hospitalizations. The other main pieces of the program, covering physician visits, outpatient services and prescription drugs, are paid for primarily with general fund revenues. (Demko, 6/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Social Security Expected To Dip Into Its Reserves This Year
The nation’s aging population is boosting the costs of Social Security and Medicare, while revenue gains lag due to slower growth in the economy and the labor force. About 61.5 million people receive retirement or disability benefits from Social Security and 58.4 million receive Medicare. (Harrison, 6/5)