The Wall Street Journal: Democratic-Led States Appeal Ruling Invalidating Affordable Care Act
Sixteen states on Thursday appealed a Texas judge’s ruling that invalidated the Affordable Care Act, opening the next phase of legal proceedings over the fate of the Obama-era health-care law. The ACA, which overhauled the nation’s health insurance system in 2010, will remain in effect during the appeals process, which could last a year—or potentially longer if the case lands at the Supreme Court. That timeline also means the health-care law will likely continue to be a major political issue, including in the 2020 presidential campaign. (Kendall and Armour, 1/3)

KQED: California Leaps To Obamacare's Defense In Fight Pitting Blue States Against Red Ones
Many legal experts, both liberal and conservative, have predicted that the Texas ruling will be overturned by a higher court. (Christopher and Aguilera, 1/3)

Capital Public Radio: California Leaps To Defense Of Obamacare In Fight That Pits Blue States Against Red Ones 
Last month, Becerra and this same blue coalition of lawmakers requested that the Texas court’s decision be suspended while the legal challenge makes its way through the court system. That process takes another step today as the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals must now decide whether to take up the challenge. “We are going to take it wherever we need to take it,” said Becerra. (Christopher and Aguilera, 1/3)

The Associated Press: As Health Law Case Goes To Appeals Court, Sign-Ups Steady
Democratic attorneys general on Thursday appealed a federal court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, as new enrollment numbers underscored the staying power of the Obama-era law. The government reported that about 8.4 million Americans have signed up this year under the law, reflecting steady demand for its subsidized health insurance. President Donald Trump still disdains "Obamacare," but he failed to repeal it after promising a better plan in its place. (1/3)

The Washington Post: House Democrats Vote To Defend ACA In Court — And Jam Republicans
House Democrats used their new majority on Thursday to squeeze Republicans on health care, taking the first step to intervene in a court case in which a Texas judge has ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. That move will be followed by a vote next week designed to force GOP lawmakers into a political corner: agree to defend a law many members have spent years reviling or appear to oppose popular ACA protections for millions of Americans with preexisting medical conditions that many have pledged to uphold. (Goldstein, 1/3)

Politico: Democrats Won The House On Obamacare. Here’s How They Plan To Defend It.
“Many [Republicans], in a very inauthentic way, in my mind, indicated that they were prepared to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "Now we’re going to give them an opportunity to do so.” Those votes are just opening salvos from House Democrats, who also plan to go after the Trump administration policies that they say have purposefully undermined Obamacare by depressing enrollment, cutting subsidies, promoting skimpy alternative health coverage, and even having the Department of Justice take the unusual move of supporting key elements of a lawsuit against the federal health law. (Cancryn and Ollstein, 1/4)

Capital Public Radio: New Payment Model Tackles ‘Surprise Medical Bill’ Issue 
Under AB 72, plans must either pay providers 125 percent of the Medicare rate or an “average contracted rate”, which the state was required to set by Jan. 1, 2019. Before the adoption of the new system, plans had been using an interim rate. The new payment system is based on commercial rates paid by health insurers for similar medical services in the same geographic area, adjusted for inflation. (Caiola, 1/3)

Stat: Will San Francisco's Issues Push People Away From J.P. Morgan? 
If you were to ask health-care and biotech executives where they want to be next week — where they truly want to be — they will not say San Francisco. Anywhere, they will say, but San Francisco. There’s the garbage and the human excrement on the sidewalks. There’s the mad dash to try find available accommodations. There’s the panhandling, evidence of the city’s handling of its worsening homelessness crisis. Oh, and there’s the $14,000 meeting cubicles and the coffee, available (this is true) for $170 per gallon. (Feuerstein, Robbins and Garde, 1/4)

Bloomberg: Here's What To Watch At The Year's Biggest Health Investor Event 
Investors, executives, analysts and traders will flock to San Francisco for the crown jewel of sell-side events at next week’s annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference. The meeting runs Jan. 7 to Jan. 10 and often features preliminary earnings announcements, product updates and sometimes even a little dealmaking. Here’s a rundown of which stocks to watch for potential news. Presentations are divided into 30-minute blocks and are webcast. (Bailey Lipschultz, 1/3)

Stat: How Do CEO Presenters Rise Above A 'Sea Of Boring Sameness' At J.P. Morgan?
Mike Huckman is a global practice leader at the PR firm W20, and he’s experienced J.P. Morgan from both sides of the podium, first as a biopharma reporter at CNBC and now in his career advising drug companies on how not to be boring. That means he’s seen the industry’s addiction to jargon up close. Keeping in mind the many executives polishing up their J.P. Morgan speeches this week, STAT asked Huckman to share some tips on how to keep your audience’s eyes from rolling deep into their heads. (Robbins, Feuerstein and Garde, 1/4)

Reuters: U.S. Judge Limits Evidence In Trial Over Roundup Cancer Claims
A federal judge overseeing lawsuits alleging Bayer AG's glyphosate-based weed killer causes cancer has issued a ruling that could severely restrict evidence that the plaintiffs consider crucial to their cases. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco in an order on Thursday granted Bayer unit Monsanto's request to split an upcoming trial into two phases. The order initially bars lawyers for plaintiff Edwin Hardeman from introducing evidence that the company allegedly attempted to influence regulators and manipulate public opinion. Thursday's order applies to Hardeman's case, which is scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 25, and two other so-called bellwether trials which will help determine the range of damages and define settlement options for the rest of the 620 Roundup cases before Chhabria. (1/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland Homicides, Other Crimes Dip To Generational Lows 
Oakland officials are crediting their celebrated gang and violence reduction program for a promising dip in violence over the past several years — particularly in 2018, as the city tallied fewer homicides than it had in nearly two decades. Last year capped off what Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called an “unprecedented” streak of crime reduction, marking the sixth consecutive year of declines in homicides and injury shootings combined. (Cassidy, 1/3)

In other news from across the state —

San Jose Mercury News: Trash, Human Waste Builds Up In Point Reyes As Shutdown Drags On
A buildup of human waste at Point Reyes National Seashore resulting from the federal government shutdown has become so severe that certain areas of the park are closed due to health hazards. Other national parks such as Kings Canyon and Sequoia have completely shut down this week citing similar health concerns associated with buildup of trash and sewage. (Houston, 1/4)

The Washington Post: The New Congress: Pelosi Retakes House Gavel As Shutdown Continues
The House of Representatives elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as speaker for a second time Thursday, the first day of a new, divided Congress that is more likely to confront President Trump. The 78-year-old California Democrat secured the votes of 220 members of a total of 430 present. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), the top Republican in the chamber, received 192 votes. (Sonmez and Wagner, 1/3)

The Associated Press: Speaker Again, Pelosi Sees 'New Dawn' For 116th Congress
Pelosi promised to "restore integrity to government" and outlined an agenda "to lower health costs and prescription drug prices and protect people with pre-existing medical conditions; to increase paychecks by rebuilding America with green and modern infrastructure from sea to shining sea. "The day unfolded as one of both celebration and impatience. Newly elected lawmakers arrived, often with friends and families in tow, to take the oath of office and pose for ceremonial photos. Then they swiftly turned to the shutdown. (1/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker As House Votes For End To Shutdown
“We enter this new Congress with a sense of great hope and confidence for the future, and deep humility and prayerfulness in the face of the challenges ahead,” Mrs. Pelosi said in a speech to the House, describing the Democrats’ mandate as lowering health-care and prescription-drug costs, protecting individuals with pre-existing medical conditions and “rebuilding America with green and modern infrastructure.” (Andrews and Peterson, 1/3)

The Washington Post: House Democrats Plan To Hold Hearings On Medicare For All
The new Democratic majority in the House will hold the first hearings on Medicare-for-All legislation, a longtime goal of the party’s left, after Speaker Nancy Pelosi lent her support for the process. “It’s a huge step forward to have the speaker’s support,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who will be the House sponsor of the legislation, usually denoted as HR 676. “We have to push on the inside while continuing to build support for this on the outside.” (Weigel, 1/3)

The Hill: Pelosi Supports Holding Hearings On 'Medicare For All' 
Pelosi had said last year only that Medicare for all would "have to be evaluated" and is "on the table." Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the main sponsor of Medicare for all in the House, said Thursday that hearings would likely start in the Rules and Budget committees. That would leave out the main committees with jurisdiction over the issue: Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. The chairmen of those committees have not given their backing to Medicare for all, while the chairmen of Rules and Budget have. (Sullivan, 1/3)

The Wall Street Journal: House Passes Spending Package In Bid To End Shutdown
House Democrats passed a spending package aimed at reopening the federal government, defying President Trump’s demands for border-wall funding on their first day in power. With a partial government shutdown approaching two full weeks, the House voted, 241-190, on Thursday night to approve a package that included six uncontroversial spending bills crafted in the Senate that would fund most of the government through September. (Peterson, 1/4)

The New York Times: Bristol-Myers To Acquire Celgene In Deal Worth $74 Billion
Bristol-Myers Squibb said on Thursday that it would buy Celgene, a maker of cancer-fighting drugs, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $74 billion, the first major pharmaceutical deal of 2019. Between them, the two companies produce nine drugs with annual sales of more than $1 billion apiece, Bristol-Myers said in a statement. Bristol-Myers shareholders will own 69 percent of the combined entity; Celgene shareholders will own the rest. Celgene shareholders will get one Bristol-Myers share and $50 in cash for each Celgene share. The deal values Celgene shares at $102.43 apiece, a 53.7 percent premium on the stock’s closing price on Wednesday. (Hsu and Thomas, 1/3)

Stat: 9 Big Takeaways From The $74 Billion Bristol-Celgene Deal 
Bristol-Myers Squibb and Celgene wrested biotech from its post-holiday malaise with a proposed $74 billion merger, a plan that has sweeping implications for the drug industry as it grapples with declining fortunes, pressure over pricing, and nagging questions about its scientific productivity. Here are nine major takeaways from one of the biggest buyout in pharmaceutical history. (Garde, Feuerstein and Silverman, 1/3)

In other national health care news —

Bloomberg: Drug-Price Fight Squeezes Pharma Between Wall Street And Trump 
Washington wants drug prices to fall. Wall Street wants stock prices to rise. For some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, pleasing both sides could be a problem. Last year, the industry promised restraint after President Donald Trump took aim at rising pharmaceutical costs. On Jan. 1, drugmakers returned to their annual practice of regular increases, boosting prices for dozens of treatments, from hot-selling arthritis therapies to painkillers at the center of the U.S. opioid epidemic. (Spalding and Griffin, 1/3)

The New York Times: Their Influence Diminishing, Veterans Groups Compete With Each Other And Struggle With The V.A.
For generations, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts have been as integral to American political culture as pancake breakfasts, town squares and state fairs. In advocating for veterans — among the country’s most revered and coveted voters — the groups have wielded unquestioned power on Capitol Hill and inside the White House. Now, nearly a generation after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the oldest and largest veterans service organizations — known colloquially as “the Big Six” — are seeing their influence diluted, as newer, smaller organizations focused on post-9/11 veterans compete for money, political influence and relevance. (Steinhauer, 1/4)

CNN: Mediterranean Diet: How To Start And Stay On It
A diet that's good for healthy weight loss? Check. One that reduces the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and some cancers? Check. A diet that strengthens bones, improves brain health and wards off dementia and depression? Check. (LaMotte, 1/3)

The Associated Press: Detecting Depression: Phone Apps Could Monitor Teen Angst
Rising suicide rates and depression in U.S. teens and young adults have prompted researchers to ask a provocative question: Could the same devices that some people blame for contributing to tech-age angst also be used to detect it? The idea has sparked a race to develop apps that warn of impending mental health crises. Call it smartphone psychiatry or child psychology 2.0. (1/3)

Los Angeles Times: How We Can Save 500,000 Lives In 2019 Without Even Trying Hard
The latest mortality report from the Centers for Disease Control casts a wintry pall on American healthcare. For the third consecutive year, U.S. life expectancy fell. Our nation now ranks 29th globally in age-adjusted mortality despite leading the world in healthcare spending by a huge margin. Dig beneath the drifts of data, however, and you’ll find reasons for optimism. Look at the 10 leading causes of death, for example. At least half of these could be dramatically reduced with the knowledge and technology physicians already possess. (Robert Pear, 12/27)

Sacramento Bee: Texas Judge Is Wrong On Affordable Care Act Ruling
A federal judge’s Dec. 14 decision that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional is stunning in its poor reasoning. Few, including conservative opponents of Obamacare, believe that the ruling has a chance to be upheld on appeal. But the decision, from conservative Judge Reed O’Connor in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, jeopardizes health benefits for tens of millions of people. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 12/26)

San Jose Mercury News: Trump Medicare Drug Plan Would Hurt Most Vulnerable
The Trump administration proposed an “international pricing index” intended to reduce drug spending under Medicare Part B by replicating the rates negotiated in other countries. It seems like a commonsense solution: Why should America pay more than other countries? The truth, however, is more complicated: lower foreign prices emerge from one-size-fits-all health care systems that drive patients to use certain drugs while refusing others, irrespective of individual needs. (Tony Coelho, 1/2)

USA Today: Gun Deaths Soar To Record 'American Carnage'
When President Donald Trump invoked the term "American carnage" in his inaugural address, he wasn't referring to gun violence, but the label undeniably fits: Record numbers of Americans are killing themselves or each other with firearms. During the first year of Trump's presidency, guns were used to kill 39,773 Americans, the greatest number of such deaths since the government began tracking them in 1979, according to a recent report from federal health officials. Suicides made up more than half the total. (1/3)

The Mercury News: Why Patients Deceive Their Health Care Providers
A new medical study upholds an old truth about patients deceiving their health care providers: It happens a lot. The deception is, of course, mutual. In medical journals, it’s generally referred to as “nondisclosure” or “withholding.” On the TV drama “House”, it was called “lying” and the lead character, Dr House, famously claimed that everyone did it. (Dr. Kate Scannell, 1/4)

Los Angeles Times: Want To Reduce Opioid Use? Nudge The Doctors Who Prescribe Them 
An Orange County doctor was arrested by federal authorities in December on suspicion of illegally prescribing narcotics, “flooding Southern California with huge quantities of opioids,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Dr. Dzung Ahn Pham is accused of distributing drugs to five people who died of overdoses and a sixth who has been charged in a DUI crash that killed a Costa Mesa fire captain. In addition, the gunman who killed 12 people in Thousand Oaks in November had pills that Pham had prescribed for someone else.Although the allegations against Pham paint a stark picture of extreme negligence and violation of the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, most of us doctors have the best of intentions when prescribing medications, including narcotics. However, even when our motivations are pure, the reality is that we still vastly overprescribe opioids. In Los Angeles County, doctors in 2017 wrote 4,266,149 opioid prescriptions. That includes me. (Atul Nakhasi, 1/1)

Los Angeles Times: 'Just To Be Safe' Is Exactly The Wrong Reason To Get A Medical Test
In tennis parlance, I had my friend Stewart on a yo-yo, pushing the ball from side to side, front to back, forcing him into ever more desperate, lung-searing wind sprints just to stay in the point. On the penultimate exchange, I gently slid the ball rightward into the open court, convinced he’d never recover in time. After all, we’d been playing for more than two hours, and he was red-faced, gasping for air. And yet, recover he did. With a thunderous groan, this 56-year-old former collegiate linebacker lashed at the ball, driving it down the line for a winner. I didn’t even move. (Snoey, 12/30)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Must Correct Course To Create A Healthy Cannabis Market
California’s first year of legal cannabis offered lots of promise — and failed to deliver.Part of the reason why California’s legal cannabis market has hit the skids has to do with outsize expectations. Proposition 64’s political backers were looking to score points with the public. Business interests were eager to exploit a massive new market. Government officials expected a deep new revenue source for their budgets. (1/1)