Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Feds Pave The Way To Expand Home Dialysis — But Patients Hit Roadblocks
What changes are needed to bring home dialysis to more patients — especially older adults, the fastest-growing group of patients with serious, irreversible kidney disease? We asked nephrologists, patient advocates and dialysis company officials for their thoughts. (Judith Graham, )
Good morning! With fire season underway, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti wants to make it easier for authorities to clear homeless encampments in severe fire zones. More on that below, but first here are your top California health stories of the day.
Anti-Vaccination Activist Allegedly Shoved Sen. Richard Pan, The Author Of A Strict Medical Exemption Law: An anti-vaccine activist was cited on suspicion of assault by the Sacramento Police Department on Wednesday after he livestreamed a physical confrontation with state Sen. Richard Pan. Pan, a Democrat from Sacramento, was pushed from behind by Kenneth Austin Bennett, who challenged the senator in the 2018 primary but did not qualify for the general election. Pan’s bill has incited high emotions in Sacramento over the past few months. Opponents have rallied against the legislation at multiple hearings during this legislative session, including one where hundreds of parents packed the halls of the Capitol. A spokesperson with Pan’s office said the senator was unhurt and that he chaired a Senate committee hearing following the incident. Read more from Melody Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Times; Ted Goldberg of KQED; Ben Adler and Nick Miller of Capital Public Radio; and Hannah Wiley of the Sacramento Bee.
Recent Mass Shootings Rekindle Efforts To Move Nearly Two Dozen Gun Control Bills Through State Legislature: California Democrats are pushing nearly two dozen bills to expand and fortify the California’s already toughest-in-the-nation firearm laws. With little more than three weeks to go before the end of the 2019 legislative session, talks are underway with the legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office about a possible package. “We knew that we were going to have this bright and ambitious new governor that was willing to be bold,” said Jesse Gabriel, a freshman Democratic assemblyman from Encino. “We had these new legislative supermajorities. And we had a lot of public support.” Differences are still being ironed out, said Gabriel, but “everyone is largely on the same page here.” Read more from Ben Christopher of CalMatters.
City Workers Slam San Francisco’s Decision To Shuffle Permanent Mental Health Beds At SF General: To make better use of San Francisco General Hospital’s Adult Residential Facility’s space, the the Department of Public Health plans to shift some of the long-term mental health treatment spots to add 27 beds at the popular Hummingbird Place, a Navigation Center for mentally ill homeless people that provides temporary services to those in need. While the department says the changes will increase options for those who need temporary respite, critics said it is unwise to shuffle permanent beds to make way for temporary ones. Opponents say the city should prioritize both types of care. Read more from Trisha Thadani of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
The Bakersfield Californian:
Mercy Southwest To Double In Size, And $248 Million Expansion Could Just Be The Start
For half a century, and escalating dramatically over the past decade, Bakersfield's commercial and residential growth has been focused primarily on its southwestern quadrant. But one essential component has lagged there: hospital beds. Three of the city's main hospital campuses — Mercy, Memorial and Adventist Health — are near the city center. Meanwhile, a lone comprehensive-service facility, Mercy Hospital Southwest, covers the city's main population center. (Price, 8/21)
Los Angeles Times:
To Prevent Wildfires, L.A. Wants To Make It Easier To Clear Homeless Encampments
With wildfire season underway, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday announced a plan to make it easier for authorities to clear homeless encampments in severe fire zones. The proposed ordinance, which will go before the City Council’s Public Safety Committee next week, would change the way the Los Angeles Police Department informs people that they must leave remote areas where the risk of a fire is most extreme. (Oreskes, 8/21)
Sacramento Bee:
Is California Too Rich To Get Help From FEMA? New Guidelines Worry Emergency Planners
If California experiences another deadly disaster like the 2018 Camp Fire, survivors may have a far more difficult time obtaining federal assistance.That’s the warning California’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci issued at a congressional field hearing Tuesday. The reason: a new Federal Emergency Management Agency regulation tightening eligibility for federal disaster recovery programs including housing assistance, healthcare, crisis counseling and unemployment assistance. (Cadei, 8/21)
The Wall Street Journal:
PG&E Power Line That Sparked Camp Fire Was Inspected Weeks Earlier
PG&E Corp. conducted an unusual inspection of the power line that sparked the deadliest wildfire in California history just weeks before it failed, a step the utility has said it normally takes only when it suspects a potential safety problem. The disclosure that workers climbed portions of the Caribou-Palermo line last fall, which PG&E noted in a recent court filing, suggests the company had concerns about the condition of its lines before the Camp Fire, which killed 86 people and destroyed the town of Paradise. (Gold, 8/22)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
More California Homeowners Losing Insurance In Fire-Prone Areas
The 10 California counties most prone to wildfire saw a 10 percent increase in dropped homeowner’s policies last year, compared to 4 percent for the five counties with the lowest risk. In response, the California Department of Insurance says it would like to work with companies to ensure coverage for all homes in exchange for statewide fire-protection standards, including requiring everything from fire-resistant roofs to double-paned windows. (Moffitt, 8/21)
San Jose Mercury News:
San Jose Senior Housing Faces Backlash From Neighbors
Worried about more crime and traffic, south San Jose residents are pushing back against a proposal to build an apartment complex for low-income seniors that housing advocates say would fill a growing need. Charities Housing, a company that builds and manages affordable housing projects in Santa Clara County, wants to construct a 147-unit apartment building for seniors at 397 Blossom Hill Road, where the former Aloha Roller Rink once stood. (Deruy, 8/21)
Capital Public Radio:
Santa Monica To Ramp Up Rental Subsidies For Seniors
Santa Monica plans to give money to hundreds of additional seniors to help them with the rent. The city is building on a pilot program it launched last year that offered between $200 and $660 a month in rental assistance to nearly two dozen seniors. (Sharma, 8/21)
Sacramento Bee:
UC Davis Study: Probiotic Helps Breast-Fed Infants Beat Germs
Researchers at UC Davis say they were able to dramatically reduce the number of antibiotic-resistant germs in breast-fed newborns’ intestines by giving them a daily dose of probiotic for just three weeks during their first month of life. Dr. Mark Underwood, a neonatologist and senior author on the study, said he expected to see a drop in the pathogens, but he was surprised that newborns who received the probiotic had 90 percent fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria than infants who were fed only breast milk. (Anderson, 8/22)
KQED:
21 Cases Of Lung Disease Linked To Vaping Cannabis Bought On Street
For the past few months, doctors in Kings County, in California's Central Valley, saw a small but higher than normal number of patients with lung disease. At first, patients presented with characteristics of pneumonia or bronchitis, like weakness or shortness of breath. But when placed on standard antibiotic treatment, they did not improve. (Klivans, 8/21)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Clinica Sierra Vista To Open Walk-In Clinic In Arvin
Clinica Sierra Vista announced on Wednesday that it will be opening its third Kern County walk-in clinic in Arvin on Sept. 9. The walk-in clinic, located at 1305 Bear Mountain Blvd., will provide Arvin and Lamont residents same-day access to physicians without an appointment needed, according to a news release. The clinic is set to be open daily from 8 a.m to 8 p.m., according to the release. ...The nearly-4,000 square foot clinic will provide urgent-care services with six exam rooms, lab services and X-ray equipment, according to the clinic's news release. (8/21)
Reuters:
Trump Says He Will Push To Close Background Check Loopholes For Gun Buys
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his administration would seek to close background check loopholes for gun purchases after Democrats accused him of reversing course on gun control measures. Trump spoke with the leader of the National Rifle Association lobbying group, Wayne LaPierre, on Tuesday, a White House official said. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said he did not tell LaPierre, whose group strongly opposes increased gun restrictions, that he would avoid pursuing measures on background checks. (8/21)
Politico:
Trump To Release Gun Control Proposals, Including Background Check Updates
The White House did not give a timetable for the proposals — which will likely include other legislation and executive actions addressing domestic terrorism, violent video games and mental health treatment — but suggested that the package would be timed to Congress's return in early September. The president received a formal briefing on Tuesday from his staff about the possible options, according to a White House official. (Kumar and Oprysko, 8/21)
The Associated Press:
Trump: Again Open To Strengthening Gun Background Checks
Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for Kentucky, the president said he considers gun violence a public health issue and is considering ways to make background checks more strict. But he also said, “You’re on that slope and all of a sudden nobody has any legal protection,” adding, “Our Second Amendment will remain strong.” Told the “slippery slope” argument is a National Rifle Association talking point, Trump said, “It’s a Trump talking point.” (Colvin and Kellman, 8/210
The New York Times:
Trump’s Waffling On Gun Control Confuses Legislative Picture
After the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Senator Mitch McConnell had a message for his Kentucky constituents as his 2014 re-election fight loomed. “I want you to know that I will be doing everything in my power as Senate Republican leader, fighting tooth and nail, to protect your Second Amendment rights,” Mr. McConnell, a staunch opponent of limits on gun ownership, said in an automated call. He then helped quash expanded background check legislation backed by President Barack Obama and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers. Responding to this month’s mass shootings in El Paso, Tex., and Dayton, Ohio, Mr. McConnell, his re-election fight again just ahead, was more measured. (Hulse, 8/21)
The Associated Press:
Trump Signs Student Debt Forgiveness For Disabled Veterans
Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal student loan debt owed by tens of thousands of disabled military veterans will be erased under a directive President Donald Trump signed Wednesday. Trump ordered the Education Department to "eliminate every penny of federal student loan debt" owed by American veterans who are completely and permanently disabled. (8/21)
Reuters:
Trump Administration To Appeal Ruling Blocking Price Disclosure For Drug Ads
The Trump administration is appealing a court ruling that struck down its plan to compel pharmaceutical companies to disclose wholesale prices of their drugs in televisions advertisements. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday, as it prepares to challenge the July federal court ruling. (8/21)
The Washington Post:
Sen. Bernie Sanders Changes How Medicare-For-All Plan Treats Union Contracts In Face Of Opposition By Organized Labor
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced a key change to his Medicare-for-all insurance plan Wednesday, a move meant to assuage fears on the part of organized labor, whose support is being heatedly sought by all of the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. Labor representatives have expressed concerns to candidates publicly and to campaign staffs privately that a single-payer system could negatively affect their benefits, which in many cases offer better coverage than private plans. (Janes, Weigel and Bailey, 8/21)
The New York Times:
Vaping Sicknesses Rising: 153 Cases Reported In 16 States
Sixteen states have now reported 153 cases of serious, vaping-related respiratory illnesses in the past two months, and many of the patients are teenagers or young adults. In a statement on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that all of the cases occurred in people who acknowledged vaping either nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, the high-inducing chemical in marijuana. (Kaplan, 8/21)
Stat:
The Cost Of Diabetes Drugs Is Causing More Americans To Skip Their Meds
In response to the rising cost of medicines, a growing number of people with diabetes are spurning prescriptions and asking their physicians for lower-cost options, according to newly released government data. To wit, among adults who were prescribed a diabetes medication in the past 12 months, 13.2% skipped dosages, took fewer dosages, or delayed filling a prescription in order to save money. And 24.4% asked their doctor for a lower-cost alternative. (Silverman, 8/21)
The New York Times:
Opioid Treatment Is Used Vastly More In States That Expanded Medicaid
States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have seen a much bigger increase in prescriptions for a medication that treats opioid addiction than states that chose not to expand the program, a new study has found. The study, by researchers at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research group, adds to the evidence that the 2010 health care law is playing a significant role in addressing the opioid epidemic. (Goodnough, 8/21)
The New York Times:
Their Mothers Chose Donor Sperm. The Doctors Used Their Own.
Growing up in Nacogdoches, Tex., Eve Wiley learned at age 16 that she had been conceived through artificial insemination with donor sperm. Her mother, Margo Williams, now 65, had sought help from Dr. Kim McMorries, telling him that her husband was infertile. She asked the doctor to locate a sperm donor. He told Mrs. Williams that he had found one through a sperm bank in California. Mrs. Williams gave birth to a daughter, Eve. Now 32, Ms. Wiley is a stay-at-home mother in Dallas. In 2017 and 2018, like tens of millions of Americans, she took consumer DNA tests. (Mroz, 8/21)