Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

President Attempts To Claim Preexisting Conditions As Republican Issue, Ignoring Years Of GOP’s Attacks On Health Law

The topic has been a trouble spot for Republicans on the trail and now President Donald Trump is trying to frame his party as the one that will keep preexisting conditions protections in place. At the same time, he and Republicans are backing a lawsuit that would overturn the health law, and all of its popular provisions.

Trump Plans To Curb High Drug Prices By Overhauling How Medicare Pays For Medications

President Donald Trump will speak today about the proposal, described to Politico by three individuals with knowledge of it. The Trump administration will say that Medicare could save more than $17 billion over five years, but officials also expect blowback from the industry and hospitals.

Questions About Race, Sexual Orientation Surprise Meals On Wheels Recipients, But Survey Is Part Of A New State Law

The legislation’s goal is to collect demographic information on vulnerable populations. Studies on same-sex couple poverty, hate crimes and health disparities have found that members of the LGBTQ community have a higher risk of cancer, mental illness, substance abuse and other adverse health conditions.

Potential Competitor To San Diego-Based Genomic Sequencing Giant Illumina Emerges From China

If the Chinese company’s technology can do what executives say it can, then the competition it brings into the marketplace could drive down the already-plummeting cost of genome sequencing. Other industry news focuses on hospices, health care systems, and hospitals.

America Is ‘Beginning To Turn The Tide’ On Opioid Epidemic, HHS Secretary Says Following Dip In Overdose Deaths

HHS Secretary Alex Azar cautioned that the battle is not over, but that the 2.8 percent drop in deaths toward the end of last year and beginning of this one showed that the country is making progress. Azar also unveiled a first-of-its-kind pilot program designed to help mothers with opioid addiction and their children. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign a sweeping opioids package that lawmakers pushed through Congress this fall.

‘It’s A Reminder That Pain Is A Political Tool’: Transgender People Decry Timing Of Proposed Trump Policy So Close To Midterms

“This is a very evidently political move done, approaching the midterms, to garner favor with a portion of the American public who would be encouraged and pleased by this news,” said Gabrielle Bychowski, a college professor and married mother of two in Grand Rapids, Mich. Meanwhile, CDC Director Robert Redfield cautioned that the policy would increase stigma around transgender people and that is not in the interest of public health.

Proposed Settlement Filed In Civil Rights Suit Stemming From Santa Ana Riverbed Homeless Camp Evacuations

The proposed measures would include proactive outreach by health care workers, assessments, offers of appropriate services and placement, and a requirement to issue warnings before law enforcement takes action over public nuisance concerns.