Viewpoints: Beware ‘Uberization’ Of Health; Don’t Protect Bad Doctors; Vaccine Law Success
A selection of opinions on health care policy issues challenging California.
Los Angeles Times:
Why You Should Be Skeptical About An 'Uber For Healthcare'
The worst aspect of the "Uberization" of our economy may not be the transformation of workers who could once earn a living wage into "independent contractors" who can barely make ends meet (though that's bad enough); it may be the spreading myth that any economic function can be shoehorned into the Uber format of service-on-demand at a rock-bottom price. A case in point is the mirage of an "Uber for healthcare." The latest and most prominent promoter of this notion is the conservative healthcare analyst Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute. In a new issue brief he poses the question directly: "Why isn’t there an Uber of health care?" he asks. "Why can’t we deploy, in health care, the same forces that are improving quality and lowering costs in virtually every other sector of the economy?" (Michael Hiltzik, 2/1)
Los Angeles Daily News:
California Medical Board Should Stop Shielding Bad Doctors: Editorial
The California Medical Board should stop shielding bad doctors and instead require that those on probation tell their patients. Last fall, after prodding by Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports, the medical board formed a committee to examine the issue of public notification. But last week, David Serrano Sewell, president of the board and chairman of the committee, made clear that he has no intention of making the change. Instead, he only wants to tweak the agency’s website. That’s not an answer. (2/1)
Los Angeles Times:
California's New Vaccine Law Is Already A Success
California's new, more stringent law on childhood vaccinations, SB 277, doesn't fully kick in until July 1. But it started protecting the public months ago when parents heard from schools and doctors that they would no longer be able to claim a "personal belief exemption" from immunizations if they wanted to enroll their children. The proof is in the numbers. The percentage of fully vaccinated kindergartners entering the state's schools in 2015-2016 was the highest in a decade: 92.9%, up from 90.4% last year. (2/2)
The Sacramento Bee:
Young Poets Get The Message Out On Preventing Diabetes
Dean Schillinger has spent much of his life fighting a losing battle against a preventable epidemic that has taken millions of American lives. Now, for the first time, he has hope. The disease is Type 2 diabetes, an illness that is driven largely by bad diets and sedentary lifestyles and that has ravaged people in poverty and ethnic minorities in numbers far greater than the rest of the population. (Daniel Weintraub, 2/1)
STAT:
Suing Over Drug Prices, Although A Clever Ploy, Is Unlikely To Succeed
Everyone wants to pay less for prescription medicines, and Maura Healey believes she has found a way to make it happen: by suing drug companies for violating state consumer protection laws. In a controversial maneuver, the Massachusetts attorney general is threatening to file a lawsuit against Gilead Sciences if the California drug maker doesn’t lower its prices for a pair of costly hepatitis C treatments.Legal experts are calling this a long shot. Consumer advocates believe this is a brilliant tactic. And in truth, both sides have a point. (Ed Silverman, 2/2)
The Sacramento Bee:
Another View: Taxing E-Cigarettes Will Backfire On Public Health
California is on the wrong path if it moves forward with a regressive “sin” tax on vapor products, as supported by The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board. The end result will only lead adults back to smoking cigarettes or force them to purchase products out of state or on the black market. The sad truth is that California received $1.52 billion in tobacco excise taxes and settlements in 2014, but only used 4.3 percent on prevention and cessation programs. (Cynthia Cabrera, 2/1)
The Desert Outlook:
Life Story: Remembering George Zander
I remember years ago being introduced to the phrase “too cool for words,” when trying to describe something or someone whose greatness was so cool that even the words to describe it had yet to be invented. And, it was apparent that even after the words were invented, they still wouldn’t be enough. That is how I, and many others, feel about George Zander, my friend and mentor. George died Dec. 10, six weeks after he and his husband, Chris Zander, were attacked during a hate crime incident in downtown Palm Springs that shocked many in the Coachella Valley’s LGBT community. He was 71. A public celebration of George's life is planned for March 21 at the Pavilion in Palm Springs. An investigation is underway, but it has not been determined if the attack and George’s death are linked. (Paulina Angel, 2/1)