Viewpoints: Health Care Is A Human Right And It Should Be Universal
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Why We Fight For Universal Healthcare
The battle we fight today should be about expanding coverage to millions more, not deciding how much coverage we should take away from people who already have it. Whether Congressional Republicans are successful in their repeal efforts or not, universal healthcare must be our goal. As President Trump realized all too late, healthcare is really complicated. But our priorities should not be: We must endeavor to provide quality, accessible care to every American. (Rep. Adam Schiff, 7/6)
Sacramento Bee:
Scared Democrats Are The Hurdle To Single Payer
America has reached a pivotal point in how we think about and legislate health care. While Republicans in Congress continue down the road of gutting, defunding and privatizing health insurance, many on the left and even some conservatives are swinging toward an approach that just five years ago was politically unthinkable – government-financed health insurance for all. (Harry Snyder and Courtney Hutchison, 7/5)
The Washington Post:
The Dumbest Criticism Of Single Payer Health Care
Democratic politicians are rapidly embracing single payer health care, and as they do, they’re being met with an utterly bogus criticism. Unfortunately, it’s coming not only from Republicans but also from misinformed members of the media. So before this goes any farther, we need to get a few things straight. (Paul Waldman, 7/6)
Orange County Register:
State Couldn’t Pull Health-Care Funding Out Of A Hat
In California, the Affordable Care Act added 4 million people to Medi-Cal, the health care safety net, by raising the income limit for eligibility. There are now about 14 million people — one-third of the state’s population — on Medi-Cal, called Medicaid in the rest of the country. But the expansion of Medi-Cal is not financially sustainable. (Susan Shelley, 7/1)
Los Angeles Times:
As GOP Moves Toward Repeal, A Government Report Shows Obamacare Is Working Well
New data have been released contradicting Republican propaganda about the “failing” Affordable Care Act. What may be more embarrassing to the hardliners pushing repeal is that it comes from the government, specifically the Department of Health and Human Services. (Michael Hiltzik, 7/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Republicans Say Medicaid Doesn't Work, So It Should Be Cut. Here Are All The Ways They're Wrong
The dirtiest little secret of the Republicans’ Obamacare repeal campaign is that its genesis has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act as such, but with a long-cherished desire to gut Medicaid, which predated the ACA by nearly a half-century. ... The congressional Republicans backing the Obamacare repeal bills that cut the meat and bones out of Medicaid to the tune of $800 billion to $1 trillion, must have some ulterior motivation. (Michael Hiltzik, 7/3)
The Mercury News:
Caveat Emptor: Health Care Hardship If Pre-Existing Condition Limits Return
In today’s corporate America, employees in their 50s and 60s have a reason to feel as vulnerable as a coach. ... Many needing to buy private insurance who have not yet reached the sanctuary of Medicare are out of luck if pre-existing conditions are once again introduced to the purchase of insurance — because most of these folks are no longer in perfect health. (Steve Butler, 7/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Ted Cruz Proposes Rescuing Healthy Consumers At The Expense Of The Sick
Sen. Ted Cruz has a litmus test for his Republican Senate colleagues: Do they care more about cutting health insurance premiums than protecting people with preexisting conditions? Granted, Cruz (R-Texas) wouldn’t put it that way. But the amendment he’s seeking to add to the Senate GOP’s bill to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act sets up a choice just that stark. (Jon Healey, 7/6)
Oakland Tribune:
How To Combat Drug Companies' Thirst For Profits
When it comes to how high they price their products, drug companies want the public to ignore what they spend on marketing and the tax breaks they get for consumer advertising. Instead of simply acknowledging their pricing strategies, drug companies and their lobbyists have launched a finger-pointing campaign at pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). This isn’t surprising and certainly not unpredictable but ignores the basic fact: Drug companies set the price of the drugs. They can charge whatever they feel the market will bear. (John D. Jones, 7/5)
Los Angeles Times:
If You're On A Spouse's Health Plan, What Happens If The Worst Should Happen?
My wife and I were chatting the other night about Republican efforts to reboot the U.S. healthcare system as a horror movie — stripping health coverage from more than 20 million Americans, boosting premiums for many and gutting Medicaid. She finally brought the conversation home by asking: “What happens if something happens to you?” (David Lazarus, 7/4)
San Diego Union-Times:
Tax On Sugary Drinks Right Prescription For Children's Health
Simply put, our kids are drinking entirely too much sugar. The majority of that sugar comes from sugary drinks such as sodas, sweet teas and sports drinks. For the record, sugar-sweetened beverages are the single biggest source of calories in teenagers’ diets. These drinks contribute up to 15 percent of their daily calories. As a family physician, I see the effects of this in my practice daily on children, families and our community. I want our youth to grow up and lead a healthy life. For them to have that chance, we have to work together to provide the opportunity. (Eunice Sanchez-Mata, 7/5)
San Diego Union-Times:
Soda Tax No Panacea For Obesity Problems
We all want healthier communities, but the evidence clearly shows that beverage taxes have not delivered on the promise of improved public health. Instead, these taxes target working families struggling to make ends meet and small businesses that provide jobs for people living paycheck to paycheck. The facts are clear: Beverages with sugar are not driving the nation’s obesity crisis and data from the federal government prove this. (Fredericka McGee, 7/5)
Orange County Register:
Unions Playing Politics With Dialysis Patients’ Lives
Senate Bill 349 is being sold as a patient protection measure for those undergoing dialysis but, in reality, it puts the health of unions above the health of patients. The legislation, introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, who also coauthored the now defunct single-payer health care bill, would require dialysis centers to maintain rigid minimum staffing ratios at all times, including no more than eight patients per nurse and three patients per certified hemodialysis technician. (7/2)
Los Angeles Times:
With Healthcare Reform Stalled, Trump And Pruitt Want To Repeal And Replace Clean Water Standards
The Waters of the United States rule was meant to protect the drinking water supply for more than 100 million Americans by clarifying which waterways are covered by the landmark Clean Water Act of 1972, which limits the chemicals and other pollutants that can be discharged into “navigable” U.S. waters. ... The clean water rule might indeed apply to a small pond, but only if it connects with larger waterways and therefore allows any pollutants dumped in it to spread through tributaries to the nation’s drinking water supply. (7/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Why I Want Legal Marijuana In My South L.A. District
A majority of Californians voted in support of legalizing medical and adult-use cannabis. Clearly, the people believe that cannabis is not a dangerous drug when sold and consumed responsibly — and that the cannabis economy, once legalized and regulated, can serve in the best interest of Californians. (Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer Sr. 7/5)