Viewpoints: Health Law Has Delivered On Its Basic Promise
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
20 Million Reasons To Retain And Repair Obamacare
Large and boisterous crowds supporting Obamacare at town hall meetings probably are making some lawmakers nervous about the fallout from killing a program that provides insurance for 20 million Americans. Here’s another possible explanation: Despite its shortcomings, Obamacare has delivered on its basic promise — expanding access to health care by reducing the cost of insurance, especially in states such as California that fully embraced the program. California has reduced its uninsured rate to a record low of 7.1 percent, according to a report issued this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s a decline of 9.9 percentage points since the Affordable Care Act took full effect in 2013. (2/24)
Orange County Register:
California Job Losses From Obamacare Repeal? Fear Not!
Obamacare was a cash cow for providers, which now argue it was a program for jobs and economic growth. They now say that repealing Obamacare will kill California jobs. That grabs any politician’s attention, but it is not true. (John Graham, 2/16)
Orange County Register:
Coordinated Care Plans Are Showing Promise
Amid the many unknowns about the future of health care, coordinated health care programs that show they improve care, lower costs and enhance the patient experience are worth further exploration and development. Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2017–18 reinforced this by extending the coordinated care pilot program known as Cal MediConnect. Cal MediConnect plans, including CalOptima’s OneCare Connect in Orange County, have demonstrated positive results based on independent research from groups such as The Scan Foundation. (Michael Schrader, 2/23)
Orange County Register:
High Error Rate For Medicaid Payments
The U.S. Government Accountability Office released more reports last month on the perpetual problem of government payment errors, this time within the Medicaid program, and the results were, yet again, depressing. The mammoth program, which covers 70 million people, had a budget of $576 billion last year, and made $346 billion in total payments. Unfortunately, $36.3 billion of those payments were improper — an error rate of 10.5 percent. And, despite ongoing efforts to improve data quality and eligibility screening, the problem is getting worse, rising from a 9.8 percent error rate in fiscal year 2015. (2/23)
Los Angeles Times:
'Death Spirals,' Deceit And Pampering The Rich: The Republicans Face High Noon On Repealing Obamacare
Congressional Republicans who have visited their home districts over the last few weeks have gotten a faceful of constituent rage about their plans to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act, which brings health coverage to more than 20 million Americans. If past is prologue, those heading home now for the Presidents Day recess are likely to feel a lot more heat. That may be why House Republicans this week rushed out a “policy brief” on “Obamacare Repeal and Replace.” Unfortunately for the poor souls who will be meeting with constituents, the brief answers none of the key questions about the GOP’s plans for the ACA. (Michael Hiltzik, 2/17)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Answers To Tax Questions On Medicare, Medi-Cal Benefits
Readers have asked a number of questions on tax topics. As the April 18 deadline for individual and family returns draws closer, here are some answers. (Kathleen Pender, 2/21)
The Mercury News:
California’s Cuts To Medical Education Will Harm Patients
There’s a shortage of primary care doctors in California, especially in rural and low-income neighborhoods. It’s currently impacting the ability of a Medi-Cal patient to get actual medical care and will only get worse over time. According to the California Primary Care Association, Medi-Cal has a physician-to-enrollee ratio which is about half of the federal standard, and they estimate California will need over 8,000 new primary care physicians by 2030. Creating more residency program slots would increase the number of primary care physicians who will train (and are likely to stay) in California. If we do not create more residency program slots, we will be exporting medical students after heavily investing in their education at some of the best medical schools in the country. (Nuriel Moghavem, 2/23)
The Mercury News:
Bring Sanity To Gun Policy For The Mentally Ill
Part of the stigma associated with mental illness is the notion that the mentally ill are uniformly dangerous. It doesn’t help that any time there is a mass shooting, the immediate response is the perpetrator must be crazy. This sad lack of knowledge about the mentally ill is perhaps only eclipsed by our lack of understanding of the underlying causes of gun violence. When the two issues collide, the result is legislative mayhem. (2/20)
Sacramento Bee:
Living And Thriving With A Dementia Diagnosis
About 80 percent of people with dementia develop Alzheimer’s disease, a particularly insidious form of dementia that leads to death. I am in the early stages of dementia, and they tell me my tests currently clear me of Alzheimer’s, so my experiences have been far less scary by comparison to many others’. My prognosis is for continued regression with no reversal. Otherwise, I am a healthy and physically active guy rapidly approaching 70 and generally enjoying retirement along with my wife of 49 years. (Kent Pollock, 2/20)
KPBS Public Media:
First Person: 'There's Life After Breast Cancer'
The American Cancer Society’s guidelines say women with average risk should get a mammogram starting at age 45. But Hendrix said she felt she couldn't wait... [Sheri] Hendrix decided to get a mammogram anyway – and found out she had stage 3 breast cancer. As part of our First Person series, Hendrix shares the struggles and growth she's experienced since being diagnosed. (Cabrera, 2/20)
Los Angeles Times:
An Attack On Abortion Rights And A Handout To The Rich: The Republicans' New Plan For Repealing Obamacare
Congressional Republicans who have visited their home districts over the last few weeks have gotten a faceful of constituent rage about their plans to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act, which brings health coverage to more than 20 million Americans. If past is prologue, those heading home now for the Presidents Day recess are likely to feel a lot more heat. (Michael Hiltzik, 2/17)
Sacramento Bee:
Injecting Wastewater In California Oil Wells Imperils Drinking Water
The oil and gas industry has reigned supreme in California ever since the late 1800s, when holes poked in the ground produced gushers. These days, its millions of dollars lavished on elected officials dominate Sacramento, killing common-sense legislation to safeguard our communities. Meanwhile, the state has performed poorly when it comes to protecting the environment and public health from oil and gas pollution. (Keith Nakatani, 2/22)