Viewpoints: Prescription Drug Price Transparency Needed; Bringing Insurance To Those On The Outside Looking In
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
The Sacramento Bee:
California Needs Sunshine On Rising Drug Prices
The introduction of new and innovative drugs is vital to our health care system, but these often high-priced treatments come with challenges. The hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, priced at $84,000 for a regular course of treatment, is one of the most notable examples. But the problem extends much further. A recent Reuters investigative report revealed that prices for four of the nation’s 10 most prescribed drugs more than doubled since 2011, adding billions in costs for consumers, employers and government health programs. That’s why I’ve introduced Senate Bill 1010, which would require drug companies to give at least two months’ notice to state programs such Medi-Cal and CalPERS when prices increase by more than 10 percent and to give 30 days’ notice for new drugs priced higher than $10,000. (Ed Hernandez, 4/14)
The Los Angeles Times:
California's Obamacare Exchange Takes A Step To Bring Immigrants In The U.S. Illegally Into The Pool
Enhancing its position as one Obamacare exchange that takes its job seriously, Covered California on Thursday took a significant step toward bringing health insurance to the largest single group still on the outside looking in: immigrants in the U.S. illegally. (Michael Hiltzik, 4/8)
The Los Angeles Times:
UnitedHealth Starts Pulling Out Of Obamacare, But Will Anybody Notice — Or Care?
The giant health insurance company UnitedHealth inspired lots of hand-wringing and hyperventilation last year when it announced that it had lost hundreds of millions of dollars on Affordable Care Act exchanges and was considering withdrawing from the market in 2017. (Michael Hiltzik, 4/8)
The Los Angeles Times:
Will Obamacare End 'Job Lock'?
The Affordable Care Act was first and foremost intended to extend health insurance coverage to a broader segment of the population. It has largely succeeded, with the uninsured rate among the non-elderly population falling to 10.7 %, from more than 18% just before the law took effect. (Dean Baker, 4/11)
The San Jose Mercury News:
Planned Parenthood Case Should Be Prosecuted
David Daleiden is not a reporter. His grossly misleading, politically irresponsible videos purporting to implicate Planned Parenthood in illegal behavior make that clear. It's an insult to responsible journalism. (4/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Why Models Need Labor Protections
The work of a fashion model is the epitome of glamour — for about two minutes on the runway. The rest of the job can be rife with horrors including coerced starvation, sexual harassment and abuse, and wage theft. Although models enjoy prominent status in our culture, their labor is mostly invisible and their concerns about working conditions tend to be trivialized and dismissed. But current and former models are beginning to push back against exploitation with class-action lawsuits and proposed labor-rights legislation. (Sara Ziff, 4/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Now That We Know Zika Causes Birth Defects, Will Congress Stop Bickering About Emergency Funding?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday officially blamed the Zika virus for causing birth defects in infected mothers. It's something that everyone believed to be true, but everyone has been wrong before. (Remember that flat-Earth thing?) This pronouncement is based on study of existing data and comes just two days after the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said: "Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought." (Mariel Garza, 4/14)
The Sacramento Bee:
Profit Motive And Mental Health Care In California
California long ago moved severely mentally ill patients out of state hospitals, reserving the institutions for those who have committed crimes. But with little public discussion, the state has privatized care for some of the troubled people who in an earlier day would have been institutionalized at Napa State Hospital or some other state hospital. (4/12)
The Sacramento Bee:
Who Will Take Big Gulp Of Soda Cash?
Say what you will about soda taxes. Call them a buzzkill, call them intrusive, call them anti-Big Gulp. On at least one count, you’ve gotta hand it to them. They generate money. And not in a bad way. At least that’s how things are shaping up in Berkeley, which is so far the only U.S. city to have slipped a soda tax past the industry’s political muscle, and which is on track to generate a healthy $1.5 million or so for the general fund in its first year. (Shawn Hubler, 4/10)
The Bakersfield Californian:
The Cycle Of Abuse Can Be Broken
The cycle of abuse and neglect can be broken, and I am proof of that. I was placed in protective custody at age eight and spent 10 years in the foster care system. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and is an opportunity to not only remind people child abuse is preventable but to educate the community that difficult decisions are being made every day in our community on how to best protect our children and break the cycle of abuse. (Marissa Osuna, 4/12)
The Ventura County Star:
We Need To Learn More About Parkinson’s Disease
Becky Argo knew something was wrong. Her gait and balance were not the same when she walked. She felt unsteady and had fallen several times. As a retired psychiatrist and medical doctor, she knew this was not normal. Yet, it took two more years and several more falls for her to be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. (Aurora Soriano, 4/9)