Viewpoints: The Data Behind UnitedHealth Decision; Zika’s Effects On The Population
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
The Los Angeles Times:
While UnitedHealth Pulls The Plug On Obamacare, Data Shows Where And Why It Failed
UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest commercial health insurer, made good on a six-month-old threat and announced Tuesday that it will pull out of Affordable Care Act exchanges in all but "a handful of states" after this year. The questions that raises, as we observed a couple of weeks ago, are will that hurt, and if so, who does it hurt? (Michael Hiltzik, 4/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Will Zika Fears Cause A Population Gap?
Imagine a full year, or two, during which a nation’s old people die but no new people are born. Picture an elementary school with empty first- and second-grade classrooms. Look further ahead to the years no new workers join the labor pool. How would a two-year collapse in the birth rate rattle a nation? We might be about to find out. The immediate worries about Zika virus— which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined can cause microcephaly and other brain damage in newborn babies — are obviously medical in nature. Where should pregnant women not travel? How quickly can a vaccine be developed? At the same time, in an attempt to stave off more cases of microcephaly, several Zika-affected nations — El Salvador, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Jamaica — are trying to prevent all births. (Karin Klein, 4/20)
The Los Angeles Times:
In Search Of Fair Drug Prices
When CVS Health in February began taking over pharmacy operations at more than 1,600 Target stores, CVS Pharmacy President Helena Foulkes called the changeover "an important milestone." (David Lazarus, 4/21)
Los Angeles Times:
Watch The U.S. Age Before Your Eyes In This Amazing Animated Graphic
The World Economic Forum reproduced Holzman's graphic for a discussion of the implications of the trend, which roughly parallels that in the rest of the world. "The potential consequences of an aging population," observes the WEF, "include economic pressure on healthcare and other welfare systems and a much smaller working-age population relative to the elderly." (Michael Hiltzik, 4/16)
The Ventura County Star:
Senior Mental Health
Mental health is a forefront topic in our nation, especially involving gun violence. It has mesmerized and polluted our media. As a Ventura County resident, I am concerned about our senior, Medicare-eligible population. Suicides among our senior Medicare population are high, especially among white men over age 85. (Claudia Rodriguez, 4/21)
The Bakersfield Californian:
How Could Obamacare Predictions Be So Wrong?
The president wants Obamacare to be his legacy achievement. It may well be. Admittedly, it will be hard to choose between blowing up the American health care system, blowing up the Middle East and blowing up relations with our allies when selecting his crowning achievement. (Richard Young, 4/20)
The Orange County Breeze:
SB 1273 To Provide Greater Flexibility In Using State Funds For Mental Health Outpatient Crisis Stabilization Services
On Wednesday, April 13, the Senate Health Committee approved legislation by Senator Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) – Senate Bill 1273 – that gives county personnel greater flexibility over the use of Mental Health Services Act funds for outpatient crisis stabilization services. The bill is co-authored by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) and other legislators. (David Moorlach, 4/15)
LA Daily News:
Old Gas Leak Raises New Questions For SoCalGas
Leaking gas wells decades ago forced the razing of homes in the suburb of Montebello. Now, it has raised questions about the future of Porter Ranch. Although the cases are separated by several decades and the circumstances surrounding them are somewhat different, in both instances Southern California Gas Co.’s dealings left too many unanswered questions. In Montebello, more than a decade after the company agreed to shut down wells, they have yet to be fully decommissioned. At the time, the company estimated it would take seven years. That was 15 years ago. (4/21)