Viewpoints: ‘We’re About To Throw 20 Million People Under A Bus’
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Defending Obamacare: 'Don't Agonize. Organize'
Day 1. That’s when President-elect Donald Trump says he expects Congress to send him a bill repealing Obamacare, which he says he’ll sign. And more than 20 million Americans will lose health coverage. “There’s no way to sugarcoat any of this,” said Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. “We’re about to throw 20 million people under a bus.” (David Lazarus, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Despite Republican Pledges, 'Repealing Obamacare' Will Be Almost Impossible — But It Could Be Vandalized
The promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act has been a staple of the Republican Party platform virtually since the law’s enactment in 2010. Now it looks like it might happen. President-elect Donald Trump picked up the theme in his campaign, promising “on Day One of the Trump administration” to “ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare.” He pledged to supplant it with “something terrific.” (Michael Hiltzik, 11/10)
Fresno Bee:
California's 'Progressive' Policies May Now Face Federal Challenges
No state was more vigorous in implementing the Affordable Care Act, extending health insurance coverage to millions of Californians, particularly through expansion of Medi-Cal, which covers the poor, to more than a third of its population. A Republican Congress has pledged to repeal the ACA, and if it does, the state could lose many billions of federal dollars that have paid for expansion, forcing the state to decide whether to continue its coverage for millions of Californians on its own dime. Indeed, it could become the ultimate test of just how “progressive” California’s politicians are. (Dan Walters, 11/10)
The New York Times:
Soda Taxes Sweep To Victories, Despite Facing Big Spending
The beverage industry spent a lot of money to defeat soda taxes in four American cities Tuesday, but it lost in every one of them. The victories for soda-tax advocates — in San Francisco, Oakland and Albany, Calif., and Boulder, Colo. — were decisive. Those communities now join Berkeley, Calif., and Philadelphia in embracing plans to tax sugary beverages. (Margot Sanger-Katz, 11/9)
Stat:
Pharma May Have Defeated Prop 61, But State Battles Will Continue
The controversial California ballot measure to lower drug prices may have been defeated, but you can be certain that angst over rising medicine costs will prompt still more state efforts. Known as Prop 61, the measure vilified drug makers as greedy and criminal, but lost by a notable margin — nearly 54 percent of Californians voted it down. This is not surprising, though, and it’s not just because the pharmaceutical industry amassed a $109 million war chest to run a slew of ads that warned about unforeseen consequences. Prop 61 was simply the wrong initiative, even it if appeared at the right time. (Ed Silverman, 11/9)
Los Angeles Times:
So Long Roe Vs. Wade? President Trump's Most Lasting Legacy Could Be Radical Change At The Supreme Court
The election of Donald Trump as president means that there will be a conservative Supreme Court for years and maybe decades to come, but how much the court will move to the right depends on the health and stamina of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 11/9)
The Sacramento Bee:
The Ways Fat Shaming Isn't OK
The ugliest election in decades might be over, but that doesn’t mean all of the ugliness is going away. To the contrary, some of the most repugnant ideas forced upon our national consciousness by Donald Trump remain with us, embedded in our culture and waiting to be challenged by the adults in the room. (11/8)
The Los Angeles Times:
Pot's Legal In California. Now What?
California voters legalized marijuana on Tuesday, but don’t light up or open a pot business just yet. There’s a lot more work to be done. (11/8)
The Los Angeles Times:
Anthem Blue Cross Offers PPO Customers Less Coverage For More Dollars
Several weeks ago, thick envelopes from Anthem Blue Cross stuffed with 21 pages of text landed in the mailboxes of thousands of the company’s California customers. The cover letter indicated right at the top that their premiums were going up, and advised that “if you’re happy with your health plan, it’s easy to keep it for 2017” — the only thing required was to pay the full premium on the bill for January. At least as noteworthy was a change that wasn’t explained until the packet’s next page: the elimination of coverage for non-emergency healthcare services provided by out-of-network doctors, hospitals, clinics or laboratories. (11/7)
The Desert Sun:
Thumbs Up To This Healthy Sign For Valley's Children
Coachella Valley residents seeking medical care, especially those in the eastern half, more help is on the way. Work has begun on the highly anticipated Loma Linda University Children's Hospital facility. The 12,000-square-foot outpatient care unit will house a pediatric specialty clinic and offer pediatric urgent care and primary and specialty care through the SAC Health System. This new operation should help fill a crucial need. Loma Linda officials say there are 135,000 children in our valley, and many areas, especially in the eastern valley, have few options when it comes to health care providers. (11/4)
The Modesto Bee:
Modesto Meeting Focuses On Treatment For Mentally Ill Homeless
When I have free time, I sometimes go to Modesto parks and talk with the homeless. They tell me their stories of how they ended up on the streets. Too often these stories involve mental illness. (Kevin Valine, 11/9)