- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- Californians Living Longer With Cancer — Some Longer Than Others
- Around California 2
- California Medical Board Fails To Penalize Doctor Warned By FDA
- Measles Outbreak Spreads To California, 20 More States With 107 People Taken Ill
- Covered California & The Health Law 1
- Double-Edged Sword: Suit Seeks To Undercut ACA But Also Hurts GOP Candidates On Preexisting Conditions
- Pharmaceuticals 2
- Trump Wants To Take Opioid Manufacturers To Court
- First Generic Version Of EpiPen Injector Approved By FDA And Could Lower Cost Of Drug
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Californians Living Longer With Cancer — Some Longer Than Others
A new study from the University of California-Davis shows a significant increase in five-year survival rates for more than 20 types of cancer, but with significant disparities by race, ethnicity and economic status. That is in line with the national trend. (Anna Gorman, )
More News From Across The State
California Medical Board Fails To Penalize Doctor Warned By FDA
A doctor in California peddling his own $1,800-a-month “cure” to desperate patients is one of 73 who have received a Food and Drug Administration warning letter. But the California medical board has not taken action. In other medical personnel news: Two California hospitals make U.S. News and World Report's list of top 30 hospitals.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
FDA Warns Doctors On Problems, But State Medical Boards Take No Action
Benedict Liao is one of 73 doctors around the country with active medical licenses who got FDA warning letters over a five-year period alleging serious problems. ... The warning letters, which get scant public attention, are sent after FDA officials conduct inspections at offices, clinics and medical facilities to determine if federal rules designed to protect patients are being violated. (Fauber and Wynn, 8/16)
Los Angeles Times:
Providence St. Joseph, Adventist Health Glendale Recognized As Top Hospitals
U.S. News and World Report Tuesday announced its annual Best Hospitals Honor Roll and ranked Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and Adventist Health Glendale in Glendale to be two of the top 30 hospitals in the state due to their high procedure performance and medical specialties. (Carpio, 8/16)
Measles Outbreak Spreads To California, 20 More States With 107 People Taken Ill
Health officials urge parents to vaccinate their children for the disease. In other news from around California, lawmakers reboot efforts to fight tainted drinking water and reject a state-run bank for marijuana growers.
Detroit Free Press:
Measles Outbreak Hits 21 States, District Of Columbia, CDC Says
Federal health officials are investigating a outbreak of measles this year that has spread to 21 states and the District of Columbia. From Jan. 1 to July 14, 107 people had contracted the disease, federal Centers for Disease Control officials said Wednesday. Measles cases have been reported in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington. (8/15)
Sacramento Bee:
California Tax To Clean Up Drinking Water Would Be Voluntary
Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers are rebooting an effort to pass a new tax to attack unsafe drinking water in California. But there’s a twist: The proposed tax on water bills would be voluntary, increasing its chances of success among skittish lawmakers in an election year. (Luna, 8/17)
Los Angeles Times:
California Lawmakers Reject Marijuana Banking Plan And Panic Buttons For Hotel Workers In A Frenzy Of Sacramento Action
Facing a key deadline for legislation to move forward, California lawmakers on Thursday rejected dozens of bills, including a state-run bank for marijuana growers, government healthcare services for those in the U.S. illegally and hotel panic buttons for cleaning crews who fear sexual assault. Lawmakers on the appropriations committees in both houses of the California Legislature acted on more than 600 bills, rejecting about 150 of them. (Myers, 8/16)
Covered California & The Health Law
Republicans supporting the suit filed by attorneys general in a federal court in Texas say they will find other ways to protect consumers with medical problems but they haven't shown yet how they would do that. Stateline also look at premiums that have been announced for 2019 plans.
Politico:
GOP’s Midterm Peril: What If They Win On Killing Obamacare?
Republican candidates are trying to have it both ways on Obamacare. On one hand, Republicans are still campaigning against the law, arguing a strong election result will allow them one more shot at repealing the Affordable Care Act with GOP majorities in both chambers. And many high-profile Senate GOP candidates support a lawsuit that would scuttle Obamacare if successful in the nation’s courts, a case that will be heard by a federal judge in September. Yet at the same time Republicans are still touting the law’s most popular provisions, arguing that after it is struck down they will be able to preserve protections for pre-existing conditions by passing a new bill. (Everett, 8/17)
California Healthline:
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ See You In Court!
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about a spate of lawsuits involving the Affordable Care Act, as well as the latest in state and federal efforts regarding the Medicaid program for the poor. (8/16)
Stateline:
Health Insurance Premiums Are Stabilizing, Despite GOP Attacks
Despite Republican efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act, insurance premiums will go up only slightly in most states where carriers have submitted proposed prices for next year. And insurance carriers are entering markets rather than fleeing them. The improvements stem from less political uncertainty over health policy, steeper than necessary increases this year, better understanding of the markets, improvements in care and a host of actions taken by individual states. (Ollove, 8/16)
Trump Wants To Take Opioid Manufacturers To Court
President Donald Trump signals his desire to join the litigation scrum by asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a federal lawsuit against certain pharmaceutical companies involved in the supply and manufacture of opioids. Trump says he prefers pursuing a federal lawsuit rather than joining existing actions filed by states. Meanwhile, Oxycontin-maker Purdue hires a financial firm for restructuring advice, and its marketing practices are back in the news.
Bloomberg:
Trump Says He Wants Federal Lawsuit Against Opioid Makers
President Donald Trump said Thursday he wants the U.S. government to sue pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioids as part of his efforts to halt an epidemic of drug addiction. Trump said he’d like to bring a federal lawsuit, rather than just join existing litigation against the drugmakers. (Sink and Edney, 8/16)
Reuters:
Exclusive: OxyContin Maker Purdue Taps Financial Restructuring Adviser - Sources
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP has tapped law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP for financial restructuring advice, as its potential liabilities swell with a wave of lawsuits over the opioid addiction epidemic sweeping the United States, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. (DiNapoli and Raymond, 8/16)
California Healthline:
Purdue Pharma’s Sales Pitch Downplayed Risks Of Opioid Addiction
Through a widely circulated brochure and a videotape of testimonials, the maker of OxyContin stressed patients’ right to opioid treatment for pain. (Schulte, 8/17)
And the FDA warns that some pet owners are using their animals to get painkillers —
CNN:
FDA Warns Of Pet Owners Using Animals To Get Opioids
The US Food and Drug Administration has raised alarm about one way people might access opioids to misuse and abuse: their pets. As America's opioid epidemic rages, some pet owners could be stealing pain medications intended for their furry friends, according to a statement from FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. (Howard, 8/16)
More on the numbers behind the national crisis —
Vox:
2017 Was The Worst Year Ever For Drug Overdose Deaths In America
2016 was the worst year for drug overdose deaths in America — at least, until 2017 came along. According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 72,000 people in the US are predicted to have died from drug overdoses in 2017 — nearly 200 a day. That’s up from 2016, which was already a record year in which roughly 64,000 people in the US died from overdoses. At least two-thirds of drug overdose deaths in 2016 and 2017 were linked to opioids. (Lopez, 8/16)
First Generic Version Of EpiPen Injector Approved By FDA And Could Lower Cost Of Drug
Teva gets approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell its version of the epinephrine auto-injector, but hasn't yet revealed its pricing. Mylan, the manufacturer of the brand-name EpiPen, has faced public criticism and congressional investigations for raising the price of its lifesaving drug 450 percent since 2004.
Stat:
FDA Approved The First-Ever Generic Version Of EpiPen
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever generic version of EpiPen Thursday — a move the agency says could help lower costs for the drug, which can carry a price tag of more than $600. It isn’t clear how much the new version, which will be sold by Teva, will cost. But it may be a lower-cost option for individuals with allergies, who need to keep this lifesaving medicine with them at all times. Right now, a two-pack of EpiPen, marketed by Mylan, currently lists for $608.61. Mylan also makes its own “authorized generic” version, which it sells for $300 per pair. (Swetlitz, 8/16)
NPR:
FDA Approves New Generic Version Of The EpiPen For Allergic Reactions
The FDA says the approval of the new products should help with both cost and availability. "Today's approval of the first generic version of the most-widely prescribed epinephrine auto-injector in the U.S. is part of our longstanding commitment to advance access to lower cost, safe and effective generic alternatives," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement announcing the approval. (Stein, 8/16)
The Associated Press:
US Approves New Generic Competitor To EpiPen
EpiPen injections are stocked by schools and parents nationwide to treat children with severe allergies. They are used in emergencies to stop potentially fatal allergic reactions to insect bites and stings and foods like nuts and eggs. EpiPen maker Mylan has dominated the $1 billion market for the shots for two decades. Several other companies sell competing shots containing the drug epinephrine, but they aren’t heavily marketed or prescribed by doctors. (Perrone, 8/16)
HHS Faces Criticism From Senate Investigation For Not Ensuring The Safety Of Unaccompanied Minors
During Senate testimony, though, one agency official asked members of a Senate subcommittee to not make the Department of Health and Human Services a "law enforcement agency." In other administration news: senators challenge HHS Secretary Alex Azar's assertion that PMBs are preventing drugmakers from lowering prescription prices.
The Wall Street Journal:
Senate Investigators Fault Federal Authorities’ Tracking Of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children
Thousands of unaccompanied minors who crossed the border illegally aren’t being tracked after being placed with sponsors by the Health and Human Services Department, according to a bipartisan Senate investigation that faulted the HHS and Homeland Security departments for the lapse. Representatives from HHS and the Justice Department pushed back in a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday, with an HHS representative saying the agency has started doing background checks on adults that volunteered to take care of the children and that the department wasn’t responsible for children once they are placed with sponsors. (Andrews, 8/16)
The Washington Post:
HHS Official: Agency Not Able To Ensure Safety Of Unaccompanied Migrant Kids After They Leave Its Care
A Health and Human Services official insisted that the agency is not responsible for ensuring the safety of unaccompanied migrant children once they leave its care -- and pleaded with senators on Thursday not to force it to take on the responsibility. “Please don’t make us a law enforcement agency,” said Jonathan White, testifying on behalf of HHS at a hearing held by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs subcommittee on investigations. "I think it’s very important that HHS remain the agency tasked with the best interests of the child rather than to assign it enforcement duties. (Itkowitz, 8/16)
Stat:
Senators Challenge Azar Over His Comments About PBMs And Price Cuts
In a sharply worded letter, two lawmakers are challenging Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar over his recent comments about drug makers and their insistence that pharmacy benefit managers and distributors were making it difficult to lower prices. The missive was sent in response to testimony Azar gave two months ago at two different Senate committee hearings, in which he described how drug makers contacted by the Trump administration expressed willingness to lower prices, but claimed they were thwarted by various middleman in the pharmaceutical chain. (Silverman, 8/17)
In other health care policy news from around the country —
Politico Pro:
How Trump's Value-Based Gambit Could Make ACOs Flee
HHS Secretary Alex Azar has called the shift to value-based care a top priority, signaling for months that the Trump administration will take steps like cracking down on free riders in Medicare's Shared Savings Program. The question is whether a new rule aimed at redesigning that program will spur a health system resistant to quick and sweeping change or undermine that priority. (Roubein, 8/15)
Modern Healthcare:
Rebates Don't Correlate To Drug Price Spikes, AHIP Study Says
As scrutiny tightens on drug middlemen and the significance of their role in spiking drug costs within Medicare Part D, health insurers are hitting back. A new Milliman study commissioned by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) downplayed the overall impact of rebates offered by drugmakers to insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on total drug spending. The report blamed spiking costs on lack of competition. (Luthi, 8/16)
The Hill:
Supreme Court Nomination Reignites Abortion Fights In States
The possibility of another Trump nominee ascending to the Supreme Court bench has created a sense of urgency among abortion supporters in the states, where activists are pushing to safeguard access to the procedure. Supporters of abortion rights worry that Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation could lead to the weakening of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that cemented a woman’s right to abortion. (Hellmann, 8/16)
The New York Times:
Surprise Gift: Free Tuition For All N.Y.U. Medical Students
N.Y.U.’s plan, which was announced Thursday morning in an unexpected ending to the annual “White Coat Ceremony” for new students and their families, goes beyond that, and may spur other top medical schools to follow suit. In a statement, N.Y.U. said that it would be the only top-ranked medical school in the nation to offer full-tuition scholarships to all students. (Chen, 8/16)
'Queen Of Soul's' Death Highlights Viciousness Of Pancreatic Cancers
Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, following lung and colorectal cancers. In other public health news: kidney donations; Chipotle to retrain employees, again; and heavy metals found in baby food.
USA Today:
Aretha Franklin: Pancreatic Cancer Killed Soul Legend
Legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin died of a rare form of pancreatic cancer, a disease that is difficult to discover early and among the most deadly forms of cancer. Pancreatic cancer will kill an estimated 44,300 Americans in 2018, according to the American Cancer Society. (Alltucker, 8/16)
CNN:
Pancreatic Cancer: Here's Why It's So Deadly
Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, after lung and colorectal cancers. The lifetime risk of developing it is about 1 in 63 for men, and 1 in 65 for women. This year, about 55,440 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the disease will kill about 44,330 people, according to the American Cancer Society. (Landau, 8/16)
PBS NewsHour:
The Economic Principle That Powers This Kidney Donor Market
A hundred thousand Americans are on a waiting list for a kidney from a deceased donor. But another option is the paired-organ exchange, which allows living kidney donors who are not a match with their intended recipient to network with others who are. (Solman, 8/16)
NPR:
Chipotle To Retrain Employees After Latest Outbreak Of Food Poisoning
Health officials have determined that a type of bacteria found in food left at unsafe temperatures is the cause of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that struck 647 people who ate last month at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Ohio. Between July 26 and July 30, customers of a Chipotle restaurant in Powell, Ohio, just north of Columbus, complained of food poisoning and diarrhea after eating tacos and burrito bowls there. (Neuman, 8/17)
USA Today Network:
Baby Food: 'Worrisome' Levels Of Heavy Metals Found In Some Brands
A new analysis of packaged foods made for babies and toddlers found "worrisome" levels of heavy metals in two-thirds of the tested products. Consumer Reports analyzed 50 nationally distributed baby foods checking for cadmium, lead, mercury and inorganic arsenic, the type most harmful to health. (8/16)
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Mental Health Diversion Law: A Good Idea That Needs Some Work
Earlier this summer, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law allowing judges, at their discretion, to order community mental health treatment in lieu of prosecution for people accused of crimes. ... Although it seems inconceivable that a judge would ever dismiss murder or rape charges just because the defendant claims mental illness, the law does, in theory, make such a thing possible. (8/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Juvenile Court Is No Place For Kids — California Must Set A Minimum Age
California Senate Bill 439, authored by state Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, would exclude children age 11 and under from juvenile court prosecution, except for the most serious, violent offenses. The bill would protect young children from the negative impacts of formal justice system involvement. (Laura Garnette, 8/13)
Los Angeles Times:
How Young Is Too Young For Jail? California Doesn't Have An Answer, But It Should
A child of any age can be incarcerated here, and it’s not just theoretical. ...In 2016, hundreds of California children younger than 12 went to delinquency court, and 26 of them were sent on to probation camp to live among teenage offenders. (8/11)
The Mercury News:
What California Can Do Before The Gun Fires Again
Sounds of gunfire came from the darkness of a small park known for dog walks, not drug rips. Neighbors drew their blinds, tucked their children into bed, and worried. Some nights they called police. The gunman would be gone. The park would be empty — except for hundreds of witnesses. The “witnesses” I’m talking about were bullet casings. They were sprinkled around the grass like bird seed. (Jeff Rosen, 8/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Dialysis Patients Could Be In Jeopardy If Current Proposed Legislation Succeeds
There are two proposed pieces of legislation that if placed into law would leave myself and thousands of other dialysis patients across California with reduced access to care and the treatment we need to survive. Both Proposition 8, which will come before voters this fall, and state Senate Bill 1156, which is pending in the Legislature, would strip dialysis patients of the resources we need to live. (Sue Germaine, 8/16)
The Mercury News:
California Should Require Warning Labels On Soda
Despite sugar-industry-funded research that deliberately minimized the health risks of sugar consumption, a clear and compelling body of evidence now shows a strong relationship between consumption of sugary drinks and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart, liver, and dental diseases. ...A bill now pending in the state legislature (AB 1335) – based on ChangeLab Solutions’ model legislation – would require a safety warning on sugary-drink containers and at certain points of sale. (Benjamin Winig, 8/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
‘Between Hope And Fear’ Review: Anxieties Immune To Reason
We live in a world of risk and risk assessment. The trouble is that if you or your child happens to experience a one-in-a-million event, a remote possibility becomes a certainty. That’s good when it’s the lottery, bad when it’s a disease. Many people also increasingly distrust the “experts” who are judging risk, especially when it comes to a child’s well-being. It’s one of the reasons why some educated and well-intentioned parents are opting out of vaccination programs, despite clear scientific and epidemiological evidence against doing so. (William F. Bynum, 8/16)