The New York Times: Senate Republicans Unveil New Health Bill, But Divisions Remain
Senate Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled a fresh proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, revising their bill to help hold down insurance costs for consumers while allowing insurers to sell new low-cost, stripped down policies. (Pear and Kaplan, 7/13)

The New York Times: Republicans Made 4 Key Changes To Their Health Care Bill. Here’s Who They Were Trying To Win Over.
Republican senators have added a set of changes to their bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. These changes are efforts to appease different groups of senators and move the bill closer to a vote. At least 50 of the 52 Republican senators must support the bill for it to pass. (Park, Parlapiano and Sanger-Katz, 7/13)

The Associated Press: Revised GOP Health Bill Stresses Bare-Bones Private Coverage
The latest changes to the Senate Republican health care bill are geared to increasing access to bare-bones private insurance. There's also an additional $45 billion to help states confronting the opioid epidemic. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would keep in place Medicaid cuts that GOP governors and Senate moderates have objected to. No Democrats are supporting the plan. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/13)

Politico: Revised Senate Repeal Bill Keeps Obamacare Taxes, Adds Funding For Poor And Opioid Epidemic
The latest plan does make some minor changes to the Medicaid program that could address the concerns of some senators. For example, it would allow the cap on Medicaid payments to be lifted in the event of a medical emergency, a provision sought by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, which has been battling the Zika outbreak. (Demko, 7/13)

Los Angeles Times: Divided Senate Republicans Unveil New Version Of Obamacare Repeal Bill
The bill would earmark an additional $70 billion in federal money to help stabilize health insurance markets across the country, funded in part by preserving two Obamacare taxes on wealthy Americans that the previous GOP legislation eliminated. And in an effort to woo several GOP senators from states dependent on Medicaid to address the opioid crisis, McConnell earmarked an additional $45 billion in the bill to confront the epidemic. (Mascaro and Levey, 7/13)

USA Today: Senate Health Care Bill: Republicans Woo Conservatives In Latest Draft
The draft bill, released on the Senate Budget Committee's website, tries to appeal to conservatives by including a version of an amendment by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that would allow the sale of deregulated insurance plans as long as Obamacare-compliant plans are also still sold. Cruz confirmed to reporters that his amendment is in the bill and called that "very significant progress." “If this is the bill, I will support it,” Cruz told reporters Thursday afternoon. But Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who helped craft the original amendment with Cruz, was undecided about how he would vote on the bill because the amendment was changed during negotiations, his spokesman said. (Kelly, Collins and Shesgreen, 7/13)

USA Today: Sick? You Might Not Like The GOP's Latest Health Bill
The Senate dropped a new version of its beleaguered health bill Thursday, tacking on a Ted Cruz proposal in order to win over conservatives like Ted Cruz. It basically lets people buy cheap, bare-bones insurance plans alongside more robust, Obamacare-compliant plans. That's good news for the healthy, and bad news for the sick: If healthy folks flock to cheaper plans, the other plans covering pre-existing conditions will grow more expensive — destabilizing the market in the process, insurance companies say. (Hafner, 7/13)

The Washington Post: Senate Health-Care Bill Changes — Cruz Amendment, Opioid Funding, Alaska Money
The bill makes almost no effort to recruit moderates such as Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who has already stated her objection to the new bill. Those senators have asked for more Medicaid funding, which the CBO projected would be cut by 26 percent over the next decade and 35 percent the decade after. (Soffen, Din and Uhrmacher, 7/13)

The Associated Press: Trouble For Revised Senate Health Bill; Trump Wants Action
Moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told reporters she had informed McConnell she would be voting against beginning debate on the bill, citing in part cuts in the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has repeatedly complained that McConnell's efforts don't amount to a full-blown repeal of Obamacare, also announced he was a "no." That means McConnell cannot lose any other Republican senators. (Werner and Fram, 7/14)

The Washington Post: The GOP’s Under-The-Radar Tax Break For The Upper Middle Class
A new tax break for the upper middle class was offered up Thursday in Senate Republicans' revised version of their bill to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The legislation would make health insurance premiums more affordable for consumers who buy the kinds of inexpensive policies that are crucial to the GOP health-care agenda. Yet independent analysts caution that the benefits would mainly accrue to affluent households, and the provision might not substantially expand coverage among the uninsured. (Ehrenfreund, 7/13)

The Wall Street Journal: New Senate Health Bill Aims To Bridge GOP Gaps, But Resistance Remains
The latest version of the bill would preserve a 0.9% payroll tax and a 3.8% tax on investment income. Both taxes apply only to individuals with incomes above $200,000 and married couples making over $250,000. (Armour and Peterson, 7/13)

NPR: Who Gains, Who's Left Out In The Latest Senate Health Care Bill
Perhaps the biggest change in the document released Thursday is that it leaves in place the Affordable Care Act taxes on wealthy individuals. It uses that money to reduce the number of people left without insurance coverage by the law's changes. (Grayson, Hurt and Kodjak, 7/13)

Politico: Senate Republicans One Vote Away From Obamacare Repeal Failure
Majority Whip John Cornyn acknowledged GOP leaders don’t have the minimum 50 votes right now but insisted, "We're making good progress." He said he and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were not making "state-specific" promises to wavering senators and were instead merely trying to convince them that the bill is better than Obamacare."We're not through yet," Cornyn said of his and McConnell's work. (Everett and Haberkorn, 7/13)

Politico: Graham Introduces Repeal Back-Up Plan
A new health care proposal from GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham that would direct much of Obamacare's federal funding directly to the states could offer a starting point for Congress if the Senate GOP effort fails next week, according to a summary of the bill obtained by POLITICO. The bill from Graham is intended to appeal to Republicans as a replacement plan for Obamacare, while he hopes to sell the effort to Democrats as a repair plan. (Everett, 7/13)

The Associated Press: Analysis: Trump Will Take Health Care Credit Or Cast Blame
If congressional Republicans succeed in repealing and replacing "Obamacare," expect a big Rose Garden celebration with President Donald Trump taking credit. If they fail? Trump has already indicated he will hold Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responsible, setting up an intraparty blame game that could be devastating for the GOP. (7/14)

The Mercury News: Latest Senate GOP Health-Care Plan Gets Mixed Reviews In California 
As a growing array of competing health care proposals emerged from the U.S. Senate on Thursday, there was plenty of bad news for millions of Californians. But there were also a few rays of hope that may be good for their pocketbooks — including the prospect for more affordable 2018 health insurance premiums compared with the rest of the country. The big picture, however, still isn’t pretty. The latest version of the Republican leadership’s health care plan continues to cut $772 billion in funding over the next decade for Medicaid, the health care program for the poor that was expanded under the Affordable Care Act to include adults without dependent children — about 3.8 million people in California. All told, Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, is expected to number about 14 million enrollees in the next year, or more than one in three Californians. (Seipel, 7/13)

Modesto Bee: Revised Senate Bill Would Allow ‘Noncompliant’ Health Plans And Could Threaten Future Of Covered California
As with the repeal-and-replace bill approved in the House of Representatives in May, Republicans want to eliminate the individual mandate that requires most people to have health insurance. If there are enough votes to approve the bill in the Senate, where the GOP has a slim majority, it could jeopardize the ability of the Covered California exchange to offer affordable insurance to 1.5 million low- to middle-income consumers in the Golden State, health advocates said. (Carlson, 7/13)

The New York Times: U.S. Charges 412, Including Doctors, In $1.3 Billion Health Fraud
Hundreds of people nationwide, including dozens of doctors, have been charged in health care fraud prosecutions, accused of collectively defrauding the government of $1.3 billion, the Justice Department said on Thursday. (Ruiz, 7/13)

Reuters: Doctors, Nurses Among Hundreds Charged With Defrauding U.S. Health Programs
A total of 412 people, including almost 115 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, have been charged in the sweeping enforcement action, the biggest ever by the multi-agency Medicare Strike Force, the Justice Department said in a statement. More than 120 people were accused of illegally prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics, charges that come as about 91 Americans die daily from opioid-related overdoses. (Simpson, 7/13)

Los Angeles Times: U.S. Charges More Than 400 People In Health Fraud Schemes And Opioid Scams Worth $1.3 Billion
A nationwide law enforcement push aimed at the opioid crisis netted more than 400 arrests nationwide, top federal officials announced Thursday. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said the record number of arrests, which included more than 120 people allegedly involved in prescribing opioids, are a preview of a more aggressive approach to combating the nation’s spiraling epidemic of drug addiction. (Tanfani, 6/13)

Orange County Register: Hundreds Ensnared In Justice Department Health-Care Fraud Crackdown On $1.3 Billion In False Billings
In California, 17 people were charged with scheming to defraud Medicare of $147 million; and two of them were indicted for alleged involvement in a $41.5 million scheme targeting Medicare and a private insurer, the DOJ said. The scheme involved submitting fraudulent claims – and receiving payments for prescription drugs – that were never filled by pharmacies or given to patients. (Sforza and Saavedra, 6/13)

Los Angeles Times: The U.S. Should Rethink Its Entire Approach To Painkillers And The People Addicted To Them, Panel Urges
In a comprehensive report on what must be done to staunch the toll of opiates in the United States, a panel of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine makes clear that steps needed to prevent the creation of future opiate addicts will drive some people who are now dependent on these medications toward street drugs such as fentanyl and heroin... Even as lawmakers in Washington debate a healthcare bill expected to reduce access to addiction treatment, the expert panel called on states and the federal government to provide “universal access” to such treatment in hospitals, community-based programs, jails and prisons. (Healy, 7/13)

Los Angeles Times: Silicon Valley Firm And Abbott Labs Team Up On System For Managing Diabetes
When Jeffrey Brewer’s son was 15, the boy nearly lost his life because he took too much insulin. The diabetic teen took insulin so he could eat a large bag of chips late at night. But about 20 minutes later, he forgot about that first dose and took another. He spent two days in the hospital, his father said. (Schencker, 7/13)

Orange County Register: The Fight Over Orange County’s $3.4 Billion Healthcare Plan Could Be About Money, Local Control Or Revenge
The California legislature and the Orange County Board of Supervisors are embroiled in a tug-of-war over who will oversee the county’s $3.4 billion public healthcare plan for its low-income, disabled and elderly residents, who account for one-quarter of the county’s population. The county says the battle for authority over who sits on the CalOptima board is about increasing government oversight of the health plan and preventing the state from wresting away local control through a Senate bill. (Graham, 7/13)

McClatchy: Republicans Fail To Ban Medical Treatments For Transgender Troops
Two dozen House Republicans voted with 190 Democrats to sink the amendment that would prohibit military funds for soldiers seeking medical treatment related to gender transition... Hartzler’s proposal comes in the middle of renewed debate over transgender people serving in the military. (Daugherty and Bergengruen, 7/13)

In other veterans' health care news —

KPCC: VA To Study Health Effects Of Gulf War, Iraq And Afghanistan On Vets' Families
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has commissioned its first major study of whether men and women who served in America's most recent wars passed on any health problems to their children or grandchildren. Researchers with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine will hunt for any research that suggests soldiers who fought in the first Gulf War, the post-9/11 Iraq war and Afghanistan might have passed on any medical conditions to their descendants. (Lower, 7/13)

Reveal: Trump Administration Suddenly Pulls Plug On Teen Pregnancy Programs
The Trump administration has quietly axed $213.6 million in teen pregnancy prevention programs and research at more than 80 institutions around the country, including Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Johns Hopkins University. The decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will end five-year grants awarded by the Obama administration that were designed to find scientifically valid ways to help teenagers make healthy decisions that avoid unwanted pregnancies. (Kay, 7/14)

Los Angeles Times: AIDS Healthcare Foundation Claims Victory As Court Throws Out Lawsuit Over Its Billing Of L.A. County
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, long at battle with Los Angeles city and county officials over policies and payments, claimed a victory recently when a court dismissed a lawsuit involving charges that the foundation had overbilled L.A. County for HIV/AIDS-related services. (Agrawal, 7/13)

In other news from across the state —

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: New Santa Rosa Health Center For Developmentally Disabled Gets $2M 
A new health center currently under construction in west Santa Rosa just landed an additional $2 million in state funding to help cover the cost of treating residents displaced next year by the closing of the Sonoma Developmental Center. Last spring, Santa Rosa Community Health Centers obtained $2.5 million in state funds for building and equipment costs at the new health center at 130 North Dutton Ave. While the clinic, a $10 million construction project, will be specially designed to serve developmentally disabled patients it will be open to all. (Espinoza, 7/1`3)

Orange County Register: CHOC To Open NICU With All Private Rooms Where Parents Can Spend The Night
Private rooms are not only quieter and more comfortable for families, but a 2014 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that premature babies staying in private rooms gained more weight, experienced less pain and required fewer medical procedures than babies who were treated in the traditional format. Researchers said the improved health outcomes came from increased maternal involvement in feeding, changing diapers and skin-to-skin contact. (Perkes, 7/13)

San Jose Mercury News: Palo Alto Sees 26 Percent Rise In Homeless In County Census
The number of homeless people in Palo Alto has risen 26 percent in two years, according to a countywide census. Claudia Keith, a spokeswoman for the city, said Santa Clara County officials point to rising housing prices and the higher cost of living as likely reasons for the increase. Lee, 7/13)

Los Angeles Times: The New GOP Healthcare Bill Is More Conservative And More Moderate, And Still Plain Bad
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has done something remarkable to the Republican healthcare bill he’s been trying to steer through the Senate: He’s simultaneously made it more conservative and more moderate. But he hasn’t magically transformed it into a good bill that would make healthcare better or more accessible in this country. (7/14)

Los Angeles Times: Revised GOP Healthcare Bill Succeeds At Making Things Even Worse
The revised GOP bill includes Cruz’s proposal that insurers be permitted to offer cheaper, skimpier plans that fall short of what the Affordable Care Act defined as basic coverage, as long as they continue to offer at least one plan that meets the Obamacare requirements... Without healthier people’s premiums to offset claims submitted by the ill, insurers would have no choice but to raise rates for the sick. (David Lazarus, 7/14)

Orange County Register: Senate GOP Bill Would Devastate Children’s Health Care
Providing quality health care to our nation’s children should be sacrosanct. But for many members of Congress, it’s not. The Senate Republican health care bill has made that clear. The bill’s draconian cuts to Medicaid — used to pay for tax cuts for the richest Americans — would potentially devastate care for California’s children, particularly those with disabilities and complex health care needs. (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 7/12)

Los Angeles Times: Slashing Medicaid Is Probably The Worst Way To Fight An Opioid Addiction Epidemic
Most readers know by now that deep cuts to Medicaid over the next decade are a central feature of the healthcare reform proposal before the U.S. Senate this week — and a terrible policy that would put health coverage out of reach for millions of Americans. But here’s yet another reason why senators should think twice about voting for the Better Care Reconciliation Act: Doing so would pull the rug out from under those fighting to stop the raging opioid epidemic. (7/11)

Los Angeles Times: More Evidence Shows Obamacare Is Getting Healthier, But Will That Stop The GOP Wrecking Crew?
Data in a new report issued Monday confirms that the Affordable Care Act market stabilized in the first quarter of this year, becoming more profitable for insurers offering individual policies. That’s good news for the millions of Americans who depend on Obamacare for their health coverage. But it may be bad news for congressional Republicans whose insistence that the ACA marketplace is collapsing in a “death spiral” undergirds their efforts to repeal the law. (Michael Hiltzik, 7/10)

Modesto Bee: Modesto Man Thanks The ACA For Flimsy Health Plan And Sky-High Insurance Rates
[Bruce] Pardini is among the middle class voices that are disenchanted with the promises of the Affordable Care Act. With a household income of $73,000 a year, Pardini and his wife are not eligible for tax credits to lower their premiums. (Ken Carlson, 7/11)

Modesto Bee: State Can Make Lives Better, Save Money And Fight Disease By Passing Gray’s AB447
Diabetes is a chronic condition, so diligent monitoring and management of blood-sugar levels is the key to avoiding complications, a critical part of thriving for those affected. That’s why I found it particularly troubling that Medi-Cal – the state-run health plan for seniors, persons with disabilities, and low-income individuals – did not cover life-saving continuous glucose monitors. (Adam Gray, 7/10)

Sacramento Bee: The Best Hope To Help Sacramento's Homeless 
Effectively addressing homelessness in our community does not seem to be a lack of commitment or effort, but a lack of regional planning and coordination. As we have seen from Getting to Zero, collaboration allows us to build on the success and innovation of our partners, solve problems across jurisdictions, eliminate unnecessary duplication and to direct the passion and resources where they are needed most. (Ryan Loofbourrow, 7/10)

Los Angeles Times: Consider Vaccines, Repellents And Other Precautions Before Traveling Overseas This Summer
Small talk during the course of an office visit sometimes turns to the topic of summer vacation plans. My patients might be seeing me for nausea, but when they tell me about their upcoming trips to distant locales, I’m the one who turns green. (Dr. Stan Wasbin, 7/10)

Los Angeles Times: Is Junk Science About To Enter An L.A. Courtroom In A Lawsuit Over Ovarian Cancer?
The plaintiffs say they trusted that Johnson & Johnson wouldn’t market an unsafe product, only to learn after they fell ill that research had established a link between talc and ovarian cancer years earlier, and the company had refused to place a warning label on its packaging. Yet these cases should raise the same doubts as the other lawsuits, which we aired last year. (Michael Hiltzik, 7/8)