Stat: Embattled Theranos Promises First-Ever Peek At Its Science — But Doubts Abound
After more than a decade of evasion, Theranos is finally stepping into the scientific spotlight. And that’s creating quite a stir. Elizabeth Holmes, the turtleneck-clad CEO of the once dazzling diagnostics startup, is slated to deliver the first comprehensive rundown of the science behind Theranos’s blood tests on Monday, in front of industry professionals at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry conference in Philadelphia. (Keshavan, 7/29)

Stat: Can A Silicon Valley Startup Prevent Diabetes In Medicaid Patients?
Omada, which offers an online program geared to helping people who are prediabetic or obese lose weight and avoid developing type 2 diabetes, is rolling out a version of its program specifically tailored to people who rely on safety-net services like Medicaid. It is also sponsoring a clinical trial to try to demonstrate that such a program can work in low-income communities. In all of Omada’s programs, participants are given a scale that tracks their weight every day and are matched into groups based on geography and weight loss goals. The groups are paired with health coaches who provide guidance and lessons, customizing them so that a group of Louisianans, for example, can discuss how to keep up healthy habits during Mardi Gras. (Joseph, 7/29)

In other health technology news —

The San Diego Union-Tribune: App Delivers Prescription Meds To People On Demand
Mail-order prescription services often take days or weeks to deliver meds, but Phox, a nascent San Diego startup, has found a way to speed up the process. The 8-month-old company, co-founded by a hospital physician, has created an iPhone and Android app for same-day prescription delivery. Users need only download the app, sign up, and snap a photo of their pill bottle and insurance card to transfer refills to Phox’s system. (Van Grove, 7/28)

ABC News: Report: VA Spent Millions On Costly Art As Veterans Waited For Care
A new report alleges that the Department of Veterans Affairs spent $20 million between 2004 and 2014 on costly artwork. The expenditures included more than $1 million for a courtyard with a large sculpture at a Palo Alto veterans facility; $330,000 for a glass-art installation; and $21,000 for an artificial Christmas tree, according to the report. (McLaughlin, 7/29)

Sacramento Bee: Zika Found In Sacramento County's First Reported Case
A Sacramento County man who recently traveled to an area with active Zika transmission has tested positive in a preliminary test for the virus. The 34-year-old man sought medical care after exhibiting Zika symptoms, prompting the doctor to report the case to the county, said Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye. She could not specify which symptoms the man had. (Caiola, 7/28)

In other new about the virus —

ABC News: First Outbreak Of Locally Transmitted Zika Virus Confirmed In Continental US
An outbreak of the Zika virus has been confirmed in Florida, marking the first time the virus has been found to be transmitted via infected mosquitoes within the U.S. The outbreak has infected at least four people, three men and one woman, through local transmission, Florida officials said today. “This means Florida has become the first state in our nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said today. (7/29)

Stat: The Best Drug To Fight Zika May Already Be Approved And Out There, Study Suggests
Several teams of scientists are racing to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus. But what if a drug that already exists could stop an infection in its tracks? According to new research, it’s not a totally crazy idea. A group of researchers has identified two dozen Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs that have shown some ability to block Zika from infecting human cells in the lab, according to a paper published Thursday in the journal Cell Host & Microbe. Some of these drugs — which treat infections, cancers, and even depression— also showed potential to prevent infection in certain cells tied to fetal defects in pregnant women. (Joseph, 7/28)

Modern Healthcare: Failure To Fund Efforts To Fight Zika Reveals Need To Permanently Address Public Health Disasters
Nearly 800 women in the United States and its territories have tested positive for a Zika infection. ... And yet, Congress left for its seven week summer break without approving President Barack Obama's request for $1.9 billion to deal with Zika. (Muchmore, 7/28)

The San Diego Union-Tribune: County Urges Meningococcal Disease Vaccination
Although San Diego County hasn’t had a case of meningococcal disease this year, public-health officials are urging gay and bisexual men and anyone with an HIV infection to get vaccinated because of ongoing outbreaks in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Public-health departments in both of those northward regions issued similar recommendations this week. So far this year, there have been four confirmed infections, including one that led to death, in Orange County and 13 cases in Los Angeles County, officials said. (Sisson, 7/28)

In other news, a look at everything you need to know about the new school vaccination law —

LA Daily News: What You Need To Know About State’s New Student Vaccination Rules
California’s tough new immunization law, aimed at quelling the spread of disease, will be put to the test for the fall school year, with a medical exemption now required for students to skip immunizations. The law, which took effect July 1, was passed in response to a measles outbreak that started in December 2014 at Disneyland and sickened 81 people. Here’s a guide to how the law works: (Perkes, 7/28)

Oakland Tribune: Oakland Takes A Stand For Abortion Rights
Anti-abortion organizations will have to be straightforward about what their "crisis pregnancy centers" are offering under terms of truth-in-advertising legislation passed unanimously by the City Council. ...San Francisco passed a similar ordinance in 2011. Last year, U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong upheld the legislation in response to a challenge brought by nonprofit clinic owner First Resort. Armstrong ruled that false advertising is not protected speech under the First Amendment and that the clinic could still counsel patients and express its opinions. (Hedin, 7/28)

The Press Democrat: Kaiser Awards Grants To Local Sonoma And Marin Nonprofits
Kaiser Permanente has awarded nearly half a million dollars to local nonprofit groups in Marin and Sonoma counties that, among other things, promote improved health care access, healthy eating, active living, oral health, mental health and substance abuse services. Sonoma County based programs include Petaluma People Services Center’s Bounty Healthy Food Education program; La Luz Center’s Community Cares in Sonoma; the Northern California Center for Wellbeing’s Active Play Every Day program; and the Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese’s Uvisa program, which provides emergency assistance for immigrant victims. (Espinoza, 7/28)

In other news from across the state —

Modesto Bee: Golden Valley Opens A Second Health Center In Ceres
Golden Valley Health Centers recently opened its second site in Ceres on Memorial Drive, featuring 12 medical exam rooms and six rooms for dental care. The center, costing $3 million for the purchase and renovation of its building, will enable the nonprofit health provider to serve 8,000 more patients. Golden Valley, which has clinics for the underserved in Merced and Stanislaus counties, showed off the 8,300-square-foot facility to dignitaries and guests during a grand opening Wednesday. (Carlson, 7/28)

LA Daily News: This San Gabriel Boy Had A Rare Botfly Removed From His Head And Now Calls Himself ‘Bot-Man’
Last weekend, doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles pulled the developing bug out of Andrew’s head after his parents saw the larva pop out of a small hole it made in his scalp. Botfly larvae are internal parasites of mammals that burrow into the skin when their host insect, typically a mosquito, bites a mammal. The larvae feed on flesh, causing large bumps that secrete pus. People can sometimes feel the parasite squirming underneath the skin. (Baer, 7/28)

Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot: Proposal Is Yet Another Chapter In Laguna Beach's Medical Marijuana Saga
An attorney representing authors of an initiative that would repeal Laguna Beach's ban on medical marijuana dispensaries has come up with a compromise. Instead of having competing measures on the November ballot — the city has reacted to the initiative with talk of coming up with its own proposal — Charnel James told the City Council on Tuesday of another option: work together. (Alderton, 7/28)

Stat: At The DNC, The Debate Over Drug Prices Gives Way To Charcuterie And Cheese
The drug industry didn’t really feel the heat here at the Democratic National Convention. Once you left Wells Fargo Arena, where Bernie Sanders thundered, “The greed of the drug companies must end!” in the climatic speech of the convention’s opening night, drug lobbyists could be seen chatting with senior Democratic officials in crowded bars, picking at spreads of choice charcuterie and cheese. In between band sets at one such event, cosponsored by the drug company Astellas, Democratic congressmen lauded free trade — on the same day that streams of Sanders supporters had chanted their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. (Scott, 7/28)

The Hill: What Can We Expect In Healthcare With Clinton, Trump?
Clinton would expand Obamacare by allowing a buy-in to Medicare starting at age 55, offering a public health insurance option and continuing the drive for Medicaid expansion...Mr. Trump has adopted the Republican platform, which eliminates Obamacare and replaces it with consumer-based insurance plans. (Bellefeuille, 7/28)

The Washington Post: Major Global Partnership To Speed Antibiotic Development Launched
U.S. and British officials announced an ambitious collaboration Thursday designed to accelerate the discovery and development of new antibiotics in the fight against one of the modern era’s greatest health threats: antibiotic resistance. CARB-X, for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, will create one of the world’s largest public-private partnerships focused on preclinical discovery and development of new antimicrobial products. (Sun, 7/28)

In other national health care news —

Modern Healthcare: A Bipartisan Bill Might Alter Deductibles For Chronic-Disease Care. Really
People in diverse corners of healthcare are hopeful new legislation will ease growing consumer anxiety over higher medical deductibles. And it might have a chance of becoming law because the cause comes from rare bipartisan ground. Earlier this month, U.S. Reps. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)—both of whom sit on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health—introduced a bill that would change how the federal tax code treats high-deductible health plans that are paired with tax-exempt health savings accounts. (Herman, 7/28)

Stat: Poison Control Centers Are Getting A Surge Of Calls About ‘Natural’ Painkiller Kratom
The herbal supplement seemed like a miracle. Trying to kick an opioid addiction, the middle-aged man found he could soothe his cravings with a tea made from an Asian plant called kratom. It relieved his pain and made him more alert. But when he combined it with a stimulant, it also gave him a seizure that landed him in a Boston-area emergency room. Those kinds of stories are on the rise, according to a study published Thursday in a weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of calls to poison centers about problems stemming from kratom ingestion have increased tenfold over five years, from 26 in 2010 to 263 in 2015. (Boodman, 7/28)

The Washington Post: Studying Heart Disease In Astronauts Yields Clues But Not Conclusive Evidence
When James Irwin suffered his first heart attack at age 43 — just two years after walking on the moon — NASA doctors dismissed any connection with his trip to space, during which he had experienced short spells of irregular heart rhythm. "They noted that pre-flight testing had shown Mr. Irwin to be prone to slight uneven heartbeats on occasion after exercise," according to the New York Times. But then Irwin died of a heart attack in 1991, when he was just 61. A year earlier, fellow Apollo astronaut Ron Evans died of a heart attack in his sleep at age 56. And Neil Armstrong died after complications from cardiovascular surgery in 2012. He was 82. (Kaplan, 7/28)

NPR: Gun Violence And Mental Health Laws, 50 Years After Texas Tower Sniper
For some people, the attack on police officers by a gunman in Dallas this summer brought to mind another attack by a sniper in Austin 50 years ago – on Aug. 1, 1966. That's when student Charles Whitman stuck his rifle over the edge of the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin and started shooting. Ultimately, he killed 16 people — and wounded more than 30 others. For decades, people have struggled to figure out why. There have been theories about abuse, a brain tumor and, of course, mental illness. (Silverman, 7/29)

Los Angeles Times: How The Democratic Platform Betrays Millions Of The Party Faithful
The abortion plank in the 2016 Democratic platform effectively marginalizes the voices of 21 million pro-life Democrats. It means the party that is supposedly on the side of justice for the vulnerable no longer welcomes those of us who #ChooseBoth; that is, those of us who want the government to protect and support prenatal children and their mothers. (Kristen Day and Charles Camosy, 7/25)

LA Daily News: Ills Of The War On Drugs Are 2016’s Unmentioned Issue
In a presidential election year, Americans rightly expect to hear debates on every relevant topic. However, one topic seems to be missing from the debate this year, even when it seems compellingly relevant: the Drug War. When we talk about Mexican and Central American immigration, we ignore the fact that many of them are unaccompanied children, refugees fleeing Drug War violence, while drug warriors claim to be concerned about “the children.” And when the violence follows the refugees, we blame them, not the Drug War. (Richard Cowan, 7/28)

Los Angeles Times: The Truth About Healthcare Premiums: They'd Be A Lot Higher Without Obamacare
We’ve just entered the “sticker shock” season of healthcare reporting: News stories are brimming with reports of double-digit premium requests from insurance companies, amid dire warnings about the impact on consumers. ... But (Benjamin) Sommers asserts that concerns over rising premiums are “overblown,” chiefly for three reasons: Most of the cited rates are initial requests, likely to be pared down by state regulators; consumers have the ability and incentive to shop for cheaper rates; and more than 80% of Affordable Care Act customers receive premium subsidies, limiting the impact of any rate increases. (Michael Hiltzik, 7/26)

Los Angeles Times: Covered California Shows It's Not Immune To Big Premium Increases
Caifornians shopping for individual health insurance policies have seen some of the smallest increases in the nation over the last two years, thanks in part to the efforts of Covered California, the state's insurance exchange established under the 2010 federal healthcare law (better known as Obamacare). ... A more disturbing trend is the accelerating growth in medical costs, a long-term problem that has no easy solution. One cause is higher demand for care, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it reflects the fact that many uninsured people now have coverage. Another is the surprisingly large percentage of enrollees who sign up for coverage in mid-year, suggesting that some are trying to game the system by obtaining insurance only when they need expensive treatment. (7/21)

Sacramento Bee: Rate Hikes Show Rising Health Costs And Obamacare’s Flaws
The big rate increases announced last week for health insurance policies sold by California’s version of the federal health reform are the latest evidence that the Affordable Care Act, despite its name, cannot do much to tame the rise of health care costs.The government-run health insurance market is facing all the same cost pressures that the private market has confronted for years, plus more that have resulted from the dynamics of the federal law itself. Covered California, the state insurance agency created to implement the federal law, announced last week that rates for insurance sold through the program will increase an average of 13.2 percent in 2017. (Daniel Weintraub, 7/25)

Ventura County Star: Health Insurance Rate Hikes Show Need For Cost Reforms
The two largest insurers in the Covered California health insurance exchange are jacking up their monthly premiums by 17 and 20 percent next year. The news was appalling, but it should not have been surprising. And all of us should remember that there is nothing we can do about that, even though we once had a chance to place controls over those rates. Anthem Blue Cross has told the state it is going to increase its premiums by 17 percent next year, while Blue Shield is seeking a 20 percent increase. (7/28)

LA Daily News: This Could Be When Everyone Gets Sick Of Obamacare
Covered California just announced that the average cost of premiums for policies sold on the state health insurance exchange will be 13.2 percent higher next year. In 14 other states, premiums for widely sold silver plans will rise an average of 11 percent. The worse news is why: Health care costs are higher, two temporary programs to reduce risk for insurers are ending, and people signing up have been sicker than expected. That’s the opposite of what was intended. The Affordable Care Act was supposed to reduce health care costs, outgrow its need for insurer subsidies, and get young and healthy people into the risk pool with its mandate to buy health insurance. (Susan Shelley, 7/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Why Are They Trying To Make Us Kill Our Patients?
I am an oncologist/hematologist who has been practicing in California, primarily at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, for 39 years. It has been my privilege to have treated and cared for more than 16,000 patients with cancer or blood diseases and to have provided pain relief and comfort for the dying. I am also one of six concerned physicians who, along with the American Academy of Medical Ethics, have sued in a California Superior Court to try to block as unconstitutional the state’s Physician Assisted Suicide law, which went into effect on June 9. More recently, a group of doctors and health-care professionals in Vermont joined a lawsuit filed July 19 to try to block the way that state’s 2013 assisted suicide law is being interpreted and misapplied. (Philip B. Dreisbach, 7/24)

The Sacramento Bee: Give Patients Protection From Surprise Medical Bills
Jennifer Saurenman of San Marino meticulously planned a shoulder surgery last year. She spent weeks ensuring her surgeon and the outpatient facility were in her health insurance plan’s network. But she couldn’t find out who her anesthesiologist would be until the day of the procedure, and she was hit with a $4,230 bill for an out-of-network anesthesiologist. Her story is, unfortunately, far too common in California. A 2015 survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that nearly one in four privately insured Californians received a surprise medical bill where their health plan paid less than expected. (Betsy Imholz, 7/26)

Modesto Bee: Hospital Bill For Modesto Woman’s Birth Was A Shock
Kathy Wardlow was aware that hospital charges have gone up during her lifetime. She didn’t know how much until she recently found the billing statement for her birth at the former Modesto City Hospital 60 years ago Wednesday. The total charge was $100.50. (Ken Carlson, 7/28)

The Fresno Bee: A Set Of Mergers Too Big Not To Fail
In California, for example, the Anthem-Cigna merger would create such a behemoth that Anthem would own more than 50 percent of the market in 28 counties. Imagine that as you picture your next health insurance open enrollment. And though Anthem executives testified in March at hearings before the California Department of Insurance that as much as $2 billion in efficiencies could result from the mergers, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has said that the savings are “vague, speculative and impossible to verify” upon closer examination. (7/24)

Los Angeles Times: Congressional Witch Hunt For 'Baby Body Part' Sellers Needs To End
When a congressional panel investigating the procurement of fetal tissue from abortion clinics was formed last fall, its Republican leader and members made no secret of their mission to expose businesses that “sell baby body parts.” (They even said as much on their website.) Their inquiry was inspired by hidden-camera videos (later discredited) that supposedly showed Planned Parenthood officials negotiating over payments for harvested fetal tissue. It’s illegal in the U.S. to profit from the sale of fetal tissue — payments are limited to the cost of collecting and handling it — so if the committee actually found organizations doing that, it would be legitimate to bust them. (7/25)

Los Angeles Times: Court Says Obamacare Birth Control Option May Violate Catholics' Rights, Even If They Don't Use It
The Affordable Care Act continues to provide an opportunity for religious zealots to complain that someone, somewhere, might be doing something of which they disapprove. Another such case advancing through the courts is that of Missouri State Rep. Paul Wieland and his wife, Teresa, who assert that Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate tramples on their family’s religious rights even if they don’t make use of it. St. Louis Federal Judge Jean Constance Hamilton thinks they may have a point. On Thursday she denied the government’s motion to throw out the case on summary judgment. Merely requiring individuals to buy an insurance policy that provides contraception could infringe on their religious conscience, she ruled in clearing the case for trial. (Michael Hiltzik, 7/25)

Los Angeles Times: Should We Pay Women To Donate Their Eggs For Research? No, And Here's Why.
Not everything in life is for sale, nor should it be.” That’s what California Gov. Jerry Brown said in 2013 when he vetoed a bill allowing women to be paid to donate their eggs for scientific research. “In medical procedures of this kind,” he added, “the long-term risks are not adequately known. Putting thousands of dollars on the table only compounds the problem.” (Michael Hiltzik, 7/22)

Oakland Tribune: Hepatitis, Cancer Link Must Be Understood
World Hepatitis Day is Thursday, and we urge the people of California to take this moment to focus on cancer prevention. What does cancer prevention have to do with hepatitis? Plenty. The hepatitis B and C viruses cause 80 percent to 95 percent of all liver cancer cases. Liver cancer kills about 16,000 men and 7,000 women in the United States each year. (Carolyn Aldigé, 7/26)

LA Daily News: Los Angeles Faces New Challenges As Its Population Gets Older
According to AARP, almost 90 percent of adults 65 and older want to stay in their current home and community as they age. As a city [Los Angeles], we need to provide the services and support that older Americans need. That’s why it’s been great to see our elected leaders already starting to address the issue of a “graying” L.A. (Ashley Mirone, 7/24)