The Mercury News: Uncertainty Over Federal Money Could Spur Covered California Rate Hikes 
If the federal government does not clarify by mid-August whether it will continue an important health insurance subsidy for consumers next year, California’s state-run exchange will instruct its insurers to sell plans with significantly higher premiums to cover the loss of the money...At issue are the so-called cost-sharing subsidies that reduce what some consumers pay out of their own pockets for medical expenses such as physician visits, prescription drugs and hospital stays. These reduced rates are only available to Covered California enrollees who choose silver-level plans, the second-least expensive among the exchange’s four tiers. The subsidies are to help people whose annual income is between 139 percent and 250 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $34,200 to $61,500 for a family of four. (Bazar, 6/8)

Los Angeles Times: More Than $30 Million In Prop. 47 Savings Will Go To Mental Health And Drug Rehab Programs In The Los Angeles Area
California state officials on Thursday named the 23 government agencies that will receive $103 million in grant funds from a ballot initiative that downgraded six drug and theft crimes to misdemeanors. For the large coalition of supporters behind 2014's Proposition 47, it is a long-awaited step forward. Other states have passed similar laws. But California is the lone state investing the money saved from keeping fewer people behind bars in services to help people stay out of prison. (Ulloa, 6/8)

Los Angeles Times: FBI Raids Controversial DNA Testing Company In Irvine 
Agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday morning raided Proove Biosciences, an Irvine company that sells a DNA test it claims can determine whether a patient is at risk of addiction to opioid painkillers. In a press conference, FBI spokeswoman Cathy Kramer said the raid was part of an ongoing investigation concerning healthcare fraud. No arrests were made. (Flemming, 6/8)

Los Angeles Times: Microcephaly Or Other Birth Defects Seen In 5% Of Pregnancies Affected By Zika, CDC Says
About 1 in 20 women who became infected with Zika during their pregnancies had a baby with microcephaly or other birth defects that were probably caused by the virus, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure is based on an analysis of 2,549 pregnancies in U.S. territories where Zika was spreading from person to person by Jan. 1, 2016. It’s in line with a previous report from the 50 states involving pregnant women who became infected while traveling abroad in places where the virus was circulating, but it’s considered more accurate because it comes from a more complete set of data. (Kaplan, 6/8)

Los Angeles Times: Kids Who Can't Get To A Dentist Get Better Smiles Through Mobile Teledentistry At Their Schools 
The drink display was one of the many educational tools the mobile teledentistry program — provided by Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County — uses to teach students about dental health while also providing them with dental services. With a focus on serving low-income youth who may not have transportation to a dental office or whose parents cannot miss work to take them to appointments, the program has set up shop in Danbrook school, Centralia Elementary School in Anaheim and Wilson Elementary School in Santa Ana. (Chan, 6/8)

KPCC: Why So Many More Homeless Vets In LA? 
Despite recent gains in the fight to end veteran homelessness, a sharp rise in the numbers living on the streets of Southern California has prompted veterans and advocates to call for more action and to question whether the problems at the root of the crisis are being adequately confronted. The number of homeless veterans hit 4,828, a 57 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Jan. 2017 homeless count released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority last month. (Merina, 6/9)

In other news from across the state —

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Petaluma Company Gives $100K For North Bay Businesses’ AEDs 
The latest effort to reduce Sonoma County deaths from cardiac arrest comes from a Petaluma company that recently pledged $100,000 to purchase automated external defibrillators for North Bay businesses. Stacy Gibbons, executive director of American Heart Association North Bay, called the move by Arrow Benefits Group “unprecedented.” Arrow Benefits Group’s first foray into reducing cardiac arrest deaths was in late 2014, when the company asked the Petaluma Health Care District to teach its employees hands-only CPR. The 6-year-long CPR education program, which mostly exists on middle school campuses, began with the Sonoma County branch of American Medical Response. (Warren, 6/8)

The Mercury News: Palo Alto Parents Opposing Sex Program Won't Get Review Soon
Parents who want the Palo Alto school district to choose a different sex-education program will not get what they want by the new school year, if at all. Though some school board members agreed with them that the process used to select the new sex-ed materials may have lacked parental input and transparency, the majority said the Teen Talk program by Redwood City nonprofit Health Connected is appropriate for students and was vetted by the state. (Lee, 6/8)

The Mercury News: Cal Rugby Coach Claims Hit That Paralyzed Player Was ‘Illegal’ 
Paralyzed Cal rugby player Robert Paylor was injured last month by an illegal hit that was caught on film, storied head coach Jack Clark said this week in a development that has launched a USA Rugby investigation. The candid June 2 statement by Clark called Paylor’s injury in the May 6 Varsity Cup championship win against Arkansas State “preventable.” (Gafni, 6/8)

Politico: Senate GOP Finds A New Problem For Every One Resolved On Obamacare Repeal
Senate Republicans hoping to get the bulk of an Obamacare repeal bill done within the next few days keep finding a new problem for every old one they get closer to resolving. A burst of optimism that they could agree on a more generous version of the House-passed repeal bill was quickly doused by concerns over the cost. An emerging consensus on subsidies to stabilize shaky insurance markets was countered by a threat that crucial abortion restrictions could derail the effort altogether. And looming over it all, lawmakers are still struggling to bridge the deep divide over the future of Medicaid. (Cancryn, Haberkorn, Everett and Pradhan, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Senate Republicans Consider Keeping Parts Of Obamacare They Once Promised To Kill
In their effort to revamp the nation’s health-care system, Senate Republicans are considering preserving or more gradually eliminating key elements of the Affordable Care Act that the House voted to discard, creating an uncomfortable political situation for the party after years of promises to fully repeal the law. Senate GOP leadership told rank-and-file Republican senators during private talks this week that they favor keeping guaranteed protections for people with preexisting medical conditions — a departure from the House approach of allowing states to opt out of a regulation ensuring such individuals are not charged more for coverage. (Sullivan and Snell, 6/8)

Roll Call: Senate Moderates Say They Are Closer On Health Care
Moderate Republicans on Thursday said they were getting closer to supporting an emerging Senate health package but are continuing to press for a slower phaseout of the Medicaid expansion than the House-passed bill set out. The Medicaid expansion question seems to remain the biggest unresolved issue as Republicans try to finalize a bill they can vote on before the end of June. To meet their timeline, they would have to send a bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate by early next week, according to a Republican aide. (Siddons and Raman, 6/9)

The Hill: Conservatives Push Back On Senate Changes To Health Bill 
Conservatives are pushing back strongly against the Senate’s proposed changes to the House healthcare reform bill, fearing the legislation is moving in the wrong direction. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) — some of the chamber’s more centrist members — have proposed gradually phasing out extra federal funds for Medicaid over seven years, beginning in 2020. That is longer than a House GOP leadership proposal to eliminate Medicaid expansion funding by 2023. (Sullivan and Roubein, 6/8)

Politico: Abortion Restrictions Threaten Senate GOP’s Obamacare Repeal Push
"There's still not a clear ruling from the parliamentarian about the House Hyde language ... I don't think we go to contingencies or Plan Bs until we know that. But I do think there's been some gaming out of how you address it if the House language isn't acceptable," said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a GOP leader working on the tax credits. "No taxpayer funding is consistent with the majority of our caucus." (Haberkorn and Everett, 6/8)

And a powerful lawmaker backs insurer subsidies —

The New York Times: A Key Republican Demands Subsidies To Calm Insurance Markets
A powerful House Republican said Thursday that Congress should immediately provide money for subsidy payments to health insurance companies, which have been demanding big rate increases or fleeing from Affordable Care Act markets because of President Trump’s threat to cut off the funds. The Republican, Kevin Brady of Texas, who is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, went out of his way to make clear that he now believes that Congress should continue the subsidies, which compensate insurers for reducing deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for seven million low-income people. (Pear, 6/8)

Modesto Bee: California Single-Payer Plan Would Be Illegal And Completely Unworkable 
I am a lifelong Democrat who has worked for more than a decade to improve the policies and build the coalitions necessary for the success of the Affordable Care Act. ... So why I am so hopping mad about the “single-payer” bill – SB 562 – making its way through California’s legislature? My frustration is with how the bill exploits widespread confusion about good healthcare policy and how other countries achieve them. (Micah Weinberg, 6/8)

Orange County Register: Is ‘Single Payer’ The Health Care Answer For California?
The California Senate passed a bill last week that would make this the only state to provide health care to all residents through what’s called the single-payer system. Is “single payer” the best health insurance solution? (6/6)

Los Angeles Times: Trump's Sabotage Of Obamacare Has Just Claimed 10,000 New Victims
A major shoe dropped in the battle to preserve the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday, as Anthem, the nation’s second-largest health insurer, announced it is withdrawing entirely from the individual market in Ohio. The move will leave 18 counties without an insurer in the ACA exchanges, leaving an estimated 10,500 Anthem customers high and dry — most of them in Appalachia, among the poorest parts of the state. (Michael Hiltzik, 6/6)

Los Angeles Times: Trump Tries To Kill Obamacare Without Actually Pulling The Trigger
Health insurance giant Anthem Inc. didn’t cite President Trump when it announced Tuesday that it was withdrawing from the Obamacare marketplace in Ohio, leaving the marketplace with no insurer in at least 18 counties. But Anthem pointed the finger right at him — and at the Republicans in Congress who are trying to “repeal and replace” the 2010 healthcare law. (Jon Healy, 6/7)

Los Angeles Times: California Bill Would End 'Purely Profit-Driven' Practice Of Drug-Company Coupons
When it comes to fixing the dysfunctional U.S. healthcare system, state Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) knows there are bigger fish to fry than drug-company discount coupons. But as he told me: “You’ve got to start somewhere.” Wood’s anti-coupon bill, AB 265, was approved by the Assembly last week. The legislation is now making its way through the state Senate. (David Lazarus, 6/6)

Los Angeles Times: A Big Health Insurer Is Planning To Punish Patients For 'Unnecessary' ER Visits
Anthem is the nation’s second-largest health insurer, with thousands of medical professionals on its payroll. Yet its Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia subsidiary has just informed its members that if they show up at the emergency room with a problem that later is deemed to have not been an emergency, their claim won’t be paid. It’s a new wrinkle in the age-old problem of how to keep patients from showing up at the ER for just anything. But medical experts say the Georgia insurer is playing with fire. By requiring patients to self-diagnose at the risk of being stuck with a big bill, it may discourage even those with genuine emergencies from seeking necessary care. And it’s asking them to take on a task that often confounds even experienced doctors and nurses. (Michael Hiltzik, 6/2)

Los Angeles Times: 'Alexa, What's My Blood Sugar Level And How Much Insulin Should I Take?' 
The latest diabetes-related tech endeavor to be announced is the Alexa Diabetes Challenge, which focuses on finding ways for the Amazon Echo smart speaker — and its Alexa digital assistant — to assist people with Type 2 diabetes in living healthier lives. ... The Alexa challenge features a $125,000 grand prize for whoever comes up with the best diabetes app for the Amazon Echo, as well as $25,000 each for up to five finalists. (David Lazarus, 6/9)

Orange County Register: Unions Only Care About Privacy When It Benefits Them
It turns out the much-heralded commitment of the political left and its allies in organized labor to the ideal of privacy rights has its limits. And that limit once again manages to expire just short of themselves. For example, they’re all for protecting the identities of taxpayer-subsidized home health care providers already represented by the same public-sector unions that fund liberal candidates and causes. (Sam Han, 6/4)

Orange County Register: Is Your Teen Smoking Weed? How To Talk About Legal Marijuana. 
Since Californians voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana last November, many parents and educators have been wondering how to talk with teens about drug use and prevent abuse now that voters have given lighting up a green light. Proposition 64, also called the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative, is creating a cloud of questions for parents and confusion for teens who grew up with a clear policy of zero drug use in their homes. (Dan Gleason, 6/7)