Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Hungry Californians Finally To Get A Little More Help
California is the last state to make federal food benefits available to disabled and senior residents who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Californians who get SSI will become eligible for food aid on June 1. (Lori Basheda, )
Good morning! A bill on police officers’ use of deadly force picked up an important co-sponsor this week, which all but ensures that it will land on the governor’s desk. More on that below, but first here are some of your other top California health stories for the day.
USC Gynecologist Still Wasn't Fired After Experts Told School He May Be Preying On Asian Students And Showing Signs Of 'Psychopathy': University of Southern California administrators hired a team of medical experts after it received complaints against longtime campus gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall. Despite the subsequent damning report, he wasn't fired. Instead, USC's lawyers arranged a secret deal with Tyndall that allowed him to leave his post with a substantial financial payout and a pristine professional record. The confidential report was among a cache of internal university records made public Thursday after U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson ruled that the public had an interest in “all pertinent information” about Tyndall and the university’s response. USC has apologized for university employees’ handling of Tyndall and the complaints against him, first exposed by Los Angeles Times reporters last year. The revelations led to the ouster of President C.L. Max Nikias, one of the largest sex crimes investigations in Los Angeles police history, more than 650 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by Tyndall and pledges by USC’s board to fix a broken school culture. Read more from Matt Hamilton and Harriet Ryan of the Los Angeles Times.
California Soda Industry Has Found Success In Thwarting The Legislation On The Docket This Year: As the Legislature hits the session’s halfway point, three of the anti-soda measures that were being considered have already fizzled out. And the two that remain in play—one prohibiting discount pricing on soda and another requiring warning labels—face difficult floor votes by the end of the month. Soda’s success so far in thwarting an agenda backed by doctors, dentists and public health advocates shows that despite Democrats’ historically large majority, intense lobbying efforts can still bear fruit. The American Beverage Association, which is funded by companies including Coke and Pepsi, more than tripled the amount it spent lobbying in California during the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year. Read more from Laura Rosenhall of CALmatters.
In case you missed it, past California Healthline coverage: Big Soda Pours Big Bucks Into California’s Capitol
Doctors’ Practices Rise Out Of The Ashes Of Paradise Like A Phoenix: The deadly and destructive wildfires from last year took a large financial and emotional toll on doctors in the area of the blaze. Not only did the groups’ buildings burn, but the houses of the health care personnel did as well. Now doctors are starting to take steps toward returning and rebuilding their practices. Because of the devastation in Paradise, many of the medical group’s patients relocated to other California communities – Redding, the Bay Area, Chico, Sacramento, Napa Valley, the Central Valley, Los Angeles – but some even moved out of state. The return of doctors, though, is much needed. Paradise and other rural areas around it have long had a shortage of primary care providers even before the Camp Fire shut down the Feather River hospital and left the future of Thorp’s group uncertain. Read more from Cathie Anderson of the Sacramento Bee and Catherine Ho of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
Sacramento Bee:
California Use Of Force Bill Modified To Gain Police Support
California’s most prominent bill to restrict when cops can use deadly is moving forward, but with changes that make criminal prosecutions of police officers less likely. Assembly Bill 392 is now co-sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, all but ensuring the legislation moves closer to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Following the amendments, Newsom said in a news release that AB 392 is “an important bill” that “will help restore community trust in our criminal justice system.” (Wiley, 5/23)
Sacramento Bee:
California Bill Requires Comfy Breastfeeding Rooms At Work
California lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday expanding requirements that employers provide their employees who are nursing with a private lactation room. Senate Bill 142 requires employers to provide not just a private room for nursing or pumping breastmilk, but also provide access to running water and a refrigerator or space and electricity for an employee-provided cooler. The bill also gives employers five days to respond to a worker’s request for lactation accommodations “and make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with the use of a room or other location for the employee to express milk in private.” (Sheeler, 5/22)
Los Angeles Times:
California Bill To Create ‘Safe Injection Sites’ In San Francisco Clears Assembly
A bill that would allow San Francisco city officials to open facilities where people can inject drugs without legal consequences cleared the state Assembly on Thursday. Assembly Bill 362 by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) would create a six-year pilot program in San Francisco giving drug users a place to inject themselves with intravenous drugs under clinical supervision. (Gutierrez, 5/23)
Capital Public Radio:
The Waiting Game: When Hospitals Say No, Where Can Uninsured Patients Find Surgery?
SPIRIT serves people who cannot get help at the emergency room because their conditions, while life-altering, don’t rise to the level of life-threatening — at least not yet. Across the state and the country, charity groups, hospitals and community clinics are working together to try to connect these patients to complex care that would otherwise be unattainable. For some, it means months — or years — of waiting for help. (Caiola, 5/23)
KQED:
Frequent Assaults On Workers At San Leandro Psychiatric Hospital, Records Show
Staff at a psychiatric hospital in San Leandro were punched, slapped, spit on and kicked — mostly by patients — in at least 80 separate instances over the last year, according to records kept by the agency that operates the facility. ...The union representing workers at John George Psychiatric Hospital has for years called for safer workplace conditions and more staffing, and is now pointing to the new data to cast light on the dangers of the job. (Goldberg, 5/23)
Iowa Public Radio:
Sifting Through The Research On The Weed Killer, Glyphosate
Earlier this month, a California jury awarded a couple more than $2 million in a dispute against Monsanto, ruling that the plaintiffs contracted non-Hodgkin lymphoma because of their use of Roundup. This is the third such case to end this way in California in the last two years. Bayer continues to defend the safety of the product and it's hard to know what to believe. (Woodbury, Nebbe and Nobriga, 5/23)
Sacramento Bee:
Traffic Death Study: CA, SC Rural Roads Most Deadly Of US States
Drivers across the country are more likely to die on rural roads than city streets — but in these states, rural crash deaths are even more common than the national average, a new study finds. South Carolina had the highest rate of rural road deaths of any state in 2017, followed by California in the No. 2 spot, and then Arizona, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas, Oregon and North Carolina, according to a report released on Wednesday by TRIP, an industry-funded transportation research nonprofit. (Gilmour, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times:
After Reports Of Chaos In L.A. Juvenile Halls, State Officials Visit Two Facilities
Officials from the California Department of Justice on Thursday visited two of Los Angeles County’s troubled juvenile halls — a sign that conditions inside the facilities are drawing the attention of state monitors. The officials toured Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, where staff complaints and damage caused by detainees were the subject of a story in The Times on Sunday. The officials spent the morning at the facility with detention supervisors and county lawyers before heading to the Central Juvenile Hall, northeast of downtown L.A., about lunchtime. (Stiles, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times:
Scientists Spy On Superbugs To See How They Outsmart Our Antibiotics
Scientists have discovered yet another way that single-celled organisms have outsmarted us. The tiny bacteria that live inside our guts have an ingenious way of withstanding the onslaught of antibiotics we throw at them, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Science. The two-part system allows bacterial cells to stay alive until another bacterium can deliver a lifeline, packaged in a snippet of DNA. (Baumgaertner, 5/23)
The Hill:
Los Angeles County Votes To Ban Travel To Alabama Over Abortion Law
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted this week to impose a one-year restriction on travel to the state of Alabama for official county business in response to a new law in the Southern state that bans abortion in nearly all cases, including instances of rape and incest. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, who authored the motion to restrict travel to the state, said in a statement that Alabama's new anti-abortion law is an "attack not only confined to the residents of those states, but an act of aggression upon all of us." (Folley, 5/23)
The Associated Press:
GOP, Democrats Team Up To Address Surprise Medical Bills
Plunging ahead despite paralyzing partisanship in the nation's capital, senior lawmakers of both parties Thursday proposed legislation to tackle surprise medical bills and other concerns, from prescription drug costs to uneven vaccination rates. The draft bill from Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., echoes a time when health care issues often led to dialogue and cooperation between political parties. Alexander chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, while Murray is the ranking Democrat. (5/23)
The Hill:
Bipartisan Senators Reveal Sweeping Health Care Package
The package contains nearly three dozen specific bipartisan provisions that will reduce the cost of what Americans pay for health care, Alexander said. It sidesteps controversial issues like ObamaCare repeal, Medicare for All and abortion funding. Aside from surprise billing, the package also aims to provide transparency to rebates between drug companies and the pharmacy benefits manager “middlemen.” The goal is to bring the package to the Senate floor this summer, and Alexander and Murray requested members submit comments on the bill by June 5. (Weixel, 5/23)
The New York Times:
Surprise Medical Bills Give Both Parties An Unexpected Opportunity To Agree
Washington finds itself having a genuine policy debate that isn’t driven by party line. The president gave a speech this month about the need for action, standing in front of patients who’d received huge surprise bills. Various lawmakers from the House and the Senate have introduced bills with solutions — all bipartisan. Some of them include elements that might seem unusual for Republican proposals: setting prices, if only in limited circumstances. Surprise bills — which occur when a hospitalized patient is treated by a doctor who is not in the same insurance network as the hospital, and is billed for the difference — aren’t tied to any of the political controversies about Obamacare. (Sanger-Katz, 5/24)
The Hill:
Trump-Pelosi Fight Threatens Drug Pricing Talks
President Trump's new vow to cut off work with Democrats is threatening recent progress in bipartisan talks to lower drug prices. Staffers for the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office have been in discussions for months about potential legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and sources say the White House has expressed openness to some form of Medicare negotiating drug prices, a major Democratic goal that Trump supported during the 2016 campaign before backing off. (Sullivan, 5/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration Preparing Executive Order On Health-Cost Disclosure
President Trump is expected to release an executive order as early as next week to mandate the disclosure of prices in the health-care industry, according to people familiar with the discussion. The order could direct federal agencies to pursue actions to force a host of players in the industry to divulge cost data, the people said. The administration is also looking at using agencies such as the Justice Department to tackle regional monopolies of hospitals and health-insurance plans over concerns they are driving up the cost of care, according to two people familiar with the discussions. (Armour, 5/24)
The Associated Press:
July 9 Appeal Arguments Set In 'Obamacare' Case
A court has scheduled a July 9 hearing on a Texas-based judge's ruling that former President Barack Obama's signature health care law is unconstitutional. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans set the hearing date Tuesday. The law's opponents want a 5th Circuit panel to uphold U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor's 2018 ruling striking down the law. (5/23)
Politico:
Tobacco Bill Could Put Democrats In Tough Spot
Republicans and Democrats both agree that the tobacco purchasing age should be raised from 18 to 21. But not everyone is on board with how to do it. A bipartisan tobacco bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is pushing forward — that he’s called a top priority — is already running into roadblocks with some Democrats who argue it would allow the tobacco industry to unduly influence state laws on vaping and other products. (Levine and Owermohle, 5/23)
NPR:
Economic Cost Imposed On Women When Abortion Is Limited
As Republican-led states pass laws restricting abortion in hopes the Supreme Court will overturn its Roe v. Wade decision, supporters of abortion rights are pushing back. Thousands of women who've had abortions have taken to social media to share their experience. Many argue they would have been worse off economically, had they been forced to deliver a baby. "I didn't know what I would do with a baby," said Jeanne Myers, who was unmarried and unemployed when she got pregnant 36 years ago. (Horsley, 5/23)
The Washington Post:
Officials Fighting U.S. Measles Outbreaks Threaten To Use Rare Air Travel Ban
Health officials in five states have warned people believed to be infected with measles and planning to travel that they could prevent them from getting on planes. All eight individuals agreed to cancel their flights after learning the officials could ask the federal government to place them on a Do Not Board List managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Martin Cetron, director of the agency’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, which tracks disease outbreaks. (Sun, 5/23)
The Associated Press:
Virtual Reality Helps Police Learn To Interact With Autistic
An autistic man walks out of a store without paying for a toy he picked up. He's followed by a storekeeper demanding he come back inside. The situation quickly escalates, and police are called. Officers arrive, their patrol car's lights flashing and sirens blaring, to find the man in the parking lot, yelling and not responding to their commands. They have a choice: confront the man and risk having the situation turn violent or regroup to figure out a different approach. (5/24)
Los Angeles Times:
A Drug With A Multimillion-Dollar Price Tag Is Making A Mockery Of Washington’s Efforts To Rein In Prices
Gilead Sciences, a California biopharmaceutical company, scored a major breakthrough in 2013 when the Food and Drug Administration approved Sovaldi, a pill that could cure hepatitis C when combined with another antiviral medication. And then Gilead delivered another breakthrough, albeit not a good one: It priced Sovaldi at $1,000 per pill, or $84,000 to $168,000 per course of treatment. The pricing stunned patients, insurers and state governments, which were suddenly exposed to billions of dollars in potential prescription costs. But as it turns out, Sovaldi was just a milepost on the way to the six- and seven-figure prices that a new generation of specialty drugs are expected to command. (5/23)
Los Angeles Times:
China’s Ban On Fentanyl Drugs Won't Likely Stem America’s Opioid Crisis
The invention of the hypodermic needle and synthesis of heroin in the 19th century forever changed the opiate landscape. The arrival of cheap, accessible and mass-produced synthetic opioids might do the same. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are driving drug overdose deaths in the United States and it is unlikely this will end soon. But unlike prescription pain relievers, the vast majority of synthetic opioid overdoses involve illicit imports from China and Mexico. (Bryce Pardo and Beau Kilmer, 5/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Jeffrey’s Journey: An Addict’s Trail From San Francisco Streets To Prison
The first time I met Jeffrey Choate, he looked close to death. He was passed out on a Larkin Street sidewalk, needles and other drug paraphernalia scattered around him. His dirt-smeared arms and hands puffed up like balloons, a sign of heroin addiction. (Heather Knight, 5/24)
Los Angeles Times:
The Best Way To Keep Abortion Legal: Women Like Me Should Talk Openly About Having Them
In the summer of 2016, it felt like all my ships were coming in: I’d secured a teaching job, and I was dating someone new. “Buy a lottery ticket!” a friend said. I did. Then, unexpectedly, I got pregnant. I’ve wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember. Two years earlier, I’d had an IUD removed when a longtime boyfriend and I began discussing kids. Instead of having a baby, we broke up. And then things worsened: My finances crumbled. My dad got cancer.But then that golden summer came along. I almost believed I could win the lottery. (Alena Graedon, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times:
Assembly Bill Could Make It Harder For Some Dialysis Patients To Receive Treatment
Assembly Bill 290, supported by California’s health insurance companies, will force AKF to cease operating its program in California, hurting me and the more than 3,700 Californians who rely on its financial assistance. This is because provisions in AB 290 conflict with the strict federal guidelines under which AKF operates and, rather than risk its operations nationwide, AKF will simply stop offering assistance in California. (Duc Dang, 5/22)
Sacramento Bee:
Senate Bill 50 Needs The Extra Time Its Been Given
Throughout my career, I have been unwavering in my support for increasing California’s supply of affordable housing. In the state Legislature, I created a historic ongoing funding source for affordable housing, made sure affordable housing was included in cap-and-trade funds and provided funding for permanent supportive housing as well as other programs and funding to combat homelessness. I am supportive of the concepts advanced by Senate Bill 50, which would add housing supply by increasing density and creating more transit-oriented housing to address both the housing shortage and climate change. (Toni G. Atkins, 5/22)
Sacramento Bee:
Make Your Voice Heard On Police Deadly Force Reform
Heads up: It’s crunch time for Assembly Bill 392, the proposed law to reform the rules for when police can use deadly force. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, and introduced in its original form shortly after the killing of Stephon Clark, appears stalled in the California Legislature. Despite public support from powerful leaders, passage is not assured. (5/22)
Los Angeles Times:
Of Course Police Should Kill Only When Necessary. California Law Should Reflect That
Police officers should be able to use deadly force only when necessary to prevent death or serious injury to themselves or to others. That standard seems so logical and so based in common sense that it may come as a surprise that it’s not already the law. It ought to be, and a bill currently before California lawmakers would make it so. Assembly Bill 392 is a measured piece of legislation to improve police practices and enhance accountability. It deserves to pass. (5/22)
Sacramento Bee:
Trump Is Aiming To Hit California Where Hurts – Again
Get out your rakes. President Trump is attacking California’s forest fire management again. Wildfire season is almost here and, in an ongoing effort to make sure California is punished each and every day for not being a handmaiden to the daily calamity in Washington, Trump’s Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service are playing games with California’s firefighting budget. They’re trying to violate the California Fire Assistance Agreement, known as the CFAA, which doesn’t expire until 2020, according to a story by McClatchy DC’s Emily Cadei. (5/21)
Los Angeles Times:
Heart Disease Is The No. 1 Killer Of Women, But The Research Has Long Favored Men
During a recent and engaging presentation for patients on Medicare, I received a pamphlet listing crucial tests for people of a certain age. One recommendation rattled me: Men from age 65 to 75 who had smoked more than 100 cigarettes should have an ultrasound to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm. As a teenager, I did my share of stupid things, including smoking. Shouldn’t women be screened too? This felt like one more sign that medical bias is still seeping into women’s healthcare. (Emily Dwass, 5/23)