- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- Spending Against Dialysis Ballot Measure In California Breaks Record
- Elections 1
- Prop. 2 Would Create New Housing For An Estimated 20,000 Homeless People With Severe Mental Illness
- Health Care Personnel 1
- Nearly 100 More Women Sue USC With Accusations Of Sexual Abuse By University's Longtime Gynecologist
- The Opioid Crisis 1
- How The Wild Success Of A Shanghai-Based Drug-Trafficking Syndicate Contributed To U.S. Opioid Crisis
- Public Health and Education 1
- Knock On Wood: So Far There's No Indication That This Year's Flu Season Will Be As Severe As Last Winter
- Around California 1
- Two San Diego Researchers Land On Time's List Of 50 Most Influential Figures In Health Care
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Spending Against Dialysis Ballot Measure In California Breaks Record
Dialysis companies have contributed more than $110 million to defeat an initiative on California’s Nov. 6 ballot that would limit their profits — breaking the $109 million record set by the pharmaceutical industry in 2016. (Harriet Blair Rowan, )
More News From Across The State
Prop. 2 Would Create New Housing For An Estimated 20,000 Homeless People With Severe Mental Illness
The proposition has broad support from a variety of organizations, including law-enforcement groups and the statewide National Alliance on Mental Illness, but some critics are worried about how much funding the project will take. In other news, Prop. 4, a ballot measure to approve funding for children's hospitals, will also go in front of voters in November.
Capital Public Radio:
Proposition 2: At Issue Is Housing For 20,000 Mentally Ill Homeless People In California
While most people agree the end goal of Proposition 2 is noble, there is disagreement over $2 billion in bonds needed to build those homes. To be clear, organizations representing California cities, counties, firefighters, police, sheriffs and mental health services overwhelmingly support the plan. (White, 10/18)
Capital Public Radio:
Proposition 4 Could Boost Funding For California Children’s Hospitals
Leaders of California’s 13 regional children’s hospitals say the financial strain of more Medicaid patients and longer treatment times has made it harder to pay for infrastructure upgrades. Now, they're taking the issue to the ballot box. If voters approve Proposition 4 this November, the state will put $1.5 billion in bond funding toward these improvements. (Caiola, 10/18)
Nearly 100 More Women Sue USC With Accusations Of Sexual Abuse By University's Longtime Gynecologist
With the additions, the number of women now suing the University of Southern California with allegations against Dr. George Tyndall rises to over 400.
The Associated Press:
93 Women Accuse Former USC Doctor Of Sex Abuse
Nearly 100 women who contend that they were sexually harassed or abused by a former University of Southern California gynecologist are suing the school, contending it ignored decades of complaints. "I am part of an accidental sisterhood of hundreds of women because the university we love betrayed our trust,” said Dana Loewy, who alleged that Dr. George Tyndall assaulted her during an examination in 1993. (10/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Scores More Former Patients Sue USC Over Gynecologist's Alleged Sexual Misconduct
Andy Rubenstein, whose Texas firm D. Miller & Associates is representing hundreds of Tyndall’s former patients, said in a statement that “the survivors we represent are furious, and rightfully so. They are not going away.“ Generations of Trojan women have had to endure the same emotional pain and scars because USC did nothing,” Rubenstein said. “Since this story broke nearly six months ago, there has been no significant effort by USC to come clean or enact substantive change in the way it handles allegations of sexual assaults against its staff.” (Branson-Potts and Hamilton, 10/18)
Meanwhile —
Los Angeles Times:
How A Newport Beach Doctor Fell From Reality TV Star To Suspected Serial Rapist
Authorities continue to seek potential victims after additional charges were filed this week against a prominent Newport Beach doctor, who now is accused of attacking at least seven women. Dr. Grant Robicheaux, 38, once dubbed Orange County’s most eligible bachelor, and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, 31, are accused of rape by drugs, kidnapping, oral copulation by anesthesia, assault with intent to commit sexual offenses and other crimes. (Winton and Sclafani, 10/18)
The Chinese syndicate's laboratory churned out 16 tons of illicit chemicals a month. U.S. officials say that China needs to take action to shut down the pipeline from the organization into the United States.
Los Angeles Times:
Fentanyl Smuggled From China Is Killing Thousands Of Americans
The Zheng drug trafficking organization was hardly clandestine. The Shanghai-based network sold synthetic narcotics, including deadly fentanyl, on websites posted in 35 languages, from Arabic and English to Icelandic and Uzbek. The Chinese syndicate bragged that its laboratory could “synthesize nearly any” drug and that it churned out 16 tons of illicit chemicals a month. The group was so adept at smuggling, and so brazen in its marketing, that it offered a money-back guarantee to buyers if its goods were seized by U.S. or other customs agents. (Wilber, 10/19)
But officials are still urging Californians to get their flu shot.
Modesto Bee:
Will The Upcoming Flu Season Be As Deadly As Last Year?
Stanislaus County health officials are gearing up for a new season that’s expected to peak between December and February. With the 2017-18 flu season, outbreaks caused unprecedented levels of illness and hospitalization in California and resulted in 324 deaths in people age 64 and younger. (Carlson, 10/18)
In other public health news —
Ventura County Star:
Ventura County Residents Debate The Facts On Vaccines, Politics, More
When Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer Dr. Charity Dean launched a review of medical exemptions granted to allow school children to bypass vaccinations, she found herself slapped with a lawsuit, trolled on social media and targeted in death threats real enough to warrant bodyguards. It didn’t matter alleged links to autism that pushed some parents away from vaccinations have been debunked by repeated research. The belief of danger trumped mainstream science. Dean said because she intruded on the belief, she was portrayed as part of the conspiracy. (Kisken, 10/18)
Los Angeles Times:
The More Equal Women And Men Are, The Less They Want The Same Things, Study Finds
Imagine an egalitarian society that treats women and men with equal respect, where both sexes are afforded the same opportunities, and the economy is strong. What would happen to gender differences in this utopia? Would they dissolve? The answer, according to a new study, is a resounding no. The findings, published Thursday in Science, suggest that on the contrary, gender differences across six key personality traits — altruism, trust, risk, patience, and positive and negative reciprocity — increase in richer and more gender-equal societies. Meanwhile, in societies that are poorer and less egalitarian, these gender differences shrink. (Netburn, 10/18)
Two San Diego Researchers Land On Time's List Of 50 Most Influential Figures In Health Care
Steffanie Strathdee, an epidemiologist at UC San Diego, has been working with phage therapy, which uses viruses to battle bacteria. And Juan Carlos Belmonte is trying to address the shortage of organs for transplants. Time Magazine said said its list is meant to highlight innovation in a health care system that “has been plagued for decades by major problems."
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Time Names 2 San Diego Scientists Among The 50 Most Influential Figures In Health Care
A UC San Diego scientist who revived interest in using viruses to fight infection and a Salk Institute researcher who is pushing to grow human organs for transplantation have been named among the 50 most influential figures in health care by Time.The magazine placed Steffanie Strathdee and Juan Carlos Belmonte on a list that also includes Bill and Melinda Gates, Nobel laureates James Allison and Tasuku Honjo, and Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of the direct-to-consumer genetics company 23andMe. The magazine, which issued its Health Care 50 list for the first time on Thursday, said it wants to highlight innovation in a health care system that “has been plagued for decades by major problems, from lack of access to uncontrolled costs to worrying rates of medical errors.” (Robbins, 10/18)
In other news from across the state —
Sacramento Bee:
Magazine Names Two Sutter Hospitals Among Best Workplaces
For the 10th year in a row, Modern Healthcare magazine named Sutter Davis Hospital as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare in the United States. That is one of three honors that Sutter received in a special October issue of the magazine. (Anderson, 10/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Huntington Beach And D.A. Sue 5 Locations Accused Of Operating Illegal Sober-Living Homes
The city of Huntington Beach and the Orange County district attorney’s office have taken legal action against what they believe are five illegal in-home businesses in Huntington, marking the first in a planned series of lawsuits. City Attorney Michael Gates and District Attorney Tony Rackauckas are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to grant an injunction against the five locations and require them to surrender any ill-gotten gains. (Vega, 10/18)
In recent days, both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip and possible next speaker, have said that health law repeal may be revisited after the elections. Republicans on the trail, though, have been on the defense for months, scrambling to counter Democrats' attack ads saying that the GOP wants to strip away protections for preexisting conditions. The dichotomy is causing tension within the party just a little over two weeks out from the midterms. Meanwhile, McConnell is defending the lawsuit that is at the heart of much of the rhetoric against the GOP candidates, saying, "It's not secret that we preferred to start over."
The New York Times:
Republican Candidates Soften Tone On Health Care As Their Leaders Dig In
In advertisements, in debates and on the campaign trail, Republican candidates are abandoning their promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act and are swearing that they never voted to undo protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions — and never will. But as the candidates seek to assuage voters who say health care is their top issue, their leaders are staying the course, setting up a collision between campaign promises and the party’s agenda should Republicans emerge from the midterms in control of Congress. (Edmondson, 10/18)
Los Angeles Times:
GOP Lawmakers Who Voted For Years To Repeal Obamacare Now Campaigning To Save Popular Parts Of It
Republican lawmakers and candidates across the country are suddenly telling voters they’ll protect preexisting conditions rules, brushing aside the fact that many voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act dozens of times and that GOP leaders pledge to resume that fight in 2019. The shift reflects the growing popularity of Obamacare and Democrats’ success in using the issue to make a compelling closing argument in the midterm races. (Haberkorn, 10/18)
The Hill:
McConnell Defends Trump-Backed Lawsuit Against ObamaCare
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) defended the Trump administration’s decision to join a lawsuit that seeks to overturn ObamaCare and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. “It’s no secret that we preferred to start over" to repeal and replace Obamacare, McConnell said in a newly published interview with Bloomberg. “So no, I don’t fault the administration for trying to give us an opportunity to do this differently and to go in a different direction.” (Weixel, 10/18)
Politico:
House GOP Leader McMorris Rodgers Faces Obamacare Backlash
Cathy McMorris Rodgers got an earful about health care on a recent Friday afternoon knocking on doors in the suburban Balboa neighborhood of Spokane. McMorris Rodgers, the top-ranking Republican woman in the House facing the toughest reelection contest of her career, heard one resident complain his wife’s monthly insurance premiums have swelled to over $700 per month. Another agonized about affording long-term care for her elderly mother. Yet another worried whether Medicare would go bankrupt. (Demko, 10/17)
The Washington Post:
Trump Says ‘All Republicans’ Back Protections For Preexisting Conditions, Despite Repeated Attempts To Repeal Obamacare
President Trump expressed support Thursday for one of the most popular provisions of an Obama-era law protecting people with preexisting conditions, even as he has repeatedly promised to scrap the law and his administration is waging a legal fight to overturn it. “All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they don’t, they will after I speak to them,” Trump said in a tweet Thursday afternoon. “I am in total support. Also, Democrats will destroy your Medicare, and I will keep it healthy and well!” (Sonmez, 10/18)
The Hill:
Trump: All Republicans Will Support People With Pre-Existing Conditions 'After I Speak To Them'
“Did he drop his lawsuit to eliminate protections for those with pre-existing conditions and just not tell anybody?” tweeted Matt House, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.). Trump also supported ObamaCare repeal bills in the House and Senate last year that would allow states to get waivers to allow insurers to spike premiums for people with pre-existing conditions. (Sullivan, 10/18)
Modern Healthcare:
Will Republicans Keep Their New Promises On Pre-Existing Condition Protections?
With their increasingly ardent campaign promises to protect health coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions, House and Senate Republican candidates will face pressure to keep those commitments if they win in November. GOP leaders, including Vice President Mike Pence, say they want to try again in 2019 to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Last year's GOP repeal bills would have significantly weakened the law's provisions, letting states re-establish the use of medical underwriting by insurers. (Meyer, 10/18)
Viewpoints: Requiring Pharma To Include Prices In Ads Is A Small Response To An Enormous Problem
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Trump's Plan To Reduce Drug Prices Might Be Unconstitutional. It Also Won't Help Much
The Trump administration on Monday unveiled its latest proposal for reining in the cost of pharmaceuticals: requiring television advertisements for prescription drugs to display the price tag of the medication being promoted. For the 10 drugs seen most often on TV, the administration says, those list prices range from $535 to a whopping $11,000 per month or per course of treatment. Like the administration’s other efforts to address this issue, the mandate is a small response to an enormous problem. (10/17)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Vote No On Prop. 8: It Will Limit Dialysis Services And Raise Costs
Proposition 8 is a contradiction: Its promise to improve patient care at dialysis facilities and contain costs will not be realized — instead, the measure will negatively impact public health in California. The proposal to redirect health care resources is misguided and will lead to higher health care costs and barriers to care. (Paul Cheung, 10/14)
San Jose Mercury News:
Reject Irresponsible Health Care Financing Measures
Palo Alto’s Measure F and Livermore’s Measure U win the award for the most irresponsible initiatives before Bay Area voters this fall. ... The measures would force every hospital and health care provider in the two cities to reimburse insurance companies and patients who are charged more than 15 percent above the industry-established cost of services provided. (10/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Supreme Court Deals Final Blow To Lead Paint Manufacturers' Years-Long Effort To Avoid Cleanup Costs
The lead paint industry’s efforts to avoid a cleanup bill for more than $400 million has reached the end of the road. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to review California state court rulings finding Sherwin-Williams, Conagra and NL Industries responsible for lead paint contamination in thousands of homes built before 1951. That date is when the companies said their predecessor firms ceased actively advertising lead-based paint as a residential product. (Michael Hiltzik, 10/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Did We Learn Anything From Proposition 13? Proposition 5 Says No
If passed, this measure would hand $1 billion to 4 million property owners who have already enjoyed the greatest benefits from Proposition 13. Renters get nothing. Recipients of government services, including students, Medi-Cal enrollees, and anyone who drives on a road or spends time in a state park, gets shortchanged. (David Dayen, 10/16)
Sacramento Bee:
How California’s New Pot Regulations Put Kids At Risk
Two years ago, Californians voted overwhelmingly to decriminalize and regulate cannabis through Proposition 64. As a physician and one of the co-authors of the measure, it is critical to me to ensure that the new, legal system includes safeguards for our children, including the toughest child-resistant packaging requirements in the nation. (Donald Lyman, 10/12)
Los Angeles Times:
First, Dementia Stole My Mother's Smile. Now It's Turning Our Lifelong Conversation Into Silence
There are millions of people living with all kinds of dementia. Millions. I assume each case is as different as the sufferer. I know my mom’s version, but only as a deeply biased observer. She and I have now spent five years negotiating the deterioration of her mind, and yet the conversation we began before my birth continues. My mom and I were never shoppers. We didn't bowl or work out or cook together. Our thing was always talking, on the phone or on the couch, sharing an afghan. We talked when I was growing up; we talked after I left home and when I went back to visit. (Amy Koss, 10/14)
The Mercury News:
Humane Society Initiative Will Drive Up Food Costs
California’s egg farmers support cage-free production. But Proposition 12 will result in fewer eggs produced in California and fewer egg farmers, and that will lead to higher prices, just as happened the last time voters approved a poorly written initiative drafted by the Humane Society of the United States. (Debbie Murdock, 10/18)