- Courts 1
- Nurses Closely Watching 'Fair Share' Supreme Court Case That Could Potentially 'Cripple' Calif. Unions
- Coverage And Access 1
- Study On Uninsured Shows Californians Better Covered Than Most Of The Rest Of Country
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Rhymes Of Their Times: Young Poets Riff On Type 2
A Bay Area public health campaign harnesses the power of poetry to confront the root causes of a diabetes epidemic that is disproportionately hitting minority youth and those from low-income homes. (Elaine Korry, )
More News From Across The State
The court is hearing a case on a rule that requires non-union employees at union-affiliated workplaces to pay “fair share” fees. Public sector employees who are not union members are required to pay these fees because the union’s collective bargaining is meant to benefit all employees equally.
KQED:
California Nurses Warn That Losing Supreme Court Case Could Gut Unions
Nurses protested outside San Mateo Medical Center in front of a sign that read “Patient safety comes from union strength” last week. They wore the characteristic bright red shirts of their own union: the California Nurses Association (CNA). They were calling attention to the U.S. Supreme Court case Janus vs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The outcome of the case could dramatically weaken public sector unions if the court overturns a rule that requires non-union employees at union-affiliated workplaces to pay “fair share” fees. (Klivans, 2/23)
Sacramento Bee:
Court Case Could ‘Financially Cripple’ California Unions
The Supreme Court on Monday is scheduled to hear a lawsuit that could weaken the state’s public employee unions by forbidding them from collecting fees from workers who don’t want to join them. Those charges are known as agency fees, and California is one of the states that allow unions to collect them so workers who benefit from union representation don’t get a “free ride.” Critics say they undermine the First Amendment rights of workers who don’t want their money to support causes they oppose. (Ashton, 2/26)
KPBS:
Nurses Throughout California Rally Against Supreme Court Case
Sue Phillips, a registered nurse at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, said if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff, a lot of workers will get a free ride. “This would be on a daily basis, that a person will be able to benefit from all of the contract language that we have, and pay for none of it, and it’s just not fair," she said. If the Supreme Court upholds the legal challenge, public-sector workers will no longer be required to pay anything to unions that represent them. (Goldberg, 2/23)
Study On Uninsured Shows Californians Better Covered Than Most Of The Rest Of Country
Officials attribute the coverage gains to the success of the expanded Medi-Cal program.
Capital Public Radio:
Only 7 Percent Of Californians Lack Health Insurance, National Study Says
A new study indicates that almost 29 million Americans lack health insurance — a big improvement compared to nearly 49 million in 2010. Californians are better covered than most of the nation. Texas comes in last, with 20 percent having no health insurance, according to the latest findings by the National Center for Health Statistics. In California, that number is 7 percent. (Ibarra, 2/23)
California Could See Epidemic-Level Of Whooping Cough This Year
The concerns have driven local public health officials to meet with local pediatricians and obstetricians recently to urge vaccination in the final trimester of pregnancy, and the county is launching a media campaign to try and bring attention to the issue.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Newborns Are In The Crosshairs Of Whooping Cough This Year
It was the homeless with hepatitis A and older people with the flu. Now, the next public health threat has newborns in its crosshairs. Fresh from the fight against two deadly vaccine-preventable outbreaks, San Diego’s public health leaders aren’t taking any chances with whooping cough, also known as pertussis. They are warning that, if historical patterns hold, 2018 could see epidemic levels of the highly contagious respiratory disease that is particularly deadly for the youngest among us. (Sisson, 2/24)
In other news from across the state —
The Bakersfield Californian:
Biomedical Innovation Right In Bakersfield's Backyard
The overarching goal of health care and hospitals is to get patients healed as soon as possible. Time is a devious element in all wings of the hospital. But with biomedical technological advancements, that light at the end of the tunnel is appearing brighter and brighter. Bakersfield is a hotbed of biomedical technology and innovative health care equipment. You don’t have to go to Los Angeles to get the speedy recovery and treatment. And that seemingly minuscule assumption can alter a patient’s recovery. And when it comes to treating a patient – it’s the little things. Even the smallest factors, like a surgeon’s wrist movement, incision size or being able to move patients more frequently, can essentially lead to life-or-death moments. (Meredith, 2/24)
The Mercury News:
Stephen Piscotty Sets Up Donation Page For ALS Research
ALS is a disease that has hit A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty on a personal level, and he’s looking to do whatever he can to bring more awareness to it. Piscotty, 27, has decided to set up a donation page along with his family to raise funds for ALS research. “My mom was on board with it and we felt like getting something started would be a really cool thing,” Piscotty said. “It actually came about by one of my mom’s really good friends, who has actually been helping us a tremendous amount at the house. She is going to run a couple races and dedicate those to my mom, so we are just rallying around that to raise funding and awareness and also kind of use my platform to attack it in that sort of way. I’m pretty excited about the support we have gotten already, and we’ll keep going.” (Gallegos, 2/23)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma Stories: Cotati Woman Keeps Pledge To Donate A Kidney; Santa Rosa Man Happy She Did
Taunya Moore did something for a fellow human being that was unusual and profound. But the Cotati resident prefers the act not be elevated to heroic, or even extraordinary. Because she’d like for many of the rest of us to feel fully capable of doing it, too. Years after Moore resolved to one day donate one of her kidneys to someone whose life or quality of life depended on a transplant, she did it. (Smith, 2/25)
Orange County Register:
Westminster Doctor Placed On Probation After Over-Prescription Of Opiate Painkillers Linked To 4 Patient Deaths
A Westminster doctor has been placed on five years probation by the Medical Board of California for excessively prescribing addictive drugs to four patients who died of overdoses. According to documents, Dr. Doanh Andrew Nguyen was accused of gross negligence, incompetence and excessively prescribing addictive drugs, particularly opiates, to addicts. The documents state that between 2005 and 2012, Nguyen prescribed opiate painkillers and anxiety medication to four unidentified patients who all died under his care. Three of those patients also were receiving controlled substances from other doctors, officials said. (Bharath, 2/23)
New Health Center To Serve An Estimated 300 Lower-Income, Medically Compromised Seniors
“Whatever they need, we’ll give them and it costs them zero. Zero," said Cheryl Wilson, CEO of St. Paul’s Senior Services.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
St. Paul's Opens Senior Health Center In El Cajon
Some of East County’s most vulnerable senior citizens have a new place to get help. On Friday, several hundred people gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new St. Paul’s PACE East center at 1306 Broadway in El Cajon. The 14,408-square-foot facility — which includes a full geriatric medical clinic, physical therapy rehab center, activities room and more — will serve an estimated 300 lower-income residents, 55 and older, with multiple chronic conditions. (Parente, 2/23)
In other news —
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Fircrest Convalescent Hospital To Close Sebastopol Nursing Home
Fircrest Convalescent Hospital is scheduled to close after the termination of an agreement that reimbursed the Sebastopol skilled nursing facility for services to patients insured through Medicare and Medicaid, according to state regulators. The California Department of Public Health, which regulates nursing homes, said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services terminated the agreement because Fircrest did not comply with federal standards. (Espinoza, 2/23)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
New CEO Appointed At North County Health Services
A new CEO is taking the helm at North County Health Services, a nonprofit community health care provider headquartered in San Marcos with more than a dozen clinics from Ramona to Encinitas to Perris. The nonprofit’s current president and CEO, Irma Cota, is retiring and handing over the reigns to Barbara (Dember) Kennedy, who starts Feb. 26. Kennedy served as president and CEO of Northern Arizona Healthcare Verde Valley Medical Center in Arizona for nearly three years until 2015. The nonprofit Northern Arizona Healthcare system serves 700,000 patients across the northern area of Arizona and has a staff of 3,000 doctors, nurses and healthcare experts. (McIntosh, 2/23)
The Peak Of This Terrible Flu Season Might Actually Be Behind Us
But that doesn't mean it's gone. "We’re likely to see influenza continue to circulate until mid-April," said Daniel Jernigan, director of the CDC's flu division.
The Wall Street Journal:
Flu Epidemic Appears To Have Peaked
The worst U.S. flu epidemic in years appears to have peaked, according to federal data released Friday, but transmission is still intense, and cases from a strain that often surges late in the season are rising. “The amount of activity is still very high,” Daniel Jernigan, director of the flu division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the data, said in an interview. “There are still many weeks left of this flu season—probably through mid-April.” (McKay, 2/23)
The Mercury News:
Solano County Flu Deaths Reach 7
County public health officials reported seven Solano County residents, ages 19 to 64, have died of flu or flu-related causes since the season began Oct. 1, and the number of deaths continues to rise although flu cases are decreasing, generally reflecting statewide data, The Reporter has learned. A health education specialist with the county Department of Public Health, Shai Davis noted in email that, while the number of reported flu cases decreased in late February compared to January, “We are still getting reports of deaths.” (Bammer, 2/24)
Sacramento Bee:
Getting Sick: Fact Vs. Fiction
You may have heard that going outside in the winter without a hat on will result in catching a cold, but is that really true? A doctor separates fact from fiction when it comes to what actually causes us to get sick. (2/25)
While some Republicans have signaled that they're open to some new gun measures, the contentious issue is still likely to roil Capitol Hill during a politically charged, and already busy, election year.
The New York Times:
Is This The Moment For Gun Control? A Gridlocked Congress Is Under Pressure
Lawmakers will return to Washington on Monday facing intense public pressure to break their decades-long gridlock on gun control, a demand fortified by a bipartisan group of governors calling for Congress to take action to protect against mass shootings. But even as members of both parties said it might be difficult for Congress to remain on the sidelines after the school massacre this month in Parkland, Fla., lawmakers have no clear consensus on even incremental changes to gun restrictions, let alone more sweeping legislation. (Gay Stolberg, Martin and Kaplan, 2/25)
The Washington Post:
More Governors Willing To Consider Gun Law Changes After Florida Shooting
A growing bipartisan number of state governors have joined calls for a reconsideration of gun laws and school safety measures after the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., a sign that resulting legislative changes could extend far beyond Florida in the coming months. The impact of the shooting rippled through the winter meeting of the National Governors Association in Washington this weekend, as state leaders expressed willingness to consider new limits on gun ownership and stepped up efforts to address mental-health factors. But most said they were opposed to President Trump’s proposal to allow more teachers to be armed. (Scherer and Balz, 2/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
Blumenthal Law Would Take Guns From Those Judged To Be Threats
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for a federal law Sunday allowing law-enforcement officials to take away people’s guns if a judge rules they are a threat to themselves or others. Connecticut passed such a law in 1999 following a shooting at the Connecticut Lottery Corp. in which a gunman killed four people. (de Avila, 2/25)
The Associated Press:
Governors Push Bipartisan National Health Care Compromise
A bipartisan group of governors working to strike compromise on hot-button policy issues took on the question of health care on Friday. Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, in presenting the group's blueprint for policy changes at the National Press Club, lamented that one of the country's largest challenges seems to have been set aside by policymakers."It's like health care doesn't even matter anymore down here," he said. (2/23)
The New York Times:
Trump Blames Video Games For Mass Shootings. Researchers Disagree.
President Trump said Thursday that violent video games and movies may play a role in school shootings, a claim that has been made — and rejected — many times since the increase in such attacks in the past two decades. Movies are “so violent,” Mr. Trump said at a meeting on school safety one day after he gathered with survivors of school shootings, including some from last week’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where, the authorities say, a former student, Nikolas Cruz, killed 17 people with a semiautomatic rifle. (Salam and Stack, 2/23)
Places With Religious Background, Abstinence-Based Methods Will Get Family-Planning Funding Priority
The HHS Office of Population Affairs released a long-awaited funding announcement Friday for $260 million in funding for Title X grants. The new rules could make it harder for Planned Parenthood to qualify for the money.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s Family-Planning Program To Prioritize Faith-Based Clinics
The Trump administration said it would prioritize grant applications to the Title X family-planning program that come from organizations with a religious background and counsel abstinence or “natural” methods, a move abortion providers said will make it harder for them to get federal funding. Health officials outlined the new rules Friday in announcing a fresh round of funding for Title X, which pays for services like contraception and infertility treatment. (Hackman, 2/23)
In other national health care news —
The Hill:
Trump: ObamaCare Being Wiped Out 'Piece By Piece'
President Trump argued Friday that ObamaCare is being “wiped out” in a “piece-by-piece” way despite the failure of the GOP Congress to repeal the law. Trump, speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday, pointed to a number of actions that Republicans have taken against the law, including repealing the individual mandate to buy health insurance as part of the tax-cut bill. (Sullivan, 2/23)
Bloomberg:
Trump’s Obamacare Changes To Push Up Premiums, Report Projects
The Trump administration’s efforts to loosen health insurance rules will increase premiums for Obamacare plans by double-digit percentages in most states next year, according to a new analysis by the Urban Institute. Monthly payments for a traditional health insurance plan sold through Obamacare will go up by 18 percent, on average, in 43 states where there aren’t limits on less-comprehensive but less-expensive coverage the administration is calling for, according to the Washington-based policy group. (Tozzi, 2/26)
The Hill:
Democrats March Toward Single-Payer Health Care
Single-payer health care is gaining ground among Democrats. In a sign of the party’s move to the left on the issue, the Center for American Progress (CAP), a bastion of the Democratic establishment, this week released a plan that comes very close to a single-payer system.T hat’s a dramatic change from just two years ago, when Hillary Clinton — tied closely to CAP — dismissed Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) push of “Medicare for all” as politically unrealistic. (Sullivan, 2/25)
The New York Times:
F.D.A. To Expand Medication-Assisted Therapy For Opioid Addicts
In an effort to encourage new treatments for opioid addiction, the Food and Drug Administration plans to begin permitting pharmaceutical companies to sell medications that help temper cravings, even if they don’t fully stop addiction. The change is part of a wider effort to expand access to so-called medication-assisted treatment, or MAT. The agency will issue draft guidelines in the next few weeks. A senior agency official provided details of the proposal to The New York Times. (Kaplan, 2/25)
Stat:
A New App Tries To Use DNA To Match Genetically Compatible Couples
Anew online dating app is pitching DNA analysis as a cure for catfishing, endless left swiping, and the myriad other ailments of 21st-century courtship. Pheramor, which launches this week in Houston with several thousand singles already signed up, operates like a cross between 23andMe and OkCupid. Users swab their cheeks, mail in their samples for sequencing, and then browse profiles of potential dates with whom they’re assigned a compatibility score between 0 and 100 percent. (Robbins, 2/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
When A Child’s Grumpiness Is A Problem
Every child is crabby sometimes. But for some children, the problem is a lot greater than occasional crabbiness. For these children, the irritability is so constant and severe that it causes serious problems at home and school. What’s more, a high level of irritability in childhood often is a predictor of other mental-health problems later: These children have a greater risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders and are more likely to later have suicidal thoughts, research has found. (Petersen, 2/25)
NPR:
Kids Still Plagued By Obesity In U.S., Report Finds
Hopes were dashed this week that the United States was finally making progress in the fight against childhood obesity. Contrary to previous reports, the epidemic of fat has not abated. In fact, there's been a big jump in obesity among the nation's youngest children, according to the latest analysis of federal data, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. (Stein, 2/26)