- California Healthline Original Stories 3
- Calif. Hits Nerve By Singling Out Cardiac Surgeons With Higher Patient Death Rates
- Analysis: Senate's Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
- Podcast: What The Health? Senate Health Bill 2.0. Still On Life Support
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Calif. Hits Nerve By Singling Out Cardiac Surgeons With Higher Patient Death Rates
The controversial practice — done by just a few other states — recently cast a spotlight on some prominent doctors. Supporters say it improves performance; detractors warn it discourages taking on complex cases. (Anna Gorman, )
Analysis: Senate's Latest Health Blueprint Cuts Costs At The Expense Of Chronically Ill
The Senate draft bill released Thursday to replace the Affordable Care Act risks creating a high-cost ghetto for those with preexisting conditions or long-term sickness, experts say. (Jay Hancock, )
Podcast: What The Health? Senate Health Bill 2.0. Still On Life Support
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the changes to the proposed Senate health bill. ( )
More News From Across The State
Exploits Of Former USC Medical School's Dean Come To Light
The Los Angeles Times investigates Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito's behavior during his tenure as the dean of the Keck School of Medicine.
Los Angeles Times:
An Overdose, A Young Companion, Drug-Fueled Parties: The Secret Life Of Then-USC Med School Dean
In USC’s lecture halls, labs and executive offices, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito was a towering figure. The dean of the Keck School of Medicine was a renowned eye surgeon whose skill in the operating room was matched by a gift for attracting money and talent to the university.There was another side to the Harvard-educated physician. (Pringle, Ryan, Elmahrek, Hamilton and Parvini, 7/17)
In other news on health care professionals —
The Mercury News:
Some Bay Area Doctors Learning To Navigate California's Physician-Aid-In-Dying Law
Based on Oregon’s experience with its two-decade-old law, Compassion & Choices, a group that advocates nationally for aid-in-dying laws, had predicted that about 1,500 lethal prescriptions would be written in California during the law’s first year — and that about two-thirds of the medications would actually be ingested. Bay Area physicians of all stripes — both those participating in the new law and those who vehemently object to it — point to a confluence of factors that might explain the relatively low number of Californians using the law. (Seipel, 7/16)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Shared Language, Culture Helps Immigrant Physician Care For San Diego's Underserved
In San Diego County and many areas of the nation, that kind of doctor-patient relationship can be hard to come by for immigrants or non-English speakers. For example, in San Diego County, Hispanics make up about a third of the population, according to census data. But only about four percent of the county’s physicians are Hispanic, according to 2013 data from the Medical Board of California...To help curb that disparity, Dr. Patrick Dowling of the University of California Los Angeles helped found a program that trains Spanish-speaking immigrants who went to medical school in other countries under the condition that they work in California for several years in areas with doctor shortages, particularly those that have communities of Spanish-speaking patients. (Morrissey, 7/16)
California Women Are Having Fewer Children, Later In Life
The Orange County Register breaks down the statistics by area in the state.
Orange County Register:
Why Are California Women Giving Birth At Record-Low Rates?
The pace of motherhood in California is slowing and its members are aging, a shift demographers expect to continue and contribute to far-reaching and uncertain changes in the decades to come... California outpaced the nation by another key measure: declining fertility rates in what is considered childbearing age for women by the National Center for Health Statistics: 15 to 44. (Wheeler, 7/14)
Orange County Register:
Where And How Birth Rates Have Dropped In California
California’s birth rate is the lowest it has been since the Great Depression. Today we look at how age and population trends are changing quickly in California and the rest of the nation. (Snibbe and Wheeler, 7/17)
In related news —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Doctors Fear Trump Change Could Lead To More Teen Pregnancies
High school students toting both textbooks and newborns are becoming increasingly rare. But a Trump administration proposal to rewrite federal birth control mandates could soon change that, some medical experts fear. (Johnson, 7/16)
State Hospitals Denied Inmates Mental Health Treatment, Suit Claims
While the suit names two inmates and their families as lead plaintiffs, the number of individuals who could be included in a class-action claim could be "in the hundreds," said Brian Vogel, one of the attorneys representing the families.
Ventura County Star:
Families File Suit Against State Hospitals.
Two families filed a lawsuit claiming state hospital officials purposely denied mental health treatment by delaying the transport of mentally incompetent inmates — oftentimes beyond 90 days — and left them without proper care as they waited in county jails. According to the 74-page civil suit filed by their families, the Ventura County inmates, who were deemed incompetent to stand trial by a judge, also were unnecessarily punished because of their mental illnesses. (Hernandez, 7/14)
In other news —
Modesto Bee:
Patients Are Being Turned Away From Merced Health Clinic Without Explanation. Patients Speak Out
The mystery surrounding the nonprofit Horisons Unlimited Health Care clinic includes reports from patients that clinics are closing, doctors have disappeared, staff has been laid off and dental services have been shuttered. Some patients say staff has told them to find other doctors. (Velez, 7/14)
'A Day Of Remembrance And Celebration': Thousands Gather For San Francisco AIDS Walk
The current state of turmoil over health care repeal-and-replace efforts lent a political atmosphere to the event.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Thousands Pack Golden Gate Park For AIDS Walk SF
More than 10,000 people turned out at Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park on Sunday for the annual AIDS Walk San Francisco, where organizers implored the crowd to fight for health care for all Americans, not just those living with HIV and AIDS. Before the event began, many participants were handed fill-in-the-blank signs distributed by organizers that read, “My Pre-Existing Condition Is ______.” (Ioannou, 7/16)
In other news from across the state —
KPCC:
SoCal Gas Pushes Back On L.A. County And Cal/OSHA Safety Demands
SoCal Gas this week sued California’s workplace safety agency and Los Angeles County to prevent them from imposing new safety standards that the company says are federal responsibilities under the U.S. Pipeline Safety Act. The company wants to shut down a county inquiry into how well gas operations mesh with the neighborhoods where they operate. (McNary, 7/14)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Helping Her Patients Heal With Music
The career path Amy Andrews originally headed down was in occupational therapy — until she learned about music therapy. This type of therapy uses music to help patients with physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs by singing, listening to, moving to or creating music...Andrews, 31, lives in South Park and also holds a master’s degree in expressive arts therapy, which uses all five art disciplines (dance and movement, drama, creative writing, music and visual art) to help patients with healing and recovery. She’s been a board-certified music therapist since 2009 and provides services for premature infants and their families, patients with advanced illnesses, patients in rehabilitation from brain injury or stroke, and with groups for in-patient psychiatric treatment. (Deaderick, 7/15)
KQED:
S.F. Commission Approves Former Oakland Mayor Quan’s Medical Pot Shop
The San Francisco Planning Commission Thursday night approved a plan by former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and her husband, Floyd Huen, to open a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco’s Sunset District. Located at Noriega Street and 32nd Avenue, the dispensary would cater to the largely Asian-American population in the Outer Sunset neighborhood. (Hutson, 7/14)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Oakland Begins Foray Into Equalizing Cannabis Industry
Oakland’s attempt to fix racial inequality in the cannabis industry by giving permits to ex-convicts to sell, grow or transport the drug for which they were once criminalized is off to a surprisingly good start by most accounts. The city has received 72 applications for pot business permits since May, and nearly half are seeking equity permits under a city program meant to provide reparations for the war on drugs, a U.S. government campaign that researchers say disproportionately affected African Americans. (Veklerov, 7/16)
With No Room For Error, McConnell Delays Health Vote While McCain Recovers From Surgery
Without Sen. John McCain -- who had a craniotomy Friday -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wouldn't have the 50 votes needed to get his legislation passed. To add to the timeline, the Congressional Budget Office announced Sunday that it would not release an updated score of the bill Monday, as originally expected.
The Associated Press:
McConnell Delays Vote On Health Care After McCain Surgery
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday he will delay consideration of health care legislation in the Senate, after Sen. John McCain's announced absence following surgery left Republicans short of votes on their marquee legislation. (Yen and Werner, 7/15)
The Associated Press:
More Hurdles As Senate Again Delays Vote On GOP Health Bill
Adding to the uncertainty, the Congressional Budget Office also indicated on Sunday it no longer expected to release its analysis on Monday on the estimated cost and scope of insurance coverage under the latest GOP bill, which has the support of President Donald Trump. (Yen and Werner, 7/16)
The Wall Street Journal:
GOP Push To Pass Health-Care Law Faces New Setback
The delay prolongs the uncertainty over the bill’s prospects. GOP leaders have pursued a fast-paced timeline, as health-policy changes are often controversial. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of Senate GOP leadership, told reporters last month that passing the bill is “not going to get any easier” with time. Another GOP senator, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said the bill “is not like fine wine; it doesn’t get better with age.” (Tau, Radnofsky and Peterson, 7/16)
Reuters:
Eight To 10 Republicans Have Concerns On Healthcare Bill: Collins
Eight to 10 Republican U.S. senators have serious concerns about Republican healthcare legislation to roll back Obamacare, moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins, who opposes the bill, said on Sunday. (7/16)
Politico:
Meet Obamacare Repeal’s Top Salesman
Senate Republicans are in a grumpy mood these days. Then there’s John Cornyn, who’s almost unfailingly optimistic about the GOP’s chances of passing its Obamacare repeal bill despite the increasingly long odds. “I mean, if you’re going to be in a leadership role, you don’t have the luxury of public hand-wringing,” Cornyn, the Senate majority whip, said in a recent interview in his Capitol office. (Kim and Everett, 7/16)
Politico:
How The White House And Republicans Underestimated Obamacare Repeal
The longer Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare flounder, the clearer it becomes that President Donald Trump’s team and many in Congress dramatically underestimated the challenge of rolling back former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement. The Trump transition team and other Republican leaders presumed that Congress would scrap Obamacare by President’s Day weekend in late February, according to three former Republican congressional aides and two current ones familiar with the administration’s efforts. (Cook and Everett, 7/17)
The New York Times:
Governors Give Chilly Reception To Health Bill Push
A handful of Republican governors rebuffed on Saturday an attempt by their Democratic counterparts to issue a joint statement from the nation’s governors expressing opposition or even concern about the Senate health care bill. But a smaller, bipartisan group of influential governors still may release a statement of their own in the coming days, a move that would greatly imperil passage of a measure that is already listing. While Republican governors stopped well short of declaring common cause with Democrats on health care, state executives from both parties gave a brusque reception to Trump administration officials who trekked to Rhode Island to lobby governors for their support. (Martin and Burns, 7/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
White House Tries To Sell Health Bill To Wary Governors
The conference’s host, Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, said she didn’t think anyone’s mind was changed. (O'Brien, 7/15)
The New York Times:
In Clash Over Health Bill, A Growing Fear Of ‘Junk Insurance’
Julie Arkison remembers what it was like to buy health insurance before the Affordable Care Act created standards for coverage. The policy she had was from the same insurer that covers her now, but it did not pay for doctor visits, except for a yearly checkup and gynecological exam. “I couldn’t even go to my regular doctor when was I sick,” said Ms. Arkison, 53, a self-employed horseback-riding teacher in Saline, Mich. (Abelson, 7/15)
The Wall Street Journal:
Health-Law Taxes Divide The GOP, Signaling A Shift
Republican efforts to pass a health-care bill have revealed a party fissure on tax policy with potentially far-reaching repercussions. In his latest attempt to rewrite President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) retained a 3.8% investment-income tax and a 0.9% payroll tax that apply to individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples earning more than $250,000. (Rubin, 7/17)
The Associated Press:
Trump's No 'Dying In The Streets' Pledge Faces Reality Check
President Donald Trump has often said he doesn't want people "dying in the streets" for lack of health care. But in the United States, where chronic conditions are the major diseases, people decline slowly. Preventive care and routine screening can make a big difference for those at risk for things such as heart problems and cancer, especially over time. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/15)
The Washington Post:
In An Arid, Lonely Stretch Out West, The Health Coverage That Bloomed Is Now At Risk
In this speck of high desert, along a stretch of highway that Life magazine once called the loneliest road in America, the only doctor in town comes just one day a week. In the past few years, though, health insurance has arrived in force. The county that includes Silver Springs now has more than 3,500 additional residents on Medicaid, because Nevada’s governor was the first Republican in the country to expand the program through the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 1,400 others have private plans through the law and the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. (Goldstein, 7/16)