- California Healthline Original Stories 4
- California Valley Fever Cases Highest On Record
- Senate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
- 5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare
- Follow The Money: Drugmakers Deploy Political Cash As Prices And Anger Mount
- Health Care Personnel 1
- It Remains Unclear When USC Became Aware Of Allegations Against Former Med School Dean
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California Valley Fever Cases Highest On Record
Nearly 5,400 cases of the soil-borne fungal disease were reported in 2016, the largest number since the state began tracking the illness in 1995, according to public health officials. (Pauline Bartolone, )
Senate Parliamentarian Upends GOP Hopes For Health Bill
The parliamentarian finds that provisions of the bill cannot go forward with a simple majority vote. (Julie Rovner, )
5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare
The Trump administration has a variety of mechanisms at its disposal that could undermine the insurance exchanges. (Shefali Luthra, )
Follow The Money: Drugmakers Deploy Political Cash As Prices And Anger Mount
Embattled opioid seller Mallinckrodt is one of many pharmaceutical companies boosting political contributions and lobbying on Capitol Hill. (Jay Hancock and Elizabeth Lucas and Sydney Lupkin, )
More News From Across The State
'Dental Lobby' Gaining Power In Sacramento
A family's tragedy has put the industry in the legislative spotlight.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Assemblyman Jim Wood, California Dental Lobby Opposed Changes After Boy’s Surgery Death
Jim Wood was first elected to the state Assembly three years ago as a former mayor of Healdsburg and a small town dentist. Holding a safe seat in a strongly Democratic district stretching from Santa Rosa to the Oregon border, Wood, 57, has transformed into a political campaign rainmaker, raising nearly $1 million in his successful re-election effort last year. In Sacramento, he serves as chairman of the Assembly’s Health Committee, overseeing the state’s giant $367 billion health care industry. Wood’s presence as the only dentist in the 120-member state Legislature coincides with the rising influence of the so-called “dental lobby,” which has ascended to the ranks of big spenders on state political campaigns, donating four times more money to candidates than it did two decades ago. (Kovner, 7/22)
In other news —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Under-Radar Bill Focuses On Polluters In Poverty Areas
AB617 by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens (Los Angeles County), was touted as the less-grandiose partner to cap and trade, whose expansive reach allows California polluters to offset their emissions by reducing them in another state. Garcia’s measure is aimed closer to home, attempting to “address air pollution in the most burdened communities,” she said. (Cart, 7/23)
It Remains Unclear When USC Became Aware Of Allegations Against Former Med School Dean
But the Los Angeles Times had been calling officials at the school for more than a year regarding Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito's behavior.
Los Angeles Times:
USC Received More Than A Year Of Questions About Former Medical School Dean's Conduct Before Scandal Broke
Four days after The Times published a story about drug use by the then-dean of USC’s medical school, the university announced it was moving to fire Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito and said it was “outraged and disgusted” by his conduct. USC Provost Michael Quick said the university decided to act because it had been shown “extremely troubling” information that same day about Puliafito’s behavior. Quick provided no details. But he said it was “the first time we saw such information firsthand.” (Pringle, Elmahrek, Hamilton and Parvini, 7/23)
Visitation Programs For New Moms Have Long-Term Payout For Children
An analysis finds that there were improved birth weights for boys, improved socio-emotional skills for 6-year-old girls, and improved cognitive skills and girls and boys at age 6.
KPCC:
Study Shows Impact Of Home Visits For New Moms, Babies Last Long
The analysis of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a national program that organizes nurse visits to the homes of families with young children, found that it improved child health, family environments, child cognition, socio-emotional development and educational achievement. ...Specially trained nurses visit low-income, first-time mothers during pregnancy providing medical, parenting and family education. (Neely, 7/24)
In other women's health news —
KPCC:
Riverside Has One Of The Biggest OB Shortages In The US
Riverside doesn't have nearly enough obstetrician-gynecologists, according to a study released Thursday. The analysis also found Los Angeles to be shorthanded, although not nearly as much as Riverside. (Faust, 7/21)
In Stunning Turnaround, Addiction Clinic Files For Bankruptcy
Stephen Fennelly rode the wave of the surging profits tied to the opioid epidemic raging in California and across the country. So what went wrong?
Orange County Register:
Rags To Riches To Rags: How A Booming Addiction Treatment Biz Goes Bankrupt
Solid Landings Behavioral Health started out in 2009 with a handful of workers and rode a cresting wave of opioid addiction – and ballooning insurance coverage – to what appeared to be fabulous success. ...But last month, in a stunning turn-around, Solid Landings filed for federal bankruptcy protection. (Sforza, 7/21)
In other news —
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Opioid Addiction: Health Providers Target Top Reason For Painkiller Abuse
Many health providers are making real progress toward not only reducing opioid prescriptions, but also coming up with new strategies to help patients cope with chronic pain. Seen as positive steps on a difficult road toward reducing the nation’s ever-increasing number of overdose hospitalizations and deaths linked to opioids, this progress among physicians addresses only one half of this equation. Illicit opioids, which can be much more potent than those doled out by legitimate pharmacies, are increasingly sold on the streets as the number of legitimate opioid prescriptions has fallen. This danger was reflected in two recent seizures of fentanyl and heroin sold illegally in San Diego County. (Sisson,7/24)
Deadly Hantavirus Infects California Man
The viruses primarily spread when droppings, urine or saliva from infected rodents get kicked up into the air and inhaled, such as when sweeping a room to clean up mouse droppings.
Sacramento Bee:
Hantavirus Survivor’s Dad Questions Health Inspection Since Quarters Were Cleaned
A Citrus Heights father questions the integrity of an inspection for hantavirus at Bodie State Historic Park because, as his son Spencer lay in his room trying to recover from a fever ultimately found to be caused by the deadly hantavirus, his coworkers thoroughly scrubbed other rooms in his living quarters. That July 7 cleaning, Curtis Fry said, cleared out evidence that could have been helpful a few days later when the Mono County health officer, Dr. Rick Johnson, looked for areas where rodents frequently trafficked or congregated. (Anderson, 7/22)
Ventura County Star:
Deadly Hantavirus Can Strike Down Californians
A Citrus Heights man has been fighting for his life in the hospital after contracting hantavirus.His family suspects Spencer Fry, 22, caught the rare disease while working at Bodie State Historic Park in the Eastern Sierra, although the Mono County health officer has cleared buildings at the park for continued use. (7/21)
Investigation Launched Into Whether City Protected Vulnerable Residents From Harmful Pollution
There have been complaints that the city has engaged in a “pattern of neglect and systemic disregard” for the health and well being of West Oakland residents.
The Mercury News:
Former Oakland Army Base: Feds Probe Civil Rights Complaint
For years, advocates at the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP) have lamented the soot on their blinds and the hacking coughs that result from breathing in toxic diesel fumes spewing out of trucks as they enter and exit the Port of Oakland. Now, two federal agencies — the Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency — are launching a formal investigation into whether the city and the Port of Oakland are doing enough to mitigate air pollution in the neighborhood, which has historically been burdened by elevated levels of black carbon, nitric oxide and other toxic particles. (Baldassari, 7/22)
Senate Parliamentarian Tosses Another Roadblock Onto Already Bumpy Path To Health Vote
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough says Republicans would need 60 votes to maintain abortion-related provisions in their legislation, in addition to others, because they don't relate to the budget. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is still pressing ahead with a vote this week.
The Associated Press:
Dems: Anti-Abortion Provisions In Health Bill In Jeopardy
The Senate parliamentarian added a new complication to Republican hopes for their floundering health care bill, ruling the GOP would need to win an all-but-impossible 60 votes to retain anti-abortion provisions in the measure, Democrats said late Friday. (Fram, 7/21)
The New York Times:
Senate Parliamentarian Challenges Key Provisions Of Health Bill
The provisions appear to violate Senate rules, the parliamentarian said, giving Democrats grounds to challenge them as the Senate prepares for a battle next week over the future of the Affordable Care Act. One provision questioned by the parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, and cherished by conservatives would cut off federal funds for Planned Parenthood for one year. Another would prohibit use of federal subsidies to buy insurance that includes coverage for abortions. (Pear and Kaplan, 7/21)
The Washington Post:
Senate Rules Could Complicate Prospects For GOP Health Bill
While not a final ruling, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s assessment threatens to further anger conservatives such as Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) who say the GOP health-care bill does not go far enough in repealing the Affordable Care Act. (Snell and Eilperin, 7/21)
The Washington Post:
Senate Republicans Plan To Plow Ahead With Health-Care Vote This Week
The Senate returns to Washington on Monday with its GOP leaders determined to vote this week on their years-long quest to demolish the Affordable Care Act, even though the goal remains mired in political and substantive uncertainties. Central questions include whether enough Senate Republicans will converge on any version of their leaders’ health-care plan and whether significant aspects of the legislation being considered can fit within arcane parliamentary rules. (Goldstein, 7/23)
The Associated Press:
GOP Health Bill Still A Mystery Before Planned Vote
The Senate will move forward with a key vote this week on a Republican health bill but it's not yet known whether the legislation will seek to replace President Barack Obama's health care law or simply repeal it. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking Republican, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will make a decision soon on which bill to bring up for a vote, depending on ongoing discussions with GOP senators. (7/24)
Los Angeles Times:
'I Don't Even Know What We're Proceeding To Next Week.' Obamacare Vote Nears With Key Details Still Missing
The uncertainty so close to a major vote is feeding a growing sense of chaos on Capitol Hill, where GOP senators are openly fretting about the lack of information about legislation that could leave anywhere from 22 million to 32 million more Americans without health insurance. "I don’t even know what we’re proceeding to next week," said Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a centrist Republican who has called on her party’s leaders to take a more measured approach to fixing the current healthcare law. (Levey, 7/21)
The Associated Press:
More Reason For Rejecting GOP Health Bill Than Reviving It
There are many reasons why the Senate will probably reject Republicans' crowning bill razing much of former President Barack Obama's health care law. There are fewer why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might revive it and avert a GOP humiliation. (Fram, 7/24)
The Associated Press:
Doctors' Group Tells Senate To Fix, Not Repeal 'Obamacare'
The nation's largest doctors' group urged senators on Friday to stop trying to repeal or replace Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act and instead begin a bipartisan effort to stabilize the insurance marketplace. The American Medical Association said proposed Republican bills — one to repeal and replace the 2010 health law, the other to repeal only — would cause too many people to lose coverage. (Johnson, 7/21)
USA Today:
Trump To Speak Monday On Health Care
President Trump on Monday will speak to the press at the White House about health care, minutes after meeting with what he calls “victims of Obamacare. ”The statement, announced late Sunday by the White House, comes nearly a week after Trump pressed Republican senators to agree to an alternative to the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, before taking an August recess. (Toppo, 7/23)
The Washington Post Fact Checker:
White House Video Misleads On CBO Health-Care Estimates
The venerable Congressional Budget Office is under attack. Established in 1975 by Congress to provide independent analyses of legislation, the nonpartisan agency is under fire for its estimates of the effect of Republican proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. (Kessler, 7/24)
Committee's Plan To Shift Money To Veterans' Choice Program Draws Immediate Backlash
Eight major organizations spoke out against the proposal, saying it was unacceptable privatization of veterans' health care.
The Associated Press:
House Unveils Plan To Fix VA’s Budget Gap As Deadline Looms
A House committee unveiled a disputed plan Friday to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift $2 billion from other programs to cover a sudden budget shortfall that could threaten medical care for thousands of patients in the coming weeks. The proposal by the House Veterans Affairs Committee would provide a six-month funding fix to the department’s Choice program, which offers veterans federally paid medical care outside the VA and is a priority of President Donald Trump. To offset spending, the VA would trim pensions for some veterans and collect fees for housing loans. (Yen, 7/21)
The Associated Press:
Vet Groups Urge House To Reject Plan To Fix VA's Budget Gap
Eight major veterans' organizations on Saturday urged Congress to provide emergency money to the Department of Veterans Affairs without cutting other VA programs as the House moved quickly to address a budget shortfall that threatened medical care for thousands of patients. (Yen, 7/22)