- California Healthline Original Stories 4
- Impact Of Trump Subsidy Decision Blunted In California — For Now
- Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns
- Stunner On Birth Control: Trump's Moral Exemption Is Geared To Just 2 Groups
- The Storm Has Passed, But Puerto Rico's Health Faces Prolonged Recovery
- Covered California & The Health Law 3
- Covered California Had Already Taken Steps To Minimize Impact Of Trump's Decision
- Trump's Move To End Insurer Subsidies May Force Congress To Act After Months Of Stagnation
- It's Not Likely Court Will Order Administration To Pay Subsidies, But That Hasn't Stopped States From Suing
- Public Health and Education 2
- Brown Declares State Of Emergency Over Hep A Outbreak, Allowing Officials To Buy More Vaccine
- California Hospitals See Sharp Rise In ER Cases Due To Wild Fires
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Impact Of Trump Subsidy Decision Blunted In California — For Now
The president’s move to end payments that reduce out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers had already been anticipated in California and some other states — and could hit a legal snag. (Julie Rovner and Emily Bazar and Chad Terhune, )
Tending To Patients As Her New Home Burns
ICU nurse Julayne Smithson had only a few minutes to grab some things from her recently purchased home a block from the Santa Rosa hospital. Then she rushed back to help evacuate patients and has scarcely stopped working since. (April Dembosky, KQED, )
Stunner On Birth Control: Trump's Moral Exemption Is Geared To Just 2 Groups
Trump administration’s rule unveiled last week to allow some employers with “sincerely held moral convictions” to bypass a health law requirement to provide no-cost contraceptives to women would exempt at least two anti-abortion groups: the March for Life and Real Alternatives. (Julie Rovner, )
The Storm Has Passed, But Puerto Rico's Health Faces Prolonged Recovery
From infections linked to the storm to trying to treat people with chronic diseases in damaged clinics, health officials on this American territory struggle to stay ahead of the needs. (Carmen Heredia Rodriguez and Rachel Bluth, )
More News From Across The State
Covered California & The Health Law
Covered California Had Already Taken Steps To Minimize Impact Of Trump's Decision
The state has added a surcharge on premiums for silver plans, but most consumers who choose these plans will be shielded from those increases because as their premiums go up, so will their premium subsidies.
Los Angeles Times:
What Trump's Decision To End A Federal Healthcare Subsidy Means For Californians
According to experts, withdrawal of the subsidies could lead insurers to drop out of the exchanges, healthcare marketplaces to collapse and premiums to increase. The biggest effect would be on the individual insurance market, through which about 3 million Californians buy a health plan. (Karlamangla, 10/14)
Ventura County Star:
Officials: County Shielded From Brunt Of ACA Changes
The 16,600 Ventura County residents who receive government aid in paying insurance deductibles and co-pays will still get that help despite President Donald Trump's decision to stop subsidies to the insurers who offer the assistance, Covered California officials said Friday. The White House announced late Thursday that it would immediately halt the payment to insurance companies designed to help low-income people cover out-of-pocket costs in insurance plans created through the Affordable Care Act. (Kisken, 10/13)
KPCC:
California Feels Protected Against Trump Pulling Health Care Subsidies
California officials are denouncing President Trump for ending the subsidies that help cover out-of-pocket medical costs for 670,000 lower-income Californians. But experts believe the state's health care marketplace is mostly insulated from a move that could hit the industry hard in other parts of the country. (Faust, 10/13)
Trump's Move To End Insurer Subsidies May Force Congress To Act After Months Of Stagnation
Uncertainty over the payments to insurers has loomed over Congress for months, and senators have been trying to work toward an agreement to fund them. They'd so far been unsuccessful, but President Donald Trump's decision to end the payments may force the issue.
The New York Times:
End To Health Care Subsidies Puts Congress In A Tight Spot
President Trump’s decision to cut off critical payments to health insurance companies ratcheted up the pressure on Congress on Friday to take action to protect consumers from soaring premiums, while also adding a combustible new issue to negotiations to avert a government shutdown this year. Mr. Trump’s move, announced Thursday night, could cause chaos in insurance markets, sending insurers fleeing from the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, raising the federal government’s costs and pricing out some consumers. (Kaplan and Pear, 10/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Republicans Split Over Trump’s Move To End Health Subsidies
President Donald Trump’s decision to end payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act triggered an immediate dispute Friday among Republicans over whether to reverse the decision and shore up the nation’s insurance markets or embrace Mr. Trump’s move. That fight is likely to intensify upon the announcement of a bipartisan deal to guarantee the insurer payments, which is expected to be released within days, according to people familiar with the talks. The deal, led by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D., Wash.), would authorize the payments Mr. Trump is ending, while also providing states some flexibility under the ACA. (Peterson and Armour, 10/13)
Politico:
Congress' Uncertain Path On Obamacare Subsidy Fix
A bipartisan attempt by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to stabilize Obamacare, which would fund the subsidies for up to two years, has already encountered skepticism from GOP conservatives and growing opposition from the White House. The two lawmakers plan to keep talking — but it's a tough road. “Under no circumstance should Congress attempt to expand Obamacare by cutting a check for President Obama's bailout of insurance companies," Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, tweeted late Thursday. (Haberkorn and Cancryn, 10/13)
The Associated Press:
Trump's 'Obamacare' Move Jolts Health Care, Political Worlds
Defiant Democrats, convinced they have important leverage, promised to press for a bipartisan deal to restore the money by year's end. That drive could split the GOP. On one side: pragmatists seeking to avoid political damage from hurting consumers. On the other: conservatives demanding a major weakening of the Affordable Care Act as the price for returning the money. "The American people will know exactly where to place the blame," declared Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., all but daring Trump to aggravate what could be a major issue in the 2018 congressional elections. (Fram and Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/14)
Politico:
Collins And Pelosi Disappointed That Trump Ended Obamacare Subsidies
A pair of key lawmakers on each side of the aisle criticized President Donald Trump on Sunday for ending subsidies that help low-income Americans afford health care under the Affordable Care Act. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she was “disappointed” by the president’s actions and urged Congress to “step in” with its own plan for Obamacare. (Klimas, 10/15)
The Washington Post:
Partisan Clash On Obamacare Raises Specter Of Government Shutdown
Democrats accused President Trump of trying to sabotage the nation’s health-care system through his decision to halt payments to insurers meant to shore up the system, while Republicans countered Sunday that Trump is just pushing for a hard bargain. Trump’s decision, announced Friday after months of criticizing the payments as an insurance industry bailout, will throw in doubt the private insurance exchanges that are part of the Affordable Care Act. Democrats vowed to use year-end negotiations on the federal agency budgets as a leverage point to reinstate the payments, vowing to pin the political blame on Republicans if premiums skyrocket next year. (Kane, 10/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Trump Healthcare Move Threatens Sharply Higher Premiums And Market Chaos
Caught in the middle are millions of Americans likely to see their insurance premiums shoot higher as the administration intensifies its effort to dismantle the 2010 healthcare law, often called Obamacare. Insurers have said that markets in some parts of the country could collapse, leaving many consumers who don’t get insurance on the job with no choices for health plans. And state insurance regulators predicted premiums in the individual market nationally would rise by 12% to 15% next year because of the cutoff. (Levey and Lauter, 10/13)
The New York Times:
Yes, You Can Still Enroll In Obamacare: Five Answers To Questions About Getting Covered
President Trump continues to scale back the Affordable Care Act, dealing twin blows to the law this week. But you can still sign up for coverage for 2018 because the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. Here’s some guidance. (Park, 10/14)
The Hill:
Five Things To Know About Trump’s Controversial ObamaCare Decision
The Trump administration’s decision to end payments to insurers meant to help low-income people afford their insurance has set off a battle in the courts and new fears about the possible collapse of former President Obama’s health-care law. Ending the payments is the most dramatic step taken to date by President Trump, who has been frustrated with the GOP Congress’s inability to repeal the law. (Weixel, 10/14)
Nearly 20 states, including California, have sued over President Donald Trump's decision to stop the insurer subsidies. But, “Forcing an administration to continue making payments when the president believes there is no appropriation, and when Congress believes there’s no appropriation, would be a pretty extreme move by the court," said Nicholas Bagley, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School.
Politico:
Epic Legal Battles Shaping Up Over Trump's Scrapping Of Obamacare Subsidies
President Donald Trump's move to cut off critical Obamacare subsidies will almost surely be tied up in the courts for years as Democratic-led states seek injunctions, while insurers seek to recover payments they say they’re owed. It's impossible to predict whether a judge might order the administration to continue the payments while the lawsuits are heard, but at least some legal experts express doubts. (Demko and Pradhan, 10/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California To Sue Trump Administration Over Health Insurance Subsidies
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Friday he will sue the Trump administration for halting billions of dollars in federal payments to health insurers that help low-income Americans afford health care under the Affordable Care Act. The payments, known as cost-sharing subsidies, were created under the ACA to help insurers lower out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans who buy health insurance through the exchange. (Ho, 10/13)
Sacramento Bee:
California Sues Trump To Preserve Obamacare
“Undermining the Affordable Care Act has been Donald Trump’s and many Republicans’ plans for a long time,” Becerra said. “It’s long past time that President Trump learned that he doesn’t get to just pick and choose which laws he’ll follow, and which bills he’ll pay.” (Hart and Ashton, 10/13)
KQED:
California Sues Trump Administration Over Obamacare Payments
The President is constitutionally required to execute the laws of the United States in good faith, Becerra argued, including the Affordable Care Act. Moves that could undermine the health insurance markets, he reasoned, are unconstitutional. (Lagos and Dembosky, 10/13)
Los Angeles Times:
California Joins Other States To Sue Trump Administration Over Rollback Of Healthcare Subsidies
“The president can’t pick and choose which laws he wishes to follow,” Becerra said. The federal action, he said, is “essentially a $7-billion dollar tax increase for working families trying to hold onto their health insurance.” (McGreevy, 10/13)
Department of State Hospitals Now Can Decide Its Own Policies On Immigration
Senate Bill 613 by Senate leader Kevin de León was introduced as part of a package by majority Democrats to counter President Trump’s call for more deportations and expanded immigration enforcement.
Los Angeles Times:
These Three California State Agencies Will No Longer Have To Collaborate With Federal Immigration Officials
State agencies overseeing juvenile offenders, state hospitals and developmental services will no longer have to collaborate with federal immigration authorities under a new California law. Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation that will repeal provisions in the state welfare code requiring the Division of Juvenile Justice, the Department of State Hospitals and the Department of Developmental Services to help facilitate deportations of people illegally in the country. (Ulloa, 10/13)
Brown Declares State Of Emergency Over Hep A Outbreak, Allowing Officials To Buy More Vaccine
“We have the capacity to use as much vaccine as we can get our hands on,” said Dr. Gil Chavez, state epidemiologist with the California Department of Public Health.
Los Angeles Times:
California Declares State Of Emergency Over Deadly Hepatitis A Outbreak
alifornia Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency Friday because of a hepatitis A outbreak that has killed at least 18 people in the state. The declaration allows state health officials to buy additional doses of the hepatitis A vaccine to try to halt the outbreak, which is already the nation’s second largest in more than two decades. (Karlamangla, 10/13)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
How Guilt, Anxiety And Distress May Help Fight Cancer
Having cancer would make anyone scared, stressed and angry. In some cases, that might be a good thing. Recent research suggests that negative emotions may improve the health of cancer survivors by motivating them to behave in healthier ways. "Negative emotions get a bad rap," says Andree Castonguay, who studies the psychological factors that influence health and make people want to be physically active. "If they're used in the right way, by helping someone set a new goal, they can act as a driving force." (Brown, 10/13)
California Hospitals See Sharp Rise In ER Cases Due To Wild Fires
Most of the cases have to do with smoke inhalation.
Stat:
California Wildfires Blanket Region In Smoky Pollutants, Raising Health Risks
The raging Northern California wildfires that have burned thousands of structures and caused the deaths of at least 31 people are also fouling the air across the region, driving a significant uptick in hospitalizations and keeping many residents cooped up indoors. Acrid air quality extends throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area — well beyond the immediate fire zones — according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Particulates and smoke have seeped into buildings in Oakland, Silicon Valley, and other areas well outside the fire zone. Homes and offices dozens of miles from the flames smell like campfires, and the air outside is thick with pollutants. (Piller, 10/13)
Los Angeles Times:
The Northern California Firestorm Is Straining Hospitals And The Healthcare System
The deadly Northern California fires — by forcing the evacuation of several hospitals and clinics and destroying the homes of many doctors and nurses — have put a strain on available medical services. (Karlamangla, 10/12)
What Residents Of These Three Calif. Regions Pay For Health Care Dwarfs State Averages
Ventura, Oxnard and Thousand Oaks pay more than areas such as San Francisco.
Ventura County Star:
Study Says People Pay More For Health Care Here
People in Ventura, Oxnard and Thousand Oaks pay more out of pocket for health care than many other regions in California, according to a new study. The 23-state study from the JPMorgan Chase Institute said families in a metropolitan area that includes the three cities paid an average of $734 last year out of pocket for hospitals, doctors, dentists and other care providers. The amount dwarfed the California average of $596 and was the highest of seven metropolitan areas in the state examined, ranging from San Diego to San Francisco. (Kisken, 10/14)
In other news from across the state —
Orange County Register:
West Anaheim Medical Nurses Vote To Unionize
Nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center voted to join the California Nurses Association by 147-33 in a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations board Thursday, Oct. 12. The lopsided approval testified to widespread discontent over pay and benefits that have led to an exodus of experienced nurses from the Anaheim facility to other hospitals, and a surge in temporary help, according to nurses who favored the union. (Roosevelt, 10/13)
How Industry-Friendly Lawmakers Undermined DEA's Power At Height Of Opioid Crisis
Members of Congress pushed through a law to weaken aggressive DEA enforcement efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacists who peddled narcotics to the black market. The Washington Post and "60 Minutes" investigate.
The Washington Post:
The Opioid Epidemic: How Congress And Drug Company Lobbyists Worked To Neutralize The DEA
In April 2016, at the height of the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, Congress effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Administration of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nation’s streets. By then, the opioid war had claimed 200,000 lives, more than three times the number of U.S. military deaths in the Vietnam War. Overdose deaths continue to rise. There is no end in sight. (Higham and Bernstein, 10/15)
The Washington Post:
Who Is Joe Rannazzisi: The DEA Man Who Fought The Drug Companies And Lost
Joe Rannazzisi is a man of strong passions who admits that he has a temper. For more than a decade, he was the frontman in the government’s war against opioid abuse. As head of the Office of Diversion Control for the Drug Enforcement Administration, he was responsible for cracking down on doctors, pharmacies, drug manufacturers and distributors who did not follow the nation’s prescription drug laws. He said he worked hard to uphold the law, until he was pushed out by members of Congress and an industry campaign that he says has resulted in a weakening of the nation’s drug laws at a time of unprecedented crisis. (Higham and Bernstein, 10/15)
The Washington Post:
Rep. Tom Marino: Drug Czar Nominee And The Opioid Industry’s Advocate In Congress
Tom Marino is a four-term Republican member of the House who represents a district in northeastern Pennsylvania that has been hard-hit by the opioid crisis. Yet Marino also has been a friend on Capitol Hill of the giant drug companies that distribute the pain pills that have wreaked so much devastation around the nation. Marino was the chief advocate of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, which requires the government to meet a higher bar before taking certain enforcement actions. (Higham and Bernstein, 10/15)