- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- 'A Persistent Puzzle': Californians Embrace Medicaid — But Food Stamps? Not So Much.
- Covered California & The Health Law 1
- Covered California Director Calls On HHS To Increase Health Law Outreach Funds
- Health IT 1
- Trendy Startups Are Raring To Ride Telemedicine Wave, But Reality Putting Damper On Enthusiasm
- Public Health and Education 1
- Failures By San Diego County Jails Have Resulted In Dozens Of Preventable Suicides, Investigation Finds
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
'A Persistent Puzzle': Californians Embrace Medicaid — But Food Stamps? Not So Much.
The Golden State ranks near the bottom in its enrollment of eligible people in the food assistance program known as SNAP. Now state officials want to tap its robust Medicaid rolls to boost SNAP signups. (Anna Gorman and Harriet Blair Rowan, )
More News From Across The State
Covered California & The Health Law
Covered California Director Calls On HHS To Increase Health Law Outreach Funds
The administration has cut funding for outreach and advertising by about 90 percent. “The reality is clear: If the federal government maintains the current cuts in marketing and outreach, premiums will be higher than necessary," said Peter Lee, the executive director of Covered California.
The Hill:
California ObamaCare Official Urges Trump To Restore Outreach Funding
The head of the California ObamaCare marketplace is urging the Trump administration to restore outreach funding to encourage people to sign up, warning of higher premiums if the step is not taken. Peter Lee, the executive director of Covered California, wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday calling on him to increase ObamaCare outreach funding. (Sullivan, 4/25)
Stanford Health Care Gets Lowest Safety Rating In Years On National Report Card
Stanford performed below average in 15 out of 27 safety criteria in Leapfrog’s spring 2018 release of ratings, mostly involving hospital-acquired infections, surgery complications and safety issues.
The Mercury News:
Advocacy Group Gives Stanford Hospital A ‘C’ For Patient Safety
A hospital watchdog has given Stanford Health Care its lowest rating for patient safety in the past three years, according to rankings released Tuesday. The Leapfrog Group, a national organization that advocates for hospital transparency, gave Stanford a “C” among its grading of approximately 2,500 general acute-care hospitals across the nation this week. Leapfrog assigns ratings to those hospitals twice a year; Stanford received “B” in 2017 and the last six months of 2015 and 2016, and an “A” the first six months of 2015 and 2016. Stanford performed below average in 15 out of 27 safety criteria in Leapfrog’s spring 2018 release of ratings, mostly involving hospital-acquired infections, surgery complications and safety issues. In contrast, Stanford’s staff, doctors and nurses received high marks and the hospital did well on most of its practices to prevent errors. (Kelly, 4/26)
Trendy Startups Are Raring To Ride Telemedicine Wave, But Reality Putting Damper On Enthusiasm
Murky state regulations, patients desperate for medication who deceive doctors about their symptoms, and state-level infectious disease agencies and public health departments that have made clear they don’t accept certain information by email are just some of the problems these new startups face.
Stat:
Can Telemedicine Startup Lemonaid Be The Warby Parker Of Health Care?
The first thing you see when you enter Lemonaid Health’s offices is a dazzling bright yellow accent wall. Doctors work at desks clustered together in an open-plan office, ducking into smaller offices to conduct video visits with patients. The engineering, design, and data science teams sit just steps away. Hanging from a standing coat rack is a king’s crown, like the kind found in a child’s dress-up drawer, that employees wear proudly on their work anniversary. (Robbins, 4/26)
Stat:
The Most — And Least — Friendly States For Telemedicine Startups
In 2016, executives at the buzzy telemedicine startup Nurx spoke openly about their ambitions. By the following year, the company’s online services for birth control and the HIV prevention pill would be available in all 50 states. That never happened. Today, Nurx operates in just 17 states and Washington D.C. Nurx is part of a new wave of businesses that have attracted lots of excitement and investment for an idea that seems intuitive: Allowing patients to use online forms and chat messages to quickly get prescription drugs to treat simple conditions like urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, and hair loss. (Robbins, 4/26)
The report criticizes the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for not providing appropriate care for seriously mentally ill inmates, particularly noting poor supervision of at-risk inmates and lack of communication among staff.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Report Finds San Diego Jails Are Failing Inmates With Mental Illness
A new report on suicides in San Diego jails doesn’t mention Moriarty by name, but among the cases it highlights as preventable suicides is one Michelle Moriarty knows is her husband. Hours before he died, a nurse practitioner recommended Heron Moriarty be placed on suicide watch. But a jail sergeant ignored the nurse’s recommendation, the report says. The report was published today by Disability Rights California, which has federal authority to investigate conditions in adult and juvenile detention facilities throughout the state. It’s the result of a years-long investigation into San Diego County jails that included a review of policies and incident reports and interviews with inmates, jail staff and correctional experts. (Davis, 4/25)
In other news on mental health —
Capital Public Radio:
Bill Would Boost Mental Health Counselors At CSUs
Mental health advocates say anxiety is up among college students dealing with things like debt and the cost of living. That's prompted a push for more counselors at California State University campuses. CSU campuses would be required to have at least one full time mental health counselor for every 1,000 students, under legislation passed by the Senate Education Committee. (Milne, 4/25)
Job Training Needed In Tandem With Housing Programs To Help Curb Homeless Crisis
The findings are part of a new report that looked at the characteristics of the homeless population to try to better understand how to help those in need.
LA Daily News:
LA County’s Homeless Need More Than Housing To Stay Off The Streets, Report Says
The Roundtable released a report that looks at 26 sets of data to better understand the characteristics of the homeless population and their needs, with the goal of finding the best way to help people out of homelessness and prevent them from becoming chronically homeless. Researchers found that alongside housing programs, job-training and employment programs geared to those who recently fell into homelessness or are on the cusp are also needed to help reduce the homeless population. (Chou, 4/25)
In other news from across the state —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Flu Update: Season Nearly Over
With flu activity slumping, the county Health and Human Services Agency announced Wednesday that it will make its final weekly influenza update on May 2. The public health department typically stops regular updates in the spring and resumes in the fall when new seasonal flu vaccine doses become widely available to the public. Last week, the county received reports of only 101 new cases, according to this week’s report. There were two new deaths reported, pushing the total for the season to 341. Only 1 percent of hospital emergency department patients showed flu-like symptoms, the lowest ratio seen since mid-November. (Sisson, 4/25)
Los Angeles Times:
The Exide Plant In Vernon Closed 3 Years Ago. The Vast Majority Of Lead-Contaminated Properties Remain Uncleaned
A Times analysis of newly disclosed California Department of Toxic Substances Control data shows which homes, schools, child care centers and parks are hardest hit by lead contamination and how long they have been waiting to be cleaned. It also reveals which properties won't be touched by the state's plan to clean only the worst parcels, which will leave behind a checkerboard-like pattern of safe and contaminated properties stretching more than 1.7 miles from the shuttered plant. (Barboza and Poston, 4/26)
Ronny Jackson Withdraws From VA Nomination Amid New Allegations Of Misconduct
In addition to concerns over Jackson's management experience, there were also reports related to his prescribing practices, possible drunken behavior while on duty and overseeing a hostile work place. While taking himself out of the running to lead Veterans Affairs, President Donald Trump's physician denied all charges: “The allegations against me are completely false and fabricated.”
The New York Times:
White House Withdraws Jackson Nomination For V.A. Chief Amid Criticism
The White House withdrew the nomination of Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, the White House physician, to lead the Veterans Affairs Department on Thursday after lawmakers went public with a torrent of accusations leveled against him by nearly two dozen current and former colleagues from the White House medical staff. In a statement released Thursday morning, Dr. Jackson announced that he was withdrawing his name for consideration to be the secretary of Veteran Affairs. (Fandos and Baker, 4/26)
The Washington Post:
Ronny Jackson Withdraws As Trump’s Nominee To Lead Veterans Affairs
“The allegations against me are completely false and fabricated,” Jackson, the White House physician, said in a defiant statement. “If they had any merit, I would not have been selected, promoted and entrusted to serve in such a sensitive and important role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years.” (Rein, Wagner and Dawsey, 4/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
Ronny Jackson Withdraws As Veterans Affairs Nominee
Dr. Ronny Jackson, who is Mr. Trump’s White House physician, took himself out of the running after Democrats on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee released a summary of allegations they had compiled through interviews with about two dozen people who have worked with him. The report described a culture of lax controls over drug prescription. Once, the report said, a prescription for a sleeping aid was written for a provider instead of for the actual beneficiary to protect the beneficiary’s identity. The report also said Dr. Jackson got drunk at a Secret Service going-away party and wrecked a government vehicle. (Nicholas, 4/26)
Politico:
Ronny Jackson Withdraws As Veterans Affairs Secretary Nominee
The document, unveiled by Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the ranking Democrat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, raised concerns about Jackson’s practices prescribing medicine, his management of the work culture under him and allegations of his consumption of alcohol while on the job. The report details allegations of a work environment in which subordinates worked in “constant fear of reprisal” and described Jackson’s behavior as “unethical” and “explosive.” It also contains claims that Jackson was drunk while on duty overseas on multiple occasions, including one episode in which he allegedly crashed a government vehicle during a going-away party for Secret Service. (Lima, 4/26)
The Hill:
Trump VA Pick Allegedly Gave 'Large Supply' Of Percocet To Military Staff Member
A new memo from the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee contains a slew of new allegations against President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, including that he passed out controlled substances to anyone who asked. Witnesses allege that Ronny Jackson wrote himself prescriptions and on at least one occasion during the Obama presidency, “could not be reached when needed because he was passed out drunk in his hotel room,” according to the memo. (Weixel, 4/25)
The Hill:
Trump VA Pick Withdraws Nomination
Trump on Thursday praised Jackson as a "highly respected" doctor and blamed Democrats for sinking his nomination, even though many Republicans also wanted Jackson to pull out. “These are false accusations," Trump said on "Fox and Friends." "They’re trying to destroy a man. I did say, ‘Welcome to Washington. Welcome to the swamp.’" (Weixel and Fabian, 4/26)
Politico:
Jackson Troubles Shine Light On A Fact Of Washington Life: Sleeping Pills
Ronny Jackson, the White House physician who is battling to save his nomination to be the secretary of veterans affairs, regularly handed out the sleep drug Ambien and the alertness drug Provigil to West Wing officials traveling on overseas flights. Jackson’s nomination has inadvertently exposed the widespread use of sleep and alertness drugs among government officials from the White House and State Department to the Pentagon and Congress itself. (Johnson, Everett, Bender and Karlin-Smith, 4/25)
The Washington Post:
Tester’s Scrutiny Of Trump’s VA Choice Offers Political Peril And Opportunity
The firestorm over President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs has thrust a vulnerable Democratic senator into a moment of political peril and opportunity. Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.), the top Democrat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is leading the effort to dig deeper into the background of Ronny L. Jackson, who has faced accusations that he improperly dispensed drugs, created a hostile workplace and became intoxicated on duty. Ensuring capable stewardship of the sprawling Veterans Affairs is an issue certain to resonate with Tester’s constituents; nearly 1 in 10 Montana residents is a veteran. Only Alaska has a higher percentage of veterans living in-state. (Sullivan, 4/25)
Older, Sicker Consumers Will Bear Brunt Of Healthier People's Decision To Go With New 'Skinny Plans'
If younger and healthier consumers trend toward buying the new limited health plans, insurers will have to figure out a way to pay for the sicker people who are left. The Wall Street Journal explains the dynamics of the possible shift. Meanwhile, Anthem's earnings jump after scaling back health law coverage.
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Care’s New ‘Skinny Plans’: Winners And Losers
New, more-limited health plans may draw consumers away from Affordable Care Act coverage and drive up prices on insurance sold in the health law’s marketplaces. These “skinny” plans offer lower premiums, making them an attractive alternative for young, healthy buyers. But the plans can be loaded with restrictions. Often, people who aren’t healthy are blocked from buying them. Many don’t cover prescription drugs or pre-existing conditions, and some cap coverage, doing away with ACA requirements and potentially leaving buyers with big bills if they get sick. (Macnaughton and Wilde Mathews, 4/25)
The Associated Press:
Insurer Anthem's Earnings Jump 30 Pct As Medical Costs Fall
Anthem's first-quarter earnings shot up 30 percent, and the Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer hiked its 2018 forecast, as a drop in medical expenses bolstered its performance. The nation's second-largest health insurer joined rival UnitedHealth Group Inc. in topping analyst expectations for the quarter and hiking its 2018 forecast. Anthem said Wednesday that it now expects 2018 adjusted earnings to be greater than $15.30 per share after saying in January that they would exceed $15 per share. (4/25)
And in other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Judge Prevents Trump From Cutting Planned Parenthood Grants
A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction blocking the Trump administration from cutting grants to Planned Parenthood that pay for a teen pregnancy prevention program in numerous states. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rice of Spokane issued his ruling late Tuesday, after listening to arguments from attorneys for Planned Parenthood and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (4/25)
Stat:
Koch-Backed Group Launches National Ad Push To Advance 'Right To Try'
The Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into a renewed push for federal “right-to-try” legislation that aims to give terminally ill patients a new way to access experimental therapies. The six-figure ad campaign will include both targeted digital ads and a new national television ad that pulls seemingly supportive sound bites from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as well as longtime proponent Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and President Trump. The latter will air on both broadcast and cable channels. (Mershon, 4/26)
The New York Times:
‘Desperation Oncology’: When Patients Are Dying, Some Cancer Doctors Turn To Immunotherapy
Dr. Oliver Sartor has a provocative question for patients who are running out of time. Most are dying of prostate cancer. They have tried every standard treatment, to no avail. New immunotherapy drugs, which can work miracles against a few types of cancer, are not known to work for this kind. Still, Dr. Sartor, assistant dean for oncology at Tulane Medical School, asks a diplomatic version of this: Do you want to try an immunotherapy drug before you die? (Kolata, 4/26)