- California Healthline Original Stories 2
- Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
- As States Target High Drug Prices, Pharma Targets State Lawmakers
- Sacramento Watch 1
- Taxpayers' Costs For Government Workers' Retiree Health Benefits Spikes To $91.5 Billion
- Marketplace 1
- Compared To China, Tech Billionaires' New Health Initiative Is Actually Behind The Curve
- Around California 1
- In What's Shaping Up To Be Worst Flu Season In Years, San Diego Confirms Second Pediatric Fatality
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Californians Scramble To Beat Midnight Enrollment Deadline
Wednesday marked the end of open enrollment for Golden State residents who purchase their health insurance through Covered California or on the private market. (Ana B. Ibarra, )
As States Target High Drug Prices, Pharma Targets State Lawmakers
In Louisiana, the wining and dining of lawmakers by scores of pharma lobbyists proves a valuable lesson on how to win statehouse votes and influence profits, though their efforts fell short in California, which passed a drug transparency bill in 2017 despite massive opposition from drugmakers. (Jay Hancock and Shefali Luthra, )
More News From Across The State
Taxpayers' Costs For Government Workers' Retiree Health Benefits Spikes To $91.5 Billion
A projected rise in health care costs is responsible for the increase, the state controller’s office said.
Los Angeles Times:
The Cost Of Health Care For California Government Workers When They Retire Rises Sharply To $91.5-Billion
California taxpayers are on the hook for more than $91.5 billion to provide health and dental benefits to state government workers when they retire, according to a report issued Wednesday by the state controller’s office. That’s a substantial increase from last year’s estimate, a result of both changes in the way the total debt is calculated and changes in the projected cost of healthcare in the coming decades. (Myers, 2/1)
Compared To China, Tech Billionaires' New Health Initiative Is Actually Behind The Curve
Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan are entering the health care field with a new project geared toward lowering overall costs for their employees. The initiative has been called game-changing, but in China big tech companies have been doing this for years.
The New York Times:
Amazon Wants To Disrupt Health Care In America. In China, Tech Giants Already Have.
Amazon and two other American titans are trying to shake up health care by experimenting with their own employees’ coverage. By Chinese standards, they’re behind the curve. Technology companies like Alibaba and Tencent have made health care a priority for years, and are using China as their laboratory. After testing online medical advice and drug tracking systems, they are now focused on a more advanced tool: artificial intelligence. (Wee and Mozur, 1/31)
WSJ:
Amazon Is Now A $700 Billion Stock-Market Gorilla
Amazon.com Inc. is pushing its weight around in the stock market. The e-commerce giant’s rapid climb in recent years has only accelerated in 2018, pushing the company’s market cap above $700 billion for the first time on Wednesday. That puts it in rarefied territory alongside Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., and Microsoft Corp. (Eisen, 1/31)
In What's Shaping Up To Be Worst Flu Season In Years, San Diego Confirms Second Pediatric Fatality
San Diego county's Health and Human Services Agency added another 32 deaths to its running count Wednesday, bringing the season total to 206 since Oct. 1.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
10-Year-Old Among Latest Flu Deaths In San Diego
The flu contributed to the death of another child last week, further highlighting the severity of what is shaping up to be the worst influenza epidemic since the pandemic year of 2009. According to the latest weekly report from the county Health and Human Services Agency, a 10-year-old boy from East County with other unspecified health problems died on Jan. 25. He was the second child to fall victim to the flu this year. The first was a one-year-old, also with significant contributing medical issues, who died on Dec. 31. (Sisson, 1/31)
In other news from across the state —
Oakland Tribune:
Brentwood Community Left Reeling After Death Of Four Students In School Year
A student at Liberty High has died following a short illness, leaving the school community reeling after three other students have died since the start of the school year. ... She could not confirm what the illness was, but she said that based on conversations with the parents and county health officials, no special steps needed to be taken to protect others from the illness. (Sciacca, 1/31)
KQED:
Smoke From Scrap Metal Yard Fire In Richmond May Have Violated Local Air Standards
Air samples from smoke that wafted through Richmond Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from a large fire at a scrap metal yard included high levels of toxic particulate matter that were too dangerous to breathe, according to a top local air official. ...The fire began in a light-iron recycling pile at the facility, according to Jill Rodby, a spokeswoman for Sims, which runs another center in Redwood City that went up in flames several years ago. (Goldberg, 1/31)
Oakland Tribune:
Health Center To Be Named After Revered Late Richmond Doctor
LifeLong Medical Care will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 9 for its newest health center, at 150 Harbour Way. ...The $23 million, LifeLong William Jenkins Health Center is named after the late Dr. William Jenkins Jr., a Greensboro, North Carolina native who opened the first African-American-run pediatrics office in Richmond in 1973 and practiced in the city for five decades, during which he treated more than a million patients, according to an announcement from LifeLong. Jenkins died in 2012 at the age of 83. (Lochner, 1/31)
San Francisco Chronicle:
SF Will Wipe Thousands Of Marijuana Convictions Off The Books
San Francisco will retroactively apply California’s marijuana-legalization laws to past criminal cases, District Attorney George Gascón said Wednesday — expunging or reducing misdemeanor and felony convictions going back decades. The unprecedented move will affect thousands of people whose marijuana convictions brand them with criminal histories that can hurt chances of finding jobs and obtaining some government benefits. (Sernoffsky, 1/31)
Non-Medical Workers Plan One-Day Strike At Fountain Valley Regional Hospital
The workers are employed by Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company that contracts with Tenet Healthcare, the hospital's operator.
Los Angeles Times:
100 Workers At Fountain Valley Regional Hospital Are Set To Strike Thursday
More than 100 housekeepers and cafeteria workers at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center are expected to strike Thursday and protest outside the facility against what they describe as low wages, costly healthcare coverage and poor staffing levels. ...The workers are employed by Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company that Tenet Healthcare, the hospital's operator, contracts with for housekeeping and food service at Fountain Valley Regional and other medical centers in California. (Fry, 1/31)
Her Son Had Never Been Diagnosed With A Concussion. His Autopsy However Showed He'd Had CTE
Following the death of her 24-year-old son, Kimberly Archie of Los Angeles is suing a youth sports league. Archie, along with fellow mom Jo Cornell of San Diego, allege the league was negligent in protecting their kids' brain health.
KPCC:
Moms Sue Youth Football League After Kids Diagnosed With CTE
[Kimberly] Archie believes her son's CTE stems from his years playing Pop Warner football and she's sued the youth sports' league, along with Jo Cornell of San Diego. Cornell's son Tyler was diagnosed with CTE after his suicide at age 25. (Faust, 1/31)
The New York Times:
Hits To The Head May Result In Immediate Brain Damage
When a teenager is hit in the head, his brain can begin to show signs, within days, of the kind of damage associated with degenerative brain disease, according to an unsettling new study of young men and head injuries. The findings, which also involve tests with animals, indicate that this damage can occur even if the hit does not result in a full-blown concussion. (Reynolds, 1/31)
Standing Desks Are Trendy, But Do They Really Help You Lose Weight? Not So Much.
Researchers found that standing as opposed to sitting burns a whopping 54 extra calories for a six-hour day. However, studies do show that people who have standing desks tend to move more during the day, which wasn't accounted for in the study.
Los Angeles Times:
This Is How Many Pounds You Can Lose In A Year By Standing For Six Hours A Day Instead Of Sitting
Brace yourself: The calorie-burning benefits of standing versus sitting will not, at first blush, blow you out of your seat. Spend a minute upright instead of seated, and the additional energy expended amounts to less than one-tenth of a calorie (0.04 of a calorie, to be exact). But a new study that combines the best available research on sitting, standing and energy expenditure invites readers (reclining and otherwise) to consider the potential long-term effects of this seemingly marginal difference. (Healy, 1/31)
In other public health news —
San Jose Mercury News:
Coffee May Come With Cancer Warning Label In California
A lawsuit filed by the Council for Education and Research on Toxics in 2010 wants to require coffee sellers, including Starbucks, BP, Gloria Jean’s and 7-Eleven, to warn customers about the dangers ingesting acrylamide, as Time reports, a possibly cancer-causing chemical that’s produced when coffee beans are roasted. Under the state’s Proposition 65, businesses are required to notify customers if their products contain any of 65 chemicals, including acrylamide, that are linked with cancer, birth defects or other reproductive issues. (D'Souza, 1/31)
San Jose Mercury News:
Pizza Is Actually A Healthier Breakfast Than Cereal.
In a boon to college students and hungover people everywhere, some nutrition experts are now saying that pizza is actually healthier for you for breakfast than that box of cereal you grew up with. As Newsweek reports, registered dietitian Chelsey Amer told food website The Daily Meal that a slice of the traditional late night snack can actually be a smarter meal than your typical bowl of cereal. (D'Souza, 1/31)
CDC Chief's Stock Drama Was An Ethical Blemish New HHS Head Alex Azar Wasn't Going To Tolerate
Brenda Fitzgerald offered her letter of resignation as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after news came out that she had bought tobacco stocks while serving as one of the nation's top public health officials. Ethicists were confounded by the decision. It's unclear whether new Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar demanded her resignation, but in recent weeks he's specifically told associates that he'd take a hard line on any ethical problems in the department.
Politico:
Why The CDC Director Had To Resign
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar had planned to send a clear message to Congress and his new boss in the White House that he would not tolerate ethically questionable behavior. That opportunity came faster than expected after POLITICO reported Tuesday that the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had traded in tobacco stocks while she led the agency. (Cancryn and Haberkorn, 1/31)
Stat:
CDC Director's Investment In Tobacco, Drug Companies Baffles Ethicists
It was a financial investment in a tobacco company that helped lead to the downfall of Brenda Fitzgerald, who until Wednesday was the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For many in the public health community, the notion that the head of the CDC held shares of a company in an industry that has been so anathema to the agency’s mission was shocking. But Fitzgerald also purchased shares in pharma giants Merck and Bayer after taking over the CDC — an apparent conflict of interest that also confounded government ethics experts. (Branswell, 1/31)
Modern Healthcare:
In Wake Of Fitzgerald Resignation, Ethics Experts Call For Tougher Scrutiny Of Conflicts Of Interest
Ethics wonks hope that the latest high-profile resignation from HHS will spur the Trump administration to be more aggressive in addressing conflicts of interest among top policymakers. Nearly every major healthcare leader picked by the administration has raised Washington insider concerns about whether they can effectively do their jobs despite major ties to various industries. (Dickson, 1/31)
The New York Times:
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, C.D.C. Director, Resigns Over Tobacco And Other Investments
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resigned on Wednesday, in the middle of the nation’s worst flu epidemic in nearly a decade, because of her troubling financial investments in tobacco and health care companies that posed potential conflicts of interest. (Kaplan, 1/31)
Politico:
CDC Director Who Traded Tobacco Stock Resigns
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald's resignation comes one day after POLITICO reported that one month into her tenure as CDC director, she bought shares in a tobacco company. Fitzgerald had long championed efforts to cut tobacco use, which is the leading cause of preventable death. (Ehley and Karlin-Smith, 1/31)
The Associated Press:
CDC Director Resigns Over Financial Conflicts Of Interest
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald's complex financial investments presented conflicts that made it difficult to do her job, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC. In an ethics agreement filed in September, Fitzgerald had said that legal and contractual restrictions prevented her from selling the two investments. The new HHS head, Alex Azar, who took office on Monday, accepted her resignation Wednesday after discussing the investments with her and their effect on her work. (1/31)
The Washington Post:
CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns Because Of Conflicts Over Financial Interests
Fitzgerald, 71, a physician who served as the Georgia public health commissioner until her appointment to the CDC post in July, said in an interview late last year that she already had divested from many stock holdings. But she and her husband were legally obligated to maintain other investments in cancer detection and health information technology, according to her ethics agreement, requiring Fitzgerald to pledge to avoid government business that might affect those interests. (Sun, 1/31)
The Wall Street Journal:
CDC Director Quits After Report She Bought Tobacco Stocks
Lawmakers in Washington had grown increasingly frustrated over Dr. Fitzgerald’s conflicts from the health-care-related investments, after she was forced on a few occasions to recuse herself and send deputies to testify before Congress on the nation’s opioid crisis and emergency-preparedness issues. Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.), the senate Health Committee’s top Democrat, said Dr. Fitzgerald’s resignation represents “yet another example of this Administration’s dysfunction and questionable ethics.” Dr. Fitzgerald has said that she was trying to divest the holdings, and that she was able to engage in policy work. (McKay and Hackman, 1/31)
Los Angeles Times:
CDC Director Resigns Over Financial Conflicts Including Stock In Tobacco, Beer And Soda Companies
Fitzgerald, though praised by some in public health after she was appointed, has maintained a relatively low profile as CDC director, particularly compared to many of her predecessors who have been outspoken champions for issues such as smoking cessation. Dr. Tom Frieden, for example, who headed the CDC under President Obama, already was a leading national champion for cutting tobacco use and tackling obesity, both of which he had done as commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Fitzgerald, in contrast, canceled her first scheduled appearance before Congress last fall to discuss the opioid epidemic, citing potential conflicts of interest because she continued to hold investments in companies involved in the public health crisis. (Levey, 1/31)
“Little things add up,” said Susie Dade, the author of a new report looking at unnecessary medical care. “It’s easy for a single doctor and patient to say, ‘Why not do this test? What difference does it make?’”
ProPublica:
Unnecessary Medical Care Is More Common Than You Think
It’s one of the intractable financial boondoggles of the U.S. health care system: Lots and lots of patients get lots and lots of tests and procedures that they don’t need. Women still get annual cervical cancer testing even when it’s recommended every three to five years for most women. Healthy patients are subjected to slates of unnecessary lab work before elective procedures. Doctors routinely order annual electrocardiograms and other heart tests for people who don’t need them. (Allen, 2/1)
In other national health care news —
Stat:
Hospitals Are Revolting Against The Generic Drug Market. Here's Why
In recent years, Robert Ripley has watched spiking drug prices menace his budget like a fast-rising flood. The longtime chief of pharmacy for Trinity Health, a Catholic chain of 93 hospitals from New York to California, said he’s never seen anything like it in his 30-plus years in the business. The eye-popping prices of new branded drugs are one issue. But even worse are the wild price hikes and sudden shortages of generics that have been available for many decades. (Ross, 2/1)
NPR:
Anxiety Neurons Found In Brains
Scientists have found specialized brain cells in mice that appear to control anxiety levels. The finding, reported Wednesday in the journal Neuron, could eventually lead to better treatments for anxiety disorders, which affect nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. "The therapies we have now have significant drawbacks," says Mazen Kheirbek, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco and an author of the study. "This is another target that we can try to move the field forward for finding new therapies." (Hamilton, 1/31)
The Washington Post:
Breast Cancer Treatments Can Raise Risk Of Heart Disease, American Heart Association Warns
The American Heart Association issued a stark warning Thursday for women with breast cancer: Life-saving therapies like chemotherapy and radiation can cause heart failure and other serious cardiac problems, sometimes years after treatment. The organization said patients and doctors shouldn’t avoid the treatments but instead take steps to prevent or minimize the cardiac risks. And it stressed that breast cancer survivors can improve their chances of a long, healthy life by exercising regularly and sticking to a healthy diet. (McGinley, 2/1)
Stat:
Not Just Zika: Other Mosquito-Borne Viruses Are Tied To Birth Defects
When scientists discovered that the Zika virus was causing birth defects, it seemed to catch the world off guard. The mosquito-borne virus could slip from mother to fetus and damage the developing brain, leaving newborns with a range of serious complications. But what if other viruses spread by insects also pose a threat to fetuses? On Wednesday, scientists reported that two viruses, West Nile and Powassan, attacked mouse fetuses when pregnant mice were infected, killing about half of them. The viruses also successfully infected human placental tissue in lab experiments, an indication that the viruses may be able to breach the placental barrier that keeps many maternal infections from reaching the fetus. (Joseph, 1/31)
NPR:
Who Still Smokes? A Look At The Numbers
Advertising campaigns, tobacco taxes and public bans have lowered rates of smoking significantly in the U.S. since the 1960s. And for people who never smoke or manage to quit, there are major health benefits: lower risk of cancer, heart problems and stroke. But 15 percent of Americans — about 40 million people — continue to smoke. Who are they? And why are they still smoking? (Wilhelm, 1/31)