- California Healthline Original Stories 3
- When An Insurer Balks And Treatment Stops
- Senators’ Dueling Web Shoutouts Echo Nation’s Partisan Divide On Obamacare
- Putting In Place An A-Team Of Allies
- Sacramento Watch 2
- Everything You Need To Know About California's Long-Shot Single-Payer Proposal
- Calif. Senate Votes To Downgrade Knowingly Exposing Others To HIV To A Misdemeanor
- Women's Health 1
- Consumer Protections Have Failed To Keep Up With IVF Technology, Leaving Patients Vulnerable
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
When An Insurer Balks And Treatment Stops
A 22-year old man from Orange County, Calif., alleges in a lawsuit that his health insurer stopped paying for a crucial — and expensive — immunotherapy drug, leading him to become seriously ill. Treatments for patients with similar conditions are increasingly denied or interrupted, experts and patient advocates say. (Anna Gorman, )
Senators’ Dueling Web Shoutouts Echo Nation’s Partisan Divide On Obamacare
In the early stages of the Senate’s attempts to write a health care bill, a Republican and a Democrat each solicit constituents’ Obamacare experiences from opposite ends of the spectrum. (Rachel Bluth, )
Putting In Place An A-Team Of Allies
Older adults who face an uncertain future reach out to trusted friends to guide them. (Judith Graham, )
More News From Across The State
Everything You Need To Know About California's Long-Shot Single-Payer Proposal
The Los Angeles Times answers questions about the plan that's energizing liberals across the country. Meanwhile, suggestions on how to pay for the system are blasted as unrealistic.
Los Angeles Times:
What Would California's Proposed Single-Payer Healthcare System Mean For Me?
The prospect of a universal single-payer healthcare system in California — in which the state covers all residents’ healthcare costs — has enthralled liberal activists, exasperated business interests and upended the political landscape in the state Capitol. But some are still trying to sort out what exactly all the fuss is about. (Mason, 6/1)
The Associated Press:
How Plan For California Gov't Health Care Might Be Funded
A pending state Senate bill would provide government-funded universal health care for California's 39 million residents. The bill faces a Friday deadline for passage out of the Senate if it is to be considered by the state Assembly. Here's how University of Massachusetts-Amherst researchers, in a study commissioned by the influential California Nurses Association, suggest the state pay for it. (5/31)
The Associated Press:
Study: New Taxes Could Fund Universal California Health Care
A longshot California proposal to replace insurance companies with government-funded health care for all of the state's residents could be paid for with a sales tax hike and a new tax on business revenue, according to a report released Wednesday. (Bollag and Cooper, 5/31)
The Mercury News:
Universal Health Plan Would Save Californians $37 Billion Annually, Study Says
As the California Senate considers voting this week on a proposal to replace private health insurance with a statewide health plan that covers everyone, the bill’s main backers on Wednesday heralded a new study that says the plan could save Californians $37.5 billion annually in health care spending — even after adding the state’s nearly 3 million uninsured. (Murphy, 5/31)
Los Angeles Times:
Estimated Cost For Single-Payer Healthcare In California Reduced By Billions In Analysis Sponsored By Supporters
A legislative analysis had estimated the cost of the proposed system to be $400 billion annually, but a study released by the nurses Wednesday estimates the yearly cost would be $331 billion as of 2017. (McGreevy, 5/31)
KQED:
Single Payer Economics: One Health Plan, Two New Taxes, Three Ways To Save
The economists argue that a single payer plan, by eliminating private, for-profit insurers in California, and by pooling together public funds from Medicare and Medi-Cal, would create a stream-lined system with lots of bargaining power. (Feibel, 6/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Antonio Villaraigosa Questions Whether A State Single-Payer Healthcare System Is Affordable In California
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa said he supports universal healthcare but advocates for a state-sponsored single-payer system may be “creating false expectations” given the enormous costs involved. (Willon, 5/31)
Calif. Senate Votes To Downgrade Knowingly Exposing Others To HIV To A Misdemeanor
Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced the legislation, said it is unfair to make HIV/AIDS the only communicable disease given such harsh treatment by prosecutors.
Los Angeles Times:
Knowingly Exposing Others To HIV Should No Longer Be A Felony, State Senate Says
The state Senate on Wednesday voted to no longer make it a felony for someone infected with HIV to knowingly expose others to the disease by having unprotected sex without telling his or her partner about the infection. (McGreevy, 5/31)
Behind The Scenes Of Molina's 'Palace Coup'
J. Mario Molina and John Molina were recently ousted from the company their father founded. The Wall Street Journal offers a look at what happened.
The Wall Street Journal:
How The Molina Brothers Got Bounced From The Family Health-Care Firm
On May 2, J. Mario Molina walked into the boardroom of Molina Healthcare Inc., the company founded by his father, which he had run for more than two decades, ready for a routine meeting. The first shock came quickly. A board member made a motion to remove Dr. Molina as chairman. The rest of the board, except Dr. Molina and his brother, John Molina, agreed, and the vote passed. They weren’t finished. Next came a motion to fire Dr. Molina as CEO of the health insurer, one of the country’s biggest players on the ACA marketplaces. And then, to dump John Molina as CFO. Both motions carried, with only the Molinas opposed. (Wilde Mathews, 5/31)
Consumer Protections Have Failed To Keep Up With IVF Technology, Leaving Patients Vulnerable
The emotion-ridden process is extremely expensive, but there's little way for consumers to tell the reputable clinics from the ones that aren't, which can create a devastating experience for the couples.
Reveal:
When Pregnancy Dreams Become IVF Nightmares
A round of in vitro fertilization can cost upward of $20,000. Unsuccessful patients often are motivated to try again. And again. And perhaps again. Yet even as IVF has made technological advancements, an outdated measurement system and weak consumer protections continue to obscure the differences between the best doctors in the business and those who run troubled clinics. (Yeung and Jones, 6/1)
Reveal:
3 Ways To Address The Problems With IVF
The CDC could, however, explore ways of increasing access to aggregated and clinic-level data without jeopardizing patient privacy. This could allow the public to look at a specific clinic to see if it is regularly linked to complications or problems. ... However, the CDC currently withholds this type of detailed data from the public. (Yeung and Jones, 6/1)
How One Letter To The Editor Helped Shape The Course Of The Opioid Epidemic
A letter printed in a 1980 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has been cited hundreds of times as proof that opioids are not addictive.
Los Angeles Times:
How A 5-Sentence Letter Helped Fuel The Opioid Addiction Crisis
Close to 200,000 Americans have died by overdosing on prescription painkillers, and a new report traces some of the blame to five simple sentences written nearly 40 years ago. The sentences, containing just 101 words, appeared in a 1980 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. They formed a letter to the editor that described a rudimentary analysis of 11,822 hospital patients who took a narcotic painkiller at least once. The vast majority of those patients tolerated the drugs without incident, according to Jane Porter and Dr. Hershel Jick of the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program. (Kaplan, 5/31)
Demand Spurred By Medi-Cal Patients Prompts Health Center To Expand
The Brentwood Health Center has added eight exam rooms and has hired two primary care providers, with two more on the way.
Oakland Tribune:
Brentwood Medical Center Expands To Meet Expanding Need, But Doctors Wary Of Federal Cuts
The medical business is booming in East Contra Costa County, and the Brentwood Health Center is expanding to meet the increased need. Since the Affordable Care Act and Medi-Cal expansion in 2014, the Brentwood clinic has seen the number of empaneled, or assigned, patients increase over 60 percent, from 7,720 to 12,600. ... The health center has added eight exam rooms and has hired two primary care providers, with two more on the way. There is room for six more primary care providers and the expansion is expected to accommodate 300 more office visits a month. (Davis, 5/31)
In other news from across the state —
San Jose Mercury News:
Experts Share Latest Information On Treating, Preventing Strokes
Neurospecialists from Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose last week shared the latest developments in preventing and treating strokes – the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. ... Americans each year suffer from almost as many strokes as they do heart attacks, according to health experts. (Baum, 5/31)
San Jose Mercury News:
Two East Bay Schools, With Chef Alice Waters’ Help, Commit To Serving All Organic Meals Next Year
When the renowned chef and food activist graced the humble school cafeteria of Peres Elementary School in Richmond on Wednesday with her celebrity presence, it was clearly a cause for jubilation for hundreds of her fans throughout the school. In particular, she was there to celebrate and support the launch of the West Contra Costa Unified School District’s partnership with the nonprofit Conscious Kitchen to provide 100 percent organic schools meals at Peres and Madera Elementary schools through all of next school year. (Tsai, 5/31)
KPCC:
AQMD To Share Details Of Chromium 6 Monitoring In Compton
In Compton, industrial facilities are located on the same blocks as homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and senior centers. ... The [South Coast Air Quality Management District] will soon begin monitoring for chromium 6 emissions in Compton. At a town hall meeting Thursday, the agency is slated to announce which chromium plating and anodizing plants in the Compton area it will monitor. (Plevin, 6/1)
As Republicans rush to roll back the Affordable Care Act, it might do them well to look at Washington state's attempts to undue health care reform two decades ago. Meanwhile, the current GOP plan could leave many priced out of insurance if they let their coverage lapse and senators mull what to do with ACA tax cuts.
Los Angeles Times:
In Washington State, A Healthcare Repeal Lesson Learned The Hard Way
Republicans in the state of Washington didn’t wait long in the spring of 1995 to fulfill their pledge to roll back a sweeping law expanding health coverage in the state. Coming off historic electoral gains, the GOP legislators scrapped much of the law while pledging to make health insurance affordable and to free state residents from onerous government mandates. It didn’t work out that way: The repeal left the state’s insurance market in shambles, sent premiums skyrocketing and drove health insurers from the state. It took nearly five years to repair the damage. (Levey, 5/31)
The Associated Press:
GOP Health Plan Could Be Costly For Those With Coverage Gaps
As a thyroid cancer survivor battling nerve damage and other complications, Lisa Dammert was in such dire financial straits in 2014 that she and her husband did the unthinkable: They let their health insurance lapse for a while. If the Dammerts and some of the millions of other Americans like them do that under the Republican health care plan now making its way through Congress, they could end up paying a heavy price. (5/31)
Bloomberg:
To Repeal Obamacare, Senate May Have To Keep Some Of Its Taxes
Senate Republicans crafting an Obamacare replacement are delaying one of their toughest decisions: whether to keep all of the House measure’s $664 billion in tax cuts that mostly benefit well-off Americans. The House in a bill passed May 4 voted to end taxes enacted under the Affordable Care Act, including those on investment income, expensive "Cadillac" health plans and even indoor tanning. Yet some moderate senators want to keep part of that revenue to soften the House plan’s deep health-care cuts that are estimated to leave 23 million fewer people with insurance by 2026. (Litvan, 5/31)
Morning Consult:
Uncertain Future Of Individual Mandate Could Contribute To Higher Premiums
Uncertainty about whether the Trump administration would enforce the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate is causing heartburn for some insurers — and it’s evident in their requests to set premiums. Rate filings show some insurers believe the Trump administration could stop enforcing the mandate — or it’s already not being enforced, Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, said at an event on Wednesday. (McIntire, 5/31)
Grassley Releases Report Alleging Mylan Overcharged Medicaid $1.3 Billion For Epi-Pen
The analysis by the inspector general's office at the Department of Health and Human Services "should worry every taxpayer," the Iowa senator said.
Reuters:
Mylan May Have Overcharged U.S. For EpiPen By $1.27 Billion: HHS
The U.S. government may have overpaid drugmaker Mylan N.V. by as much as $1.27 billion between 2006 and 2016 for its EpiPen emergency allergy treatment, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Wednesday. The amount is nearly three times a proposed settlement that the company announced in October. (Erman, 5/31)
The Wall Street Journal:
Medicaid Was Overcharged $1.3 Billion For Mylan’s EpiPen, Watchdog Says
Mylan said in October it had agreed to pay $465 million to resolve the allegations by the Justice Department that the company wrongly classified the EpiPen as a generic product and thereby didn’t have to provide as much of a rebate to Medicaid as it would have for a branded drug. The Department of Health and Human Services, however, said in January that it “has not agreed to any settlement.” HHS’s watchdog, the Office of Inspector General, said in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that it estimated Mylan owes the much larger sum. (Rockoff, 5/31)
Bloomberg:
Mylan May Have Overcharged Taxpayers By $1.27 Billion For EpiPen
Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, on Wednesday posted a copy of a report by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General. The report says that Mylan, by classifying EpiPen as a generic drug rather than a brand-name product, shortchanged the Medicaid program for the poor. (Koons, 5/31)
No Laughing Matter: Trump's 'Covfefe' Tweet May Signal Cognitive Trouble, Experts Warn
The tweet is raising concerns amid experts that President Donald Trump could be suffering from some kind of health issue.
USA Today:
Having A Hard Time Sleeping? So Is President Trump And It May Affect His Performance.
The tweet came, as they often do, when many others on the East Coast are sleeping. But when President Trump complained to the twitterverse about all the "negative press covfefe," just after midnight Wednesday, sleep experts saw it as more than just a laughable lapse. "Cognitive tasks like spelling are impaired by poor sleep," says neurologist Chris Winter, author of the new book The Sleep Solution. "I would think something’s up, to put it mildly." (O'Donnell, 5/31)
Los Angeles Times:
All Jokes Aside, Trump's 'Covfefe' Tweet Sparks Questions Too
Trump’s tweet did raise concerns about the health of a president who is 70 years old, overweight and just returned from a jam-packed eight-day trip across the Middle East and Europe. Conservative writer David Frum, a former aide to President George W. Bush, tweeted his speculation that Trump may have experienced a spasm while his Twitter feed was live, and lost consciousness. “Because typos are rapidly fixed. This looks as if the president spasmed, passed out — and nobody on staff noticed,” wrote Frum, who has been a frequent critic of Trump. However innocent the truth of this matter, speculation about Trump’s mental and physical health follows a long history of presidents hiding the facts about troubling medical conditions from the public. (Bennett, 5/31)