Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
For Those With Developmental Disabilities, Dental Needs Are Great, Good Care Elusive
Lack of access means that people with physical and cognitive disabilities have a heavier burden of dental disease. (David Tuller, )
Good morning! Researchers say that toxic drinking water could lead to more than 15,000 lifetime cancer cases throughout California, and that nearly every Californian is exposed to unsafe water. More on that below, but first, here are some of your other top health care stories from the state.
What’s The Best Way To Kill A Bill In The Calif. Legislature? By Doing Nothing: Under a rule the California Assembly put in place at the start of the current session, committee chairs can decide whether to bring a bill assigned to their committee up for consideration. So, if a chairman doesn’t want a bill to move forward, they simply ignore it. Democrats this year have not only buried GOP legislation, but also silently sidelined bills by fellow Democrats that might be embarrassing to publicly vote down. One of the measures that suffered this fate: a potentially divisive proposal requiring that gun owners lock up their weapons when they leave home. “The committee is there to discuss areas of policy. If the chair has concerns about the policy, it’s my opinion that having it discussed in committee is the right approach,” said the bill’s owner Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale). Read more from CALmatters.
Physician Residents, Fellows Urge UC Davis Medical Center Leaders To Recognize Their Union: The employees have chosen to be represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, and say that it’s time for UC Davis Medical Center officials to formally recognize that. The leaders of the medical center released a statement, however, saying the university is obligated, under law, to remain neutral until a union is certified by the state to represent an employee group. “We have been following the process outlined by the state’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), including posting notices in the workplace regarding SEIU’s request for recognition,” the statement read. State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo joined in the rally on Wednesday, saying: “Without collective strength, without collective representation, it is very difficult for a working person to speak out. They’re afraid of retaliation. They’re afraid of getting fired. They’re afraid of getting their salaries cut. They’re afraid of not getting promotions.” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Significant Decline In Birth Contributes To State’s Slowest Population Growth In Recorded History: The state’s high housing costs are forcing couples to both work so they can afford to buy a house, and students are being saddled with college debt. As a result, California couples are having kids later in life than previous generations. These factors are contributing to a greater age imbalance across the state, with more baby boomers and fewer young and middle-aged adults. On the good news front: teen pregnancy rates saw a decline. Read more from the Sacramento Bee and Capital Public Radio.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
Sacramento Bee:
Unsafe California Drinking Water Puts People At Risk Of Cancer
Federal regulations won’t necessarily protect you from cancer-causing water in California. In a new Environmental Working Group study published on Tuesday, researchers determined that toxic drinking water could lead to more than 15,000 lifetime cancer cases throughout the state. The report included first-time research on how the presence of multiple carcinogens in drinking water increases cancer risks. Regulators currently assess individual hazards instead of evaluating combinations of multiple pollutants found in drinking water. (Sterling and Sabalow, 5/2)
Ventura County Star:
Ban Issued On Recreationally Harvested Shellfish Consumption
The Ventura County Environmental Health Division issued a ban Wednesday on consumption of all local mussels and shellfish harvested recreationally. The quarantine is issued annually due to the possible presence of naturally occurring domoic acid and other toxins. The quarantine typically begins every year on May 1 and lasts through Oct. 31 or later as determined by public health officials. Consuming recreationally harvested local mussels and shellfish can put consumers at risk of domoic acid poisoning or paralytic shellfish poisoning. Cooking shellfish does not eliminate the toxins and there is no known antidote, although medical care can help manage symptoms. (Childs, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
Forecast Calls For Busy Wildfire Season Along West Coast
Most of the country can expect a normal wildfire season but residents along the West Coast of the United States should be ready for another busy season, the National Interagency Fire Center said Wednesday. California experienced its deadliest and largest wildfires in the past two years, including a fire in the northern part of the state last year that destroyed the town of Paradise, killing more than 80 people. It was the nation's worst death toll from a wildfire in a century. (Geranios, 5/1)
Sacramento Bee:
PG&E Offers $105 Million To CA Wildfire Victims
Facing intense criticism over the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, PG&E on Wednesday offered to create a $105 million fund to help fire survivors with living expenses. The proposal requires approval in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January, citing the crushing weight of $30 billion in estimated liabilities from the fires. (Kasler, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
Major California Utilities, Including PG&E, Spent $1.3 Million On Lobbying
California's three major utilities spent at least $1.3 million to lobby state government in the first three months of 2019, during which one filed for bankruptcy and Gov. Gavin Newsom called for rethinking the state's energy future. PG&E and the parent companies for Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric disclosed on Monday their spending between Jan. 1 and March 31. They spent that money paying lobbyists to advance their interests before the state Legislature, state agencies and the California Public Utilities Commission, the state's utility regulator. (Ronayne, 5/1)
The Mercury News:
Homeless Housing Proposal At Supermarket Site Sparks Concern
A proposal to build housing for formerly homeless people has some San Jose residents concerned it will make their neighborhood less safe and increase parking and traffic problems in an already busy area. The organization People Assisting The Homeless — commonly referred to as PATH — wants to develop a four- or five-story apartment building on the old Dick’s Supermarket site at the corner of North 4th Street and East Younger Ave., just north of Japantown. (Deruy, 5/1)
The Hill:
'Avengers: Endgame' Crowd May Have Been Exposed To Measles, California Health Officials Warn
Health officials in Orange County, California are warning moviegoers that they could have been exposed to measles last week after a woman who went to a viewing of “Avengers: Endgame” reported having been diagnosed with measles. According to a local NBC affiliate, the woman was diagnosed with the virus shortly after she attended a late-night showing of the blockbuster film last week at an AMC theater in Fullerton. (Foley, 5/1)
San Jose Mercury News:
‘Avengers’ Screening Among Measles Exposure Sites In Orange County
Other exposure sites include St. Jude Emergency Department in Fullerton, between 7 and 9 a.m. April 27 and 5 Hutton Centre Drive in Santa Ana, between 7 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. each day April 23 to 25. According to health officials, the Placentia resident recently traveled overseas and is considered infectious through Wednesday, May 1. She is under voluntary isolation at home, health officials said. The Health Care Agency said it has been attempting to reach people who may have been exposed, particularly those at high risk including infants, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. (Bharath and Smith, 5/1)
The New York Times:
Measles Outbreak: Why A Bid To End Religious Exemptions For Vaccines Has Stalled
As New York has emerged as the epicenter of a national outbreak of measles, local lawmakers and health officials have struggled to compel some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, where most of the cases have been found, to drop their resistance to vaccinations. Public health emergencies have been declared in New York City and Rockland County; summonses have been issued to those not abiding by vaccination requirements; and schools have been closed. (McKinley, 5/1)
The New York Times:
‘Medicare For All’ Gets Much-Awaited Report. Both Sides Can Claim Victory.
The Congressional Budget Office published a much-awaited paper about the possible design of a single-payer or “Medicare for all” system in the United States. The budget office most often provides detailed estimates about the cost of legislation. But anyone looking for many numbers in Wednesday’s long report would be disappointed. Instead, the nonpartisan office noted the many ways that legislators could devise such a system, outlining the cost and policy effects of a wide range of difficult choices. It also noted that such a system would be so different from the country’s current situation that any hard estimates would be difficult, even with all the specifics laid out. (Sanger-Katz, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
Budget Office: Caveats To Government-Run Health System
"The transition toward a single-payer system could be complicated, challenging and potentially disruptive," the report said. "Policymakers would need to consider how quickly people with private insurance would switch their coverage to a new public plan, what would happen to workers in the health insurance industry if private insurance was banned or its role was limited, and how quickly provider payment rates under the single-payer system would be phased in from current levels." (5/1)
The Washington Post:
Medicare-For-All Plans Get A Reality Check
The analysis, issued Wednesday by the Congressional Budget Office, offers a reality check on the campaign slogans that have characterized a growing crop of Democratic presidential aspirants who champion the idea of Medicare-for-all. The report lays out “opportunities and risks” of moving every American into a single government plan that covers all or most medical services. On the plus side, it says, such a plan would produce universal coverage and probably a more efficient health system. Among the negatives: higher government spending and taxes — and potentially longer waits for some treatments and technologies. (Goldstein, 5/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Medicare For All Could Trim Costs, Impede Care, Report Says
The report serves as a yardstick laying out possible pitfalls and advantages of instituting such a Medicare for All system, as well as the policy questions lawmakers would have to address. By consolidating administrative tasks, the report says, their costs would likely fall under the new health system. But the design of the system would determine whether it lowers overall health-care spending. A Medicare for All system would create incentives, such as access to expanded preventive care and other benefits that may improve people’s health, the report said. But it also said that extending coverage to more Americans could produce longer wait times and reduced access to care if there weren’t enough health workers. (Armour, 5/1)
The Hill:
House Democrats Introduce Moderate Medicare Expansion Plan
House Democrats on Wednesday unveiled a more moderate proposal for expanding health care coverage than "Medicare for All" legislation that has been advocated by a number of the party's 2020 presidential candidates. The Medicare for America Act, sponsored by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), was released a day after Democrats held the first hearing about Medicare for All. (Weixel, 5/1)
The Hill:
Sanders Criticizes Biden Health Plan: 'It Doesn't Go Anywhere Near Far Enough'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized his 2020 Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden’s health care plan on Wednesday, saying it falls short of needed changes. “It doesn't go anywhere near far enough,” Sanders told reporters in the Capitol when asked about the former vice president’s plan. “It will be expensive, it will not cover a whole lot of people.” The remarks mark relatively rare direct criticism of a rival candidate in the early stages of the Democratic presidential primary. (Sullivan, 5/1)
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Files Formal Request To Strike Down All Of Obamacare
The Trump administration formally declared its opposition to the entire Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, arguing in a federal appeals court filing that the signature Obama-era legislation was unconstitutional and should be struck down. Such a decision could end health insurance for some 21 million Americans and affect many millions more who benefit from the law’s protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions and required coverage for pregnancy, prescription drugs and mental health. (Hoffman and Goodnough, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
Trump, GOP States Ask Appeals Court To Kill 'Obamacare'
The "Obamacare" opponents hope to persuade the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to uphold U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling late last year striking down the law. If the ruling is allowed to stand, more than 20 million Americans would be at risk of losing their health insurance, re-igniting a winning political issue for Democrats heading into the 2020 elections. President Donald Trump, who never produced a health insurance plan to replace "Obamacare," is now promising one after the elections. (5/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration Now Urges Court To Strike Down Entire Health Law
At earlier stages of the case, the Trump-era Justice Department argued against several central provisions of the ACA, but it didn’t ask the court to strike down the whole law. The department signaled its change of heart in a one-paragraph letter submitted to the Fifth Circuit in March, but it didn’t lay out its new position at the time. “Once those core provisions are excised, the balance of the ACA cannot continue to operate as intended,” the Justice Department said in Wednesday’s filing. “Instead of rewriting the statute by picking and choosing which provisions to invalidate, the proper course is to strike it down in its entirety.” (Kendall and Armour, 5/1)
The Hill:
Dems Turn Black Maternal Deaths Into Powerful 2020 Issue
Democratic presidential candidates led by Sens. Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) are talking about an issue that hasn’t historically received much attention on the campaign trail: the high rates of pregnancy-related deaths among black women. For black women — a key voting bloc in the Democratic Party — issues of maternal mortality and racial disparities in health care have particular resonance, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by some of the top 2020 candidates, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) (Hellmann, 5/2)
The Washington Post Fact Checker:
Trump’s Claim Of ‘Amazing’ Success In Cutting Opioid Prescriptions
During a recent speech on the administration’s efforts to ease the opioid crisis, President Trump asserted that his administration had already achieved its goal of cutting nationwide opioid prescriptions by one-third. Trump’s original goal, made on March 19, 2018, was to reach this target within three years. So obviously we were curious about whether the claim about already reaching the milestone within a year was valid. (Kessler, 5/2)
Stat:
Development Of New Antibiotics Will Require New Incentives, Experts Say
The market for combating superbugs, in theory, is substantial. In the U.S. alone, some 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria annually, and 23,000 people die. Globally, about 700,000 people die each year thanks to antimicrobial resistance, according to a UN committee report. By 2030, the authors believe superbugs may kill up to 10 million people each year. Yet companies continue to bow out of the antimicrobial field. (Keshavan, 5/2)
The New York Times:
Guatemalan Boy Dies In U.S. Custody After Illness, Officials Say
A 16-year-old Guatemalan boy who was placed in a Texas shelter for migrant children and teenagers after entering the United States has died in federal custody, officials said on Wednesday. The boy, who died on Tuesday, was considered an unaccompanied minor who had entered the United States. Officials refused to comment on how long he had been in the country, where his parents were or whether he entered illegally. But his death is sure to highlight the risks for the surge of Central American families who have crossed the southwestern border in recent months, overwhelming federal facilities and resources. (Kanno-Youngs, 5/1)
The New York Times:
Saving The Teeth Of Patients With Special Needs
Many dentists can’t — or won’t — treat patients with disabilities. Some cannot physically accommodate a large wheelchair, “or they don’t feel comfortable treating the patients,” said Dr. Rita Bilello, the dental director at Metro Community Health Centers in Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. Historically, pediatric dentists were taught how to treat patients with special needs, but general dentists weren’t. That means a child with autism might get regular checkups, but not necessarily an adult. However, in 2006, a new standard for dental programs went into effect. The Commission on Dental Accreditation mandated all students had to be able to competently assess the treatment needs of special-needs patients. But as of 2012, less than three-quarters of dental schools have predoctoral students actively involved in their treatment, according to a study in the Journal of Dental Education. (Saint Louis, 5/2)