Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Extent Of Health Coverage Gains From California Gig Worker Law Uncertain
The new law reclassifies many independent contractors as employees, requiring they be offered a range of benefits. But that could have unintended consequences, experts warn. (Steven Findlay, )
Good Thursday morning! President Donald Trump is set to unveil a Medicare Advantage expansion plan. Sen. Bernie Sanders' heart health shakes up the 2020 presidential race. More on those national stories below, but first here are your top California health news stories of the day.
Push For Safe-Injection Site In San Francisco To Move Forward: A ruling by a federal judge in Philadelphia -- that said a controversial supervised-injection site for drug users does not violate federal law -- may lift a cloud of uncertainty for other cities like San Francisco, where such a facility is planned. “This ruling is a big deal for public health and addressing the drug crisis that we see every day on our streets. Safe injection sites save lives,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “They help prevent overdoses, reduce public drug use, prevent the spread of disease, and connect people to medical care that can help treat their addiction.” Read the full story from Dominic Fracassa of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Many California Seniors Are 'One Disaster Away From Being Homeless': With the state's ongoing housing affordability and homelessness crisis, low-income seniors are particularly vulnerable. Some cities are taking steps to try stave off the trend, USA Today reports. For example, Santa Monica is trying a first-of-its-kind subsidy program to support such residents who are in danger of homelessness or displacement. "As we get ready for generations with less retirement savings and lower incomes along the way, we need to be planning for the challenges that we're going to face among senior populations," says Sharon Cornu, executive director of St. Mary's Center in Oakland, which provides services for adults 55 and older who are homeless or at risk of becoming so. Read the full story from Kristin Lam of USA Today.
And, also on the topic of issues for aging Californians, check out a story featured below from FairWarning on kitchen health and safety conditions at nursing homes.
Notice Is Latest Salvo In Feud Between California, Trump Administration: The EPA made good on its threat of a formal violation notice to San Francisco, accusing the city of violating the Clean Water Act. The new letter alleges that discharge into the water supply contained heavy metals and bacteria and said the city hasn’t kept up proper cleaning, inspection and repair schedules. The Associated Press has the full story.
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
San Francisco Chronicle:
SF Could Compel More Severely Mentally Ill People Into Treatment Under Law
The state law, written by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, will immediately allow the city to expand conservatorship, which is court-ordered mental health treatment. The expansion will apply to those who are severely mentally ill, addicted to drugs and have been taken to an emergency crisis unit, known as a 5150 hold, at least eight times in a year. (Thadani, 10/2)
Los Angeles Times:
New California Laws Create Rules For Power Shutoffs
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday to tighten the rules for utility power shutoffs as California grapples with more frequent planned outages when potentially dangerous wildfire conditions exist. The new requirements call for investor-owned utilities to create plans to lessen the effects of outages on customers with sensitive medical needs and notify all emergency responders, healthcare providers and public safety groups within an outage area. The laws are among roughly two dozen bills related to wildfires that Newsom has signed into law this year. (Luna, 10/2)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Gov. Newsom Signs 22 Laws To Help California With Wildfire Preparation
Nearly two years after the devastating North Bay wildfires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed into law a hefty package of bills to help the state forecast major wildfires, oversee tree clearing around power lines and enhance disaster preparations for communities. ...SB 560 by McGuire requiring that all public safety agencies, health care facilities and telecommunications providers are notified before their power is preemptively shut off. (Kovner and Johnson, 10/2)
FairWarning:
Bugs, Mold And Unwashed Hands: Rampant Safety Violations In Nursing Home Kitchens Endanger Residents
While allegations of elder abuse and neglect dominate the horror stories in long-term care settings — bedsores, falls, medication errors, sexual assaults — food handling remains a consistent and often overlooked hazard, FairWarning found in a five-month investigation. “There’s huge under-reporting of food issues,” said Charlene Harrington, a nurse and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who has researched nursing home quality.“It’s an accepted practice to have crappy conditions in the kitchen,” she said. “And people are just totally unaware of it.” (Lundstrom, 10/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Vaccine Bill Protester Threw Blood On California Senators, Investigation Confirms
A red liquid thrown by a protester from the visitors gallery of the California Senate chamber in an “unanticipated attack” on state lawmakers during the final night of the legislative session was found to be blood, according to the state Senate. Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras sent an email to staff members on Wednesday that said “lab tests confirmed that the substance thrown from the Senate gallery was human blood.” Safety precautions were taken in hiring a company certified in hazard cleanup to sanitize the chamber, and the blood tested negative for any blood-borne pathogens or infections, Contreras wrote. (Luna, 10/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Health Officials Confirm First West Nile Virus Death In L.A. County This Year
A South Bay resident has died from a neuroinvasive illness caused by West Nile virus, marking the first confirmed death this year from the mosquito-borne disease in Los Angeles County. Public health officials confirmed Wednesday that the patient was hospitalized and died from a West Nile virus-associated illness that affects the central nervous system but did not provide details about the person’s age or when they got sick. (Cosgrove, 10/2)
NPR:
Judge Rules Planned Supervised Injection Site Does Not Violate Federal Drug Laws
Most studies show that the supervised injection sites can drive down fatal overdoses. These sites are credited with restricting the spread of infectious diseases. And advocates say the facilities help move more people into treatment. The American Medical Association has endorsed launching supervised injection site pilot programs. (Allyn, 10/2)
The Associated Press:
AP Exclusive: Colleges Got $60M-Plus From OxyContin Family
Prestigious universities around the world have accepted at least $60 million over the past five years from the family that owns the maker of OxyContin, even as the company became embroiled in lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic, financial records show. Some of the donations arrived before recent lawsuits blaming Purdue Pharma for its role in the opioid crisis. But at least nine schools accepted gifts in 2018 or later, when states and counties across the country began efforts to hold members of the family accountable for Purdue’s actions. The largest gifts in that span went to Imperial College London, the University of Sussex and Yale University. (Binkley and McDermott, 10/3)
The Associated Press:
Company Claims Oklahoma Judge Miscalculated Opioid Award
An Oklahoma judge made a $107 million miscalculation when he ordered consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million to help clean up the state’s opioid crisis, attorneys for the company argue in a court filing. The company also is asking for a reduction in the judgment based on pre-trial settlements totaling $355 million that the state reached with Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma and Israeli-owned Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Murphy, 10/2)
Los Angeles Times:
MLB And Players’ Union Mull Testing For Opioids While Easing Marijuana Penalties
The league would “absolutely” like to add opioid testing for next season, said Dan Halem, the league’s deputy commissioner. Tony Clark, the executive director of the players’ association, said the union plans to work with the league to assess “all of our drug protocols relating to education, treatment and prevention.” The parties have discussed whether to loosen baseball’s restrictions on marijuana — not specifically as a trade-off for opioid testing, but as part of the annual review of the sport’s drug policy, according to three people familiar with the talks but not authorized to comment publicly on them. (Shaikin, 10/2)
NPR:
Doctor Gets 40 Years For Illegally Prescribing More Than Half A Million Opioid Doses
The sentence is lighter than it could have been. Smithers was facing up to life in prison and a fine of more than $200 million, according to officials at the U.S. Justice Department. Smithers was convicted by a jury in May on more than 800 federal drug charges — including one count of possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of unlawfully distributing controlled substances. (Booker, 10/2)
The Associated Press:
Trump Will Find Friendly Florida Crowd Amid Impeachment Talk
President Donald Trump is leaving Washington for the first time since House Democrats ramped up their impeachment inquiry -- and he’s heading straight into the warm embrace of a Republican stronghold. Trump is due to visit The Villages, a sprawling retirement hub about an hour north of Orlando that is a must-stop for GOP candidates. The president plans to announce an executive order to protect Medicare during his visit Thursday and address an invitation-only group. (Farrington, 10/3)
The Washington Post:
Health Insurance Premiums For Federal Employees, Retirees To Go Up An Average Of 5.6 Percent Next Year
Federal employees and retirees on average will pay 5.6 percent more for their health-care premiums in 2020, but will have more plans from which to choose, the government announced Wednesday. Officials said the increase is similar to what other large employers have reported or estimated for 2020 — in the 4.5 to 6.5 percent range. The hike also is in line with recent increases in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, although well above the 1.5 percent for 2019. (Yoder, 10/2)
NPR:
Planned Parenthood To Open Large New Facility In Illinois Near Missouri Border
Planned Parenthood announced it will continue to provide "medication abortion and a full range of family planning services, including birth control, annual exams, cancer screenings, STI testing, and HIV prevention, including PrEP." The new facility will also provide access to surgical abortions, in addition to the services previously listed. (Zialcita, 10/2)
The New York Times:
Bipartisan Report Says Trump’s Abuse Has Pushed Federal Science To A ‘Crisis’
Every president over the past two decades has, to some degree, undermined research and injected politics into science, the report said. But, it concluded, “Now, we are at a crisis point, with almost weekly violations of previously respected safeguards.” The report calls for stringent new standards to enshrine scientific independence. The study, to be formally released on Thursday, follows reports that President Trump’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, pressured the commerce secretary to rebuke weather forecasters who appeared to contradict the president after he erroneously claimed a recent hurricane could affect Alabama. Earlier this summer a State Department intelligence analyst resigned in protest after the White House tried to edit scientific testimony about climate change and then blocked it from being entered into the permanent Congressional Record. (Friedman, 10/3)
NPR:
'Why Is There Nothing Left?' Pension Funds Failing At Catholic Hospitals
The case highlights a more widespread problem: Because of a loophole, many religious organizations are not covered by a federal guarantee that protects most other workers' pensions, so the workers can get left with nothing. By one estimate, more than 1 million workers and retirees from religious organizations lack this federal protection. (Arnold, 10/3)
The Associated Press:
Sanders Has Heart Procedure, Cancels Campaign Events For Now
Bernie Sanders’ campaign said Wednesday that the Democratic presidential candidate had a heart procedure for a blocked artery and was canceling events and appearances “until further notice.” The 78-year-old Vermont senator experienced chest discomfort during a campaign event Tuesday and sought medical evaluation. Two stents were “successfully inserted,” and Sanders “is conversing and in good spirits,” according to the campaign. He’s recovering at a Las Vegas hospital. Sanders tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that he was “feeling good. I’m fortunate to have good health care and great doctors and nurses helping me to recover.” (Riccardi and Neergaard, 10/2)
The Washington Post:
How Serious Is Bernie Sanders’s Heart Problem? This Is The Stent Procedure His Doctors Just Performed.
The medical problem Sanders experienced — though it can be serious if untreated — is a common affliction in men his age. And the procedure he underwent is one of the most routine performed by cardiologists. “This is a common procedure. It’s very safe. People recover quickly,” said Steven Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “I’ve treated businessmen who go back to work the next day. I’ve had patients in the U.S. Senate who have gotten right back to work. Although, if Bernie were my patient, I might tell him not to work 16 hours a day for a little while, just to make sure recovery goes well.” (Wan, 10/2)
The New York Times:
Is Age Only A Number, Even When You’re Running For President?
Presidential campaigns always reflect the hopes and fears — or, as political strategists call them, the “kitchen table conversations” — of the voters who cast the ballots. And this year, along with health care costs and college affordability, stagnant wages and immigration, the contest also reflects another issue, one that strikes at the heart of a country where the highest share of the electorate will be older than 65 since at least 1970: How old is too old? (Lerer, 10/2)
The Associated Press:
2020 Democrats Put Focus On Guns Amid Impeachment Fever
Democratic presidential candidates reiterated their call for gun control Wednesday and urged Americans to keep up the fight for change, sidestepping the issue of impeachment in Washington and whether it will divert lawmakers. (Ronanye and Price, 10/2)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Man Dies In ICE Custody In San Diego
A 37-year-old man from Cameroon died Tuesday in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, after undergoing treatment for a brain hemorrhage since Sept. 26 at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. Nebane Abienwi was being detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, according to an ICE news release. He was rushed to the emergency room Thursday after experiencing a hypertensive event in the middle of the night, according to the news release. ...Physicians at Sharp Chula Vista provided treatment to Abienwi, who was non-responsive to questions. He appeared paralyzed on his left side and remained in the hospital until he passed away Tuesday, according to ICE. (Fry, 10/2)
Frontline and The Associated Press:
Trump Admin Shifting To Privatize Migrant Child Detention
Sheltering migrant children has become a growing business for the Florida-based government contractor, as the number of minors in government custody has swollen to record levels over the past two years. More than 50 babies, toddlers and teens were closely watched on this day inside the clean, well-lit shelter surrounded by chain link fences. The children, many in matching black pants and gray sweatshirts, are officially under the custody of the federal government. But a joint investigation by The Associated Press and FRONTLINE has found that the Trump administration has started shifting some of the caretaking of migrant children toward the private sector and contractors instead of the largely religious-based nonprofit grantees that have long cared for the kids. (Burke and Mendoza, 10/3)
The New York Times:
Lung Damage From Vaping Resembles Chemical Burns, Report Says
The lung damage in some people who have become ill after vaping nicotine or marijuana products resembles a chemical burn, doctors from the Mayo Clinic reported on Wednesday. ... “All 17 of our cases show a pattern of injury in the lung that looks like a toxic chemical exposure, a toxic chemical fume exposure, or a chemical burn injury,” said Dr. Brandon T. Larsen, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. “To be honest, they look like the kind of change you would expect to see in an unfortunate worker in an industrial accident where a big barrel of toxic chemicals spills, and that person is exposed to toxic fumes and there is a chemical burn in the airways.” (Grady, 10/2)
Stat:
As Vaping Injuries Climb, Doctors Struggle To Wean Youth Off Nicotine
Banning the sale of vapes and their accouterments — as the governor of Massachusetts ordered temporarily — may send a clear warning message, but it doesn’t mean that those who are already addicted know how to quit. E-cigarettes might have been viewed as a way of giving up the old-fashioned equivalent, but it turns out the newfangled version can be just as hard, if not harder, to quit. (Boodman, 10/3)
The Hill:
Majority Says Vaping Ban Would Drive Consumers To Black Market: Poll
More than half of consumers in a new poll believe that a ban on vaping devices would merely drive Americans to an unregulated black market. USA Today reported Wednesday that a survey conducted by the newspaper and Ipsos polling found that 59 percent of Americans polled, including 82 percent of those who say they use e-cigarettes regularly, believe that a ban on vaping products would drive consumers to purchase from unlicensed dealers. (Bowden, 10/2)
Bloomberg:
Cigarette Sales Yet To Rebound As Vaping Slows Amid Illnesses
As the Food and Drug Administration’s plan to restrict the e-cigarette industry takes shape, driven by a spate of vaping-related illnesses, cigarette sales aren’t yet reflecting smokers’ concerns that vapes might not be the safer alternative to traditional smoking that marketing campaigns were built around. Sales trends for the past month, including the period since the FDA’s Sept. 11 announcement that it would pursue a ban on flavored vapes, suggest that the combustible cigarette market has yet to see a boost in demand following the Centers for Disease Control’s public health warnings about vaping. (Sircar, 10/2)
The Associated Press:
Utah Issues Emergency Rule Amid Vaping-Related Illnesses
Utah health officials enacted an emergency rule Wednesday restricting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and requiring warnings about unregulated THC products amid an outbreak of lung illness related to vaping. All tobacco sellers will be required to post notices about the danger of vaping unregulated THC, the high-producing ingredient in marijuana that’s been linked to most lung-damage cases in Utah. (10/2)
The Associated Press:
Lawsuit Filed In Arkansas Against Leading E-Cigarette Maker
An Arkansas teenager who began vaping last year is suing a leading e-cigarette maker, accusing the company of deceptive marketing and fraudulently concealing the addictive nature of its products. (10/2)
Stat:
FDA Challenges Testing Used By Lab That Found A Carcinogen In Zantac
As concerns mount over a possible carcinogen found in popular heartburn medicines, the Food and Drug Administration noted that an outside laboratory that discovered traces of the contaminant used a method “not suitable” for testing. As a result, the agency is suggesting the lab may have generated higher levels of the carcinogen than what might have been found otherwise. In a brief statement, the FDA contended that Valisure, which alerted agency officials to the presence of NDMA in heartburn pills such as Zantac, used higher temperatures in its testing than methods used by the agency. (Silverman, 10/2)
Stat:
Did Pfizer’s ‘Golden Ticket’ Funding Live Up To The Hype?
Traditionally, Golden Tickets lead to chocolate rivers or everlasting gobstoppers. For biotech startups, though, Golden Tickets lead to something with (potentially) fewer pitfalls: money from major pharmaceutical companies. On Thursday, Pfizer (PFE) announced it would give two startups, Neutrolis and Mediar Therapeutics, so-called Golden Tickets to LabCentral, a noted Cambridge, Mass., biotech incubator. (Sheridan, 10/2)
NPR:
Twin Birth Rate Drops For First Time Since The '80s
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the twin birth rate in the U.S. is on the decline. According to a data brief published Thursday from the National Center for Health Statistics, twin births declined in the U.S. by 4% from 2014 to 2018. The decline follows decades of steady growth which began in the 1980s and lasted through the early 2000s. (Vaughn, 10/3)