- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- California Insurer Faces Whistleblower Complaint Over Health Law Taxes
- Sacramento Watch 1
- Law Would Let Clinics Bill Medi-Cal For Two Visits In One Day To Help With Mental Health Services Costs
- Courts 1
- Coffee Companies Want To Continue Fight Against Cancer Labels, But Experts Say They Won't Affect Behavior Anyway
- Public Health and Education 1
- A Movement Led By Victims Of Violent Crimes Is Preaching Alternatives To Tough Sentences
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California Insurer Faces Whistleblower Complaint Over Health Law Taxes
The filing against Blue Shield of California focuses on the taxation of certain health plans that are funded by both an employer and insurer. The case could attract more government scrutiny into whether all health insurers are paying their fair share of premium taxes. (Chad Terhune, )
More News From Across The State
Right now, if a patient receives mental health services on the same day as medical services, the clinic can't bill twice and has to absorb the extra cost.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Legislation Would Allow Health Centers To Bill Mental And Medical Visits On The Same Day
For years, a number of local health centers have spent a great deal of money and effort making sure a therapist or psychologist was staffed just down the hall from a primary care doctor — an attempt to catch signs of depression, post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues as early as possible. That effort is part of a larger health care trend driving the integration of medical, mental and dental health services. But in California, federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics are not allowed to bill medical and mental health services on the same day. The state Department of Health Care Services is only allowed to reimburse clinics for one doctor’s visit. That means the clinic has to absorb the cost of one of the visits. But lawmakers in Sacramento are trying to change that. (Espinoza, 4/16)
In other news from Sacramento —
Los Angeles Times:
Some Republican Lawmakers, Once Critical Of Marijuana, Now Think Highly Of It. Here’s Why
States that have passed laws legalizing recreational marijuana in recent years appear to have found some new, unexpected supporters: Republican politicians. Since voters began to pass recreational marijuana measures in 2012, the pro-pot movement has seen swift support from many Democrats, with Republicans often pushing back against legalization. Those expressing concern or opposition have cited, among other things, the potential for pot to be a gateway drug, and they have regularly sided with law enforcement, which has established a unified front against recreational marijuana. (Lee, 4/17)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Trying Tasks, Meager Wages: Caregivers Lobby For Better Pay
The coalition that Guiding Hands is part of is petitioning the state Department of Developmental Services to increase pay for the estimated 40,000 “direct support professionals” who care for nearly 300,000 developmentally disabled people in California. State Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) recently sent a letter asking that $25 million in “bridge funding” be added to next year’s operating budget to help “address operating cost pressures arising from extraordinary cost-of-living increases in each of California’s major population centers.” (Sisson, 4/16)
A judge recently ruled against the businesses, upholding a law that requires coffee to carry a warning label. But the companies still say it's misleading and confusing to customers.
The Wall Street Journal:
Coffee Brands Fight California Ruling On Cancer Warnings
The coffee industry is fighting the suggestion its products could cause cancer. A Los Angeles judge’s recent ruling in a lawsuit over cancer labels has galvanized coffee brands and retailers, including Starbucks Corp., to push harder to avoid carrying the labels. The companies say that trace amounts of the chemical acrylamide in their brew doesn’t justify a warning to consumers in California—an important market for food and beverage brands. (Randazzo and Gasparro, 4/16)
A Movement Led By Victims Of Violent Crimes Is Preaching Alternatives To Tough Sentences
But a small contingent of crime survivors and law enforcement officials is preaching the opposite to solve the problem. The debate is brewing both in California and in the national spotlight.
Los Angeles Times:
Survivors Of Violent Crime Raise Their Voices In California To Call For A New Approach To Criminal Justice
Her father, uncle, a cousin and two older brothers. Those are some of the family members 16-year-old Aaliyah Smith has lost to gun violence. Then there are her friends. Jermaine Jackson Jr., 27, was shot and killed in 2016 while he painted over graffiti in San Francisco. Toriano “Tito” Adger, 18, was shot there a year later at a bus stop. He called Smith, who was nearby, and warned her to run. She made it inside a library moments before the crack of gunfire. (Ulloa, 4/17)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
Organs From Drug Overdose Victims Could Save The Lives Of Patients On Transplant Waiting List
The widening tragedy that is the U.S. drug-overdose epidemic could have an improbable silver lining: for the 120,000 desperate Americans on the waiting list for a donated organ, the line could get a little shorter. In 2000, only 149 organs from donors who suffered a fatal drug overdose were transplanted into patients waiting for a replacement kidney, heart, liver or lungs. In 2016, overdose victims donated 3,533 such organs for transplant. (Healy, 4/17)
Orange County Register:
Seniors Get Sneak Peak At The Technology That Could One Day Make Daily Life Easier
Wearing what looked like a space-age bicycle helmet, Jean Hedrick leaned forward and stared intently at the light displays in front of her.Nearby, a robotic arm spun, dropped its claw and picked up a block. It was Hedrick manipulating the robotic arm, without touching its computer. The helmet she wore was fitted with electrodes measuring electrical impulses from her brain and sending commands to the mechanical arm. (Mellen, 4/16)
LA To Devote $430 Million To Fighting 'Humanitarian Crisis' Of Homelessness
Mayor Eric Garcetti's plan includes investing millions of dollars in trailers and other temporary housing, along with more funding for sanitation crews. Media outlets look at the issue across California.
The Associated Press:
Los Angeles Plans To Double Spending On Homeless Crisis
Just steps from City Hall’s main door, a homeless woman sprawls on a cardboard box spread across the lawn, her belongings stuffed into a battered shopping cart beside her. Within a short walk, rows of tents line the streets, creating makeshift encampments edged by piles of trash. The smell of urine is unmistakable. (Blood, 4/16)
KPCC:
'It's Nowhere Near Enough': LA Homeless Advocates React To Mayor's Shelter Plan
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has a new plan to try to solve the city's homeless crisis. Garcetti would like to spread temporary shelters across the city, placing one in each of L.A.'s 15 council districts. There's also a promise of more enforcement to keep the areas near those shelters clear of homeless encampments. It's an ambitious plan with a $20 million price tag. Andy Bales is CEO of the Union Rescue Mission. The mayor's proposal is a good first step, Bales said, but more needs to be done. (Henderson, 4/16)
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
LA County To Pay Homeowners To Create Housing For The Homeless
In an attempt to alleviate the soaring homelessness problem in Los Angeles County, officials want to pay homeowners to house people by building new living units or bringing existing dwellings up to code if they are in violation. It's part of a $550,000 pilot program launched by the LA Community Development Commission to explore new ways to safely and at a relatively low cost, provide housing options for handful of the county's nearly 60,000 homeless residents. (Romo, 4/13)
KPCC:
Los Angeles Housing Crisis: Working But On The Brink Of Homelessness
Family photos, Bible verse decals and wedding mementos adorn Jimmy Mejia and Patty Garrido's living room walls in South Los Angeles. Despite their efforts, the decorations can't mask the unpatched holes in the ceiling and the roaches that crawl around their kitchen. In one corner, there's a hole where the drywall caved in after a recent storm. "The heater doesn't work, so in the winter it's really hard; it gets really cold here," Mejia said. (Siegler and Wang, 4/16)
Sacramento Bee:
Why Are Schools In Sacramento Seeing More Homeless Kids?
A growing number of children who attend Sacramento County public schools are homeless or living in unstable housing conditions, new figures show. At a time when affordable housing is scarce and and rents are high, the number of students without a stable place to sleep surged 15 percent last year, and has risen more than 20 percent since 2011, according to data collected by school districts in the county. (Hubert, 4/17)
Santa Clara's First Transgender Health Clinic Set To Open
The idea for the specialized clinic came from a county health-assessment survey five years ago, which found that 82 percent of transgender residents who responded said there were not enough health professionals adequately trained to care for them.
The Mercury News:
Transgender Services Boosted In Santa Clara County With New Manager, Clinic Plans
For years, it’s been a community that health officials say has been underserved. But now transgender residents in Santa Clara County will have their own health clinic that specializes in their care. The county’s first transgender health clinic is scheduled to open in the fall on the second floor of the Valley Health Center Downtown on East Santa Clara Street in San Jose. “There’s a long history of this community being treated poorly and that has resulted in individuals not seeking care,” said Maribel Martinez, director of the county Office of LGBTQ Affairs. “We want a happy and healthy population, and that’s only possible if all residents have access to medical care proficient for their needs.” (Salonga, 4/16)
In other news from across the state —
The Mercury News:
Is Their Marriage About Love, Or Abuse? California Case Goes To Judge To Decide
“Your honor, I love Ryan Paul Morris-Spicer with all my heart, soul and being,” Sean Spicer told the judge who’ll be deciding whether he remains as legal guardian for his husband, who has the mental capacity of a 6-year-old. “We really do have a close knit, loving family. True, we have had our bumps in the road, but what family hasn’t?” (Sforza, 4/17)
The Modesto Bee:
FBI Operation In Stanislaus Nets Drug-Trafficking Arrests
At least six people were arrested in Stanislaus County on Wednesday by FBI agents assisted by Modesto and Turlock police. Lauren Horwood, spokeswoman for the California Eastern District office of the U.S. Attorney's Office, gave a brief statement to The Bee, saying the six arrested "were charged in a sealed indictment last Thursday (April 5) with 'multistate drug trafficking organization with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin'.” (Farrow, 4/12)
Immunotherapy Drug Significantly Boosts Odds Of Survival For Lung Cancer Patients
The study is a huge victory, and could lead to doctors changing the standard way they treat the common form of lung cancer, experts say.
The Associated Press:
Immune Therapy Scores Big Win Against Lung Cancer In Study
For the first time, a treatment that boosts the immune system greatly improved survival in people newly diagnosed with the most common form of lung cancer. It's the biggest win so far for immunotherapy, which has had much of its success until now in less common cancers. In the study, Merck's Keytruda, given with standard chemotherapy, cut in half the risk of dying or having the cancer worsen, compared to chemo alone after nearly one year. The results are expected to quickly set a new standard of care for about 70,000 patients each year in the United States whose lung cancer has already spread by the time it's found. (4/16)
NPR:
Keytruda Plus Chemotherapy More Effective For Lung Cancer
The study estimates that one year after treatment, 69 percent of patients who received the immunotherapy drug in addition to chemotherapy would still be alive, compared with 49 percent of people who received chemotherapy alone. While that's a notable difference, the drug did not stop cancer entirely in most patients. A year and a half after treatment, the disease had returned in three-quarters of patients with the new treatment. (Harris, 4/16)
The New York Times:
Lung Cancer Patients Live Longer With Immune Therapy
“What it suggests is that chemotherapy alone is no longer a standard of care,” said Dr. Leena Gandhi, a leader of the study and director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program at the Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University Langone Health. Immunotherapy has been making steady gains against a number of cancers. Four such drugs, called checkpoint inhibitors, which unleash the patient’s own immune system to kill malignant cells, have been approved so far. (Grady, 4/16)
USA Today:
New Studies Show Hope For Turning Immune System Against Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, killing more than 150,000 people a year. For cancer that has spread beyond the lungs, the five-year survival rate is historically just 1%. (Weintraub, 4/16)
The Washington Post:
For Advanced Lung Cancer, Immune Therapy Plus Chemo Prolongs Survival
Scientists who weren't involved in the study agreed that it was highly significant. H. Jack West, an oncologist at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, said, “It is literally practice-changing — immediately.” Roy Herbst, an oncologist at Yale Cancer Center said that most lung cancer patients now will be offered immunotherapy in some form much earlier than before. Still, he said, the approach was not a cure and there is a lot of room for improvement. The estimated proportion of patients in the combination therapy group who were alive and whose disease had not gotten worse at a year was about 34 percent, about double the proportion for the chemo-only group. (McGinley, 4/16)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Drug Combinations Improve Survival In Lung Cancer
Companies in recent years have introduced new drugs that harness patients’ immune systems to fight tumors, such as Merck’s Keytruda and Bristol’s Opdivo. When used alone, the drugs have been shown to improve patient survival in cancers including melanoma and certain types of lung cancer. Keytruda and Opdivo each cost about $13,500 monthly per patient. They don’t work for every patient, however, so companies have been racing to test whether combining immunotherapies with each other or with older drugs could further improve patient survival. (Loftus and Rockoff, 4/16)
Trump To Give Speech On Drug Prices, But No New Policies Are Expected To Be Unveiled
President Donald Trump's remarks are expected to coincide with a formal request for information from HHS on various ideas related to the cost of prescription drugs.
Politico:
Trump Plans First Major Speech On Drug Prices Next Week
President Donald Trump is set to deliver his first major speech on drug prices on April 26, revisiting an issue he campaigned on but that is unlikely to yield major legislative changes. The strategy is unlikely to call for actions of the sort Trump touted on the campaign trail like allowing the government to negotiate the cost of drugs for Medicare, but based on the president’s fiscal 2019 budget request could advocate for Medicare and Medicaid demonstrations to test new ways of paying for drugs on a smaller scale, like allowing some states to try negotiating drug costs in Medicaid. (Karlin-Smith and Cancryn, 4/16)
In other national health care news —
Stat:
Nursing Homes Routinely Refuse People On Addiction Treatment
Nursing facilities routinely turn away patients seeking post-hospital care if they are taking medicine to treat opioid addiction, a practice that legal experts say violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. After discharge from the hospital, many patients require further nursing care, whether for a short course of intravenous antibiotics, or for a longer stay, such as to rehabilitate after a stroke. But STAT has found that many nursing facilities around the country refuse to accept such patients, often because of stigma, gaps in staff training, and the widespread misconception that abstinence is superior to medications for treating addiction. (Bond, 4/17)
The Hill:
Opioid Crisis Takes Personal Toll On Washington
Deaths involving opioids have been rising since 1999. They increased nearly 28 percent from 2015 to 2016, an increase largely driven by a synthetic opioid packing up to 50 times more power than heroin. An estimated 115 people are dying of an opioid-related overdose every day. When members of Congress return to their districts, they say they hear first-hand how painkillers, heroin and fentanyl are wrecking lives — and that’s resulted in a sea change in attitudes about drug abuse. (Roubein, 4/16)
The Associated Press:
AP Investigation: #MeToo Has Little Impact On Medical World
The first time that Dr. Anthony Bianchi came onto a patient, California's medical board alleged, the gynecologist placed a chair against the exam room door, put his fingers into the woman's vagina and exposed his erect penis. The second time, the board claimed, he told a patient that he couldn't stop staring at her breasts and recounted a dream in which he performed oral sex on her in the office. (4/16)
Kaiser Health News:
Barbara Bush’s End-Of-Life Decision Stirs Debate Over ‘Comfort Care’
As she nears death at age 92, former first lady Barbara Bush’s announcement that she is seeking “comfort care” is shining a light — and stirring debate — on what it means to stop trying to fight terminal illness. Bush, the wife of former President George H.W. Bush, has been suffering from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to family spokesman Jim McGrath.In a public statement Sunday, the family announced she has decided “not to seek additional medical treatment and will focus on comfort care.” (Bailey and Aleccia, 4/16)
Reuters:
Drug Suppliers' Shares Rise As Looming Amazon Threat Appears To Ease
Shares of U.S. drug suppliers rose on Monday after a report that Amazon.com Inc had dropped plans to sell drugs to hospitals, in a boost to a pharmaceutical supply chain rattled by the looming threat of competition from the online retailer. Stocks of drug distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health rose 2 to 3 percent, while drugstore chains Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health each advanced about 5 percent. (Mishra, 4/16)
Kaiser Health News:
Congressional Advisers Urge Medicare Payments To Many Stand-Alone ERs Be Cut
The woman arrived at the emergency department gasping for air, her severe emphysema causing such shortness of breath that the physician who examined her put her on a ventilator immediately to help her breathe. The patient lived across the street from the emergency department in suburban Denver, said Dr. David Friedenson, who cared for her that day a few years ago. The facility wasn’t physically located at a hospital but was affiliated with North Suburban Medical Center several miles away. (Andrews, 4/17)