- California Healthline Original Stories 6
- Medicaid Caps Pitched By GOP Could Shrink Seniors' Benefits
- GOP Bill's Unheralded Changes In Rules Could Undermine Health And Prospects Of Neediest
- Senate And House Take Different Plans To Scrap Individual Mandate
- Prescription Drug Costs Are On The Rise; So Are The TV Ads Promoting Them
- In Deep-Red Western N.C., Revered Congressman Leads Charge Against GOP Bill
- KHN On Call: Answers To Questions On Tax Credits, Penalties And Age Ratings
- National Roundup 3
- Republicans Tweak Medicaid, Taxes, Abortion Provisions To Bring Wary Lawmakers On Board
- Freedom Caucus Leader: Members Should 'Vote For Their Constituents'
- 'Ultimate Salesman' Trump To Make Full Court Press On Reluctant Lawmakers
- Public Health and Education 4
- Dental Care Often Falling By The Wayside For Seniors
- Scientists Link Diabetes, Temperature With Eye On Global Warming Trends
- Researchers Investigate How Different Zika Strains Impact Fetal Development
- The Obsession With Checking Our Phones Is Taking A Toll On Our Well-Being
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Medicaid Caps Pitched By GOP Could Shrink Seniors' Benefits
Advocates for the elderly worry that GOP plans to end Medicaid’s open-ended spending and replace it with per-capita limits could pose a risk for low-income older people who rely on the federal-state program for nursing and other long-term care. (Stephanie O'Neill Patison, )
GOP Bill's Unheralded Changes In Rules Could Undermine Health And Prospects Of Neediest
Lesser-known provisions in the Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would push some Medicaid enrollees out of coverage and cause financial pain for others. (Emily Bazar, )
Senate And House Take Different Plans To Scrap Individual Mandate
The Republicans' penalty would affect people buying insurance who had a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days over a year. (Anna Gorman and Jordan Rau, )
Prescription Drug Costs Are On The Rise; So Are The TV Ads Promoting Them
Spending on consumer advertising by drugmakers has increased 62 percent since 2012. (Bruce Horovitz and Julie Appleby, )
In Deep-Red Western N.C., Revered Congressman Leads Charge Against GOP Bill
Is Republican Rep. Mark Meadows the man who would kill "Trumpcare"? He enjoys strong support in his gerrymandered western North Carolina district as he leads conservative opposition to the GOP’s plan for repealing and replacing Obamacare. (Phil Galewitz, )
KHN On Call: Answers To Questions On Tax Credits, Penalties And Age Ratings
KHN and NPR answer your questions on the GOP health bill. (Alison Kodjak, NPR News and Julie Rovner, )
More News From Across The State
Republicans Tweak Medicaid, Taxes, Abortion Provisions To Bring Wary Lawmakers On Board
The revisions were made to appease both the conservative wing of their party and moderates who had voiced concerns for their older constituents who would have been particularly hard hit by the first version of the American Health Care Act.
Reuters:
Republicans Tweak Obamacare Bill As Trump Moves To Promote Overhaul
Congressional Republicans recrafted their Obamacare replacement bill on Monday in hopes of satisfying critics as U.S. President Donald Trump prepared to promote his first major legislative initiative on Capitol Hill. In a sign of deepening concern among Republicans about the bill's future, Trump will speak to the party's lawmakers in Congress on Tuesday about the healthcare overhaul, two House Republican aides said. (Morgan and Cornwell, 3/20)
USA Today:
Republicans Modify Obamacare Repeal Bill To Win More GOP Votes
Under the modified version of the GOP replacement bill, states would be allowed to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients without dependents to work beginning in October — and would get a funding boost as a reward for doing so. States could also receive federal funding for the program as a lump sum — instead of a per capita allotment — for children and non-disabled, non-elderly adults. Taxes imposed by the ACA on the wealthy, sectors of the health care industry and others to pay for expanded coverage would be repealed in 2017 instead of 2018. (Groppe, 3/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
Changes To The Republican Health-Care Bill
The bill would repeal most of the Affordable Care Act’s taxes starting in 2017, a year earlier than in the prior version. A tax on generous employer health plans, known as a “Cadillac tax,” would begin in a year later, in 2026. (Armour, 3/21)
Politico:
GOP Leaders Pile On Sweeteners To Sell Obamacare Repeal
The bill also includes provisions nodding at anti-abortion GOP leaders. Among other changes to the repeal bill, the amendment would delete a provision that would have allowed consumers to move leftover tax credit money into a Health Savings Account. Anti-abortion groups had raised concerns that the provision might be eliminated under the Senate's strict budget rules and inadvertently allow for taxpayer funding of abortion. (Haberkorn, Pradhan and Dawsey, 3/20)
Los Angeles Times:
In A Bid To Get Votes, House Republicans Prepare Changes To Their Bill Rolling Back Obamacare
The revisions do not include any provisions targeting high drug prices, even though Trump told a rally in Louisville on Monday night that the bill would. (Mascaro and Levey, 3/20)
Freedom Caucus Leader: Members Should 'Vote For Their Constituents'
Although Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) says there are enough lawmakers that oppose the American Health Care Act to tank the legislation, he is not holding his caucus to a "no" vote, which frees up leaders to sway individual members.
The Wall Street Journal:
Conservative House Republicans Say They Have Votes To Block Health Bill
Conservative House Republicans said Monday night that they have enough votes to block the GOP’s legislation to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, as House leaders proposed changes to the bill in a late effort to draw support. (Peterson, Andrews and Armour, 3/21)
USA Today:
House Freedom Caucus Will Not Oppose Obamacare Repeal En Bloc
The conservative House Freedom Caucus has decided not to vote as a bloc to oppose the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, a decision that could pave the way for the legislation to pass the House this week. “We’re not taking any official positions,” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the Freedom Caucus, told reporters Monday. “I’m going to encourage them to vote for their constituents.” (Collins, 3/20)
The Washington Post:
House Republicans Unveil Changes To Their Health-Care Bill
There were signs Monday that the bill had growing support among the moderate wing of the House GOP. Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), who had voted against the leadership in an early procedural vote on the health-care legislation, said that he was “satisfied enough that I will support the bill.” MacArthur said he was assured that the bill would do more for older and disabled Americans covered under Medicaid and that an additional $85 billion in aid would be directed to those between ages 50 and 65. (DeBonis, 3/20)
Bloomberg:
Senate GOP Holdouts Split Into Rival Camps On Obamacare Overhaul
The House is racing to find enough votes for its health-care bill this week, but even if it passes, prospects in the Senate have only darkened. More than enough Senate Republicans oppose the House bill to kill it -- with rival camps insisting on pulling the bill in opposite directions to meet their demands. With just a 52-48 majority, the bill would fail if three or more Republicans vote against it. (Dennis, 3/21)
'Ultimate Salesman' Trump To Make Full Court Press On Reluctant Lawmakers
The success of the American Health Care Act could hinge in part on President Donald Trump's deal-making prowess.
The Associated Press:
Trump To Capitol In Last-Ditch Lobbying For Health Care Bill
President Donald Trump is rallying support for the Republican health care overhaul by taking his case directly to GOP lawmakers at the Capitol, two days before the House plans a climactic vote that poses an important early test for his presidency. Top House Republicans unveiled revisions to their bill in hopes of nailing down support. (Fram and Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/21)
The Hill:
Trump Storms Capitol With Healthcare Plan On The Line
On Tuesday morning, the president will head to Capitol Hill in an attempt to seal up House Republican support for the health insurance legislation, just two days before the most important congressional vote of his young presidency. “He’s been working. He’s the closer,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said Monday on MSNBC. “He knows how to put this together. He’s got great negotiating skills, and we’re coming together with it.” (Wong, 3/20)
Morning Consult:
Trump To Address House GOP As Chamber Charges Toward Vote
“I think the president is the ultimate salesman on this,” Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) said Friday. “I think there might be some members in there that it might be beneficial for him to call, if it gets down to that.” (McIntire, 3/20)
Politico:
Trump Sounds Done With Health Care Before He’s Really Started
On the precipice of the meatiest legislative fight of his young presidency, Donald Trump is increasingly talking about health care like the vegetables of his agenda — the thing he must begrudgingly finish in order to get to what he really wants: tax cuts, trade deals and infrastructure. (Goldmacher, 3/20)
Dental Care Often Falling By The Wayside For Seniors
“Many of them are getting used to living in pain,” says Dr. Karen Becerra. “They have active infections that have been going on for five, 10, 15 years.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Keeping Up With Dental Care Challenging For Many Seniors
Many seniors wish they had access to better dental care. But often, after retirement, they lose dental insurance and can’t afford new coverage. Medicare, for instance, doesn’t cover most dental work. (However, dental insurance is available for low-income seniors through Denti-Cal under the Medi-Cal program). In 2012, a survey prepared for San Diego County Aging & Independence Services indicated that being able to afford dental care was the No. 1 health issue for seniors, even more than general medical care (38 percent to 30 percent). (Williams, 3/20)
Scientists Link Diabetes, Temperature With Eye On Global Warming Trends
The health impacts of the planet's changing temperature expand far beyond malaria and dengue fever, researchers find.
Los Angeles Times:
Why Global Warming Could Lead To A Rise Of 100,000 Diabetes Cases A Year In The U.S.
If the average temperature rises by 1 degree Celsius, sea levels will rise, crop yields will fall and vulnerable species will see their habitat shrink or disappear. And, a new study suggests, the number of American adults suffering from diabetes would rise by more than 100,000 a year. Experts have previously predicted that climate change could fuel the spread of conditions such as malaria and dengue fever, because rising temperatures will broaden the range of disease-spreading mosquitoes. (Kaplan, 3/20)
In other public health news —
The Desert Sun:
Want A Healthier Community? The Desert Healthcare District Wants To Hear From You
Anyone with ideas on how to make the Coachella Valley a healthier place to live is encouraged to attend special meetings of the Desert Healthcare District on Thursday and Friday. Officials with the publicly funded agency are preparing to lay down goals for the coming decade, including for the proposed district expansion into the eastern Coachella Valley...A telephone survey conducted in November and funded by the district found that about two-thirds of district voters rated local medical care as excellent or good. District CEO Herb Schultz said he often hears that access to mental health services, help for the homeless and access to dental care are ways local health care could improve. (Newkirk, 3/20)
Researchers Investigate How Different Zika Strains Impact Fetal Development
The Asian strain of the virus, which has been linked to microcephaly, attacks fetal cells differently than the African strain.
Sacramento Bee:
African Strain Of Zika Virus Shown To Act More Quickly Than Asian Strain
The University of Missouri study looked at two strains of the Zika virus – the African strain as well as the Asian strain, the latter of which has been linked to a neurological defect called microcephaly in human babies. Researchers used stem cells to create placental cells, and then infected two separate groups of those cells with the Asian or the African strain of the Zika virus, according to a news release about the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The Asian strain of the virus entered the cell and replicated within the cells, but did not kill the cells, according to the release. (Caiola, 3/20)
The Obsession With Checking Our Phones Is Taking A Toll On Our Well-Being
“We’ve trained ourselves, almost like Pavlov’s dogs, to figuratively salivate over what that vibration might mean,” Rosen said. “If you don’t address the vibrating phone or the beeping text, the signals in your brain that cause anxiety are going to continue to dominate, and you’re going to continue feeling uncomfortable until you take care of them.”
Sacramento Bee:
How To Wean Yourself From Your Gadget Addiction
Many people find the constant dings, rings, buzzes and beeps that come from their computers and cell phones impossible to ignore. Experts say its a sign of our dependency on technology, which validates and entertains us while also cutting into our productivity and altering our attention span for the worse. (Caiola, 3/20)
California Researchers Create Antivenin To Treat Snake Bites
University of California, Irvine Ph.D. student Jeff O’Brien says the antivenin costs pennies compared to what's available now for snake bites. That medication costs more than $2,000 dollars per vial.
Capital Public Radio:
UC Irvine Researchers Develop Gel To Neutralize Snakebites
An estimated 8,000 people will be bitten by a venomous snake this year in the U.S. Two California researchers have developed a new way to treat those bites. University of California Irvine Chemistry professor Ken Shea and Ph.D. student Jeff O’Brien have created a gel that neutralizes venom from a snake bite. O'Brien says the antivenin also shows promise in treating humans and animals who have been bitten by scorpions and spiders. (Johnson, 3/20)
In other news from across the state —
Los Angeles Times:
Sewage Spill Closes Part Of Newport Harbor To Swimmers Until At Least Tuesday
A portion of Newport Harbor is closed to swimming and diving after 750 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the water Saturday afternoon. Sewage flowed from a storm drain into the water at Newport Marina at West Coast Highway and Newport Boulevard around 1 p.m., said Anthony Martinez, water quality program manager for the Orange County Health Care Agency. (Fry, 3/20)