Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
‘Separate and Unequal’: Critics Say Pricey Medicaid Reforms Leave Most Patients Behind
MLK Community Hospital in South Los Angeles is surrounded by poverty, homeless encampments, and food deserts. Even though California Gov. Gavin Newsom is funneling billions of taxpayer money into an ambitious initiative to provide some low-income patients with social services, hospital executives and other critics say it won’t improve access to basic care. (Angela Hart, )
BSC Sues California Over Medi-Cal Changes: Blue Shield of California sued the state’s Department of Health Care Services over an alleged failure to produce documents about how it plans to contract with for-profit health insurers across the nation who want to participate in the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. Read more from Fierce Healthcare.
State Hasn’t Released Data On Heat-Wave Deaths: California endured its worst heat wave ever recorded in September. But for all the data on soaring temperatures, there was little information on the heat wave’s human toll, or how many people had been sickened or even killed. Some public health experts say the lack of timely information puts lives in jeopardy. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
Politico:
Gavin Newsom Makes Another Unorthodox Play On Abortion
Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching his first TV ads of the election cycle in California — and he isn’t asking voters to support his campaign. Instead, the California Democrat is spending $2.5 million over the next two weeks to implore Californians to back Proposition 1, a measure on the fall ballot that would enshrine the right to abortion and contraceptives in the state constitution. (Cadelago, 10/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
It’s Not Just About Congress: Bare-Knuckle Abortion Rights Politics Go Micro-Local In California
Statewide abortion rights activists don’t usually get involved in smaller local races. But in a sign of how abortion politics are intensifying in the post-Roe world, activists are zeroing in on a San Mateo City Council candidate who they feel hasn’t been clear on where he stands on a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. Candidate Rod Linhares has done something that few non-Republican candidates would dare in the blue parts of California: not disclose his position on Proposition 1, which would enshrine abortion and contraceptive rights into the state constitution. (Garofoli, 10/9)
Voice Of San Diego:
Why Assessor Candidates Flipped On Abortion, Coastal Height Limit
One of the fiercest debates at Politifest this year featured the two candidates for the obscure office of county assessor/recorder/clerk. Jordan Marks, a Republican, who works in the office now as taxpayer advocate and former City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, a Democrat, who ran for mayor in 2020, had some intense criticisms for each other, their backgrounds and ability to manage the office going forward. (Lewis, 10/10)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Abortion Rights Backers Rally In Oakland For Ballot Measure As Part Of Women’s March
More than 100 abortion rights supporters gathered in front of Oakland City Hall on Saturday to rally in favor of Proposition 1, a November ballot measure that would enshrine abortion access into the California constitution. The event was part of pro-abortion rights actions in dozens of cities coordinated by Women’s March, the movement formed in protest of former President Donald Trump. (Li, 10/9)
Reveal:
The Religious Right’s Campaign Against Hormonal Birth Control
When the Supreme Court’s decision undoing Roe v. Wade came down in June, anti-abortion groups were jubilant – but far from satisfied. Many in the movement have a new target: hormonal birth control. It seems contradictory; doesn’t preventing unwanted pregnancies also prevent abortions? But anti-abortion groups don’t see it that way. They claim that hormonal contraceptives like IUDs and the pill can actually cause abortions. (Mostafa, Butler and Mieszkowski, 10/8)
The Washington Post:
Spread Of Catholic Hospitals Restricts Abortion, Birth Control Access
The Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion is revealing the growing influence of Catholic health systems and their restrictions on reproductive services including birth control and abortion — even in the diminishing number of states where the procedure remains legal. Catholic systems now control about 1 in 7 U.S. hospital beds, requiring religious doctrine to guide treatment, often to the surprise of patients. Their ascendancy has broad implications for the evolving national battle over reproductive rights beyond abortion, as bans against it take hold in more than a dozen Republican-led states. (Sellers and Venkataramanan, 10/10)
Fox 5 San Diego:
San Diego Monkeypox Cases Reach 419
The California Department of Public Health on Friday provided an update on the state’s Mpox outbreak, confirming a total of 419 reported cases in the San Diego region. Data released by the CDPH’s Division of Communicable Disease Control shows the area ranking third in highest case counts statewide. Neighboring Los Angeles was at the top of list with a total of 2,049 cases. (Coakley, 10/8)
NPR:
Monkeypox Cases In The U.S. Have Been Falling Since A Peak In Early August
New daily monkeypox cases have been falling, and the CDC says cases are probably going to plateau or decline over the next few weeks. (10/11)
CIDRAP:
Monkeypox Study Spotlights Role Of Sexual Transmission
A significant proportion of patients reported attending large mass gatherings before developing monkeypox symptoms. Of 161 patients with available information, 37 (23%) met their sexual partners at such gatherings, including the Maspalomas Festival on Spain's Gran Canaria island, and various other Pride-related festivities in Europe and the United States, the authors said. Thirty percent of patients said they developed lesions or rash as a first symptom. (Soucheray, 10/10)
Los Angeles Times:
With COVID On The Retreat, How Safe Are Holiday Gatherings?
COVID-19 has scrapped many large holiday celebrations during the last two years. But with the pandemic in a lull and plentiful resources available to help thwart the worst the coronavirus has to offer, there’s hope that fall and winter gatherings — including Halloween, Thanksgiving and other end-of-year holidays — could be closer to normal for many Californians. (Money and Lin II, 10/10)
Reuters:
White House Says COVID Booster Campaign Going Well, Should Pick Up
The White House expects the rate of vaccination in its fall booster campaign to pick up over the coming weeks, and its COVID response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha on Friday characterized the initial pace as "a really good start." Jha estimated that between 13 million and 15 million Americans will have gotten the so-called bivalent booster by the end of [last] week. (Aboulenein and Erman, 10/7)
Reuters:
AstraZeneca's COVID Vaccine Suffers A Setback In Nasal Spray Trial
Attempts by Oxford University researchers and AstraZeneca Plc to create a nasal-spray version of their jointly developed COVID-19 shot suffered a setback on Tuesday as initial testing on humans did not yield the desired protection. An antibody response in the respiratory mucous membranes was seen in only a minority of participants in the trial, which was in the first of usually three phases of clinical testing, the University of Oxford said in a statement on Tuesday. (10/10)
The Mercury News:
California Doctor Pleads Guilty To Illegally Prescribing More Than 120,000 Opioid Pills
A Tustin doctor whose prescriptions were linked to a driver who killed an off-duty Costa Mesa fire captain and the suspected gunman in the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks pleaded guilty Friday, Oct. 7 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances after being accused of illegally prescribing more than 120,000 opioid pills over a six-year span. Dr. Dzung Ahn Pham, who owned Irvine Village Urgent Care, distributed the pills without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash and insurance payments, according to his plea agreement. (Antonios, 10/10)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Supervisors To Consider Plan To Compel Schools To Teach Students About Dangers Of Fentanyl
The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a plan to work with schools to raise more awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and make naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses, more accessible to parents and students. (Hernandez, 10/10)
Modesto Bee:
New Data: Fentanyl Deaths Sharply Rise In Stanislaus County
Newly released numbers show the fentanyl crisis is responsible for a sharp increase in drug overdose deaths in Stanislaus County. County public health has counted 229 deaths involving illegal fentanyl since 2020, when drug addiction counselors noticed that fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills were harming or killing people in Modesto. (Carlson, 10/10)
CalMatters:
Community Health Workers Help Battle Congenital Syphilis
Cassidy started crying before she even knew what her new one-bedroom apartment looked like. At 27 she had already spent nearly a third of her life in varying stages of homelessness — most recently housed in a temporary hotel room for pregnant women. “We did it,” Cassidy said softly, looking down at her two-month-old daughter napping in a Minnie Mouse bouncy chair at her feet. “It took a long time.” (Hwang, 10/10)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Medical Board Files Accusation Against Bakersfield Doctor Facing Medical Fraud Charges
A Bakersfield doctor facing criminal medical fraud charges had an accusation filed against him by the California Medical Board claiming he mandated unnecessary laboratory tests for his patients without their consent and profited by charging insurers for those tests. (Desai, 10/10)
Special Report: Black Infant Mortality
Capital & Main:
Los Angeles County Struggling To Shrink Black Infant Death Rate
Early in 2018, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced an ambitious health care goal for 2023: Cut the gap between Black and white infant mortality in L.A. County by 30%.For decades, Black babies in L.A. County were dying at a significantly higher rate than white babies, primarily because they were born too early or too small. (Ross, 10/5)
Capital & Main:
Toxic Pollutants A Growing Concern For Pregnant Mothers And Babies
Deborah Bell-Holt lives near a decades-old drilling site in South L.A., where oil sucked to the surface comes laced with dangerous pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, methane and toluene. What comes up must go somewhere, and Bell-Holt is sick at the prospect of how much toxic pollution ends up inside the bodies of her family and friends. “There are moments where I’m so furious,” says Bell-Holt, 69, who has fostered six children. All of them, like her, suffer chronic asthma, a problem linked to the proximity of oil drilling. Some children have terrible skin problems. Her husband has been battling leukemia for several years. As if that wasn’t enough, Bell-Holt now worries about a new generation. “My oldest child is 26, and she has a child that’s 3 years old, and they’re both asthmatic, and they both live here.” (Ross, 10/6)
Capital & Main:
New Solutions Unveiled To Curtail L.A. County’s Black Infant And Maternal Death Rates
Earlier this year, Los Angeles County opened the application window on a new universal basic income (UBI) program called “Breathe,” which guarantees 1,000 residents $1,000 a month for three years. Participants must be 18 or older, live in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and have household incomes at or below 100% of the county’s Median Household Income threshold. Anyone who fits the criteria, including expectant mothers, can apply to “Breathe.” (Ross, 10/7)
San Francisco Chronicle:
A Suicide At Stanford Exposed Deep Problems. Is It Still ‘Turning A Blind Eye’?
The death of Stanford University soccer captain Katie Meyer last spring provoked shock across the Bay Area and the nation. She was the fourth Stanford student to die from suicide in just over a year, and in the aftermath, students railed against what they saw as chronic and systemic problems with mental health services at the university. Officials acknowledged the need for more resources. They promised action. But six months later, with the new school year under way, some students say little has changed. (Echeverria and Newcomb, 10/10)
Technical.Ly:
Rose Health Was Just Acquired By California's Precise Behavioral
Rose Health, a mental healthcare startup based in DC, will now operate under the umbrella of a bigger, California-HQed behavioral health company. Precise Behavioral, based in Westlake Village, acquired Rose Health for an undisclosed amount. Founded earlier this year by Nitin Nanda, who also created Aligned Telehealth, Precise Behavioral offers staff and other management services for behavioral health operations. (Althouse, 10/10)
KPBS:
Mental Health Concerns Among Youth Prompt Call For More Resources
A recent study found alarming rates of mental health challenges in young adults in California. The California Endowment polled nearly 800 Californians ages 18 to 24, and found over 75% of them reported experiencing anxiety in the last year. More than half reported depression, and 31% experiencing suicidal thoughts. (Thorne, 10/10)
KTLA:
Mental Health Assistance In California
“You are not alone” is a message you may frequently see as you scroll through Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. The encouraging message being shared broadly is a way to celebrate World Mental Health Day. The day is designated for people to raise awareness for mental health issues and support mental health assistance efforts, The World Health Organization said. California offers multiple avenues for people seeking mental health resources. (Palm, 10/10)
AP:
As Suicides Rise, US Military Seeks To Address Mental Health
After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. More warning signs appeared during several years of subsequent overseas postings. “It’s like I lost me somewhere,” said Williamson, a Navy lieutenant commander who experienced disorientation, depression, memory loss and chronic exhaustion. “I went to my captain and said, ‘Sir, I need help. Something’s wrong.’” As the Pentagon seeks to confront spiraling suicide rates in the military ranks, Williamson’s experiences shine a light on the realities for service members seeking mental health help. For most, simply acknowledging their difficulties can be intimidating. And what comes next can be frustrating and dispiriting. (Khalil, 10/10)
NPR:
A Lawsuit Accuses Amazon Of Selling Suicide Kits To Teenagers
Amazon is facing a lawsuit accusing it of selling so-called suicide kits, brought by the families of two teenagers who bought a deadly chemical on the company's website and later used it to take their own lives. (Hernandez, 10/9)
Stateline:
Many Patients Can't Afford Health Costs Even With Insurance
The number of Americans with health insurance has climbed to historic highs during the COVID-19 pandemic, but within that silver lining is a darker hue. Many Americans have policies that only provide limited financial protection, to the point that many patients report forgoing needed medical care or prescriptions to avoid being hit with punishing out-of-pocket costs. (Ollove, 10/7)
The New York Times:
‘The Cash Monster Was Insatiable’: How Insurers Exploited Medicare for Billions
A New York Times review of dozens of fraud lawsuits, inspector general audits and investigations by watchdogs shows how major health insurers exploited the program to inflate their profits by billions of dollars. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 10/8)
USA Today:
Medicare Part D Drug Prices Vary Widely Between States
New data from the Medicare startup Chapter shows the cost of prescriptions can vary widely from one state to another and even from one zip code to another. For seniors with chronic medical conditions, a difference in geography could mean paying thousands of dollars more per year out-of-pocket for the same medicine. (Wedell, 10/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Why A $158,000 Drug With Unclear Benefits Hurts Whole Health System
Like many patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS—also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—Layne Oliff didn’t have any time to waste. Even before the drug Relyvrio was approved late last month by the Food and Drug Administration, he has had his own do-it-yourself method: He gets sodium phenylbutyrate in liquid form from a New Jersey pharmacy and taurursodiol online from Amazon. That costs him over $7,000 a year, but he says it has been well worth it because he feels the combination has helped stabilize a disease that often causes death within a few years. (Wainer, 10/10)
CalMatters:
STD Rate Soars Across Central Valley, State As Public Health Funding Dwindles
Today, California has the sixth-highest rate of congenital syphilis in the country, with rates increasing every year. In 2020, 107 cases per 100,000 live births were reported, a staggering 11-fold increase from a decade prior. (Hwang, 10/10)
USA Today:
Farmworkers Face Health Risks During Wildfire Season. How Bad Is It?
Farmworkers are an understudied population, yet vulnerable to certain health risks and barriers during wildfires, which are being exacerbated by temperature-revving climate change that’s increasing their frequency, according to research from the University of Washington and others. (Hassanein, 10/10)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Alzheimer's San Diego Aims To Raise $500,000 During Annual Walk Fundraiser
Alzheimer’s San Diego is preparing for its seventh annual Walk4ALZ fundraiser to be held Saturday, Oct. 15., in Balboa Park. (Mapp, 10/7)
KQED:
How Will Biden's Cannabis Pardon Affect California?
On Friday, President Biden issued a blank pardon for Americans federally convicted of possessing small amounts of cannabis, urged governors to do likewise on state offenses and called for a review on whether cannabis should be listed as a less serious drug from its current Schedule I listing. As a major cannabis producer, California is poised to become one of the states most affected by Biden's cannabis move. (Pelit and Thorsen, 10/10)
Voice Of San Diego:
Fletcher Says City Budgets Need To Prioritize Homelessness
County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher has been critical of San Diego cities that didn’t apply for a recent $10 million grant program to fund new homeless shelters, safe parking lots, safe camping lots and other homeless facilities. Only three of the county’s 18 incorporated cities applied – Oceanside, Vista and San Diego. (Layne, 10/10)
CNN:
A Colonoscopy Study Has Some Wondering If They Should Have The Procedure. What You Should Know
A new European study on colonoscopies – the largest of its kind – has complicated results, and it’s left some people wondering whether they should have the procedure to screen for colon cancer. (Cohen, 10/10)
Stat:
In Gold-Standard Trial, Colonoscopy Fails To Cut Rate Of Cancer Deaths
For decades, gastroenterologists put colonoscopies on a pedestal. If everyone would get the screening just once a decade, clinicians believed it could practically make colorectal cancer “extinct,” said Michael Bretthauer, a gastroenterologist and researcher in Norway. But new results from a clinical trial that he led throw confidence in colonoscopy’s dominance into doubt. (Chen, 10/9)
Stat:
Second U.S. Oncology Provider Plans To Go Public
The U.S. is about to have not just one, but two, standalone publicly-traded oncology providers. (Bannow, 10/10)
The New York Times:
After Giving Up On Cancer Vaccines, Doctors Start To Find Hope
It seems like an almost impossible dream — a cancer vaccine that would protect healthy people at high risk of cancer. Any incipient malignant cells would be obliterated by the immune system. It would be no different from the way vaccines protect against infectious diseases. However, unlike vaccines for infectious diseases, the promise of cancer vaccines has only dangled in front of researchers, despite their arduous efforts. Now, though, many hope that some success may be nearing in the quest to immunize people against cancer. (Kolata, 10/10)
NBC News:
Toxic Herbicides: Map Showing How High Exposure Is By State
On a daily basis, many people in the U.S. could be exposed to a potentially cancer-causing chemical used in the world’s most common weedkillers. Data shows that people in the Midwest, parts of the South and Colorado have the highest exposure. (Jefferies, 10/10)
The Hill:
Voters Want More Protection From Harmful Chemicals: Poll
Most American voters say they want more government and industry protection from toxic chemicals, a new poll has found. Not only do the 1,200 respondents to the survey overwhelmingly want assurances that consumer products are free from harmful chemicals, but they are also willing to pay more for the privilege. In the poll — commissioned by the University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment — 92 percent of voters agreed that the government should require products to be proven safe before reaching the market, while 63 percent strongly agreed. (Udasin, 10/11)