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California Healthline Original Stories
Doctors Argue Plans To Remedy Surprise Medical Bills Will ‘Shred’ The Safety Net
A case of questionable logic. (Rachel Bluth, )
Good morning. Lawmakers, politicians and the public continue to grapple with the three shootings that rocked the country over the span of only a few days. Read more on that below, but first here are your top California health stories for the day.
Kaiser Permanente Announces Offer To Workers Who Were Poised To Launch Nationwide Strike: Key provisions of Kaiser’s proposed agreement include wage increases, affordable health care, retirement security, career mobility and opportunities for new hires. The coalition, comprised of 11 labor unions that represent the 80,000 workers, offered a terse response to the announcement. “The coalition will negotiate at the appropriate place — the bargaining table — not in the media,” the unions said in a statement released Tuesday. “Kaiser has not made this or any proposal to the workers on the elected bargaining committee, and what they are presenting to the media is deliberately deceptive.” Voting to approve a strike will take place at Kaiser locations across California and in other states. If failed negotiations lead to a walkout — which would be the nation’s largest since the Teamsters strike at United Parcel Service in 1997 — it would start in early October. Read more from Kevin Smith of the Easy Bay Times.
State Auditor Upbraids California Health Care Services Over Failure To Ensure Rural Medi-Cal Beneficiaries Had Access To Care: California State Auditor Elaine Howle looked into the welfare of Medi-Cal beneficiaries in 18 rural counties at the behest of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which wanted to know whether the patients were receiving care comparable to their peers around the state since being transitioned into managed care plans from fee-for-service plans during the Medi-Cal expansion in 2013. The managed care plans, run by Anthem Blue Cross and California Health & Wellness, failed to meet a significant number of minimum quality metrics set out by the Department of Managed Health Care, Howle wrote. Of 22 metrics in 2015, Anthem fell below the bar on 9.5 and Health & Wellness on 10.5, compared with 4.1 for plans in the rest of the state. Last year, Anthem had brought that down to 5 and Health & Wellness to 6 of 21, Howle noted, but their peers in the rest of the state also narrowed the gap to 2.3 on average. Read more from Cathie Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
Calif. Bill Moving Through Legislature Would Make Limited Amounts Of PrEP Available Over The Counter: Advocates and patients say some people who need PrEP don’t know it exists, or are unsure about how to talk to their doctors about it. Many physicians aren’t educated on what PrEP is or when to prescribe it, said Courtney Mulhern-Pearson, senior director of policy and strategy for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which is sponsoring the bill. “[The pharmacy] is a more accessible access point for a lot of people,” she said. “It wouldn’t require an appointment, and they’re in every community. So for all pharmacies that are willing to participate in this, we potentially have a broader reach of access points than we have currently.” In addition, advocates say, insurance plans introduce even more barriers to the process. Some medical groups are concerned about allowing pharmacists to dispense this medication, which is taken daily and can have side effects such as headaches, kidney problems and liver problems. Read more from Sammy Caiola of 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
Los Angeles Times:
Gilroy Shooter's 'Target List' Spurs Domestic Terrorism Probe
Federal authorities on Tuesday said they had launched a domestic terrorism investigation into the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival after officials discovered the gunman had a list of other potential targets. Among the targets were religious organizations, courthouses, federal buildings and political institutions involving both the Republican and Democratic parties, FBI special agent in charge John F. Bennett said during a news conference. (Fry and Winton, 8/6)
The Mercury News:
California Family Of Boy Born With Half A Heart Battling Insurance Company To Get Lifesaving Surgery
Noah Connally will turn 4 on Aug. 18. But already, the boy who was born with half a heart has been under the knife three times — first when he was still in his mother’s belly, again at seven days and a third time, at six months. On Thursday, Aug. 8, if he’s lucky, there will be a fourth time at Boston Children’s Hospital. This would be a marathon surgery that could last more than 10 hours and his doctors say it’ll give Noah the best prognosis he’ll ever have. (Bharath, 8/7)
Modesto Bee:
Black Men More Likely To Be Killed By Police Than White Men
Police violence is a leading cause of death among young black men, who are more than twice as likely to be killed by law enforcement than white men, according to a newly released study. The study, from Rutgers University, found that black men face a one in 1,000 chance of being killed by police, compared to one in 2,000 for men in general. (Sheeler, 8/6)
KPBS:
Bernie Sanders Comes To San Diego And Weighs In On Homelessness, Affordable Housing
Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke in San Diego on Monday at the annual conference of UnidosUS, the nation's largest Latino civil rights group. KPBS spoke with Sanders about affordable housing, homelessness, and whether "Medicare For All" is realistic. (Bowen, 8/5)
Los Angeles Times:
State Says Burbank Unified’s Kindergartens Are ‘Safe’ In Defending Against Disease Outbreaks
Burbank Unified’s 11 kindergarten programs located in district elementary schools have been deemed safe at preventing an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. That news comes as the district confirmed to the Burbank Leader it dealt with 14 cases of vaccine-preventable diseases last year and has a population of 66 unvaccinated students. (Campa, 8/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Decline In Opioid Deaths Tied To Growing Use Naloxone, CDC Says
The number of naloxone prescriptions dispensed by U.S. retail pharmacies doubled from 2017 to last year, rising from 271,000 to 557,000, health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. ... “One could only hope that this extraordinary increase in prescribing of naloxone is contributing to that stabilization or even decline of the crisis,” said Katherine Keyes, a drug abuse expert at Columbia University. (Stobbe, 8/6)
The Associated Press:
Plan To Boost 'Red Flag' Gun Laws Gains Momentum In Congress
Despite frequent mass shootings, Congress has proven unable to pass substantial gun violence legislation, in large part because of resistance from Republicans. But a bipartisan proposal by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is gaining momentum following weekend mass shootings in Texas and Ohio. The still-emerging plan would create a federal grant program to encourage states to adopt "red flag" laws to take guns away from people believed to be a danger to themselves or others. (8/6)
The New York Times:
‘Red Flag’ Gun Control Bills Pick Up Momentum With G.O.P. In Congress
Such “red flag” laws might not be as momentous — or controversial — as the now-expired assault weapons ban or the instant background check system, both of which were enacted in 1994 as part of President Bill Clinton’s sprawling crime bill. The House, under Democratic control, passed far more ambitious bills in February that would require background checks for all gun purchasers, including those on the internet or at gun shows, and extend waiting limits for would-be gun buyers flagged by the instant check system. But those bills have run into a blockade that Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has erected for House bills he opposes. (Stolberg, 8/6)
Politico:
Dems Pressure Congressional Leaders To Act On Gun Control And White Supremacy
House Democrats are demanding Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell immediately return to Washington so the Senate can vote on gun control legislation in the wake of two deadly mass shootings over the weekend that left at least 31 people dead. The move comes as a separate group of Democrats, led by Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas.), urged Congress to work on legislation to combat domestic terrorism — and suggested in a letter that Speaker Nancy Pelosi also cut recess short for House members. (Caygle and Ferris, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Democrats Take On Guns In Emotional Terms
The Democratic presidential candidates are increasingly speaking of gun violence in highly personal terms, recounting how shootings have stolen their own relatives and friends and providing an emotional underpinning to new gun-control proposals that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has been talking about how his 11-year-old nephew was shot by a 10-year-old schoolmate. Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper has recalled personally dealing with a massacre that killed 12 in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. Former congressman Beto O’Rourke, who carries a photo of a shooting victim in his wallet, unleashed an expletive-laced response to a question about President Trump’s responsibility for the tragedy in El Paso, his hometown. (Sullivan, 8/6)
The New York Times:
What Are ‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws, And How Do They Work?
With one mass shooting after another in recent years, political leaders have debated how to take preventive action without trampling on constitutional rights. Some states have tried, and more have debated, enacting measures called red flag laws, which are intended to restrict potentially dangerous people rather than dangerous weapons. That approach is seen as more likely to attract bipartisan support than many other gun control proposals. Here is what you need to know about those laws. (Williams, 8/6)
The Washington Post:
Even With ‘Red Flags’ In Their Youth, Mass Shooters Often Slip Through The Cracks
Connor Betts, 24, who shot and killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, before police killed him, was a deeply troubled young man. He had a history of violence against girlfriends and fantasized about murder, keeping a “hit list” of people he wanted to target. High school classmates said that school officials were aware of his behavior years ago, and that as a freshman, he was missing from school for months after police one day took him from a school bus. (Sullivan, Strauss and Davies, 8/6)
The Associated Press Fact Check:
Trump Distorting His Record On Gun Control
President Donald Trump is distorting his record when it comes to gun control. Speaking out this week against two mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, Trump asserted that his accomplishments in stemming gun violence stand out compared with previous presidents. He also suggested an unwavering commitment to improving mental health treatment. (8/6)
The Associated Press:
FDA Says Novartis Withheld Data Problem Before Drug Approval
U.S. regulators want to know why Novartis didn't disclose a problem with testing data until after the Swiss drugmaker's $2.1 million gene therapy was approved. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday the manipulated data involved testing in animals, not patients, and it's confident that the drug, called Zolgensma, should remain on the market. The agency said it's investigating and will consider criminal or civil penalties if appropriate. (Johnson, 8/6)
Reuters:
U.S. Judge Expresses Support For Novel Opioid Settlement Talks Framework
A federal judge on Tuesday expressed support for a novel plan by lawyers representing cities and counties suing drug companies over the U.S. opioid epidemic that would bring every community nationally into their settlement talks despite objections from most states. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster during a hearing in Cleveland, Ohio said that while the idea was unprecedented, it could allow companies accused of fueling the epidemic in nearly 2,000 lawsuits before him an ability to obtain "global peace." (8/7)
The Washington Post:
Lead Poisoning In Immigrant Families: How Ethnic Spices And Products Can Poison American Children
The homemade powder, called kumkum, that Venkat Rachakulla and Lakshmi Ginnela applied on their daughter’s forehead was meant to enhance her intuition. The yellow turmeric, which the couple bought from a local Indian grocer and sprinkled regularly into her food, was supposed to keep her healthy. And the tiny gold bangles were a gift from the baby’s grandparents in Hyderabad, India — a way for them to send good fortune. These items were meant to keep 1-year-old Vaishnavi safe. (Tan, 8/6)