- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- Children With Disabilities Endure Long Waits For Life-Changing Medical Equipment
- Public Health and Education 3
- Infant's Death From Whooping Cough Prompts Officials To Urge Pregnant Women To Get Vaccinated
- Small Rural Community Has Third-Highest Suicide Rate In State, And People Want To Know Why
- Study Sheds Light On Need For More Research About Teens' Smartphone Usage, ADHD Symptoms
- Around California 1
- There's An OB-GYN Shortage In Sacramento, And An Aging Workforce Isn't Helping Matters
- Sacramento Watch 1
- Under California's Strict New Gun Law, Assault Weapon Registrations Jump 43 Percent
- National Roundup 3
- The Hidden Cost Of The Immigration Crisis: HHS Dips Into Funds That Could Have Gone To Medical Research
- Although Dems Are Campaigning On A Potential Kavanaugh Health Law Vote, He's Unlikely To Be A Deciding Factor
- FDA To Encourage Drugmakers To Seek Over-The-Counter Approvals With Aim Of Lowering Prices
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Children With Disabilities Endure Long Waits For Life-Changing Medical Equipment
Some California children with serious health care problems wait more than a year for wheelchairs, bath benches, commodes, specialized crutches and other crucial medical equipment. Critics blame the delays on a confusing bureaucratic maze of private insurers and public programs. (Jocelyn Wiener, )
More News From Across The State
Court Rules Health Benefits Of Cereals Outweigh Need For Cancer Labels
Requiring warnings on all foods containing acrylamide at levels that pose any risk of cancer “would cause many otherwise healthy foods to appear to consumers to be unhealthful,” the court said.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Breakfast Cereals Don’t Need Cancer Warnings, California Court Rules
A state appeals court weighed those conflicting factors and found the balance in favor of the federal government’s whole-grain assessment. Cereals produced by Post, General Mills and Kellogg do not have to carry cancer-warning labels under California’s Proposition 65, the court said, because the labels could discourage consumers from buying healthy foods. (Egelko, 7/17)
Dignity Health, Anthem Get Extension For Reimbursement Rate Negotiations
If a decision can't be reached eventually, then Dignity Health physicians will no longer be part of Anthem’s in-network providers.
The Bakersfield Californian:
Dignity Health, Anthem Extend Payment Talks To Avoid Drop From Plans
Anthem Blue Cross customers can breath a temporary sigh of relief. Dignity Health and Anthem will have a little more time to reach an agreement over reimbursement rates. Although a decision was supposed to be reached by the end of last week, a 30-day extension has been agreed upon to continue negotiations through Aug. 14. If a decision can’t be reached by that time, Dignity Health physicians will no longer be part of Anthem’s in-network providers. (Luiz, 7/17)
Infant's Death From Whooping Cough Prompts Officials To Urge Pregnant Women To Get Vaccinated
The disease is most dangerous to babies too young to be vaccinated, which is why the officials concentrate on making sure the mothers get their shots.
Los Angeles Times:
Infant Dies Of Whooping Cough In San Bernardino County
As public health officials prepare for a possible outbreak of whooping cough, the death of a baby in San Bernardino County from the disease has prompted warnings that pregnant women should be vaccinated. The death announced Tuesday marked the first time the disease had killed an infant in California in two years. State and county officials would not say when the child died or provide any further details. (Karlamangla, 7/17)
Orange County Register:
San Bernardino County Child Is First To Die From Whooping Cough In California Since 2016
As of July 17, San Bernardino County has reported 20 cases of whooping cough and 186 cases since the 2014 epidemic. Young infants are typically the most at risk of dying or being hospitalized from whooping cough. Vaccinating pregnant mothers between 27 and 36 weeks, and children, is considered to be the best way to prevent this disease. (Bharath, 7/17)
In other children's health news —
Orange County Register:
CHOC Opens Psychiatric Access Line To Help Kids With Mental Health Issues
In its ongoing efforts to improve mental health care for children and adolescents, Children’s Hospital of Orange County has started a pediatric psychiatric access line, the first of its kind in the county. ... There is a huge need for this link between pediatricians and psychiatrists because there are only about a dozen psychiatrists in Orange County specializing in care for children and adolescents — a number that is below state average, [Heather] Huszti said. (Bharath, 7/17)
Fresno Bee:
Charter School For Dyslexic Students Faces County Vote July 19
A charter school whose curriculum would focus on the needs of dyslexic students may not get off the ground in Fresno, after a review by the County Superintendent of Schools recommended denying its petition. Augustus Academy for Creative Arts and Technology had already been turned down on its original petition at Central Unified, but filed an appeal with the county in May. (Appleton, 7/17)
Small Rural Community Has Third-Highest Suicide Rate In State, And People Want To Know Why
There's a combination of factors -- rural areas tend to skew to an older population, many veterans have settled in the area -- that make the suicide rate in Amador County more than twice Sacramento’s.
Capital Public Radio:
A Problem, A Movement: What We’re Learning About Suicide In Amador County
A crowd of nearly 50 people from Amador County and surrounding communities gathered in Sutter Creek last month to discuss suicide risk in rural California and what community members can do. It was a conversation that residents said would not have happened a few years ago, and would still be considered taboo in most circles. (Caiola, 7/17)
In other public health news —
East Bay Times:
Major Racial Inequity Exists In Oakland, Report Shows
A first-of-its kind report on racial equity in Oakland highlights some unsettling realities for African-Americans in the city, including that they are 12.95 times more likely than whites to be arrested for a felony, 8.6 times more likely than whites to be jailed and 23.68 times more likely than whites to have force used against them by a law enforcement officer. In addition to gauging public safety inequities in Oakland, the study issued last week by the City University of New York highlighted racial inequities in economy, education, public health, housing, and neighborhood and civic life categories. (Tadayon, 7/17)
KQED:
Wildfire Smoke Continues To Impact Health, Travel In And Around Yosemite
Hot and dry conditions are hindering efforts to slow the growth of a deadly wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park, and some tourists are cutting their trips to the park short as smoke fills the air. The U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday that the Ferguson Fire — which ignited late Friday evening in the Sierra National Forrest — has scorched more than 12,000 acres of dry brush and timber. (Siegel, 7/17)
PolitiFact California:
Pot 101 Update: Are There Limits On Smoking Pot At Home Near Kids? Where Else Is It Legal To Smoke?
With the start of California’s retail recreational marijuana sales in January 2018, PolitiFact California published Pot 101, a guide to what’s legal and what’s not under the state’s landmark cannabis law. (Nichols, 7/17)
Study Sheds Light On Need For More Research About Teens' Smartphone Usage, ADHD Symptoms
The research suggests that there's at least a casual link, but experts don't know the extent of the connection.
CNN:
ADHD Study Links Symptoms With Digital Media Use
The more teens check social media and stream video, the more likely they might develop symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a new study suggests. The study, published in the medical journal JAMA on Tuesday, sheds light on how more research is needed to determine whether symptoms of the disorder, commonly called ADHD, are possibly caused by digital media use. (Howard, 7/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
Frequent Technology Use Linked To ADHD Symptoms In Teens, Study Finds
The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, tracked 2,500 teens over two years and monitored their usage and symptoms. It doesn’t prove a causal link. The study also didn’t rule out other possible causes such as lack of sleep, family stress at home or a family history of the disorder. But it was the first longitudinal study to follow so many teens over a two-year period, according to experts, going straight to an issue that pits parents and teachers against the tech industry in a battle for children’s attention. (Hernandez and Morris, 7/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Los Angeles High School Students Reveal A Link Between Copious Amounts Of Screen Time And ADHD
The results do not show that prolific use of digital media causes ADHD symptoms, much less that it results in a level of impairment that would warrant an ADHD diagnosis or pharmaceutical treatment. Indeed, it’s possible the relationship is reversed — that attention problems drive an adolescent to more intensive online engagement. (Healy, 7/17)
There's An OB-GYN Shortage In Sacramento, And An Aging Workforce Isn't Helping Matters
The problem is nationwide, but Sacramento ranked seventh out of 15 for metropolitan areas nationwide with the lowest percentage of OB-GYNs younger than 40. In other news from across the state: fire safety measures, pay raises for safety workers, homeless job programs, and more.
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Has One Of Nation’s Highest Risks For OB-GYN Shortage, Report Warns
A study released earlier this year by Doximity, the nation’s largest online network for health care providers, ranked Sacramento ninth in a list of the top 10 metropolitan areas in the nation with the highest risk of an OB-GYN shortage. The online network uses a score system to assess the severity of the lack of providers in 50 of the nation’s metropolitan areas, taking into consideration the age of practicing providers and the ratio of births to OB-GYNs. (Holzer, 7/18)
KQED:
S.F. Landlords Back Fire Safety Measure That Could Force Installation Of Sprinklers
The industry association that represents San Francisco's landlords is backing a new Board of Supervisors proposal that would give city inspectors the power to force scofflaw property owners to install or upgrade fire alarm and sprinkler systems. Supervisor Hillary Ronen on Tuesday unveiled a set of measures that would allow the city's Fire and Building Inspection departments to order landlords who have failed to correct two or more safety violations to retrofit their buildings with sprinklers and alarms or improve existing systems. (Golderg, 7/17)
Ventura County Star:
County Moves Forward On Pay Raises For Safety Workers
Labor contracts containing raises and increased health benefits for Ventura County firefighters, probation officers and jail workers won preliminary approval Tuesday from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. The deals are the last ones of close to a dozen pacts with 8,000 county employees that have been struck in the past year and a half. No new negotiations are scheduled until late next year, county Human Resources Director Shawn Atin said. (Wilson, 7/17)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Bakersfield Homeless Center Job Program Expands As Word Of Success Spreads
Since its inception in 2009, the Bakersfield Homeless Center’s Job Development Program has grown like a fledgling startup. From its origins as a nonprofit partner with the city of Bakersfield, the Homeless Center is branching out into the private sector, winning contracts from multiple local companies to have crews clean up corporate property or do odd jobs such as painting. It started with a single contract to sort green waste for the city’s recycling program. (Morgen, 7/17)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Cancer Took San Diego Woman's Tongue. Doctors, A Leg Muscle And Her Fierce Will Created A New One
The cure sounded nearly as bad as the cancer. To save Cynthia Zamora’s life, Dr. Joseph Califano would have to cut out nearly all of her tongue, eliminating her ability to eat, drink or speak. Moreover, the operation would be followed by months of sharp pain and stomach-roiling nausea. This dire prognosis came with a glimmer of hope. Specialists at UC San Diego insisted they could create a new tongue for Zamora. All they needed was a chunk of her leg. (Rowe, 7/17)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
$1M Award For Salk Scientist Janelle Ayres, Who Befriends Our Microbial Enemies
Janelle Ayres, a rising star at the Salk Institute, has collected her second honor in a month — one which brings $1 million to fund her microbial research. The grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation will allow Ayres to study alternative ways to cope with dangerous bacterial and viral infections. These include sepsis and influenza. Both are badly in need of better therapies. Ayres knows this personally — her father died of sepsis. (Fikes, 7/17)
KPBS:
San Diego Partners With Region's Health Care Provider For Free Wellness Workshops
Workshops on how to eat better, exercise and reduce stress will be held at libraries and recreation centers in San Diego. The wellness classes are made possible thanks to a partnership between Sharp Healthcare and the city of San Diego. (Hoffman, 7/17)
Under California's Strict New Gun Law, Assault Weapon Registrations Jump 43 Percent
Gun owners caught with unregistered “bullet button” rifles, which have detachable magazines that enable quick replacement of ammunition, face up to a year in jail and confiscation of the firearm.
Los Angeles Times:
Assault Weapon Registrations In California Are Up 43% Under New Law
Assault weapons registered in California have increased by 43% under a new law that expanded the types of firearms gun owners must log with the state. Californians have applied to register 68,848 additional assault weapons in the last 11 months to comply with a state law enacted following the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino. The 2016 law bans sales of semi-automatic assault rifles equipped with “bullet buttons,” which have detachable magazines that enable quick replacement of ammunition, and requires old ones to be registered with the California Department of Justice by the end of June. The mandate should allow law enforcement to better track the weapons. (McGreevy, 7/17)
In other news —
San Diego Union-Tribune:
9th Circuit Upholds Injunction That Temporarily Halts California Gun Magazine Law From Going Into Effect
Gun rights advocates on Tuesday won another round in the fight against a state law that aims to ban high-capacity gun magazines. The California law restricting gun magazines to 10 bullets was set to go into effect last July, but U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego granted a preliminary injunction until a lawsuit by gun owners could be litigated further. (Davis, 7/17)
Simply housing more than 2,500 children separated from their families by the Trump administration has cost more than $30 million in the past two months, not to mention other costs. As the price tag continues to tick up, HHS scrambles to figure out ways to pay for the migrant crisis.
Politico:
Trump’s Migrant Fiasco Diverts Millions From Health Programs
The health department has quietly dipped into tens of millions of dollars to pay for the consequences of President Donald Trump’s border policy, angering advocates who want the money spent on medical research, rural health programs and other priorities. The Department of Health and Human Services has burned through at least $40 million in the past two months for the care and reunification of migrant children separated from their families at the border — with housing costs recently estimated at about $1.5 million per day. (Diamond, 7/18)
Chief Justice John Roberts has previously joined the four liberal justices to preserve the health law, so it is less likely that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's vote would be the one that sways any related decision. Meanwhile, an assessment finds that states' efforts to protect consumers from high costs after the government ended certain health law subsidies last year is working.
The Associated Press:
Dems See Kavanaugh As Obamacare Threat, But Law Likely Safe
The heated debate over how Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would vote on the Affordable Care Act might not matter. As long as five past defenders of the health care law remain on the nation's highest court, the odds tilt in favor of it being allowed to stand. Some Democrats are warning that President Donald Trump's designee could spell doom for the statute, even as some conservatives are portraying Kavanaugh as sympathetic to former President Barack Obama's landmark legislation. (7/17)
The Associated Press:
States: Workaround Succeeding After Cut In Health Subsidies
A workaround by states to counter Trump administration cuts to Affordable Care Act subsidies has largely succeeded in protecting consumers from higher costs, California and 17 other states said. The assessment came late Monday in a court filing asking U.S. Judge Vince Chhabria to put a lawsuit involving the cuts on hold. The filing says states have mostly protected subsidized consumers by allowing insurers to raise premiums on some plans offered on health care exchanges. (Thanawala, 7/17)
FDA To Encourage Drugmakers To Seek Over-The-Counter Approvals With Aim Of Lowering Prices
“Our ultimate goal with modernizing our regulatory framework for nonprescription drugs is to help facilitate a market that is more competitive, enables greater access to medical products, empowers consumers in their health care decisions, and provides more affordable options for Americans,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said.
Stat:
FDA Eyes New Ways To Lower Some Drug Costs, Boost Consumer Access
In its latest bid to address health care costs, the Food and Drug Administration issued a new guidance that offers suggestions for drug makers seeking to switch their prescription medicines to a so-called non-prescription status. The guidance, which the agency called a “first step,” is designed to encourage drug makers to think about ways to seek approval for over-the-counter approvals. A new FDA regulation that would formalize such an approach is expected next year, but the agency emphasized that approval standards for over-the-counter medicines are not being lowered. (Silverman, 7/17)
The Associated Press:
FDA Plans To Ease OTC Approvals For Some Prescription Drugs
Drugmakers would have to do studies showing those strategies allow consumers to safely pick a drug and use it without medical supervision. The agency will take comments from drugmakers, medical groups and the public before issuing final rules, a process that usually takes many months. (7/17)
In other pharmaceutical news —
NPR/Center For Public Integrity:
Drugmakers Exert Influence On Medicaid's Preferences
Eight months pregnant, the drug sales representative wore a wire for the FBI around her bulging belly as she recorded conversations with colleagues at a conference in Chicago. Her code name? Pampers. Her company, drugmaker Warner Chilcott, was using payments and perks to get doctors to prescribe its drugs. Then its sales representatives gave nurses hot tips about what kind of symptoms would get Medicaid to pay for the drugs. The representatives also violated privacy laws by going through patient files and kept fax machines in their cars to fill out the paperwork meant for doctors. (Whyte, Yerardi, Kodjak, 7/18)
Stat:
Appeals Court Rejects Hospital Industry's Challenge On 340B Changes
An appeals court on Tuesday rejected an attempt by hospitals to challenge the Trump administration’s changes to the controversial federal drug discount program known as 340B, sticking them with a $1.6 billion cut in federal payments. The decision is the latest in a series of blows to hospitals trying to preserve the program, which increasingly pits them against the drug makers who must offer steep discounts on medicines under its rules. Participating hospitals get higher reimbursement for the drugs from the federal government, and use the difference to cover charity care and other costs. (Mershon, 7/17)
The Washington Post:
The Truth About ‘Breakthrough’ Drugs
When federal regulators started giving certain drugs “breakthrough” status in 2012, pharmaceutical company interest exploded. The goal was to speed up the approval of drugs for serious diseases when there was preliminary evidence the new drugs were better than existing treatment options. Giving these drugs “breakthrough” status comes with a side benefit: an evocative name. The word “breakthrough” suggests scientific triumphs and miracle cures to many people, including physicians. Companies and media reports often tout the “breakthrough” designation for experimental drugs that have not yet been proved effective. (Johnson, 7/17)