- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
- Elections 1
- 'What’s Going On Is Inhumane': Homeless Crisis Would Be Top Priority For Gubernatorial Candidate Newsom
- Public Health and Education 2
- Suicides Rise Along With Temperatures, Study Finds
- It's Imperative People In Medical Field And Educational System Recognize Effects Of Childhood Trauma, Advocates Say
- Around California 1
- Officials Warn People To Get Themselves Out Of Yosemite Valley As Wildfires Rage On
- National Roundup 3
- Administration Reverses Course, Reinstates Insurer Payments Just Weeks After Freezing Risk-Adjustment Program
- Most Families Will Be Reunited By Court-Ordered Deadline In What Judge Calls A 'Remarkable Achievement'
- Trump Describes Veterans' Health Care Reforms That Have Yet To Be Implemented As 'Big Success'
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Some residents of remote Surprise Valley in Northern California fear their hospital will close like so many others around the country, as hope wanes for financial support from a Denver entrepreneur. The businessman, Beau Gertz, had planned to raise money through lab billing for faraway patients. (Barbara Feder Ostrov, )
More News From Across The State
But Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's failure to fix the problem in San Francisco when he was mayor has critics raising questions if he'll be able to do anything statewide.
Sacramento Bee:
Homelessness Is Gavin Newsom’s Top Priority For California
It was here, as a new city supervisor in the early 2000s, that [Gavin] Newsom first confronted a problem that would follow him in elected office for the next 16 years: Worsening homelessness. San Francisco’s homeless population remained prevalent under Newsom’s watch as a two-term mayor from 2004 to 2010, despite his controversial efforts to eradicate its visibility and help place the most needy into housing. (Hart, 7/25)
In other news —
The Washington Post:
In L.A., Skid Row’s Homeless Deal With Yet More Misery As Tents Go Up In Flames
[T]he number of conflagrations is surging, a dangerous byproduct of the homeless epidemic in this sprawling city as well as Los Angeles County. A downtown business group has already counted 81 fires this year through Monday, which far outpaces the 59 recorded for all of 2017. Half a dozen individuals have been injured this year, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Somehow, no one has died. (Kuznia, 7/24)
LAist:
They Thought Religious Groups Would Open Their Parking Lots To The Homeless. They Were Wrong
The founders of Safe Parking L.A. had a simple idea — match people living in their cars with safe places to park overnight, let them sleep without disruption. The group of friends who started the nonprofit two years ago thought churches and synagogues would be clamoring to open up their parking lots for the night, and that money to fund these efforts would flow from politicians' coffers. They were wrong. (Huang, 7/24)
Suicides Rise Along With Temperatures, Study Finds
When heat rises about 2 degrees Fahrenheit in a given location and given month, deaths by suicide rise by about 1 percent. The research team projects that if climate change continues unchecked until the middle of this century, hotter temperatures could cause at least 20,000 additional deaths in the United States and Mexico.
KQED:
As Heat Rises, So Do Suicides, A Stanford Study Finds
A warming climate may carry a sneaky effect on mental health. A Stanford University-led research team warns in a study published today that hotter temperatures are raising the risk of suicide. Going back to the early 19th century, scientists, sociologists and poets all noticed more people die by suicide in spring. That’s caused other teams to investigate sunlight’s influence on mental health and the connection between allergies and suicide. (Peterson, 7/24)
KPCC:
Heatwave! Santa Monica Scooter Regulation, Office Spaces Exclusively For Cannabis
Temperatures will creep into the triple digits in some areas and that could lead to health risks and force Angelenos to stay indoors. We hear about the precautions we can take to stay healthy in the heat. You can find a list of cooling centers here. (7/24)
Advocates gathered to discuss what could be done to help children in communities who experience trauma, especially children of color. Event organizers hope the forum will serve as a first step and lead to tangible results within Sacramento communities.
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Health, Education Officials Discuss Community Trauma
With plans to turn conversation into meaningful action, over 100 officials from the Sacramento region convened last week in Del Paso Heights to begin talks about the impact of trauma in the community. Local experts discussed the effective, meaningful work that can be done to process trauma of various forms. (Holzer, 7/25)
In other public health news —
Orange County Register:
Orange County Portrait: Low Wages, Child Poverty, Costly Housing
Not far from Newport Coast’s glittering enclaves, Fullerton’s tidy subdivisions, Disneyland’s fantasy rides and Irvine’s corporate towers lies another Orange County. It is a place where child poverty is rising, students are failing, opioid addiction is epidemic, rents are sky-high and businesses pay workers less than they did a decade ago. (Roosevelt, 7/24)
San Francisco Chronicle:
In Search Of A Miracle: Stem Cells Are A Mother's Last Hope To Heal Her Son
Luane Beck dressed her son while he was still asleep, his limbs heavy and loose, getting him into jeans, brown Vans and his favorite blue hooded sweatshirt. It was dark outside, two hours before sunrise. She needed to have Jordan in front of their hotel in San Diego by 5:30 a.m. to meet a bus that would drive them across the border to Tijuana. In a storefront medical clinic there, Jordan was scheduled to get a treatment he couldn’t get in the United States, one provided by an American doctor stripped of his medical license. A treatment she’d pay $15,000 for: an infusion of stem cells she hoped would change his life. (Allday, 7/12)
Young Bay-Area Biotech Company Sets Its Eye On Elusive Alzheimer's Cure
The firm is taking a different path than most with its drug: It plans to develop a treatment that would bolster the brain’s own immune cells to clear out multiple damaging proteins.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Biotech Firm Chases Medicine’s White Whale: Alzheimer’s Cure
Alector, a 4-year-old biotechnology company in the heart of the Bay Area’s booming biotech sector, is attempting to cure Alzheimer’s — an elusive feat that drug companies many times its size have tried and failed to achieve. (Ho, 7/25)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Santa Rosa Girl Who Uses Medical Cannabis To Treat Seizures Seeks Admission To Rincon Valley School
Currently, states like Maine, New Jersey and Colorado have made exceptions for students whose doctors approve the use of medical marijuana, allowing parents or authorized caregivers to administer the drug. California Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, pushed for similar legislation in February, introducing a bill that would give schools the option to allow parents or guardians to administer medical marijuana to their children. But the bill, currently in the California Assembly, would prohibit the medication from being kept at schools. Jana Adams said her daughter wouldn’t benefit from the proposed legislation because the seizures happen sporadically and need to be immediately treated with the THC oil, rather than wait several minutes for her to reach the school in an emergency. (Chavez, 7/24)
Officials Warn People To Get Themselves Out Of Yosemite Valley As Wildfires Rage On
The area could become a "very dangerous" place soon. In other news, San Diego officials are worried about the county's psychiatric resources as Tri-City Medical Center plans closure of its mental health units.
Fresno Bee:
Yosemite Valley CA To Close Due To Ferguson Wildfire
Yosemite Valley will shut down Wednesday as fire crews try to stop the Ferguson Fire from spreading into the national park, according to fire crews. A noon closure will be imposed on a portion of Highway 41 from Wawona to the tunnel entry into Yosemite Valley, according to Yosemite National Park Superintendent Michael Reynolds. The closure is expected to last until Sunday. (Ramirez and Rodriguez-Delgado, 7/24)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
County Orders Review Of Mental Health Resources, Still No Solution At Tri-City
While everyone agreed that a comprehensive review of San Diego County’s psychiatric resources is warranted, there were no solutions Tuesday for the upcoming closure of Tri-City Medical Center’s mental health units. Acting on a request from board chair Kristin Gaspar, county supervisors ordered a wide-ranging assessment of local psychiatric services. But, while that report is to be delivered for discussion on Oct. 29, there was no firm timeline for replacing the capacity of the units that the Oceanside hospital plans to close in late August. (Sisson, 7/24)
And more from around California —
Ventura County Star:
Anthem Blue Cross Patients Keep Access To Oxnard, Camarillo Hospitals
Anthem Blue Cross patients will retain in-network access to doctors at Oxnard and Camarillo hospitals thanks to a 30-day contract extension between the insurer and Dignity Health. The agreement covering the insurance company's payment for doctor's care at St. John's hospitals in Oxnard and Camarillo as well as other Dignity hospitals was set to expire in mid-July. Because ongoing negotiations had not produced a new deal, physicians were in jeopardy of dropping out of Anthem's care network at the hospitals or at the Dignity Health Medical Group Ventura. If that happened, patients insured by Anthem would likely face the choice of having to pay higher rates at Dignity, finding a new insurer or going elsewhere for care. Emergency care would still be covered. (Kisken, 7/24)
The Mercury News:
Infestations And Food Violations At Bay Area Restaurants? Health Scores Join Star Ratings On Yelp Pages
You’re scrolling through Yelp, deciding where to grab dinner. You glance at the star rating, skim a few reviews — “OMG, best ramen ever!” — and perhaps check if you need a reservation. Starting today, you’ll spot a new and critical piece of information on Bay Area restaurant pages: Results of the county health department’s most recent inspection, complete with food safety violations, right there below the restaurant’s price range and hours. (Yadegaran, 7/24)
The Trump administration halted the payments, citing a ruling out of New Mexico that the risk-adjustment program’s implementation was flawed and hadn’t been adequately justified by federal regulators. The move sparked widespread concern that the decision could cause further upheaval in the health law marketplaces.
The New York Times:
Trump Administration, In Reversal, Will Resume Risk Payments To Health Insurers
The Trump administration, in an abrupt reversal, said Tuesday that it would restart a program that pays billions of dollars to insurers to stabilize health insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act. The administration suspended the program less than three weeks ago, saying it was compelled to do so by a federal court decision in New Mexico. But the administration said Tuesday that it would restore the program because otherwise health plans could become insolvent or withdraw from the market, causing chaos for consumers. (Pear, 7/24)
The Associated Press:
Trump Administration To Resume 'Obamacare' Insurer Payments
About $10 billion is at stake through a premium stabilization program. Insurers with healthier-than-average customers pay into the program, and the money goes to insurers with sicker patients. No taxpayer subsidies are involved. The administration had faced widespread criticism for its original move, with insurers warning of premium increases and exits from the market. Republican lawmakers were concerned about political fallout affecting the midterm elections. (7/24)
Politico:
Trump Administration To Resume Obamacare’s Insurer Payments
The risk adjustment program, created to protect Obamacare insurers that attract sicker and more expensive customers, has been targeted in court by some companies that allege it penalizes smaller startup health plans. A federal judge in one case partially agreed, ruling in February that HHS erred in requiring that the risk adjustment program be budget neutral. (Cancryn, 7/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration To Resume ‘Risk Adjustment’ Payments To Insurers
The new rule appears to clear the way for the planned flow this fall of risk-adjustment money tied to the 2017 plan year, a total that CMS had said amounted to $10.4 billion. “This rule will restore operation of the risk adjustment program, and mitigate some of the uncertainty caused by the New Mexico litigation,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Issuers that had expressed concerns about having to withdraw from markets or becoming insolvent should be assured by our actions today.” (Wilde Mathews, 7/24)
But U.S. District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw, who has been overseeing the Trump administration's efforts to reunite families, is not pleased with the government’s inability to say how many migrant parents have been deported, or released from custody by ICE into the U.S. Meanwhile, reunited families are left asking, "What's next?"
The Washington Post:
Government On Track To Reunite Most Families, But Judge Chides ‘Troubling’ Process
The Trump administration said Tuesday it is on track to reunite the majority of separated migrant families ahead of a July 26 court deadline, but workers are still sorting through case files to determine whether hundreds of parents were deported without their children. Government attorneys told U.S. District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw, who mandated the reunifications last month and has overseen the process, that the government has given 1,012 parents their children back so far, out of 2,551 who were separated. Hundreds more families are due to be reunited by the judge’s Thursday deadline, the attorneys said, which Sabraw praised as “a remarkable achievement.” (Miroff, 7/24)
The Washington Post:
Reunited: What Comes Next For Parents And Kids Separated By Trump's Immigration Crackdown
Two by two, they came through the double doors of the shuttered retirement home: mothers tightly clutching their children, fathers holding fast to small hands. They had been among the more than 2,500 parents stripped of their children and imprisoned after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. But now, after outrage and protests and a class-action lawsuit, the Trump administration was being forced to reunite the families ahead of a court-ordered deadline Thursday. (Miller, 7/24)
The Washington Post Fact Checker:
No, HHS Secretary Azar Did Not Say ‘Zero Tolerance’ Children Received A ‘Great Act Of American Generosity’
Equity Forward, an abortion-rights group, placed what it claimed was a “heavy six-figure” television buy via an affiliate that attacks Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for comments made during an interview on July 10 with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. The group, as part of its HHS Watch project, has increasingly highlighted the department’s role in the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy of separating children from families seeking asylum at the U.S. border. (Kessler, 7/25)
Trump Describes Veterans' Health Care Reforms That Have Yet To Be Implemented As 'Big Success'
Fact checkers from both The Associated Press and The New York Times examine President Donald Trump's statements about the Veterans Choice program and other efforts to improve care for veterans. Meanwhile, lawmakers fight over how to pay for the VA bill they just passed.
The Associated Press Fact Check:
Trump Exaggerates VA Gains In Veterans Speech
President Donald Trump is exaggerating the progress he's made on his campaign promise to provide veterans with quick medical treatment from private doctors if they're dissatisfied with Department of Veterans Affairs care. Speaking at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention Tuesday, Trump prematurely described VA benefits that have yet to be implemented as immediately available and a "big success." (7/25)
The New York Times Fact Check:
Trump’s Confusing Claim About The Veterans Choice Program
Mr. Trump is confusing an existing program for veterans’ health care with recently enacted reforms, and exaggerating the impact of the changes. The Veterans Choice Program was created in 2014 — not under Mr. Trump — after the scandal of hidden waiting lists at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. Under the program, veterans who do not live within 40 miles of a department hospital or face wait times of more than 30 days for care could seek private health care funded by the government. (Qiu, 7/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Congress Passed VA Bill But Now Debates How To Pay For It
A dispute has broken out among lawmakers and the White House over how to pay for a newly expanded Department of Veterans Affairs health-care program, stalling negotiations over the first big chunk of the next fiscal year’s government funding. The fight centers on whether Congress should go around a two-year budget deal to pay for the overhaul of veterans’ health-care programs signed into law last month or cut money elsewhere to stay within budget limits lawmakers agreed to in February. (Peterson and Kesling, 7/24)
The New York Times:
V.A. Shuns Medical Marijuana, Leaving Vets To Improvise
Some of the local growers along the coast here see it as an act of medical compassion: Donating part of their crop of high-potency medical marijuana to ailing veterans, who line up by the dozens each month in the echoing auditorium of the city’s old veterans’ hall to get a ticket they can exchange for a free bag. One Vietnam veteran in the line said he was using marijuana-infused oil to treat pancreatic cancer. Another said that smoking cannabis eased the pain from a recent hip replacement better than prescription pills did. Several said that a few puffs temper the anxiety and nightmares of post-traumatic stress disorder. (Philipps, 7/25)