- KFF Health News Original Stories 2
- Leading Scope Maker Olympus Agrees To Hefty Settlement In Kickback Cases
- California's New Sex Education Requirements
- Sacramento Watch 2
- Brown Signs Health Plan Tax Package
- Vote To Close Medi-Cal Budget Hole Breaks Republicans' Anti-Tax Streak
- Marketplace 3
- Scope Maker Olympus To Settle Federal Kickback Investigation For $646 Million
- Another Theranos Setback?: Walgreens Wants To Cut Ties, Sources Say
- San Diego, Riverside Health Centers Integrate Operations, Adopt Managed Care Model
- Public Health and Education 1
- Despite Legality Concerns, San Francisco Bumps Age To Buy Tobacco To 21
Latest From California Healthline:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Leading Scope Maker Olympus Agrees To Hefty Settlement In Kickback Cases
The company will pay $646 million to end civil and criminal probes. Olympus’ leaders acknowledge responsibility for "past conduct" they say was inconsistent with the firm’s values. (Chad Terhune, 3/2)
California's New Sex Education Requirements
School districts scramble to comply with state edict. (Emily Bazar, 3/2)
More News From Across The State
Brown Signs Health Plan Tax Package
The bills are designed to help avoid losing more than $1 billion in federal matching funds for Medi-Cal. They had cleared the state Senate on a 28-11 vote and then sailed through the Assembly 61-16 with support from almost a dozen GOP lawmakers before heading to the governor's desk.
The Associated Press:
Brown Signs Plan For Health Insurance Taxes
Gov. Jerry Brown gave his approval to a new health care tax intended to prevent a $1.1 billion hole in the state’s health care program for the poor. (Noon, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Brown Expands Health Industry Tax
Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Tuesday to expand a tax on the health insurance industry so that the state doesn’t lose $1 billion in federal funding. Under the expansion, managed-care organizations — such as Blue Shield, Cigna and Aetna — will have to pay the state tax regardless of whether they serve Medi-Cal patients. Previously, only those serving Medi-Cal patients had to pay the tax and received federal matching funds to offset it. The newly added health plans will get a break on their corporate and insurance taxes so they don’t raise patients’ premiums. (Gutierrez, 3/1)
The Sacramento Bee:
Jerry Brown Approves Health Insurance Tax Package
Gov. Jerry Brown signed major health plan tax legislation Tuesday, the day after lawmakers passed the package as part of a bipartisan deal with Brown to preserve a major funding source for low-income healthcare and other programs. (Miller, 3/1)
San Jose Mercury News:
California Legislature Approves Replacement Tax On Health Care Plans
Passing the tax was a top priority for Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders because it will help the state avoid a cutoff of more than $1 billion in federal matching funds for Medi-Cal, the state health insurance program for low-income Californians that now covers about one-third of the state's residents. The $1.27 billion tax cleared the state Senate on a 28-11 vote and then sailed through the Assembly 61-16 with support from almost a dozen GOP lawmakers, including Assembly Republican leader Chad Mayes. (Calefati, 3/1)
Vote To Close Medi-Cal Budget Hole Breaks Republicans' Anti-Tax Streak
Although the bills are being called a "tax cut" by some due to the fact that there's a net positive fiscal effect on some of California's largest insurers, Republican lawmakers had to weigh the political ramifications of voting for a tax.
The Los Angeles Times:
GOP Legislators Voting For Taxes? It's Not Likely To Happen Again Anytime Soon
While Republicans had cast healthcare tax votes since 2009, those were for extensions of an existing levy on only a few health plans. The new tax signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday broadly applies to all managed care plans and thus has the potential to affect millions of Californians. (Myers, 3/2)
Scope Maker Olympus To Settle Federal Kickback Investigation For $646 Million
The company agreed to the payment to end civil and criminal probes of charges that it bribed doctors and hospitals to buy Olympus endoscopes and devices. A corporate whistleblower may collect $51 million from the settlement.
California Healthline:
Leading Scope Maker Olympus Agrees To Hefty Settlement In Kickback Cases
Los Angeles Times:
Olympus Corp. To Pay $646 Million To Settle Kickback Case
The Associated Press:
Olympus To Pay At Least $646 Million To End US Probes
Another Theranos Setback?: Walgreens Wants To Cut Ties, Sources Say
The drugstore giant has asked its lawyers to find a way out of its deal with the troubled blood-testing startup, according to unnamed sources who spoke to The Financial Times.
The San Francisco Business Times:
Walgreens May Be Looking For Way Out Of Theranos Deal
Walgreens is reportedly seeking ways to end its partnership with Theranos on blood-testing clinics in its drug stores. The Financial Times cited unnamed sources who said that Walgreens has asked its lawyers to find a way get out the relationship in which it offers tests with the troubled Palo Alto startup at about 40 of its stores in Arizona and one in California. (Schubarth, 3/1)
San Diego, Riverside Health Centers Integrate Operations, Adopt Managed Care Model
The 12 organizations join a new entity called Integrated Health Partners that provides primary care services to about 500,000 people across 72 locations that largely serve the region’s low-income Medi-Cal population.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
A Dozen Health Centers To Share Patient Management
Twelve local health centers announced Tuesday that they will integrate their clinical operations across 72 physical locations in San Diego and Riverside counties. The move takes a managed care approach pioneered by the likes of Kaiser Permanente and applies it to organizations that largely serve the region’s low-income Medi-Cal population. (Sisson, 3/1)
Despite Legality Concerns, San Francisco Bumps Age To Buy Tobacco To 21
Opponents say that California law, which sets the age at 18, cannot be trumped by cities' legislation.
The Associated Press:
San Francisco Raises Age To Buy Tobacco To 21
San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to boost the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21, despite arguments from opponents that cities and counties cannot trump California law. San Francisco becomes the second-largest city after New York City to raise the minimum age to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Hawaii and Boston also require tobacco buyers to be 21. (Har, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Supes Raise Age To Buy Tobacco From 18 To 21 — Lawsuit Possible
The legislation could lead to a lawsuit: The National Association of Tobacco Outlets has said it may sue the city because, it claims, state law preempts the city from lowering the age to purchase tobacco. [Superviser Scott] Wiener struck a defiant chord at the board meeting and said the city would not be “bullied” by the tobacco lobby. (Green, 3/1)
In other public health news from around California —
The Ventura County Star:
County Cutting Contract With Kids' Crisis Team
A nationally accredited team that assesses and counsels suicidal children is being eliminated effective this summer. County Behavioral Health Director Elaine Crandall decided to stop the contract with the Casa Pacifica agency and provide the service through the county's crisis team for adults, she confirmed Tuesday. Team members will be trained in children's crisis care over the next few months and four others, plus a supervisor, will be hired, Crandall said. (Wilson, 3/1)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
County Moving Forward With HIV Plan
While there has been a significant drop in the number of residents contracting HIV, San Diego County is poised to start a program that will encourage county-wide testing, preventative drug prescriptions, and other measures aimed at further cutting the prevalence of the illness. The effort comes as statistics show that even though HIV is less of a problem today than it was three decades ago, San Diego County still lags behind the state and country in key measures related to combating HIV and AIDS. (Stewart, 3/1)
The Sun:
Appeals Court: Upland, Cannabis Attorneys Argue Over When Voters Can Weigh In On Medical Pot Ban
An appellate court is already leaning toward allowing Upland residents the chance to overturn the city’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, but proponents of such an election want it as soon as possible. Attorneys for California Cannabis Coalition and the city of Upland appeared before a three-judge panel Tuesday, which will ultimately decide when voters get to weigh in. (Marquez, 3/1)
Trump, Clinton Super Tuesday Victories Solidify Front-Runner Statuses, But Rivals Hold On
Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump nabbed at least seven states, with Sen. Bernie Sanders holding on to four, including his home state of Vermont, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio taking three and one, respectively. The vast majority of voters did not rank health care as the most important issue.
Modern Healthcare:
Health Policy Change Ranks Low For Voters As Clinton, Trump Surge Ahead On Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday was a win for the front-runners in both parties on a pivotal night in which healthcare policy seemed to play a minor role. ... The percentage of Democrats ranking healthcare as the most important issue for them Tuesday ranged from 16% in Massachusetts to 26% in Tennessee. Those voters strongly went with Clinton in the states where she came out on top, according to exit polls. More than two-third's of Clinton's voters on Tuesday, according to exit polls, said in general they'd rather stick with President Barack Obama's policies than move in a more liberal direction. (Muchmore, 3/1)
The New York Times:
Donald Trump Overwhelms G.O.P. Rivals From Alabama To Massachusetts
Donald J. Trump won sweeping victories across the South and in New England on Tuesday, a show of strength in the Republican primary campaign that underscored the breadth of his appeal and helped him begin to amass a wide delegate advantage despite growing resistance to his candidacy among party leaders. Mr. Trump’s political coalition — with his lopsided victories in Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts and Tennessee, and narrower ones in Arkansas, Vermont and Virginia — appears to have transcended the regional and ideological divisions that have shaped the Republican Party in recent years. (Burns and Martin, 3/1)
The New York Times:
Minority Voters Push Hillary Clinton To Victories
Hillary Clinton took full command of the Democratic presidential race on Tuesday as she rolled to major victories over Bernie Sanders in Texas, Virginia and across the South and proved for the first time that she could build a national coalition of racially diverse voters that would be crucial in the November election. Based on results from Democratic primaries and caucuses in 11 states, Mrs. Clinton succeeded in containing Mr. Sanders to states he was expected to win, like Vermont and Oklahoma, and overpowering him in predominantly black and Hispanic areas that were rich in delegates needed for the Democratic nomination. (Healy and Chozick, 3/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Donald Trump Notches More Wins, But Ted Cruz’s Victories Promise Long Race
New York businessman Donald Trump won Republican primaries Tuesday from the Deep South to New England, but Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took his home state, Oklahoma and Alaska, ensuring that the race for the GOP nomination will stretch into the spring. Mr. Trump’s victories Tuesday are all the more impressive because, for the first time in the race, he faced concerted attacks from his chief Republican rivals. He continues to defy the laws of presidential politics, courting controversies that few other politicians could survive. ... In the race for the Democratic nominee, front-runner Mrs. Clinton swept the delegate-rich states of Massachusetts and Texas, as well as key Southern states. Her rival, Bernie Sanders, won in four states—Minnesota, Vermont, Oklahoma and Colorado—which offered much less of a delegate haul. (O'Connor and Hook, 3/2)
Supreme Court To Hear Oral Arguments In Texas Abortion Case
Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt goes before the high court on Wednesday. It is the first major abortion case the court has heard in almost a decade.
The New York Times:
Supreme Court To Hear Major Abortion Case Over Texas Law
The Associated Press:
Abortion Debate Returns To Depleted Supreme Court
Reuters:
Impact Of Texas Clinic Law At Issue In Abortion Case Before Supreme Court
The Washington Post:
South Texas’s Only Abortion Clinic Is Battleground For Major Supreme Court Case
The Wall Street Journal:
Supreme Court Set To Take Up Key Abortion Case
Politico:
Abortion Case Before 8-Member Supreme Court Could Deadlock