- KFF Health News Original Stories 1
- Social Media Is Harming The Minds Of Our Youth, Right? Maybe Not.
- Pharmaceuticals 1
- Author Of New Drug Transparency Law Hopes Rest Of Country Will Follow In California's Footsteps
- Public Health and Education 2
- With Wildfires Sweeping State Comes The Threat From Smoke Inhalation
- For Leading Doctors' Group There's No Gray Area: Guns Kill People And Are A Public Health Threat
Latest From California Healthline:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Social Media Is Harming The Minds Of Our Youth, Right? Maybe Not.
The harmful effects of all those hours on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are well-documented. But lesser-known research shows that social media use may also provide mental health benefits. (Natalie Jacewicz, 10/11)
More News From Across The State
Author Of New Drug Transparency Law Hopes Rest Of Country Will Follow In California's Footsteps
State Sen. Ed Hernandez talks with Stat about how he hopes the new legislation will move the conversations over curbing drug pricing in the right direction.
Stat:
Q&A: Can California's New Drug Price Transparency Law Make A Difference?
On Monday, California adopted a law that requires drug makers to explain and justify price hikes, making it only the third state in the country to demand some transparency in response to rising medicine prices. Although the law does not actually allow the state to control pricing, the pharmaceutical industry fought the effort over concerns other states will now pursue similar legislation, since California is often seen as a bellwether. We spoke with state Sen. Ed Hernandez, the Democratic legislator who shepherded the bill — and who believes it can force a change in the national conversation about drug pricing. (Silverman, 10/10)
The Hill:
Battle Over Drug Prices Shifts Back To The States
President Trump has derided pharmaceutical companies as “getting away with murder,” but there’s been little action in Washington to rein in the costs of prescription drugs. Some states are taking matters into their own hands. California passed a new law that requires pharmaceutical companies to explain a drug’s price tag, and other states are considering similar measures. (Roubein, 10/11)
Ventura County Star:
Californians To Get More Info On Drug Prices
Gov. Jerry Brown approved a measure to increase disclosure on prescription drug prices, the focal point of growing efforts to clamp down on climbing pharmaceutical costs. Supporters call the law the nation’s most sweeping effort to make prescription drug pricing more transparent. The measure would require drugmakers to provide notice to health plans and other purchasers 60 days in advance of a planned price hike if the increase exceeds certain thresholds. (10/10)
With Wildfires Sweeping State Comes The Threat From Smoke Inhalation
Make sure to pay attention to itchy eyes, coughing and wheezing.
Sacramento Bee:
Wine Country CA Fires Causing Respiratory Problems In Sacramento Region
What's the air quality like in neighborhoods around the Sacramento region? Here’s a look at what filters in local air quality districts are reporting. (Anderson, 10/10)
Orange County Register:
Warning Issued For Risk Of ‘Unhealthy’ Air Quality As Canyon Fire 2 Rages On
As firefighters continued to battle a ferocious wildfire, area residents said they were struggling to deal with poor air quality. While most schools in the area were closed as a result of Canyon Fire 2, which had burned 7,500 acres as of early Tuesday afternoon, several remained open Tuesday leaving parents confused and conflicted. (Bharath, 10/10)
Orange County Register:
How To Prepare For An Emergency Evacuation And What To Take With You
As the Canyon Fire 2 continues to burn in Anaheim Hills, and other fires ravage Northern California, now is a good time to consider your emergency and evacuation preparedness. Preparation is important, safety experts say, when it comes to taking the edge off anxieties and also lessening the blow if tragedy happens. (Tedford and Sproul, 10/10)
For Leading Doctors' Group There's No Gray Area: Guns Kill People And Are A Public Health Threat
“Guns do not make individuals, their families, or homes safer and they result in far more deaths to loved ones than to an intruder intending to cause harm," Dr. Howard Bauchner, editor in chief of the influential Journal of the American Medical Association wrote.
Los Angeles Times:
'Guns Kill People,' And Leading Doctors Want To Treat Them Like Any Other Threat To Public Health
The doctors who lead the medical profession’s debates on how best to preserve and restore our health are done with moments of silence in the face of gun-related violence. In the wake of a mass shooting that killed 59 people and wounded hundreds more in Las Vegas, they neither minced words nor observed political niceties in describing the threat that firearms pose to Americans’ health. (Healy, 10/10)
New Coalition Dedicated To Improving Mental Health Services Of Refugees In San Diego
The Nile Sisters Development Initiative launched its MIND effort to unite community and government stakeholders to better serve the behavioral health needs among the city's refugees.
KPBS:
Helping San Diego-Resettled Refugees Overcome Trauma
A City Heights-based nonprofit drew attention to refugee mental health needs to mark World Mental Health Day in San Diego. Nile Sisters Development Initiative touted on Tuesday its grassroots effort called MIND, Matters Involving Neuro-Disorders, to assess behavioral health resources for newcomers and brainstorm improvements to services. (Burke and Mento, 10/10)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
New Coalition Aims To Offer Mental Health Support To San Diego Refugees
“The need for mental health among refugees is huge,” said Elizabeth Lou, CEO of Nile Sisters. For many refugees, the reasons that brought them to the U.S. can leave lasting trauma in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder or other conditions, Lou said. The challenges that refugees face when they come to San Diego, like finding employment and covering housing costs, she said, can trigger or exacerbate mental health conditions. (Morrissey, 10/10)
Trump's Health Care Executive Order Expected This Week, But What Will It Really Do?
Media outlets take a look at the administration's proposal to allow for association plans, which give small employers and individuals the ability to secure the same kind of benefits and lower prices that large employers have been able to get.
NPR:
Will Trump's Order Really Expand Health Care Choices?
President Trump is poised to sign an executive order that he says will make it easier for people to join together as a group and buy health insurance from any state. The president tweeted about his plans on Tuesday morning. "Since Congress can't get its act together on HealthCare, I will be using the power of the pen to give great HealthCare to many people — FAST," he wrote. (Kodjak, 10/10)
The Hill:
Trump Says Health Executive Order 'Probably This Week'
President Trump said Tuesday that he will be signing an executive order on health care "probably this week" that will provide "great, great health care." Trump's executive order, which has been expected for several weeks, is aimed at allowing small businesses and other groups to join together to buy health insurance through what are known as association health plans. (Sullivan, 10/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare 101: How Trump Might 'Use The Power Of The Pen' To Overhaul Healthcare
President Trump, who has been unable to get Republicans in Congress to roll back the Affordable Care Act, is promising to issue an executive order this week that he says will offer relief to consumers facing rising insurance premiums. Administration officials are reportedly looking specifically at ways to loosen health insurance regulations and promote wider use of a form of insurance known as association health plans. (Levey, 10/10)
Bloomberg:
This Is What Trump Could Do To Obamacare With An Executive Order
President Donald Trump on Tuesday hinted on Twitter that he’s getting closer to signing an executive order that could erode Obamacare, after Republicans in Congress failed to pass a repeal bill. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing an administration official, that an executive order regarding association health plans would be signed this week. The official echoed the president’s Sept. 27 comments to reporters, when he said he would “be signing a very major executive order where people can go out, cross state lines, do lots of things and buy their own health care.” (Rausch, 10/10)
The Associated Press:
Trump Health Coverage Alternatives May Pose Risk To The Sick
The White House is working on a plan that could bring more health insurance choices and cheaper options to people buying individual and small business coverage. But the bill for this might be paid by the sick. Senior administration officials have said President Donald Trump is expected sign an executive order this week to expand the use of health plans offered through associations. These groups already allow individuals or businesses to band together to buy coverage, and Trump's order could increase their use by making it easier to sell this coverage across state lines. (10/10)
Bloomberg:
A Trump Order On Obamacare Could Further Destabilize Fragile Markets
An executive order from President Donald Trump to allow new health plans outside of Obamacare could further destabilize the law’s fragile markets, health-care experts say. In the last week, Trump has talked about taking action to create more health-care options for people. Insurance experts say one option Trump’s likely considering would create what are known as association health plans. The plans would loosen regulations to let people band together and buy cheaper, unsubsidized coverage outside of the Affordable Care Act. (Rausch, 10/10)
Gottlieb Says He Can Be Most Effective At FDA, But Dodges Question On Nomination Talks
"I feel like I want to continue to follow through on the policies we've put out and it's where I think I can be most effective," said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, whose name has been floated as a replacement for former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
Reuters:
Food And Drug Chief Gottlieb Skirts Health Secretary Talk, Says Most Effective At FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, considered a potential successor to recently departed Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, said on Tuesday he believed he could best serve the Trump administration in his current role. "I feel like I want to continue to follow through on the policies we've put out and it's where I think I can be most effective," Gottlieb told Reuters in an interview in New York. (Clarke, 10/10)
The Hill:
FDA Chief Plays Down Talk Of Succeeding Price At HHS
But Gottlieb did not rule out moving up to the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary position, declining to say whether he has been in talks about the job. “I‘m not going to get into private discussions I might have had around that,” he said. (Sullivan, 10/10)