- California Healthline Original Stories 4
- California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
- Avoidable Sepsis Infections Send Thousands Of Seniors To Gruesome Deaths
- Assisted Living Kicks Out The Frail ’Cause ‘We Can’t Take Care Of You Any Longer’
- States Looking To Tax Opioids Pin Hopes On November Elections
- Covered California & The Health Law 1
- Judge's Pointed Questions To Health Law Defenders Over Severability Hints At Which Way Case Will Go
- Public Health and Education 1
- Number Of Plaintiffs Alleging Weedkiller Caused Cancer Jumped Sharply In Past Few Months
- The Opioid Crisis 1
- State-Approved Needle Exchange Political Hot Topic In Local Elections: 'We Don’t Have To Fight About Who Hates It More'
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results
California frequently innovates to address its wide-ranging health care needs, but it has not always achieved its aims. A series of articles in the journal Health Affairs shows, among other things, that efforts to care for HIV patients, provide better access to reproductive services for low-income women and fill gaps in primary care have sometimes fallen flat. (Anna Gorman, )
Avoidable Sepsis Infections Send Thousands Of Seniors To Gruesome Deaths
No one tracks sepsis cases closely enough to know how often these severe infections turn fatal. But the toll — both human and financial — is enormous, finds an investigation by KHN and the Chicago Tribune. (Fred Schulte and Elizabeth Lucas and Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, )
Assisted Living Kicks Out The Frail ’Cause ‘We Can’t Take Care Of You Any Longer’
Is there anything families can do to fight these evictions? (Judith Graham, )
States Looking To Tax Opioids Pin Hopes On November Elections
At least 11 states are going to try to tax opioids despite pushback from pharmaceutical companies. (Jay Hancock and Shefali Luthra, )
More News From Across The State
Covered California & The Health Law
Judge's Pointed Questions To Health Law Defenders Over Severability Hints At Which Way Case Will Go
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, a conservative jurist appointed by President George W. Bush, had tougher questions for the defenders of the health law, led in part by California's attorney general, but he did not immediately rule on an injunction request. Meanwhile, the Trump administration cautioned that an immediate injunction would create "chaos" and asked that, if it's coming, that it be delayed until the new year.
The New York Times:
Another Case Is Threatening Obamacare. Democrats Hope It Will Help Them.
More than 1,000 miles from the caustic Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Brett M. Kavanaugh, a federal judge in Texas on Wednesday listened to arguments about whether to find part or all of the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, in a case that may end up before a newly right-leaning set of justices. The case has become not simply a threat to the landmark legislation. Democrats have sought to make it both a flash point in the battle over whether to confirm Judge Kavanaugh and a crucial prong in their strategy to retake control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. (Goodnough, 9/5)
The Associated Press:
No Immediate Ruling In GOP's Latest 'Obamacare' Lawsuit
The latest push to scrap the Affordable Care Act once and for all pressed ahead Wednesday as Republican-controlled states asked a federal judge to finish what Congress started last year and bring the law that insures 20 million Americans to a halt. A small group of protesters, some holding signs reading "Save the ACA," shouted across the street from a Fort Worth, Texas, courthouse where former President Barack Obama's health care law is again under attack. At issue are core principles of the law, including protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions and limits on how much older customers can be charged. (9/5)
Texas Tribune:
Texas Asks A Federal Judge To Block Obamacare Nationwide
At the hearing Wednesday, Texas aimed to convince U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to block the law across the country as it continues to fight a months- or years-long legal case that could land before the U.S. Supreme Court. Citing rising health care premiums, Texas says such an injunction is necessary to preserve state sovereignty and to relieve the burden on residents forced to purchase expensive insurance coverage. California counters that temporarily blocking or ending the law would cause more harm to the millions of people insured under it, particularly the 133 million people the state says enjoy the law’s protections for pre-existing conditions. The U.S. Department of Justice, which has taken up many of Texas’ positions in the case, nonetheless sided with California, arguing that an immediate injunction would throw the health care system into chaos. (Platoff, 9/5)
Modern Healthcare:
Judge Skeptical Of ACA's Standing Without Effective Individual Mandate Penalty
O'Connor, in his questions from the bench, cut straight to the so-called severability in the case—whether Congress, when it zeroed out the tax penalty in the 2017 tax overhaul, intended to keep the popular consumer protections in place.
"It does seem for the majority of cases, the Supreme Court says to look at the original legislation as enacted," O'Connor said. "Why would I not? Let's assume I don't buy the argument it is still a tax and believe the mandate should fall and I get to severability, why wouldn't I look at those cases?" (Luthi, 9/5)
The Washington Post:
The Affordable Care Act Is Under Fire Again In Federal Court
The nearly four hours of legal sparring at Wednesday’s hearing shone a light on the partisan acrimony surrounding the statute that, several years after it extended health coverage to millions of Americans, remains a favorite Republican whipping post and is serving as a convenient rallying cry for Democratic candidates in this year’s midterm elections. In an abnormal arrangement, attorneys for the federal government — the defendant in the case — sat on the same side of the courtroom as the plaintiff’s lawyers during Wednesday’s hearing. The odd seating pattern stems from the fact that the Trump administration is largely agreeing with the plaintiffs who are suing. In June, the Justice Department saying in a court filing it would not defend the law. (Goldstein and Reaves, 9/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Judge Grills Democrats On Health Law’s Constitutionality
Judge O’Connor, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, said he would issue a decision as quickly as he can. If he strikes down the ACA or parts of it, the 16 Democratic attorneys general who intervened in the case would likely seek a stay of the decision as they file an appeal. The case could wind up in the Supreme Court. Attorneys representing the Democrats said millions of people with pre-existing conditions could be harmed if the ACA is tossed. “The harm of striking down the ACA…would be devastating,” said Nimrod Elias, a California deputy attorney general. (Hobbs and Armour, 9/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Texas Judge Questions Which Parts Of Obamacare Should Stand In Latest Legal Challenge To The Law
The Trump administration earlier this year elected not to defend the law, an unusual departure from the Justice Department’s traditional responsibility to safeguard federal law. But attorneys for the state of California — which has joined with 15 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia to defend the Affordable Care Act — urged O’Connor to instead focus on the intent of the lawmakers who wrote the 2017 tax law. (Levey, 9/5)
Bloomberg:
Trump Administration Fears `Chaos' If Obamacare Blocked Too Soon
The Trump administration isn’t defending Obamacare from a legal attack that could finally slay the embattled health-care law, but the federal government cautioned Wednesday that an immediate and nationwide halt may trigger “chaos.” Unlike the state of Texas, which urged a federal judge to block the Affordable Care Act right away, the Justice Department wants a court order not to take effect before Jan. 1, when the provision requiring people to pay a tax if they don’t have insurance is phased out. (Korosec, 9/5)
The Fronts Where California's Vaccination Laws Have Failed
A study that does not take into effect the tighter regulations passed in 2016 finds that California's legislative reaction to the 2014 measles outbreak did not successfully address localized clusters of unvaccinated students, nor the rates for children attending private schools.
PBS NewsHour:
What’s Happened Since California Let Fewer Families Reject Vaccines
A California law that aims to limit the number of people who can refuse vaccines has led to a slight improvement in kindergartners’ vaccination rate in recent years, according to a new study in Health Affairs. But the law was not as effective in private schools, and did little to break up localized clusters of children who opted out of vaccines. It’s these local clusters of vaccinations that put a specific community or school at the greatest risk, according to the study, which linked large measles outbreaks across the United States to “declining population vaccination and to voluntary abstention from measles vaccine.” (Santhanam, 9/5)
Number Of Plaintiffs Alleging Weedkiller Caused Cancer Jumped Sharply In Past Few Months
In August, Monsanto, the company that makes the weedkiller Roundup, was ordered to pay a plaintiff $289.2 million by a California state jury.
The Wall Street Journal:
Bayer Says More Americans Are Alleging Monsanto Weedkillers Cause Cancer
Bayer AG said the number of American plaintiffs alleging its recently acquired weedkillers cause cancer has risen sharply, adding to concerns about potentially lengthy and costly litigation stemming from its acquisition of Monsanto. The German chemicals company on Wednesday also lowered its full-year earnings outlook because of delays in closing its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto, which included a portfolio of herbicides that contain glyphosate, notably flagship product Roundup. (Bender, 9/5)
In other public health news —
KQED:
Toddler's Death After ICE Detention Casts Doubt On Medical Care For Migrant Families
Advocates for immigrant children in California and beyond are raising concerns about medical care in family detention centers run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after news that a toddler who got sick in ICE custody subsequently died. More than 2,000 parents and children are currently being held in three ICE family detention facilities. (Small, 9/6)
The exchange program has caused a heated reaction from residents and local officials who live in the areas that will be served by the initiative.
Los Angeles Times:
Costa Mesa Extends Its Ban On Needle-Exchange Programs
Needle-exchange programs will remain banned in Costa Mesa until at least next summer after the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend an urgency ordinance prohibiting the establishment or operation of such services in town. With the extension, the ordinance — first adopted Aug. 7 for a 45-day period — is now in place through Aug. 5, 2019. (Money, 9/5)
In other news on the opioid crisis —
Medpage Today:
How Calif. Medical Board's Opioid Accusations Went Down
If one had to identify a physician to symbolize its "Death Certificate Project," an aggressive effort by the Medical Board of California to nab doctors who overprescribe opioids, a likely candidate would be Harold S. Budhram, MD, of Shasta Lake. (All cities named in this article are in California.) Triggered by deaths of two of his patients attributed to opioid overdoses, the board investigated his practice and, in April, filed a 39-page complaint listing 16 separate accusations. (Clark, 9/5)
LA Campaign Doles Out Free Bracelets To Help Families Track Loved Ones With Dementia, Autism
If someone goes missing, police will deploy resources to start the search. The city of Glendale started a similar program three years ago, which has had a 100 percent success rate.
LAist:
LA County Is Giving Away Bracelets To Help You Keep Tabs On Loved Ones With Dementia Or Autism
If you know someone with dementia or autism, you know there's always a risk they may wander off and get lost. A new program that launched in Los Angeles County Wednesday aims to prevent that by using a tracking bracelet that can quickly locate anyone wearing it. (Plummer, 9/5)
In other new from across the state —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
SDSU Student Hospitalized With Meningococcal Meningitis
ASan Diego State University student was being treated in a hospital Wednesday after being diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, university officials said. Campus administrators and county health officials are “monitoring the case” and have notified those who were in close contact with the undergraduate student, authorities said. The student’s name was not released. ...The bacteria can be spread through close contact such as kissing, living in close quarters or sharing drinking glasses, eating utensils, cigarettes, pipes or water bottles, county health officials said. (Riggins, 9/5)
Sacramento Bee:
CareForce Offering Free Medical Clinic Sept. 21-23
Between Sept. 21 and 23, California CareForce, a charitable branch of the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons made up of local nonprofits and health care professionals, is providing a clinic at Cal Expo to offer free dental, vision and medical care to individuals and families in the region, according to a press release. Attendees will be given wristbands on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 7 a.m. on the first day, according to information provided to The Bee by CareForce. (Wilson, 9/5)
On the second day of his Supreme Court hearings, nominee Brett Kavanaugh avoided being pinned down on the women's rights issue, instead talking about the importance of legal precedent. That, however, is not an endorsement. Media outlets offer looks at the top moments of the day.
The Washington Post:
Kavanaugh Debates And Dodges On Day 2 Of His Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing
Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh presented himself to the Senate and the American public Wednesday as an independent judge with an open mind, refusing to be pinned down on legal questions involving investigations of President Trump and how his presence on the court might shift its ideology to the right. Kavanaugh, 53, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, proved to be an amiable and collected witness during a 12½ -hour day of questioning and dozens of interruptions from screaming protesters, who were quickly escorted outside the committee room by Capitol Police. (Barnes, Marimow, Kim and Viebeck, 9/5)
The New York Times:
What Kavanaugh’s Hearings Reveal About His Beliefs On Abortion, Guns And Presidential Power
Asked about the constitutional right to abortion, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh talked instead about precedent. He described the Supreme Court’s two key decisions: Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a constitutional right to abortion, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the core of that right. Collectively, he said, the two decisions held that “a woman has a constitutional right to obtain an abortion before viability subject to reasonable regulation by the state up to the point where that regulation constitutes an undue burden on the woman’s right to obtain an abortion.” (Liptak, 9/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Kavanaugh Sticks To His Position On Guns, Dodges Questions About Abortion And Presidential Power
Most legal experts predict that Kavanaugh, if confirmed, will provide the fifth conservative vote on the court to at least restrict abortion rights, if not overturn Roe. During his campaign, Trump promised to appoint only judges who would vote to overturn the abortion ruling. But Kavanaugh seemed eager to raise some doubts about those predictions. “I understand the significance on the issue,” he said Wednesday. “I don’t live in a bubble. I live in the real world.” (Savage, Haberkorn and Wire, 9/5)
The New York Times:
Kavanaugh Ducks Questions On Presidential Powers And Subpoenas
Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, on Wednesday dodged direct questions about whether the Constitution would allow Mr. Trump to use the powers of the presidency to thwart the Russia collusion and obstruction investigations that are swirling around his administration. (Shear, Liptak and Stolberg, 9/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Kavanaugh Pledges Fairness As Supreme Court Justice
Democrats—and some Republicans—pushed Judge Kavanaugh on “the elephant in the room,” as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) put it: President Trump, whose 2016 election campaign and subsequent administration face legal probes that have brought the conviction of his former campaign chairman and guilty pleas by his former lawyer. Clearly anticipating such questions, Judge Kavanaugh at the outset praised Supreme Court cases in which justices voted against the interests of the president who appointed them. U.S. v. Nixon—in which the court unanimously ordered then-President Richard Nixon to turn over potentially incriminating audiotapes in the Watergate scandal—is “one of the four greatest moments in Supreme Court history,” he said. (Bravin and Tau, 9/5)
Politico:
Kavanaugh Dodges Debates That Could Touch Trump
Kavanaugh kept his cool amid frequent demonstrator disruptions throughout the long day and rarely appeared rattled by Democratic questioners, although Coons appeared to carve a chink in the nominee’s armor by pressing him on his views about whether a sitting president can be indicted. (Schor, 9/5)
The Washington Post:
Kavanaugh Hearing: Supreme Court Nominee Won’t Commit To Removing Himself From Cases Directly Affecting Trump
Earlier in the evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) dismissed Democratic objections to Kavanaugh’s nomination and predicted the judge would be seated on the Supreme Court before its session begins in October. (Kim, Marimow, Barnes and Viebeck, 9/5)
Tired Of Shortages And High Costs, Hospital Group Launches Company To Make Its Own Drugs
Besides creating a reliable supply for its 500 hospitals, Civica aims to reduce drug prices by about 20 percent. "There are a lot of very principled generic drug makers out there ... they have nothing to worry about," said Dr. Marc Harrison, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare. "The folks who are gouging people and creating shortages, they know who they are. And they're the ones who should be very concerned."
The Associated Press:
Hospital Groups Launch Own Company To Make Generic Drugs
Several major hospital groups Thursday launched their own generic drug company to tackle chronic shortages and high prices. The new company, Civica Rx, plans to start with 14 widely used hospital drugs long in short supply. The company isn't disclosing the drugs' names for competitive reasons, but they include a mix of generic pills, patches and injectable drugs for treating infections, pain and heart conditions, board chairman Dan Liljenquist said. (9/6)
In other national health care news —
The Wall Street Journal:
Justice Department Nearing Antitrust Approval Of Health Mergers Combining CVS-Aetna, Cigna-Express Scripts
Justice Department antitrust enforcers are preparing to give the green light to two deals in the health-care industry, CVS Health Corp.’s planned acquisition of health insurer Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp.’s planned purchase of Express Scripts Holding Co., according to people familiar with the matter. Both deals could receive formal antitrust approval as soon as the next few weeks, these people said. (Kendall, Wilde Mathews and Terlep, 9/5)
The New York Times:
These Firms Say They Can Help Prevent School Shootings And Suicides. Do They?
Hours after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., companies that market their services to schools began to speak up. “Governor, take pride that a Vermont-based company is helping schools identify the violence before it happens,” one company wrote on Twitter to Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont. The chief executive of another company appeared on the news to boast of a “home run”: Its algorithms, he said, had helped prevent two student suicides. (Leibowitz, 9/6)
The New York Times:
Goop Agrees To Pay $145,000 For ‘Unsubstantiated’ Claims About Vaginal Eggs
Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, Goop, has agreed to pay $145,000 in civil penalties in a settlement in California after an investigation found its claims about some of the products it sells were not backed by scientific evidence, the Orange County district attorney’s office said. The settlement involved three products that Goop had promised would deliver medical benefits. Two items were “eggs” for vaginal wellness — one made of jade and another made of quartz — that the company said would balance hormones, increase bladder control and regulate menstrual cycles. Goop said the third item, Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend, “could help prevent depression,” according to the district attorney’s office. (Garcia, 9/5)
The New York Times:
Airport Security Trays Carry More Cold Germs Than Toilets, Study Finds
Airport security is there to protect you, but it may also give you the sniffles — or worse. To all the places and surfaces we’ve been warned are teeming with germs or bacteria — your pets, the subway seat, airplane cabins, the A.T.M. — add the airport security tray. (Karasz, 9/5)
Politico:
Pulse Check At Work: Home Health Aides
Home health aide is one of the fastest-growing jobs in America – and the first job the Pulse Check podcast explores in a month-long series that will explain how different health care workers fit into the broader health policy picture. The show will visit with a home health aide, a health coach, and others as we explain how the big trends in the field feel on the front lines. (Diamond, 9/5)