CALIFORNIA WATCH
FEBRUARY 1, 2016
California Healthline: State Seeks to Calm Fears over Change in Autism Care
Today the state will begin a transition in the health coverage of 9,000 children who are treated for autism
under Medi-Cal, the government program for people with low incomes. Until now, the children and their
families have been cared for at 21 regional centers across California. The centers are nonprofit private
corporations that contract with the state to provide developmental disability services. Starting today, the
children will be moved into Medi-Cal managed care plans, which are paid fixed rates to cover treatment.
(Gorn, 2/1)
Kaiser Health News: A Last Minute Reprieve for Some Consumers on California
Exchange
Covered California, the state’s insurance exchange, announced Friday that it was extending its
enrollment deadline until Feb. 6 for people who had officially begun the process of signing up by Sunday.
Exchange officials said they extended the Sunday deadline to accommodate a surge in enrollment in the
previous week involving “tens of thousands” of consumers. As of Jan. 27, the exchange reported that
more than 329,000 new consumers had signed up for coverage during the third annual enrollment period,
which is within the estimate of the exchange’s estimate of 295,000 to 450,000 new enrollees. (Terhune
and Feder Ostrov, 2/1)
Los Angeles Times: Revamping the Tax on Healthcare Plans Proves Tougher than Gov.
Brown Thought
Three weeks ago, Gov. Jerry Brown confidently predicted that the vexing question of how to extend a tax
on healthcare plans in order to fund state medical coverage for the poor was well on its way to being
solved. "We need the [managed care organization] tax now — this month," Brown said. "We’re going to
get it. We’ve got to get it." But as January has come to a close, his administration has yet to nail down an
overhaul that can win support from the insurers, much less secure the Republican votes necessary to
pass the Legislature. (Mason, 2/1)
KQED: Under New Law, Cops Carrying Overdose Drug are Saving Lives
Last year, California lawmakers authorized police officers to carry naloxone, also commonly known by
a brand name, Narcan. Now, a handful of law enforcement agencies are issuing the emergency
medication to officers. (Richard, 2/1)
CAMPAIGN 2016
STAT: How Drug Price and Single Payer Define the Democratic Battle for Iowa
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both devote a good chunk of their stump speeches to the problem of
rising prescription drug prices — but their solutions are vastly different. For Clinton, the answer is to treat
drug costs as the next big challenge to be tackled with policy tweaks that build on the successes of the
Affordable Care Act. For Sanders, drug costs are the reason for a complete overhaul that transitions to a
whole new system: single-payer health care. (Scott, 2/1)
The Huffington Post: Donald Trump Promises He'll 'Work Something Out' on Health Care
Republican front-runner Donald Trump is going to "work something out" on health care after he
dismantles Obamacare, he said Sunday. He didn't say what exactly that "something" will be -- but the real
estate mogul said he's going to have it under control. (Foley, 1/31)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
The New York Times: Tax Scams are Targeting Uninsured, I.R.S. Warns
The Internal Revenue Service is warning consumers about tax scams involving the Affordable Care Act
and penalties imposed under the law on people who go without health insurance. In some cases, the
agency said, unscrupulous tax preparers tell clients to pay the penalties directly to them, and they keep
the money. Most people do not owe the payment at all. “However,” the I.R.S. said, “if you owe a payment,
remember that it should be made only with your tax return or in response to a letter from the I.R.S. The
payment should never be made directly to an individual or return preparer.” The creators of these
schemes have been “targeting taxpayers with limited English proficiency and, in particular, those who
primarily speak Spanish,” the tax agency said last week in a bulletin for consumers. (Pear, 1/31)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Kaiser Health News: Reforming Federal Oversight of Medical Devices Won’t Be Easy
In response to recent infections and deaths from tainted medical scopes, U.S. lawmakers are wrestling
with how to keep other dangerous devices from harming patients. Members of Congress, federal officials
and health-policy experts agree that the Food and Drug Administration’s surveillance system for devices
is inadequate and relies too heavily on manufacturers to report problems with their own products. But
fixing the federal warning system to enable more timely identification of risky scopes, implants and
surgical tools means overcoming significant challenges in Congress, from partisan divisions to the need
for more government funding. Even then, it could take years for a new system to be up and running.
(Terhune, 2/1)
NPR: A Diet High in Fiber May Help Protect against Breast Cancer
If the advice to eat more fiber seems easy to ignore, you're not alone. Most Americans don't get the 25 to
38 grams a day that recommended, depending on age and gender. But if you're skimping on fiber, the
health stakes are high, especially if you're a teenage girl. A study published Monday in the journal
Pediatrics concludes that eating lots of fiber-rich foods during high school years may significantly reduce
a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. (Aubrey, 2/1)
USA Today: WHO to Hold Emergency Meeting Monday on Zika Virus
The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting Monday to find ways to battle the Zika
virus, which is linked to birth defects and "spreading explosively" through the Americas. The WHO could
classify the Zika outbreak now in 25 countries and territories as a "public health emergency of
international concern," deserving of a coordinated global response. (Szabo, 1/31)
Politico: Biden’s Cancer Bid Exposes Rift among Researchers
Joe Biden’s proposal for a cancer moon shot has struck a deep nerve in the research community, where
cutting-edge scientists blame an entrenched medical establishment for hoarding the data needed to make
breakthroughs. The tension boiled over this month when Jeffrey Drazen, editor of the New England
Journal, and co-author Dan Longo, wrote in an op-ed that while sharing was all well and good, it had to
be done collaboratively, not by “data parasites” who stole or misused work that might have taken bench
scientists decades to assemble. The editorial did not mention Biden’s initiative, but many commenters
noted its relevance. (Allen, 1/31)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
The New York Times: A Chance to Reset the Republican Race
Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, though a distinct underdog, is the only plausible choice for Republicans tired of
the extremism and inexperience on display in this race. And Mr. Kasich is no moderate. As governor, he’s
gone after public-sector unions, fought to limit abortion rights and opposed same-sex marriage. Still, as a
veteran of partisan fights and bipartisan deals during nearly two decades in the House, he has been
capable of compromise and believes in the ability of government to improve lives. ... While Republicans in
Congress tried more than 60 times to kill Obamacare, Mr. Kasich did an end-run around Ohio’s
Republican Legislature to secure a $13 billion Medicaid expansion to cover more people in his state.
(1/30)
The New York Times: Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination
Hillary Clinton would be the first woman nominated by a major party. ... The Times editorial board has
endorsed her three times for federal office — twice for Senate and once in the 2008 Democratic
presidential primary — and is doing so again with confidence and enthusiasm. ... Mrs. Clinton’s main
opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist, has proved to be more
formidable than most people, including Mrs. Clinton, anticipated. ... In the end, though, Mr. Sanders does
not have the breadth of experience or policy ideas that Mrs. Clinton offers. His boldest proposals — to
break up the banks and to start all over on health care reform with a Medicare-for-all system — have
earned him support among alienated middle-class voters and young people. But his plans for achieving
them aren’t realistic, while Mrs. Clinton has very good, and achievable, proposals in both areas. (1/30)
DHNR is a daily compilation of news stories from GCHP's Communications Department.
Certain news organizations are protected via a paywall requiring the purchase of a subscription to
view their content.
CALIFORNIA WATCH
FEBRUARY 2, 2016
The Associated Press: California Medical Association Backs Recreational Pot Plan
California's largest organization of practicing physicians, the California Medical Association, announced
Monday that it is backing a proposed 2016 ballot initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. A
coalition of entrepreneurs, activists, environmentalists and state politicians are backing the initiative, led
by billionaire technology investor Sean Parker. (Noon, 2/1)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
The New York Times: $1 Billion Planned for Cancer ‘Moonshot’
The Obama administration announced on Monday that it hoped to spend $1 billion to fund a cancer
“moonshot” in search of a cure. But in the costly world of biological research, such a sum may be better
described as a cancer slingshot, researchers said. “The good news is that the budget is no longer being
cut,” said Dr. Peter Adamson, the chairman of the Children’s Oncology Group, which conducts national
clinical trials. “But we’re not going to the moon on $1 billion.” (Harris, 2/1)
CAMPAIGN 2016
CNN: Hillary Clinton Sighs in Relief, Bernie Sanders Pledges Revolution
The former secretary of state, whose once formidable lead over [Vermont Sen. Bernie] Sanders
evaporated over months of campaigning, promised to "finish the job of universal health care coverage for
every man, woman and child." (Krieg, 2/2)
The Washington Post: Cruz Edges Trump in Iowa Caucuses; Rubio Finishes Strong Third
Riding a late wave of momentum, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida finished a surprisingly strong third, just
behind Trump, which positions him as the leading establishment choice when the campaign moves to
friendlier terrain in New Hampshire. (Rucker and Johnson, 2/1)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Bloomberg: Ryan to Dine with Obama, Then Try to Override His Veto
Paul Ryan is set to attend his first formal meeting as House speaker with President Barack Obama on
Tuesday morning. A few hours later, Ryan’s House will seek to override Obama’s veto of a bill gutting
much of the president’s signature health-insurance law. The timing may not bode well for their prospects
of finding common ground, but it will be a chance for both men to gauge what, if anything, can be
accomplished before the election stifles the prospects of any major legislation. (House, 2/2)
MARKETPLACE
Reuters: GSK and J&J Back $1 Billion Biotech Spin-Off from Index Ventures
Index Ventures, an early investor in technology hits like Skype and Dropbox, is spinning off its biotech
portfolio into a new $1 billion (695 million pounds) business, with backing from drug giants
GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson. The new Medicxi Ventures business will be led by the existing
life sciences team from Index Ventures and includes all the current biotech portfolio companies. (2/2)
STAT: This Antidepressant May Be No Better than Cheaper Alternatives. But Demand
Could Soon Soar.
Their antidepressant is expensive, and it isn’t selling well. But the drug makers behind the medication are
betting they can give it a boost by marketing it to treat a whole new category of depression symptoms —
namely, cloudy thinking. (Robbins, 2/2)
Bloomberg: Shkreli Was Right: Everyone's Hiking Drug Prices
After Martin Shkreli raised the price of anti-parasitic drug Daraprim more than 50-fold to $750 a pill last
year, he said he wasn’t alone in taking big price hikes. As it turns out, the former drug executive was right.
A survey of about 3,000 brand-name prescription drugs found that prices more than doubled for 60 and at
least quadrupled for 20 since December 2014. (Langreth and Spalding, 2/1)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Kaiser Health News: Insurer’s Approval of Genetic Testing for Some Cancers Raises
Questions
Pennsylvania-based Independence Blue Cross’ announcement that it will cover a complex type of genetic
testing for some cancer patients thrusts the insurer into an ongoing debate about how to handle an
increasing array of these expensive tests. Independence — with its approximately 3 million members —
became the largest insurer to cover whole genome sequencing for select cancer patients. (Appleby, 2/2)
The Washington Post: Zika Virus: WHO Declares Global Public Health Emergency, Says
Causal Link to Brain Defects ‘Strongly Suspected’
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said at a media briefing Monday that the primary reason for the
designation was the "strongly suspected" causal relationship between Zika and the rare congenital
condition called microcephaly. Even before that association is scientifically confirmed or disproved,
members of an 18-member advisory panel said the seriousness of the cases being reported required
action. Chan concurred, saying the consequences of waiting were too great. (Eunjung Cha, Sun and
Dennis, 2/1)
The Washington Post: A Md. Biotech Firm Claims it Can Track Zika Virus by Testing
Mosquitoes
Since the World Health Organization started raising alarms about the mosquito-borne Zika virus
spreading throughout the Americas, deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies have been racing to find a
vaccine. But a seven-person biotech company based in Rockville, Md., is trying something different. After
a 21-day sprint, GenArraytion claims to have come up with a molecular test that can spot the virus in
mosquitoes before it infects humans. (Gregg, 2/1)
NPR: CDC Endorses a More Effective HPV Vaccine to Prevent Cancer
The updated childhood immunization schedule, released today from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, includes a couple tweaks to vaccine recommendations for older children and teens. One
officially moves the recommendation for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine a few years earlier for
children with a history of sexual abuse and officially recommends the HPV-9 vaccine over other HPV
vaccines. Another offers all older teens the option of a meningitis vaccine previously recommended only
for high-risk children. (Haelle, 2/1)
The New York Times: An Eating Disorder in People with Diabetes
People with Type 1 diabetes, who don’t produce their own insulin, require continuous treatments with the
hormone in order to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. When they skip or restrict their
insulin, either by failing to take shots or manipulating an insulin pump, it causes sugars — and calories —
to spill into the urine, causing rapid weight loss. But the consequences can be fatal. (Rabin, 2/1)
The New York Times: New Plan to Treat Schizophrenia is Worth Added Cost, Study Says
A new approach to treating early schizophrenia, which includes family counseling, results in
improvements in quality of life that make it worth the added expense, researchers reported on Monday.
The study, published by the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin, is the first rigorous cost analysis of a federally
backed treatment program that more than a dozen states have begun trying. In contrast to traditional
outpatient care, which generally provides only services covered by insurance, like drugs and some
psychotherapy, the new program offers other forms of support, such as help with jobs and school, as well
as family counseling. (Carey, 2/1)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Los Angeles Times: Why You Should Be Skeptical about an 'Uber for Healthcare'
The worst aspect of the "Uberization" of our economy may not be the transformation of workers who
could once earn a living wage into "independent contractors" who can barely make ends meet (though
that's bad enough); it may be the spreading myth that any economic function can be shoehorned into the
Uber format of service-on-demand at a rock-bottom price. A case in point is the mirage of an "Uber for
healthcare." The latest and most prominent promoter of this notion is the conservative healthcare analyst
Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute. In a new issue brief he poses the question directly: "Why isn’t there
an Uber of health care?" he asks. "Why can’t we deploy, in health care, the same forces that are
improving quality and lowering costs in virtually every other sector of the economy?" (Michael Hiltzik, 2/1)
DHNR is a daily compilation of news stories from GCHP's Communications Department.
Certain news organizations are protected via a paywall requiring the purchase of a subscription to
view their content.
CALIFORNIA WATCH
FEBRUARY 3, 2016
California Healthline: Are California's Mental Health Dollars Helping Kids?
California schools get hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the state to identify and assist disabled
children who have mental health problems. But we don’t know how the money is spent or if it is helping
the kids perform better in school. That’s the main finding of a recent report by the California State Auditor,
and it will be on the agenda Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate’s mental health committee. (Gorn,
2/3)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
The Washington Post: White House Seeks Nearly $1.2 Billion for Drug Prevention,
Treatment, Overdose Response
White House officials announced Tuesday that they will seek nearly $1.2 billion in new federal funding
over the next two years to address the growing problem of heroin and prescription opioid use, an
epidemic that has become an increasingly important policy priority among the nation's politicians. The
centerpiece of the proposal is $1 billion in mandatory funding over two years to expand access to
treatment for prescription drug abuse and heroin use, $920 million of which would go to the states.
Another $500 million, some of which is a continuation of existing funds, would support work by the
departments of Health and Human Services and Justice to expand not just treatment but access to the
overdose-reversal drug naloxone, and support targeted enforcement activities. (Eilperin, 2/2)
The New York Times: Martin Shkreli All But Gloated over Huge Drug Price Increases,
Memos Show
Martin Shkreli anticipated huge profits from raising the price of a decades-old drug for an infectious
disease, belying any notion that helping patients was foremost in his mind, according to information
released by congressional investigators on Tuesday. The investigators also provided evidence showing
that Valeant Pharmaceuticals International carefully pondered how much it could raise the price of two old
heart drugs, Isuprel and Nitropress, before buying them a year ago and increasing their prices overnight,
by 525 percent for Isuprel and 212 percent for Nitropress. Mr. Shkreli practically gloated about the
potential profits in an email he sent last August, just after his company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, had paid
$55 million to acquire the drug Daraprim, and had raised its price more than fiftyfold to $750 a pill, or
$75,000 for a bottle of 100. (Pollack and Goldstein, 2/2)
CAMPAIGN 2016
The Washington Post's Fact Checker: Ted Cruz Resurrects a Very Stale Obamacare
Claim
“President Obama told the American people that under Obamacare the average family’s premium would
drop $2,500. In fact, the average family’s premiums have risen $3,000. Now, Chris [Wallace], if you’re a
single mom, if you’re struggling to feed your kids, $5,500, that is real money that you can’t provide for
your family.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), [said in an] interview on Fox News. A version of this claim was first
made in the 2012 campaign. And yet it keeps popping up, presumably because it sounds like such a
delicious talking point. But four years later, it still isn’t right. So, once again, here’s why this is nonsense
math. (Kessler, 2/3)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Kaiser Health News: Head of California Exchange Scolds UnitedHealth for Blaming Woes
on Obamacare
Amid growing questions over the future of insurance exchanges, the head of California’s marketplace
said the nation’s largest health insurer should take responsibility for nearly $1 billion in losses and stop
blaming the federal health law. In a blistering critique, Covered California’s executive director, Peter Lee,
said UnitedHealth Group Inc. made a series of blunders on rates and networks that led to a $475 million
loss last year on individual policies across the country. The company estimates a similar exchangerelated loss of $500 million for this year. “Instead of saying we screwed up, they said Obamacare is the
problem and we may not play anymore,” Lee said. (Terhune, 2/3)
Politico: House Fails to Override Veto of Obamacare Repeal
House Republicans on Tuesday failed to override President Barack Obama's veto of their bill gutting
major pieces of Obamacare. The House voted 241-186, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to
override a veto of legislation the GOP views as its blueprint for undoing the law should a Republican win
the White House. Republican lawmakers said their doomed repeal bill fulfilled a promise to their base to
continue their fight against the health law. "Regardless of the outcome, we have now shown there is a
clear path to full repeal without 60 votes in the Senate," Speaker Paul Ryan said Monday ahead of the
vote. "It is also just one in a number of steps we’re taking to hold President Obama accountable for the
failures of this law." Ryan has vowed that House Republicans will offer an Obamacare alternative this
year — a promise that GOP leadership has made but failed to deliver on for six years since the law
passed. (Ehley, 2/2)
MARKETPLACE
Bloomberg: J&J's Talcum Powder Goes on Trial in Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
Johnson & Johnson, already facing lawsuits over products from surgical mesh to antipsychotic drugs,
began trial Tuesday over claims the talcum powder it marketed to women gave some of them cancer. The
world’s largest maker of health-care products faces accusations by the family of a woman who died that it
knew decades ago that talc, the Earth’s softest mineral, was linked to ovarian cancer. The verdict may set
the tone for whether J&J fights or tries to settle 1,200 lawsuits over products such as baby powder. To
win the case, lawyers for the family of Jackie Fox, who died of ovarian cancer last year, will have to prove
that talc in J&J’s products caused her disease and the company knew the risk and failed to warn
customers. (Feeley, Fisk and Cortez, 2/2)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Reuters: First U.S. Zika Virus Transmission Reported, Attributed to Sex
The first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by
local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite, a day after the
World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency. The virus, linked to severe
birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is spreading rapidly in the Americas, and WHO officials on
Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. Zika had been thought to be spread
by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, so sexual contact as a mode of transmission would be a
potentially alarming development. (Herskovitz, 2/3)
Kaiser Health News: Study Finds No Harm in Allowing Surgeons-in-Training to Work
Longer Shifts
The New England Journal of Medicine study comes as the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education is reassessing requirements that prevent residents from working extremely long stretches or
back-to-back shifts. Those rules were enacted in 2003 and strengthened in 2011 amid concerns that
sleep-deprived residents were more likely to make serious errors. Since then there has been push back
from residency program directors concerned that the rules created new dangers for patients by abruptly
forcing interns to leave in the middle of treating a patient or surgery. They also complain the rules
interfere with resident education because it is harder for a trainee to follow their patients. (Rau, 2/2)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Los Angeles Times: California's New Vaccine Law is already a Success
California's new, more stringent law on childhood vaccinations, SB 277, doesn't fully kick in until July 1.
But it started protecting the public months ago when parents heard from schools and doctors that they
would no longer be able to claim a "personal belief exemption" from immunizations if they wanted to enroll
their children. (2/2)
DHNR is a daily compilation of news stories from GCHP's Communications Department.
Certain news organizations are protected via a paywall requiring the purchase of a subscription to
view their content.
CALIFORNIA WATCH
FEBRUARY 4, 2016
California Healthline: New Push to Sign up Undocumented Kids for Medi-Cal
Undocumented children in California will become eligible for full Medi-Cal benefits in May, but advocates
are encouraging parents to enroll their kids in restricted Medi-Cal before then. That way they will already
be in the Medi-Cal system and the switchover to full coverage will be automatic when the effective date
arrives. The California Endowment, an Oakland-based health advocacy foundation, announced this week
it is ramping up its advertising and community outreach to spread the word to families of children eligible
for the new benefit. (Gorn, 2/4)
KQED: How High-Cost Specialty Drugs Impact California
What’s behind the jaw-dropping cost of new “specialty drugs” like Orkambi, which has a sticker price of
$259,000 per year for cystic fibrosis patients? … Orkambi is listed as a “specialty tier” drug in some
private health plans. That category is reserved for high-cost drugs, or, in the federal government’s view,
for drugs that cost more than $600 a month and are used by a small proportion of patients. (Bartolone,
2/4)
The Sacramento Bee: California Voters Favor Taxes, Labels for Sugary Drinks
Proponents of limiting the consumption of sugary drinks have mostly fallen short in the political arena in
recent years, but Californians are largely supportive of their efforts. A new Field Poll, sponsored by The
California Endowment, found that overwhelming majorities of voters favor taxing and putting safety
warnings on soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, proposals that advocates argue would help
reduce health conditions such as diabetes. (Koseff, 2/3)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
Reuters: U.S. Shkreli Laughs Off Questions from Lawmakers, Calls Them ‘Imbeciles”
Martin Shkreli, the former drug executive who raised the price of a lifesaving medicine by 5,000 percent,
is set to appear as a witness at a congressional hearing on Thursday but is unlikely to answer lawmakers'
questions about price spikes. Shkreli, 32, sparked outrage last year among patients, medical societies
and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton after his company Turing Pharmaceuticals raised
the price of 62-year-old Daraprim to $750 a pill from $13.50. The medicine, used to treat a parasitic
infection, once sold for $1 a pill. The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is
scheduled to hold a hearing on drug prices at 9 a.m., with Shkreli and others from the pharmaceutical
industry as witnesses. (Ingram and Lynch, 2/4)
CAMPAIGN 2016
CNN Money: Bernie Sanders' Plan to Pay for Health Care Falls Short by Trillions, Says
One Analysis
Bernie Sanders put a pretty big price tag -- $14 trillion over a decade -- on his Medicare-for-All proposal.
But he also promised to pay for it in full through higher taxes, especially on the rich. A new analysis by the
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget suggests that the plan may increase deficits by at least $3
trillion, and that's assuming Sanders correctly estimated the cost. In a worst-case scenario, if the
campaign underestimated the plan's costs, it could add as much as $14 trillion, according to the CRFB.
The main issue: The tax hikes may not raise as much as Sanders is counting on. (Sahadi, 2/3)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Kaiser Health News: Licking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves to Limit Health-Law
Enrollment
Stung by losses under the federal health law, major insurers are seeking to sharply limit how policies are
sold to individuals in ways that consumer advocates say seem to discriminate against the sickest and
could hold down future enrollment. In recent days Anthem, Aetna and Cigna, all among the top five health
insurers, told brokers they will stop paying them sales commissions to sign up most customers who
qualify for new coverage outside the normal enrollment period, according to the companies and broker
documents. (Hancock, 2/4)
USA Today: Feds to Study Health Benefits of Screening and Linking to Social Services
The Obama administration is working to build evidence supporting increased federal and state spending
on anti-violence, social service and other programs to improve life in poor neighborhoods and limit the
growth in health care costs. The move comes despite more limited reports done by outside groups and is
designed to create a paper trail that makes the need for and efficacy of the programs for Medicare and
Medicaid recipients indisputable by showing the cost savings. In the next step in the Affordable Care Act,
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will spend nearly $160 million in grants to community
groups, health care providers or other public or private entities that will screen patients for unmet social
needs and link them with services that help with housing, hunger, interpersonal violence and other social
ills. (O'Donnell, 2/3)
MARKETPLACE
STAT: Big Pharma's Big Push to Get Patients to Take Their Meds
Drug companies around the globe are spending big to push patients to take their pills. The pharma
industry loses tens of billions in worldwide sales each year when patients don’t fill, or refill, their
prescriptions. So drug makers from London to Tokyo to Cambridge, Mass., are pouring money into
programs aimed at cajoling — or nagging — patients to take every last pill their doctors prescribe. The
companies are investing in smart pills that will send alerts when they haven’t been swallowed at the
prescribed time. They’re subsidizing gift cards to thank patients who remember to refill. They’re
paying patients to go on talk circuits to tout the virtues of taking medication properly. (Robbins, 2/4)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
The Associated Press: Health Officials Want More Zika Samples, Data From Brazil
Brazil is not sharing enough samples and disease data to let researchers determine whether the Zika
virus is, as feared, linked to the increased number of babies born with abnormally small heads in the
South American country, U.N. and U.S. health officials say. The lack of data is forcing laboratories in the
United States and Europe to work with samples from previous outbreaks, and is frustrating efforts to
develop diagnostic tests, drugs and vaccines. Scientists tell The Associated Press that having so little to
work with is hampering their ability to track the virus' evolution. One major problem appears to be
Brazilian law. At the moment, it is technically illegal for Brazilian researchers and institutes to share
genetic material, including blood samples containing Zika and other viruses. (2/4)
Los Angeles Daily News: Some Southern California Blood Donors Asked to Postpone
Giving Amid Zika Concerns
On the same day Texas health officials announced the first U.S. Zika virus transmission contracted
through sex and not a mosquito bite, local blood banks asked prospective donors Tuesday who have
traveled to affected countries to postpone giving for about a month. The American transmission of the
Zika virus involved a Dallas County resident who had sexual contact with someone who acquired the
infection while traveling in Venezuela, Texas health officials said. (Abram, 2/2)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
The Washington Post: How to Make Both Parties Happy Through the Affordable Care Act
Last month, majorities in Congress voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Not surprisingly, President
Obama vetoed the repeal bill, and the Republican Congress was unable to override the president’s veto.
As former leaders in Congress, we have a message for both sides in this debate: It’s time to give the
states a chance. (Newt Gingrich and Tom Daschle, 2/3)
Los Angeles Times: Is the House Call Really Dead? Not Quite, Says This Doctor Who
Makes House Calls.
Are house calls really dead, as we suggested in a blog post Monday? Dr. Michael Oppenheim begs to
differ. Oppenheim, 76, has spent virtually his entire career making house calls in Los Angeles. The core
of his practice is serving as an on-call doctor for hotels and for travel insurance companies whose foreign
subscribers fall ill while visiting here. But he also does shifts for Heal, a new Uber-like service that
dispatches doctors to homes at a charge of $99 per visit to patients without insurance to cover the house
call. (Michael Hiltzik, 2/2)
DHNR is a daily compilation of news stories from GCHP's Communications Department.
Certain news organizations are protected via a paywall requiring the purchase of a subscription to
view their content.
CALIFORNIA WATCH
FEBRUARY 5, 2016
The Sacramento Bee: Jerry Brown Selects California’s First Medical Marijuana Chief
California has found its czar for medical marijuana. On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown announced the
appointment of Lori Ajax, currently the chief deputy director of the California Department of Alcoholic
Beverage Control, to the newly-created post overseeing the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation in
the Department of Consumer Affairs. (Koseff, 2/4)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
Reuters: What Will Be in Obama's Final Budget Proposal?
President Barack Obama is set on Tuesday to unveil his budget proposal for fiscal year 2017, his final
year in office. But since the Republican-controlled Congress controls the purse strings, much of Obama's
budget will likely stay on the drawing board. ... The budget will include three years of federal funding to 19
state governments that passed up an earlier offer to expand Medicaid coverage for more than 4 million
low-income people. Obama will [also] ask for tweaks to a tax on certain health insurance plans that is
unpopular with labor unions. (Rampton and Rascoe, 2/5)
CAMPAIGN 2016
Kaiser Health News: A Voter’s Guide to the Health Law
Nearly six years after its enactment, the Affordable Care Act remains a hot-button issue in the presidential
race — in both parties. “Our health care is a horror show,” said GOP candidate Donald Trump at the
Republican debate in South Carolina Dec 15. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, winner of the Iowa caucuses, said at
the debate in Des Moines Jan. 28 that the health law has been “a disaster. It is the biggest job-killer in our
country.” Democrats largely support the law, but even they can’t agree on how to fix its problems. ... Here
is a brief guide to some things the health law has — and has not — accomplished. (Rovner, 2/5)
The Washington Post: Democratic Candidates Exhibit a New Ferocity in Last Debate
Before N.H. Vote
Clinton used her opening statement to needle the senator from Vermont, who describes himself as a
democratic socialist, over what she has contended are unrealistically liberal plans for universal health
care, free college and other programs. “I’m fighting for people who cannot wait for those changes, and I’m
not making promises that I cannot keep,” the former secretary of state said. (Gearan and Tumulty, 2/4)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
California Healthline: Another 425,000 Sign Up for Covered California
More than 425,000 Californians have signed up on the state’s health insurance exchange — with nearly
100,000 rushing to enroll in the last four days before the 2016 open enrollment period ended Jan. 31,
officials said Thursday. The exchange, Covered California, had estimated it would attract between
295,000 and 450,000 new enrollees during its third open enrollment season since the Affordable Care Act
took effect. In addition to the new enrollees, about 1.15 million existing consumers re-upped this year,
officials said, for a total of about 1.57 million. (Feder Ostrov, 2/4)
USA Today: Nearly 13 Million People Enrolled in ACA Plans for 2016
Supporters of the law were expecting an uptick in enrollment after a strong December and the typical lull
over the holidays. About 700,000 people signed up in the last week of January, compared to more than 1
million in the last week of enrollment last year. Andrew Slavitt, CMS' acting administrator, said that was
still a strong week and reflected the agency's efforts to move more of the signups into December, which
allowed people to start their policies Jan. 1 and gives insurers more time to see who their new clients are.
More than 60% of new enrollees signed up for Jan. 1 coverage, Burwell said. (O'Donnell, 2/4)
WOMEN’S HEALTH
NPR: Women Blast CDC's Advice to Use Birth Control if Drinking Alcohol
New advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at preventing fetal alcohol
syndrome has created quite a stir. The CDC estimates that about 3 million women "are at risk of exposing
their developing baby to alcohol because they are drinking, sexually active and not using birth control to
prevent pregnancy." So the CDC is now advising women to stop drinking if they are trying to get pregnant
or not using birth control with sex. That's right, abstain from drinking. (Aubrey, 2/4)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Kaiser Health News: Study: 29 Percent of Colonoscopy Patients May Have Unneeded
Pre-Screening Visits
Nearly a third of patients who get colonoscopies to screen for cancer visit a gastroenterologist before
having the procedure, at an average cost of $124, even though such visits may be unnecessary, a new
study found. (Andrews, 2/5)
The New York Times: Whooping Cough Booster Shot May Offer Only Short-Term
Protection
The rapidly fading effectiveness of the pertussis booster vaccine may help explain recent widespread
outbreaks of whooping cough. The United States stopped using a whole-cell pertussis vaccine in the
1990s and began using an acellular version called DTaP. Five vaccinations are given during childhood,
and a booster vaccine, called the Tdap, is given to adolescents and adults. Researchers looked at 1,207
pertussis cases among children who had had the acellular vaccine in childhood. The study, in Pediatrics,
found that when these children got the Tdap booster, it was 69 percent effective after the first year, then
dropped to less than 9 percent two to three years later. (Bakalar, 2/5)
The Washington Post: ‘We Can Do More,’ FDA Says in Announcing Overhaul of
Approach to Opioid Painkillers
The Food and Drug Administration, which has been criticized as too willing to approve addictive narcotic
painkillers and too slow to fight their abuse and overuse, said Thursday that it will overhaul policies
addressing the powerful class of drugs. The announcement comes amid an epidemic of prescription drug
and heroin overdoses, which now kill more Americans each year than automobile accidents. The
problem has become a key issue in the presidential campaign and among lawmakers on Capitol Hill,
where at least one U.S. senator -- Edward Markey of Massachusetts -- has vowed to block the
confirmation of President Obama's nominee to lead the FDA until the agency takes greater action.
(Dennis, 2/4)
Los Angeles Times: BMI Mislabels 54 Million Americans as 'Overweight' or 'Obese,'
Study Says
Good news for some in the high-BMI crowd: A new study from UCLA finds that some 54 million
Americans who are labeled as obese or overweight according to their body mass index are, when you
take a closer look, actually healthy. The findings, published in the International Journal of Obesity, reveal
that employers could potentially saddle people with unfairly high health insurance costs based on a
deeply flawed measure of actual health. (Khan, 2/4)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Los Angeles Times: How a Huge Insurance Company Screwed Up on Obamacare
UnitedHealth Group is the nation's biggest private health insurer, so when its executives started whining
last year about how it was losing millions on Affordable Care Act exchange plans and threatened to leave
the ACA market as early as 2017, people took notice. Even Obamacare devotees wondered whether
United's experience signaled deeper problems with the ACA exchanges generally. Obamacare's critics
gorged on United's words and still do: As recently as last week, the Wall Street Journal's editorial writers
lamented that "the ObamaCare money-pit sunk [United's] year-over-year profit margin to 3.7% from
4.3%." They blamed, among other things, the ACA's "bureaucratic nuisance." (Michael Hiltzik, 2/4)
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