First Edition: May 11, 2015
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
How One Hospital Brought Its C-Sections Down In A Hurry
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, one of the largest and most respected facilities in Orange County, needed to move quickly. A big insurer had warned that its maternity costs were too high and it might be cut from the plan’s network. The reason? Too many cesarean sections. "We were under intense scrutiny," said Dr. Allyson Brooks, executive medical director of Hoag’s women’s health institute. The C-section rate at the time, in early 2012, was about 38 percent. That was higher than the state average of 33 percent and above most others in the area, according to the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, which seeks to use data to improve birth outcomes. (Gorman, 5/11)
The Associated Press:
AP-Gfk Poll: Can Supreme Court Be Fair In Health Law Case?
Many people in the United States doubt that the Supreme Court can rule fairly in the latest litigation jeopardizing President Barack Obama's health care law.The Associated Press-GfK poll finds only 1 person in 10 is highly confident that the justices will rely on objective interpretations of the law rather than their personal opinions. Nearly half, 48 percent, are not confident of the court's impartiality. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Swanson, 5/9)
The New York Times:
White House Moves To Fix 2 Key Consumer Complaints About Health Care Law
The White House is moving to address two of the most common consumer complaints about the sale of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act: that doctor directories are inaccurate, and that patients are hit with unexpected bills for costs not covered by insurance. Federal health officials said this week that they would require insurers to update and correct “provider directories” at least once a month, with financial penalties for insurers that failed to do so. In addition, they hope to provide an “out-of-pocket cost calculator” to estimate the total annual cost under a given health insurance plan. (Pear, 5/8)
The New York Times:
Federal Cuts Would Be Major Blow To New York City’s Public Hospitals, Comptroller Says
New York City’s public hospital system is looking at a major cash squeeze within four years if federal cuts to hospitals serving large numbers of poor and uninsured patients take place as scheduled, according to a report by the city comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, to be released on Monday. Beginning in 2017, the federal government will begin cutting subsidies to those hospitals, based on the theory that since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has insured millions of Americans, hospitals will no longer need the same level of subsidies for uncompensated care. (Hartocollis, 5/10)
The Associated Press:
Florida Budget Snarled As Governor Challenges ‘Obamacare’
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a longtime opponent of “Obamacare,” made a startling announcement shortly after his mother’s death, going on TV two years ago to explain that he had dropped his objections to President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. ... Scott’s allies, opponents and the press corps in Tallahassee were incredulous over his change of heart, asking if his support for Medicaid expansion could be a calculated move designed to win Obama administration approval for his long-sought proposal to hand control of the existing Medicaid population’s health care over to private insurance companies. ... he soon got the federal waiver he had been pressing for, and private companies now manage Medicaid benefits for more than three million Floridians. Scott’s gratitude didn’t last. (Fineout and Kennedy, 5/8)
USA Today:
In High-Profile Kentucky, Hospitals Say Obamacare Has Hurt Them
While Kentucky has gained national prominence as the only Southern state to fully embrace Obamacare, its hospitals say the law has left them facing billions of dollars in cuts and forced them to lay off staff, shut down services and worry for their financial health and, in some cases, survival. The Kentucky Hospital Association outlined its concerns in a report released Friday called "Code Blue," saying payment cuts to hospitals are expected to reach nearly $7 billion through 2024. "Kentucky hospitals will lose more money under the Affordable Care Act than they gain in revenue from expanded coverage," it said, experiencing a net loss of $1 billion by 2020. (Ungar, 5/8)
USA Today:
Feds Ease Up On Wellness Programs
The government has reversed itself and said employer-sponsored wellness programs don't necessarily discriminate against workers. But businesses offering the plans to their employees are still struggling to show the programs can cut health care costs. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has proposed a rule change, now saying that cutting workers' insurance premiums as an incentive for them to get health screening tests or improve their health scores doesn't violate federal disabilities laws as long as Obamacare and federal privacy rules are met. (O'Donnell, 5/10)
Los Angeles Times:
U.S. Lawmaker Slams FDA Response To Superbug Outbreaks
A federal lawmaker criticized the latest response from the nation's top health regulator on the recent superbug outbreaks and renewed his push for congressional hearings. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) faulted the Food and Drug Administration for taking two months to answer a letter from a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers in light of the public health threat. He also said some of the FDA's answers appeared misleading. (Terhune, 5/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
Vertex’s Cystic-Fibrosis Drug Faces Big Test
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., one of biotechnology’s most richly valued companies, faces a big test Tuesday in proving it can become consistently profitable and live up to its $30 billion market capitalization. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will consider whether to recommend approval of Vertex’s experimental cystic-fibrosis drug, Orkambi, which analysts predict could help the company earn more than $8 billion in net profit over the next four years if it reaches the market. (Walker, 5/9)
The Washington Post:
The Human Upgrade: The Revolution Will Be Digitized
Now 66, [Larry] Smarr is the unlikely hero of a global movement among ordinary people to “quantify” themselves using wearable fitness gadgets, medical equipment, headcams, traditional lab tests and homemade contraptions, all with the goal of finding ways to optimize their bodies and minds to live longer, healthier lives — and perhaps to discover some important truth about themselves and their purpose in life. The explosion in extreme tracking is part of a digital revolution in health care led by the tech visionaries who created Apple, Google, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. Using the chips, database and algorithms that powered the information revolution of the past few decades, these new billionaires now are attempting to rebuild, regenerate and reprogram the human body. (Cha, 5/9)
USA Today:
Jeb Bush Attacks Obama Administration Over Contraception Mandate
Jeb Bush used his commencement address at Liberty University in Virginia on Saturday to attack the federal government and courts for restricting the rights of religious believers. The former Florida governor ... belittled the Obama administration's effort to mandate health insurance coverage for contraceptives. Noting that the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious non-profit, is among the groups challenging the so-called "contraception mandate" in court, Bush said, "From the standpoint of religious freedom, you might even say it's a choice between the Little Sisters and Big Brother — and I'm going with the Sisters." (Wolfe, 5/9)
Politico:
Jeb Courts Evangelicals In Liberty University Address
His allies believe that if and when conservative activists take a closer look at Bush’s record and message, they will find his anti-abortion, pro-school choice views acceptable, and his deeply held faith relatable. He was introduced by Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of the university (and the son of a prominent evangelical leader with the same name) as “a hero of the right-to-life movement” after his involvement in the Terri Schiavo case, keeping a woman in a vegetative state alive against the wishes of her husband, but in keeping with her parents’ hope. ... For Bush, the appearance was more staid, less personal — he didn’t discuss his own path to Catholicism, the religion shared by his wife — and the applause lines, especially at the beginning, were somewhat scattered, though Bush picked up steam when he decried what he characterized as the Obama administration’s incursions into religious freedom. (Glueck, 5/9)
The Washington Post:
Jeb Bush Hopes To Sway Evangelicals With Speech At Liberty University
Likely presidential candidate Jeb Bush called on fellow Christians to stand up for their values and against what he described as a federal government meddling in matters of faith, making a direct appeal to religious conservatives in a speech at Liberty University Saturday. ... Bush also touched on the topic of abortion in his 30-minute speech, saying, “Wherever there is a child that is waiting to be born, we say, ‘Choose life,’ and we say it with love.” (Vozzella, 5/9)
The Washington Post:
Huckabee On Controversial Diabetes Cure: ‘I Don’t Have To Defend Everything That I’ve Ever Done’
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee on Sunday aggressively defended his participation in a controversial infomercial that peddled an all-natural cure to “reverse your type 2 diabetes," saying the treatment has been mischaracterized and stressing that he is no longer involved with the company. ... Huckabee, who last week launched his second presidential bid, has been criticized for appearing in — and receiving money for — a "Diabetes Solution Kit" infomercial that makes medical recommendations to diabetics that are not supported by the American Diabetes Association. (DelReal, 5/10)
Los Angeles Times:
Hacienda Heights Temple Bridges Chinese Community, Health Professionals
Waiting to be registered at a health fair at Hsi Lai Temple on Sunday, a group of women exercised, stretching and moving their arms in circles as they complained about the sacrifices required to stay well. "You can't eat noodles, fish, shrimp, rice, beef," said one woman, who asked that her name not be used to protect her medical information. "What am I supposed to eat? "Exercise," suggested one of her friends. "Salads," said another. (Shyong, 5/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
Connecticut’s Fiscal Showdown
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and state Democratic leaders begin budget negotiations Monday as the two sides seek a compromise over their diverging spending plans. Mr. Malloy, a Democrat, has said the proposed budget from the Democratic-controlled Legislature spends too much and places an undue burden on the middle class. ... Last month, the Legislature’s appropriations committee proposed $19.91 billion and $20.57 billion in spending for fiscal 2016 and 2017 that would restore funding to developmental services, mental-health providers, higher education and other categories. That is about $515 million more than what Mr. Malloy proposed in February. (De Avila, 5/10)
The Associated Press:
NYC Jail Health Provider Fails At Better Rating
Overall performance of the private health care provider for New York City’s jails failed to improve last year amid heightened scrutiny over inmate deaths that put the company’s contract under review, according to an evaluation obtained by The Associated Press. (5/11)