First Edition: October 29, 2014
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Soda Makers Battle Proposed Taxes In Berkeley, San Francisco
Again and again in the United States, anti-obesity crusaders have been stymied wherever they’ve tried to impose new laws on soda sales: in New York, ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to limit soda size was tossed out by the state’s highest court, proposed taxes in the northern California cities of El Monte and Richmond were voted down and the Washington, D.C. city council failed to pass an excise tax on soda. (Varney, 10/29)
Kaiser Health News:
Medicare Changes Could Limit Patient Access To ALS Communication Tools
Starting Dec. 1, people with ALS – a disease that impairs motor function so people often can’t talk or even move – could lose access to technological advances that allow them to better communicate, thanks to a federal review of what Medicare is allowed to cover. ALS, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hit the national spotlight this summer with the viral “Ice Bucket Challenge.” But while public awareness about the disease soared, Medicare changes that could curtail coverage of communication tools were – by “sheer dumb luck” – already in the works, said Kathleen Holt, associate director at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. (Luthra, 10/29)
Kaiser Health News:
The Lowdown On Open Enrollment For Medicare Advantage And Part D
Kaiser Family Foundation’s Senior Vice President Tricia Neuman, who directs the KFF Program on Medicare Policy, and Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, spoke about the basics of the plans and answered common questions that consumers and journalists have. (10/28)
NPR:
With Obamacare, More Millennials Are Going To The Doctor, Sort Of
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco found that after the provision took effect, the number of young adults using preventive care services went up slightly. Between 2009 and 2011, there was a 3 percent increase in the number of young people getting routine checkups, and a 5 percent increase in annual dental visits. But the 18- to 25-year-old group is still avoiding annual flu shots. (Singh, 10/28)
The Associated Press:
States Ask Congress To Intervene On Drug Prices
Medicaid chiefs from red and blue states are urging Congress to stem the cost of revolutionary new drugs for hepatitis C, cancer, and other diseases. In a letter Tuesday to key congressional committees, the National Association of Medicaid Directors said lawmakers should consider everything from outright price controls on manufacturers to federal help for states trying to pay for the new medications. (10/28)
The Associated Press:
Landrieu Sticks To Support For Obama's Health Law
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu has doubled down on her support for the federal health care law even as polls show the revamp remains unpopular in Louisiana and a new Republican attack ad launched Tuesday hits the Democratic incumbent again for her vote. (DeSlatte, 10/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
Insider-Trading Probe Focuses On Medicare Agency
The day Medicare officials began discussing whether to set new coverage limits on a costly new prostate-cancer treatment, the official in charge emailed three colleagues to put a “close hold” on the process. That meant: Keep quiet until an announcement later that month. Yet by the end of that same day, June 7, 2010, shares of the company that made the treatment, Dendreon Corp. , had plunged 10%. Before long, federal investigators took notice. (Mullins, Pulliam and Weaver, 10/28)
The Washington Post:
Obama Assails Ebola Quarantines, Saying They Are Based On Fear, Not Facts
President Obama on Tuesday forcefully rejected the idea of a quarantine for medical workers returning from Ebola-affected countries, arguing that such an approach would undermine the broader effort to eliminate the epidemic . Politicians in the United States, including the president, have come under increasing pressure to curtail the movements of medical personnel returning from Ebola-affected regions after Craig Spencer — a doctor who had been treating Ebola patients in Guinea — was diagnosed with the virus 10 days after he returned home to New York City. (Eilperin, Dennis and Achenbach, 10/28)
The Associated Press:
Where's Czar? Ebola Raises Management Questions
President Barack Obama's commander in the fight against Ebola was expected to operate below the public radar. But did that mean invisible? Ron Klain has barely been seen, and a week before midterm elections, Obama is pressing to dispel criticism that the government can't manage the Ebola crisis. The White House's behind-the-scenes coordination of the Ebola response is being severely tested, while the Pentagon and states like New York and New Jersey take public steps that are far firmer than federal guidelines. That's creating the appearance of a crazy quilt of Ebola measures. (Kuhnhenn, 10/28)
Politico:
Obama: Don't Put Barriers On U.S. Help To Ebola Zones
President Barack Obama offered an implicit rebuke Tuesday of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and others who have demanded mandatory quarantines for public health workers returning from Ebola-ravaged West African countries, stressing that policies should be based on fact and not fear. “We don’t want to do things that aren’t based on science and best practices because if we do, we’re just putting another barrier on somebody who’s already doing important work on our behalf. And that’s not something that I think any of us should want to see happen,” Obama said from the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One for a trip to Wisconsin, where he’ll be campaigning for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. (Epstein, 10/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
Maine Willing To Enforce Ebola Quarantine, Official Says
Maine’s health director asserted Tuesday that the state can impose a quarantine on someone potentially exposed to the Ebola virus amid continued pushback from a local nurse who is fighting such restrictions. Kaci Hickox, a 33-year-old from northern Maine, flew back to the U.S. on Friday after a five-week stint with Doctors Without Borders in West Africa. After she raised complaints about her forced quarantine in New Jersey, where she landed, she returned to Maine on Monday to a state request she voluntarily self-quarantine there. (Kamp and Levitz, 10/28)
Politico:
Jeb: Obama ‘Incompetent’ On Ebola
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is calling President Barack Obama’s initial response to Ebola “incompetent.”
“It looked very incompetent to begin with, and that fueled fears that may not be justified,” Bush said during a discussion at Vanderbilt University, according to the Tennessean. “And now you have states that are legitimately acting on their concerns, creating a lot more confusion than is necessary.” (Breitman, 10/29)
The New York Times:
New York’s Rules To Let Travelers Pick Site For Isolation
Offering the first detailed account of how New York State’s quarantine order for travelers returning from West Africa will be put into effect, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration has issued guidelines that go beyond federal recommendations but seek to allow people to choose where to spend their enforced isolation. The state protocols show an effort by the administration to portray the quarantine, which has been criticized as excessive by some experts and doctors’ organizations, in a humane manner. (Santora and Kaplan, 10/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
Rising Medical Costs Weigh On Aetna
The insurer has posted higher membership and revenue of late. But medical costs also have increased, although it has categorized that trend as moderate. New treatments for hepatitis C have been among the biggest pressures on results, along with the company’s individual book of business. (Wilde Mathews and Calia, 10/28)
The Associated Press:
Aetna Tops Street In 3Q, Raises 2014 Forecast
Aetna became the latest major health insurer to thump third-quarter expectations and raise its 2014 forecast, but the company’s shares slipped Tuesday after it also said expenses climbed more than expected for part of its enrollment. The nation’s third-largest health insurer said that medical costs for some of its small-business coverage came in higher than projected, and benefit and network changes that it had made to help control those expenses hadn’t worked as expected. (10/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
WellPoint’s Profit Prompts Higher View
WellPoint Inc. on Wednesday morning became the latest health insurer to raise its outlook after posting higher-than-expected quarterly earnings. The company, which touted its growing membership base, said it now expects to post earnings of $8.75 to $8.85 a share this year, up from its prior call of more than $8.60 a share. (Calia, 10/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
HCA Profit Rises 42% On Admissions Growth
HCA Holdings Inc. said its third-quarter earnings rose 42% as the hospital operator continued to benefit from a rebound in admissions and benefits from the U.S. health-care policy overhaul. The company’s board authorized the repurchase of as much as $1 billion of HCA’s shares. (Stynes, 10/28)
Politico:
Big Health Records Firm Epic Raises DC Profile
The U.S. government is spending $30 billion to encourage the health care system to go digital. Now, the founder and chief executive of the country’s largest vendor of digital medical records is fighting back against what she calls incorrect perceptions that her company is creating obstacles to creating a national system where health records can be shared.
The sharing of health records is a critical but elusive goal, one that’s getting the attention of policymakers and K Street, as well as the health care industry. Some critics say industry giant Epic Systems is part of the problem. (Pittman and Allen, 10/28)
The New York Times:
Low Drug Sales Drag Down Shares Of Sanofi And Gilead
Shares of Sanofi and Gilead Sciences fell on Tuesday after they reported lower-than-expected sales of their most important drugs. (Pollack, 10/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
Sales Of Gilead’s Pricey Hepatitis Drug Slow
Gilead Sciences Inc. said sales of its blockbuster hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi fell 20% in the third quarter from the June period, a drop that was expected as physicians and patients waited for the arrival of the company’s newest drug. Sovaldi is believed to be the biggest new drug launch ever, thanks to demand driven by its 90% hepatitis C cure rate and diminished side effects. (Stynes and Rockoff, 10/28)
Politico:
GOP Unhappy With New VA Chief
Republican senators are having some buyer’s remorse when it comes to new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald, who was confirmed unanimously this summer. Three GOP senators publicly blasted McDonald on Tuesday for not moving to dismiss Phoenix VA Health Care System Director Sharon Helman, who, along with two other staffers, was put on paid leave in May when revelations about patient backlogs, records falsification and long wait times for appointments swamped former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. (Everett, 10/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Hoover Poll Shows Support For Health Insurance Rate Regulation
Proposition 45, a ballot measure that would regulate health insurance rates, is ahead, according to a new Internet poll by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. The survey of self-reported, registered voters who said they planned to vote in the Nov. 4 election, had Proposition 45 leading with 41.6% of those queried and opposed by 29.9%. Undecideds were 28.5%. The poll was taken between Oct. 3 and Oct. 17 and had a margin of error of 3.65%. (Lifsher, 10/28)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. City Workers Rally Over Bank Deals As Bargaining Continues
Currently, L.A.’s civilian workers can choose health plans that don’t require them to pay anything toward the premium cost. If employees had to chip in 10% -- as city lawmakers assumed in their budget for this year -- the added annual expense for family coverage could exceed $1,690, according to the Coalition of L.A. City Unions. But those at the Tuesday march and rally mostly argued that city lawmakers needed to recoup taxpayer revenue from Wall Street banks to restore city services and create jobs. Union officials say their bargaining is deeply tied to those concerns. (Reyes and Karlamangla, 10/28)