- KFF Health News Original Stories 4
- Concierge Medicine Firm Found Liable For Doctor’s Negligence
- Low-Income Californians More Satisfied With Their Health Care, Report Finds
- Texas Insurance Brokers Play Bigger Obamacare Role
- Texas Has High Stakes in Lawsuit Over Health Law
- Political Cartoon: 'Healthy Options?'
- Health Law 4
- Obamacare Sign-Ups For 2015 Expected To Top 10 Million
- Questions Continue About Plaintiffs In Pending Supreme Court Health Law Challenge
- Conservative Lobbying Group Works To Block Medicaid Expansion In GOP-Controlled States
- Obama, Staples Quibble Over Health Law Employment Issue
- Capitol Watch 2
- CBO Says Deficit Will Fall Again This Year, Then Start To Widen With Higher Medicare Spending
- President Obama To Sign Veterans' Suicide Prevention Measure
- Marketplace 3
- Security Experts Warn 2015 Could Be The Year Of Health Care Hacking
- AstraZeneca Agrees To $7.9 Million Settlement In Federal Kickback Case
- Rite Aid Spends $2B To Acquire Pharmacy Benefits Manager
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Concierge Medicine Firm Found Liable For Doctor’s Negligence
In what may be the first verdict of its kind, a jury found the concierge medical giant MDVIP responsible for physician’s negligent care of a Boca Raton patient. (Phil Galewitz, )
Low-Income Californians More Satisfied With Their Health Care, Report Finds
A 2014 survey finds low-income California residents are happier with the quality of care they received than in 2011, before many provisions of the Affordable Care Act took effect. (Anna Gorman, )
Texas Insurance Brokers Play Bigger Obamacare Role
Despite an uneasy relationship with the health law, insurance brokers are touting their expertise and helping Texans sign up for Affordable Care Act insurance. (Carrie Feibel, Houston Public Media, )
Texas Has High Stakes in Lawsuit Over Health Law
Nearly 1 million Texans who signed up for health insurance through healthcare.gov would be affected if the court invalidates subsidies in federal exchange states – and not just the ones getting subsidies. (Edgar Walters, Texas Tribune, )
Political Cartoon: 'Healthy Options?'
KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Healthy Options?'" by Signe Wilkinson .
Here's today's health policy haiku:
THE LATEST WRINKLE IN KING V. BURWELL
Scrutiny of case
now targeting the plaintiffs.
Do they have standing?
- Anonymous
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Today at 3 p.m. EST, Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold will co-host a live chat, “How Would You Spend Your Final Days?” with Frontline documentary maker Tom Jennings. They will discuss Being Mortal, the film based on the book by Atul Gawande. You can watch the documentary online and submit questions about end-of-life issues and care ahead of the chat.
Summaries Of The News:
Obamacare Sign-Ups For 2015 Expected To Top 10 Million
With the deadline Sunday, the pace of sign-ups accelerated across the country, with particularly strong interest in the South, and officials said they expected the final tally to surpass last year's numbers.
Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare Sign-Ups Expected To Top 10 Million Amid Sizable Expansion
As the deadline for signing up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act approaches Sunday, enrollment in plans provided through the federal health law is on track to expand substantially over 2014. Nationwide, preliminary tallies from state and federal health agencies suggest sign-ups should top 10 million and will probably go even higher in the final rush this weekend. (Levey and Terhune, 2/11)
The Washington Post's Wonkblog:
With The Obamacare Enrollment Window Closing, HealthCare.gov Activity Picks Up
Nearly 7.75 million people have so far signed up for 2015 health plans through the 37 states using HealthCare.gov, as activity on the Web site picks up just days before the end of the Affordable Care Act's second-ever enrollment period, Obama administration officials reported Wednesday. Traffic to the federal government's health insurance Web site, which is running much more smoothly this year, was up 58 percent Wednesday morning compared to the same time last week, according to Obama administration officials overseeing the health insurance marketplaces. About 275,000 people signed up through the Web site between Jan. 31 and Feb. 6 — the most recent week of data available — making it one of the busiest enrollment weeks in the past two months. (Millman, 2/11)
Reuters:
Over 7.75 Million People Are Enrolled In Obamacare Health Plans
More than 7.75 million people have enrolled in private health insurance through the federal website HealthCare.gov, as of Feb. 6, the Obama administration said on Wednesday. The latest figures, which do not reflect enrollment in 13 state-run insurance marketplaces, include 275,676 people who selected plans during the week from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6. (Morgan, 2/11)
Modern Healthcare:
ACA Sign-Ups Accelerate As Deadline Looms
HHS' goal for the second open-enrollment period ending Feb. 15 is 9.1 million people who have selected plans and paid premiums. The totals released Wednesday only report the number of people who have selected plans, not the number who have paid their first month's premiums. (Dickson, 2/11)
The Hill:
Obamacare Signups Surge In Southern States
Signups for ObamaCare are surging in southern states, with increases of nearly 100 percent in some states compared to last year, federal health officials said Wednesday. Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi have each seen 80 percent more signups compared to last year, Deputy Administrator Andy Slavitt said. (Ferris, 2/11)
The Associated Press:
Sunday Deadline Driving Health Law Sign-Ups For 2015
Although enrollment centers haven’t seen the same long lines as last year, volunteers from Austin, Texas, to Columbus, Ohio, report a surge this week, not yet captured in official numbers. And the revamped HealthCare.gov website so far has avoided last year’s technology meltdown. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/11)
The Sacramento Bee:
Sunday Is The Last Day For Open Enrollment Through Covered California
Covered California is counting on the human penchant for procrastination to add tens of thousands of new enrollees to the ranks of residents who buy health insurance through the virtual marketplace. The state administrator of the federal Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, will close its second yearly period of open enrollment Sunday at midnight. (Sangree, 2/11)
San Jose Mercury News:
Covered California Hoping For Enrollment Surge To Meet Goal
With just days before the midnight Sunday deadline to enroll in health care plans under Covered California, the state's private health care exchange is a little over halfway toward its goal of insuring a half million more residents than last year. (Urton, 2/11)
The Denver Post:
Colorado's Uninsured Face Stiffer Penalties In 2015; Deadline Nears
As 2015 open enrollment ends Sunday, Coloradans without health insurance will face significantly higher penalties this year than they did last year. (Draper, 2/11)
Kaiser Health News:
Texas Insurance Brokers Play Bigger Obamacare Role
As the health law’s second open enrollment season barrels to a close on Sunday, nearly a million Texans have purchased or applied for health insurance. This time around, insurance brokers are aggressively marketing themselves to shoppers – it’s a big change for the brokers who have had an uneasy relationship with the health law for years. (Feibel, 2/11)
Questions Continue About Plaintiffs In Pending Supreme Court Health Law Challenge
The questions have to do with whether plaintiffs in King. v. Burwell have standing in the lawsuit and have created a new level of uncertainty about the case.
The Fiscal Times:
Four Dubious Plaintiffs To Challenge Obamacare In Supreme Court Case
As Obamacare’s latest Supreme Court case looms, new questions are surfacing about whether the four plaintiffs actually have standing to challenge the law’s federal subsidies in a high stakes suit that threatens to deny tax credit subsidies for some some 6 to 8 million people. (Ehley, 2/11)
Politico Pro:
ACA Suit Questions: 'Kerfuffle' Or Threat?
Mounting questions about the people challenging Obamacare in the Supreme Court have injected an aura of uncertainty around the high profile case against the president’s health law. (Haberkorn, 2/11)
Conservative Lobbying Group Works To Block Medicaid Expansion In GOP-Controlled States
Modern Healthcare reports that, even as expansion in some of these red states is possible, an organization funded by the Koch brothers is stepping up its billion-dollar game to stop further expansions. Meanwhile, news outlets from Ohio and Kansas report on in-state dynamics related to expansion plans and debates.
Modern Healthcare:
Koch Brothers' Group Aims To Stop Medicaid Expansion In Some States
Medicaid expansion to lower-income adults is still possible in some Republican-controlled states despite recent setbacks in Tennessee and Wyoming, policy watchers say. But elected officials and expansion advocates are closely watching the aggressive efforts of a conservative lobbying group funded by the billionaire Koch brothers that is mounting a big push to block further expansions. (Dickson, 2/11)
Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio’s Medicaid Enrollment Worries Both Parties, But For Different Reasons
With Ohio’s Medicaid-expansion enrollment approaching half a million — a third higher than projected — House Democrats say a faulty process to renew benefits, plus premium charges proposed by Gov. John Kasich, would “jettison” many poor Ohioans from their newly obtained health coverage. “We have more of an effort of mass Medicaid expulsion than mass Medicaid expansion,” Rep. Kevin Boyce, D-Columbus, told administration officials testifying about Kasich’s budget plan before the House Finance Committee yesterday. (Candisky, 2/12)
Kansas Health Institute News Service:
Safety Net Clinics At Forefront Of Debates On Controversial Issues
Kansas hospitals are leading the push for Medicaid expansion. But they’re not the only providers for which expansion is a critical financial issue. It’s also a priority for the safety net clinics that exist to provide free and reduced-cost care to low-income Kansans. (McLean, 2/11)
In addition, Health News Colorado reports on the state exchange's budget challenges -
Health News Colorado:
As Cost Overruns Mount, Exchange CEO Says It’s Time For ‘Tough Choices’
Complex sign-up problems have forced Colorado health exchange managers to spend more than they planned this year on call centers, but board members were reluctant Tuesday to approve another $3 million from reserves to pay the increasing tab. (Kerwin McCrimmon, 2/11)
Obama, Staples Quibble Over Health Law Employment Issue
In an interview with BuzzFeed, the president criticized the office supply company after a news article suggested some of its hiring is based on concerns about the health law's mandates for insuring workers. But the company later said that the story was incorrect.
Reuters:
Obama Slams Staples, Big Companies On Healthcare: 'Shame On Them'-BuzzFeed
U.S. President Barack Obama singled out office supply company Staples Inc as undercutting his healthcare reform law and said large corporations should not use the health insurance issue as an excuse for cutting wages, the news website BuzzFeed reported. "It's one thing when you've got a mom-and-pop store who can't afford to provide paid sick leave or health insurance or minimum wage to workers ... but when I hear large corporations that make billions of dollars in profits trying to blame our interest in providing health insurance as an excuse for cutting back workers’ wages, shame on them,” Obama said in an interview with BuzzFeed. (2/11)
Marketwatch:
Staples Slams Obama’s ‘Attack’ On Its Health-Care Policy
In a rare instance of corporate criticism of a president, Staples Inc. on Wednesday said that President Barack Obama “appears not to have all the facts” when he criticized the company’s policy of limiting worker hours. ... In a statement Wednesday, Staples denied that its part-time employee policy was the result of the Affordable Care Act. “The initial [BuzzFeed] story was misleading as our policy regarding hours for part-time employees is more than a decade old,” said Kirk Saville, a Staples spokesman. “It’s unfortunate that the president is attacking a company that provides more than 85,000 jobs and is a major taxpayer,” he added. (Robb, 2/11)
In other news about the health law implementation --
The Wall Street Journal:
Thousands To Lose Health Insurance Over Residency Questions
The Obama administration is cutting off health-insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act for 200,000 people who haven’t proved they are legally residing in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials on Wednesday said health plans would terminate Feb. 28 for people who had signed up for coverage in 2014 and whose plans had been automatically renewed for 2015, after officials concluded those people hadn’t supplied enough information to verify their immigration or citizenship status. (Radnofsky, 2/11)
Politico Pro:
ACA Health Plans Imposing High Cost Sharing On Drugs
A growing number of Obamacare plans are imposing the highest cost sharing on patients for entire classes of drugs, even including some generics, according to a new Avalere study. Researchers looked at 20 classes of drugs and found that some plans placed all of the drugs in five classes on the costliest “specialty tier” of their formulary. Two of those classes — protease inhibitors and multiple sclerosis agents — include generic options, yet 29 percent and 51 percent of silver plans, respectively, put them on their top tier in 2015. That’s up from 16 percent and 42 percent of plans in 2014. (Norman, 2/11)
Politico Pro:
Analysis Pegs Value Of Obamacare Cost-Sharing Subsidies
A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows just how much Obamacare’s cost-sharing subsidies are worth to the people who would lose them if the Supreme Court blocks that assistance in states with federal-run exchanges. (Norman, 2/11)
CBO Says Deficit Will Fall Again This Year, Then Start To Widen With Higher Medicare Spending
Meanwhile, a fight between the White House and GOP lawmakers is brewing over a budget issue related to spending on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program. Without congressional intervention, the program will run out of funds in late 2016.
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Budget Deficit Widens Slightly In January
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects the deficit will fall to $468 billion this year, the lowest level since 2007. The agency forecasts that it will stay essentially flat until 2017, after which it begins to widen due to an aging workforce that will lower tax rolls and increase spending on Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs. (Timiraos, 2/11)
The Associated Press:
US Budget Deficit Running 6.2 Percent Higher Than Last Year
The budget deficit has gradually narrowed since 2012, which was the fourth straight year in which it topped the $1 trillion mark. The improvement reflects the country’s economic recovery from recession. ... The CBO is forecasting that without any changes in government policies, the deficit will decline slightly to $467 billion in 2016 but then will start rising and top $1 trillion again in 2025 as spending balloons for Social Security and Medicare. (Crutsinger, 2/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Parties Clash Over Social Security Disability Trust Fund
The first fight between the White House and the new GOP-controlled Congress over spending on federal safety-net programs is heating up over a Social Security program used to help support disabled people. If Congress doesn’t take action, the Social Security Disability Insurance program will run out of sufficient funds by late 2016, according to the Social Security chief actuary, triggering a 19% cut in disability benefits. (Peterson, 2/11)
Politico:
GOP Plea On Social Security Disability: Do Something, Obama
The battle over Social Security’s future came back to the forefront Wednesday as top Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee challenged the White House plan to shift $330 billion between the program’s trust funds to avert deep cuts in disability payments, beginning at the end of 2016. President Barack Obama’s new budget plan released last week would accomplish this transfer by temporarily adjusting the formula that distributes receipts from the 6.2 percent federal payroll tax, which workers and their employers pay to finance both the retirement and disability programs. (Rogers, 2/11)
President Obama To Sign Veterans' Suicide Prevention Measure
In other Capitol Hill legislative news, a lobbying push by the mobile health industry is finding traction; Senate Democrats are advancing efforts to stop e-cigarette marketing to children and two Senate Republicans are holdouts in co-sponsoring a measure by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to repeal the health law.
The Associated Press:
Obama To Sign Veterans Suicide Prevention Bill
President Barack Obama is joining with lawmakers and top government leaders to cast a spotlight on the issue of suicide among veterans. Obama on Thursday will sign the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act into law. First lady Michelle Obama, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald and veterans are expected to attend the White House ceremony. (2/12)
Politico:
Despite FDA Moves, Push Continues For Congress To Act On Mobile Health
Apple, Intel and other digital health companies are winning their war against old-school medical device regulation. The industry that stands to make millions from mobile health tech has Food and Drug Administration regulations locked down, and it has the support of Congress, too. With the government’s approval, wearable monitors and health apps on iPhones are proliferating; the wearable electronic market is predicted to be valued at $11.6 billion by 2020. (Gold, 2/11)
Politico Pro:
Kirk, Collins Not Co-Sponsoring Cruz ACA Repeal Bill
Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine are the only GOP senators who haven’t signed on to the bill from Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, which would repeal the entire Affordable Care Act and give Republicans time to draft and pass a replacement. (Mershon, 2/11)
The Hill:
Senate Dems Pushing Back Against E-Cigs Targeting Children
Senate Democrats are doubling down on efforts to prevent e-cigarette companies from marketing to children. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that would target flavored e-cigarettes and cartoon packaging. (Devaney, 2/10)
Report: VA System At 'High Risk' For Fraud, Mismanagement
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office flagged the Department of Veterans Affairs as especially vulnerable to abuse, singling out veterans' waits for health care and inadequate IT systems.
The Washington Post:
Veterans’ Health, Federal IT Management Rank Among Top Government Risks
Health-care delays for veterans and poorly managed information technology are among the U.S. government’s most pressing problems, federal auditors said Wednesday. The issues showed up for the first time this year in the Government Accountability Office’s biannual high risk list, which flags federal programs especially susceptible to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. (Hicks, 2/12)
The Wall Street Journal:
Government Watchdog Says Veterans Affairs At High Risk For Fraud, Waste
The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system has been declared a “high-risk” operational area of the federal government in a report issued Wednesday by a leading government watchdog. The Government Accountability Office this year added the VA’s health care system to a list of 32 total federal programs especially vulnerable to “fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.” The VA hasn’t fully addressed more than 100 of the accountability office’s recommendations, some stretching back more than a decade including those that have reportedly harmed veterans, according to the report. (Kesling, 2/11)
The Associated Press:
GAO: Veterans' Health Care Costs A 'High Risk' For Taxpayers
Veterans' health care is a "high risk" budget issue that threatens to cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars unless longstanding problems are addressed, government auditors warned Wednesday. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office said health care costs at the Department of Veterans Affairs have nearly tripled since 2002 — to more than $59 billion a year — as a result of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the aging of Vietnam-era veterans. Costs are likely to continue to rise as the VA responds to "serious and longstanding problems with veterans' access to care," the GAO said. (Daly, 2/11)
Meanwhile, the VA secretary clashed with a GOP lawmaker over the agency's budget -
The Associated Press:
VA Secretary Asks Iraq War Veteran: 'What Have You Done?'
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Wednesday asked a Republican lawmaker who served in both Iraq wars, "What have you done?" as the two men sparred over huge cost overruns at a troubled Denver VA hospital. McDonald was defending the VA's budget at a hearing when he and Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman tussled over construction delays and cost increases at the long-delayed hospital project. After a few minutes of arguing, McDonald snapped at Coffman: "I've run a large company, sir. What have you done?" (Daly, 2/11)
Security Experts Warn 2015 Could Be The Year Of Health Care Hacking
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, lawmakers offered a proposal in response to the recent Anthem data breach that would require health insurers in the state to encrypt client information.
Reuters:
Experts Warn 2015 Could Be 'Year Of The Healthcare Hack'
Security experts are warning healthcare and insurance companies that 2015 will be the "Year of the Healthcare Hack," as cybercriminals are increasingly attracted to troves of personal information held by U.S. insurers and hospitals that command high prices on the underground market. ... Stolen healthcare data can be used to fraudulently obtain medical services and prescriptions as well as to commit identity theft and other financial crimes, according to security experts. Criminals can also use stolen data to build more convincing profiles of users, boosting the success of scams. (Humer and Finkle, 2/11)
Connecticut Mirror:
Anthem Breach Prompts CT Lawmakers To Demand Encryption
The Democratic leaders of the Connecticut Senate responded Wednesday to the Anthem data breach by proposing that insurers selling health plans in the state be required to encrypt Social Security numbers and other client information. (Pazniokas, 2/11)
AstraZeneca Agrees To $7.9 Million Settlement In Federal Kickback Case
The pharmaceutical company agreed to pay the federal government to settle allegations that the drug manufacturer and distributor engaged in a kickback scheme to boost sales of one of its popular heartburn medications.
USA Today:
AstraZeneca Pays $7.9M To Settle Kickback Charge
A U.S. division of British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca will pay the federal government $7.9 million to settle allegations the drug manufacturer and distributor engaged in a kickback scheme to boost sales of one of its popular medications. The civil settlement, announced Wednesday by the Department of Justice, resolves charges that Delaware-based AstraZeneca LP agreed to pay millions of dollars to keep the "sole and exclusive" status of its Nexium heartburn medication held on a list of drugs eligible for coverage by government health care plans. (McCoy, 2/11)
The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot:
AstraZeneca Pays $7.9M To Settle Kickback Charges Paid To A PBM
AstraZeneca AZN.LN -0.01% has agreed to pay the federal government $7.9 million to settle allegations the drug maker paid kickbacks to a large pharmacy benefits manager to ensure that its blockbuster Nexium heartburn medication was given the best status on formularies, which are the list of drugs that received preferred coverage (Silverman, 2/11)
The Associated Press:
AstraZeneca To Pay $7.9 Million Over Kickback Allegations
Pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca LP will pay $7.9 million to settle allegations that it engaged in a kickback scheme involving the heartburn medicine Nexium, U.S. Justice Department officials said Wednesday. The settlement stems from a whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2010 on behalf of the government by two former AstraZeneca executives. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Delaware, home to AstraZeneca's U.S commercial headquarters, had remained sealed until this week. (2/11)
Rite Aid Spends $2B To Acquire Pharmacy Benefits Manager
Meanwhile, WellCare earnings report indicates that the severe flu season has taken its toll on profits.
The Associated Press:
Rite Aid Spends $2B On Push Into Pharmacy Benefit Management
Rite Aid's $2 billion acquisition of a pharmacy benefits manager steers the drugstore chain toward a potentially lucrative focus for health care companies: Finding ways to tame customer costs. The nation's third-largest drugstore chain is buying EnvisionRx which, like all pharmacy benefit managers, can exercise considerable influence over how much patients pay for their medications. (Murphy, 2/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
WellCare Earnings Drop On Severe Flu Season
WellCare Health Plans Inc. on Wednesday posted a downbeat full-year earnings guidance, after an unexpectedly severe flu season dragged on profit, leading earnings to drop 82% in the December quarter. The company now expects full-year earnings between $3.15 and $3.40 a share, below analyst estimates of $3.59 a share. (Chen, 2/11)
Vaccine Debate, Strategies Fueled By Continuing Concern About Measles Exposures
Some say outreach efforts should take a calmer tone, while the National Vaccine Advisory Committee recommends that physicians be compensated for discussing and counseling parents about the importance of getting their children vaccinated.
Reuters:
Softer, Less Strident Outreach May Help Calm U.S. Vaccine Skeptics
In Ashland [Ore.], a quarter of kindergarteners started school last year without all their vaccinations, among the highest rates in the country. None of the community's public schools has the 92 percent of vaccinated kindergarteners needed to provide the so-called herd immunity that protects those who are vulnerable to infection. But persuading the community's independent-minded, frequently affluent families to change their views is a perplexing task for public health officials, who are more used to helping the poorest and least educated parents find free or low-cost vaccinations than having to argue people out of deeply held convictions. So some are retooling their messages, meeting with families one-on-one, and toning down sometimes strident rhetoric. (Bernstein, 2/11)
Bloomberg:
Vaccine Incentives Proposed For Doctors To Woo Parents
Doctors and academics that advise the U.S. on vaccines are considering recommending physicians be compensated for counseling people on the importance of getting shots for their children, even if the parents ultimately choose not to vaccinate. Draft recommendations presented Wednesday at a meeting of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee in Washington would also suggest establishing a minimum coverage goal for doctors, encouraging them to get more patients inoculated. The proposals, if adopted, could help doctors and public-health officials bridge a divide with parents who are worried that it’s unsafe for their children to follow government guidelines for vaccines. (Edney, Cortez and Koons, 2/12)
Reuters:
San Francisco Commuters Possibly Exposed To Measles On Train
Tens of thousands of commuters on San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system may have been exposed to measles after an infectious Bay Area resident rode a train to and from work for three days last week, public health officials said on Wednesday. The rider represents the first case of measles confirmed by Contra Costa County health officials during an outbreak of the disease that began in late December. The infected person also spent time at a San Francisco restaurant and bar on the evening of Feb. 4. (Respaut, 2/12)
The Wall Street Journal:
Measles Vaccine Debate Hits Home At California School
For Jennifer Cauzza, a charter-school leader in Southern California, the measles outbreak is more than just a health and science lesson. It has become a civics lesson, too. Julian Charter School, where Ms. Cauzza serves as executive director, has a higher rate of students’ opting out of being vaccinated than the average in California, a state with a high rate of such exemptions overall and by far the most measles cases in an outbreak that began at Disneyland Resort in December and has encompassed at least 17 states. (Porter, 2/11)
Survey: More Calif. Low-Income Patients Give Their Health Care High Marks
Fifty-three percent of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as excellent or very good -- a finding, according to a report by the Blue Shield of California Association, that reflects system changes since the health law took effect.
California Healthline:
Patient Satisfaction Among Low-Income Patients On The Rise, Survey Says
More than half of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as very good or excellent, a gain of about five percentage points from 2011 to 2014, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Blue Shield of California Foundation. (Gorn, 2/11)
Kaiser Health News:
Low-Income Californians More Satisfied With Their Health Care, Report Finds
Low-income Californians are increasingly satisfied with the health care they receive, underscoring the impact of changes made by clinics and providers since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, according to a report released Wednesday. More than half of low-income patients – 53 percent — rated their quality of care as excellent or very good in 2014, up five percentage points from 2011, according to the survey by the Blue Shield of California Foundation. That means that about 400,000 patients were happier with their care, the report said. (Gorman, 2/11)
A selection of health policy stories New York, Texas, Connecticut, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, North Carolina and Florida.
The Associated Press:
NY Legislators Seek Delay In Electronic Prescriptions
New York legislators want to postpone until next year the deadline for doctors to issue only electronic drug prescriptions, saying many still lack needed federal approval. The bill has passed the state Senate and the Assembly Health Committee. Assemblyman John McDonald, sponsor and practicing pharmacist, says he expects the full Assembly to pass it in two weeks. (2/11)
The Texas Tribune:
Virtual Doctors Making Medical Board Really Nervous
The Texas Medical Board will meet Thursday to consider a 21st-century question: How should the state regulate doctor-patient relationships when they exist only in cyberspace and, in some cases, across state lines? (Walters, 2/12)
Connecticut Mirror:
5 Things To Know About Medicaid Spending In CT
[Medicaid is] a key way the state has expanded coverage under the federal health law, and it’s likely to be part of the upcoming debate over the state’s next budget, when lawmakers try to keep their pledges to eliminate a massive deficit without raising taxes. (Levin Becker, 2/12)
Arizona Republic:
Arizona Senate Committee Approves Abortion Restrictions
Legislation to further regulate abortions in Arizona gained approval from the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday, the same day the influential anti-abortion group Center for Arizona Policy held its day at the Capitol. (Shumway, 2/11)
The Associated Press:
Suit Seeks To Exempt Physicians From Assisted Suicide Law
A cancer patient and five doctors filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to exempt physicians who help terminally ill patients end their lives from a California ban on assisted suicide. Physicians who provide such assistance are not helping the patient commit suicide, but instead giving them the option of bringing about a peaceful death, according to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court. (2/11)
Miami Herald:
Negotiations Continue For LIP Hospital Funding
The state continued its negotiations with the federal government on Wednesday in an effort to preserve funding for hospitals that treat large numbers of poor and uninsured patients. Florida had previously relied on a pot of money known as the Low Income Pool, or LIP. But the $2.2 billion program is scheduled to expire later this year, under an agreement between the state and federal government. On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, said it "will not extend Florida's Low Income Pool in its current form beyond June 30," according to a statement issued by the agency. (McGrory, 2/11)
Stateline:
A Pregnancy Prevention Breakthrough In Colorado
The state’s teen birthrate dropped 40 percent between 2009 and 2013, driven largely by a public health initiative that gives low-income young women across the state long-acting contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and hormonal implants. (Vestal, 2/12)
The Associated Press:
Hawaii Bills Aim To Help COFA Migrants Pay For Health Care
Hawaii lawmakers are trying to make it easier for people living in the state under the Compact of Free Association to pay for health care. The state recently decided to end Medicaid coverage for most Micronesian migrants and to enroll them in health insurance through the Hawaii Health Connector, which will save the state an estimated $27 million. But some lawmakers fear that low-income migrants might not be able to pay for their new health care plans. They introduced a pair of bills that would require the state to cover the costs of premiums, copays and deductibles. (Bussewitz, 2/12)
North Carolina Health News:
North Carolina Falls Behind On Disease Prevention Scorecard
A health-prevention report card shows that the state continues to fail in obesity and nutrition prevention, while the state’s tobacco-prevention grade worsened from a B to a C. (Namkoong, 2/12)
Miami Herald:
Paramedics Prepare For The Worst Amid ‘Shooting’ At Fort Lauderdale Movie Theater
Two men in camouflage storm into the Sunrise Cinemas in Riverfront, head to different theaters filled with moviegoers, and begin shooting. ... But the victims — actually volunteers from Fort Lauderdale’s Community Emergency Response Team — weren’t hurt. The scene played out this week as part of a joint training exercise between the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department to practice a new procedure that allows firefighters to get to patients quicker and stop the bleeding as soon as possible. (Teproff, 2/11/)
Miami Herald:
Chef Michelle Bernstein Creates Flavorful Food For Cancer Patients At Broward Hospital
For months, chef Michelle Bernstein culled her imagination for the right mix of ingredients and flavors, drew from the many culinary moments that define her career and tapped into personal experiences to create the gift of good food. The star chef, restaurateur, television personality and author is partnering with the Memorial Cancer Institute — part of the Memorial Healthcare System in Broward County — to create a collection of healthy foods for oncology patients receiving chemotherapy treatments at its hospitals. (Burch, 2/9)
Viewpoints: 'Despair' Among Law's Advocates; Chamber Is Quiet On High Court Review
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The Wall Street Journal:
ObamaCare Despair
If the law is on your side, the juridical adage goes, argue the law. If the facts are on your side, argue the facts. If neither the law nor the facts are on your side, pound the table. Supporters of ObamaCare have reached the stage of pounding their heads on the table. (James Taranto, 2/11)
Bloomberg:
Big Business Is Backing Obamacare Ahead Of Supreme Court Hearing
The Supreme Court briefs are in, and we can now say that big business backs Obamacare. ... But first, a quick observation about interest groups that aren't urging the destruction of Obamacare.
Large corporate lobbying outfits, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, often file "friend of the court," or amicus, briefs in Supreme Court cases affecting business and the economy. This time, they haven't joined the assault on Obamacare. The reason can be inferred from the amicus briefs of more narrowly focused insurance and health-care interests that have filed to support the White House. With a significant portion of its constituency urging the justices to leave Obamacare in place, the Chamber couldn't very well join the attack. (Paul Barrett, 2/11)
The New York Times:
An Ode To Obamacare
Let’s sing the praises of Obamacare for a minute. Get back here! I said just for a minute. O.K., it’s not the tidiest law in history. You’re probably still sulking because you wanted something simple and rational, like a single-payer plan. But it’s here, and about 10 million people have health coverage who didn’t have it before. (Gail Collins, 2/12)
Bloomberg:
Yep, Obamacare Costs A Fortune
Whenever I write about Obamacare's expansion of health insurance, most of the e-mails I get from readers include some version of: Sure, the premiums may be low, but who can afford to see a doctor? A survey released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation, tracking 2015 deductibles and copayments across most exchange plans, says those complaints are at least half right. For all but the most generous Obamacare plans, out-of-pocket payments are usually higher than for employer-based insurance -- in some cases, drastically so. (Christopher Flavelle, 2/11)
Tampa Bay Times:
Avoid Crisis And Take Medicaid Money
Gov. Rick Scott should be the only one surprised that the Obama administration will not keep sending more than $1 billion to Florida to help cover hospital costs for the poor and uninsured. A top official from the federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid merely confirmed it this week at an Orlando health care conference, ruffling Republican legislators and exposing a big hole in the governor's proposed budget. That should prod lawmakers to drop their partisan opposition to the Affordable Care Act and accept billions in federal Medicaid expansion money to cover the uninsured and avoid a financial crisis for Tampa General and other hospitals. (2/11)
The Washington Post:
Why Indiana’s Mike Pence Deserves The Trust Of Conservatives
In 2003, Pence was one of just 19 Republicans to defy the Bush administration’s excruciating pressure and vote against Medicare Part D, the unfunded prescription drug entitlement. So, having demonstrated, as with No Child Left Behind, his conservative credentials, he deserved conservatives’ trust when he responded to Obamacare’s push for expansion of traditional Medicaid by negotiating remarkable concessions from the Obama administration that are a template for nationwide Medicaid reform. (George F. Will, 2/11)
The New York Times:
Quicker Access To Experimental Drugs
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a greatly simplified process for doctors to obtain experimental drugs for patients who are suffering from serious or life-threatening illnesses and have no other alternative. In a breathtaking reduction of red tape, the simplification should reduce the time it takes a doctor to apply for experimental drugs from 100 hours to less than one hour. Their desperately ill patients can only benefit. (2/12)
The Wall Street Journal:
Vaccines And Politicized Science
An important question that emerges from the rise of the vaccine doubter movement is by what process of persuasion did so many people come to believe what they do about vaccination? They believe the risks of vaccination are much greater than the risk of the diseases it is supposed to prevent. Life without serious disease for the majority is now taken for granted as the natural order. The young don’t sign up for health insurance because they don’t need it. (Daniel Henninger, 2/11)
Los Angeles Times:
For Veterans, Having A Home Is Not Enough
Proposed legislation recently introduced in the Senate arrived with a name that is seemingly hard to argue against: the Homeless Veterans Welcome Home Act. It is a well-intentioned bill meant to provide support for veterans transitioning into permanent housing and to help them acquire furniture and other household items. Unfortunately, this bill is essentially window dressing that would simply leave many deserving veterans out in the cold. (John Downing, 2/11)
Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger:
Miss. Medicaid Spending Exceeds National Growth
As one might expect in the poorest state in the union and contrary to much of the rhetoric surrounding the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid spending (adjusted for inflation) has grown by a higher percentage in Mississippi in the last decade than it has nationally. (Sid Salter, 2/11)
Modern Healthcare:
Why Do We Continue To Tolerate Price Secrecy?
Last April, ... CMS said as part of a rule on 2015 Inpatient Prospective Payment System payments that hospitals as of Oct. 1, 2014 must make public either a list of standard charges or policies for allowing members of the public to request and view charges. The agency encouraged hospitals to help patients compare charges for similar services across facilities, and mandated that they update the price information at least annually. ... What hospitals are actually disclosing falls far short of actual prices, unfortunately. Following the release of the CMS rule, many hospitals have posted on their websites a page explaining hospital charges and offering information about how patients can obtain price estimates – but not publishing any charges. (Harris Meyer, 2/10)