CALIFORNIA WATCH
JANUARY 11, 2016
Los Angeles Times: California Regulators are Urged to Scrutinize Health Insurance
Mega-Mergers
California is becoming a battleground state in the fight over health insurance mega-mergers. Consumer
advocates are putting pressure on regulators in California and a dozen other key states to scrutinize the
deals amid concerns that consumers will be left with fewer choices and higher costs. There's a lot at
stake for families and employers if the deals go through and leave three health insurers in control of
nearly half of the U.S. commercial insurance market. (Terhune, 1/11)
California Healthline: Let the Budget Plan Pushback Begin
On Monday, the Legislature reconvenes its extraordinary session on health care and officially embarks on
the long public debate over the governor's proposed budget. Almost every budget proposal is greeted
with opinions about what's missing in it. The big question is, among the cacophony of requests for more
funding, which big-ticket health care proposal is likely to be advanced by legislative leaders? (Gorn, 1/11)
The Sacramento Bee: Bill Would Ban Campus Smoking, Vaping in California
College students across California would need to stub out their cigarettes and ditch their vape pens under
a bill before the Legislature. Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, wants to make California’s
public college campuses smoke-free zones. His Assembly Bill 1594 would ban both traditional cigarettes
and vaping on the grounds of California State University and community college schools. (White, 1/8)
Kaiser Health News: Last-Minute Deal May Resolve Dispute over Managed Care Tax in
California
A last-minute proposal to replace a controversial tax on health plans allowed California Gov. Jerry Brown
to avoid deep health and social service cuts in his preliminary state budget for 2016-2017, released
Thursday. The proposed compromise would avert $1 billion in budget cuts but still must be approved by a
two-thirds majority in the legislature. (Feder Ostrov, 1/8)
ADMINISTRATION NEWS
The New York Times: Obama’s Last State of the Union Address Aims to Set Tone for ’16
Campaign
For the final time, President Obama will mount the rostrum in the House chamber on Tuesday to deliver a
State of the Union address. But this time, aides said, he will not bring with him a long list of proposals that
will languish in Congress. Instead, Mr. Obama plans a thematic message that effectively will be as much
a campaign agenda as a governing document. (Baker, 1/10)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Fox News: Obama Vetoes Health Law Repeal Bill
As the next step, House Speaker Paul Ryan wants to work on a proposal to replace the health care law.
“It clears the path to repealing this law with a Republican president in 2017 and replacing it with a truly
patient-centered health care system,” he said. “We will not back down from this fight to defend the
sanctity of life and make quality health care coverage achievable for all Americans.” (1/8)
CBS News: Where are the Young Signups for Obamacare?
The federal health care exchanges are so far falling short of signing up young (and presumably healthier)
workers, which may portend trouble ahead for plans sold through the Affordable Care Act. When the law
was created, actuaries estimated that 40 percent of the Obamacare plans would need to be sold to
people between 18 to 34 years old in order to offset higher costs tied to older (and presumably sicker)
workers. (Picchi, 1/8)
Bloomberg: Humana to Record 2016 Obamacare Shortfall, Membership Drops
Humana Inc. is the latest insurer to run into trouble in Obamacare’s individual health-insurance markets.
The health insurer said that it probably won’t collect enough money to cover costs for some customers
who bought individual plans, and will set aside what’s known as a premium deficiency reserve. The
shortfall is for 2016 plans that comply with new rules under the Affordable Care Act, Louisville, Kentuckybased Humana said Friday. (Tracer, 1/8)
MARKETPLACE
Reuters: Pfizer Hikes U.S. Prices for Over 100 Drugs on Jan. 1
Pfizer Inc, which plans a $160-billion merger with Ireland-based Allergan Plc to slash its U.S. tax bill, on
Jan. 1 raised U.S. prices for more than 100 of its drugs, some by as much as 20 percent, according to
statistics compiled by global information services company Wolters Kluwer. Pfizer confirmed a 9.4 percent
increase for heavily advertised pain drug Lyrica, which generated $2.3 billion in 2014 U.S. sales; a 12.9
percent increase for erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, which had 2014 U.S. sales of $1.1 billion; and a 5
percent increase for Ibrance, a novel breast cancer drug launched last year at a list price of $9,850 per
month, or $118,200 per year. (Beasley, 1/8)
Bloomberg: How Valeant Tripled Prices, Doubled Sales on Flatlining Drug
No wonder investors once loved Michael Pearson. In short order, he managed to double sales of
Wellbutrin XL, the popular antidepressant, even though far cheaper generics were out there. But behind
that move is an untold story that illustrates how Pearson and his controversial company, Valeant
Pharmaceuticals International Inc., vaulted to seemingly unimaginable heights before falling back to
Earth. (Weinberg and Langreth, 1/8)
Los Angeles Times: Afrezza Patients Worry They'll Lose Access to Their Insulin
As Valencia drugmaker MannKind scrambles to replace the strategic partner it was relying on to market
and distribute its Afrezza inhalable insulin treatment, diabetics who have come to rely on the drug are
wondering whether they’ll be able to continue using it — despite assurances that it will remain available.
(Rufus Koren, 1/8)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
STAT: The NIH, in Pursuit of Precision Medicine, Tries to Avoid the Ghosts of Its Past
The National Institutes of Health is preparing to recruit 1 million volunteers for one of its most significant
research projects in years, one meant to develop personalized medical treatments. As it does so, officials
are trying to dodge the ghosts of a similarly ambitious research initiative, one that ended with a whimper:
the National Children’s Study. (Kaplan, 1/11)
Kaiser Health News: Telenovelas, Spanish Website Seek to Inform Hispanics About
Kidney Donations
Infórmate, a new bilingual website, [is] dedicated to using culturally familiar methods to educate Latinos
about options for living kidney donation. The marketing strategy is intended to address a growing need
among Latinos. Kidney failure in this population has increased by more than 70 percent since 2000, and
more than 23,000 Latinos are on the kidney transplant list, according to federal statistics. But too often,
researchers and doctors said, families are not aware of the transplant regimen involving a live donor and
have unfounded fears about what could happen if they volunteer to offer a kidney to a relative or friend.
(Kritz, 1/11)
Reuters: Exercise Prescriptions Important for Type 2 Diabetes
Patients with type 2 diabetes should be given exercise “prescriptions” that specify the type, duration,
intensity and frequency of workouts, adapted to the individual, according to a new review. Although
exercise improves blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, most
people with diabetes do not engage in regular exercise, the authors write. (Doyle, 1/8)
Reuters: Same Battles Rage on 100 Years After First U.S. Birth Control Clinic
Outside the crumbling Brooklyn building where the first U.S. birth control clinic opened 100 years ago,
Alexander Sanger reflected on the move that landed his grandmother in jail and fueled a controversy over
women's reproductive rights that has raged ever since. "This is where it all started," said the grandson of
Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger in his first visit to the Brownsville, Brooklyn, site where she
started her clinic in 1916. (Goldberg, 1/8)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Forbes: This Supreme Court Case Threatens to Sink Price Transparency
You could be forgiven for not hearing about Liberty Mutual v. Gobeille, a case on the Supreme Court’s
docket this term. ... Gobeille has nothing to do with some of the more exciting issues of the day. But what
the court decides in Gobeille could spell the end of state efforts to inject long-overdue price transparency
in health care pricing, potentially affecting millions of Americans. The legal question in Gobeille is simple:
does the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) pre-empt state efforts on health care
transparency. (Yevgeniy Feyman, 1/11)
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
JANUARY 12, 2016
California Healthline: Many Faces of the MCO Tax
It's a rare tax that gets health insurers, state officials and consumer advocates to all sing Kuumbaya. But
that was the magic of the managed care organization tax. It taxed Medi-Cal managed care insurers,
matched that money with federal dollars, then paid back all of those insurers for services provided. The
tax generated $1.1 billion for the state, insurers were held harmless, it helped keep Medi-Cal programs
like the Coordinated Care Initiative afloat. Everyone loved it. Well, everyone except the feds. (Gorn, 1/12)
Los Angeles Times: Former California Health Regulator Agrees To A Fine For Helping
Kaiser
A former top regulator for the state who was involved in an audit of Kaiser Permanente before going to
work for the HMO has admitted she acted improperly and has agreed to pay a fine, according to
documents released Monday. Marcella Faye Gallagher was supervising attorney for the state’s
Department of Managed Health Care while it audited Kaiser to make sure the HMO’s mental health plan
complied with state law by providing timely access to services. (McGreevy, 1/11)
CAMPAIGN 2016
The Washington Post: Clinton Confronts Rival Sanders as Iowa Polls Tighten
Hillary Clinton has spent much of her 2016 presidential campaign looking past Democratic rival Bernie
Sanders, focusing instead on Republicans and the November general election. No longer. ... On Monday,
she widened her health care critique to include Sanders, saying he would “rip up” the law and put power
in the hands of states. Sanders said during a town hall meeting in Perry that large numbers of
underinsured and sky-high deductibles demand a better health care system, which he would seek
through his single-payer, Medicare-for-all system. Said Clinton: “I sure don’t want to turn over health care
to Republican governors, for heaven’s sake. I think it’s a risky deal.” (Lerer and Thomas, 1/11)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Kaiser Health News: Slipping Between Medicaid and Marketplace Coverage Can Leave
Consumers Confused
For people whose income changes shift them above or below the Medicaid threshold during the year,
navigating their health insurance coverage can be confusing. Ditto for lower income people who live in
states that may expand Medicaid this year. Under the health law, states can expand Medicaid coverage
to adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (about $16,000 for an individual).
Thirty states and the District of Columbia have done so. This week I answered three questions from
readers about how Medicaid interacts with plans on the health insurance marketplaces. (Andrews, 1/12)
Politico: Gaming Obamacare
Obamacare customers are gaming the system, buying coverage only after they find out they’re ill and
need expensive care — a trend insurers warn is destabilizing the fledgling health law marketplaces and
spiking premiums for everyone. Insurers blame the problem on lax rules that allow more than 900,000
people to sign up for coverage outside the standard enrollment season — for instance, when they change
jobs or move — without sufficient proof they are eligible. (Demko, 1/12)
WOMEN’S HEALTH
The Associated Press: Task Force: Mammograms an Option at 40, Do More Good at 50
Mammograms do the most good later in life, a government task force has declared in recommending that
women get one every other year starting at age 50. It said 40-somethings should make their own choice
after weighing the pros and cons. The latest guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force,
made public Monday, stick with its advice that women should have one every two years between ages 50
and 74. But they also make clear that it's an option for younger women even though they're less likely to
benefit. (1/12)
MARKETPLACE
Reuters: State Attorneys General Joining Probe of Health Insurer Mergers
About 15 state attorneys general have joined the Justice Department's probe of two big insurance
mergers, according to people familiar with the matter, increasing the scrutiny on proposed deals that
would reduce the number of nationwide health insurers to three from five. The formation of a large group
to scrutinize Aetna Inc's plan to buy Humana Inc and Anthem Inc's bid for Cigna Corp complicate what is
already expected to be a tough and lengthy review by federal antitrust enforcers. (Bartz, 1/11)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Reuters: Nestle Signs $120M Deal with Seres for 'Healthy Gut' Drugs
Nestle is investing in U.S.-based Seres Therapeutics for a third time in a year, this time injecting $120
million to develop and commercialize medicines aimed at restoring a healthy bacteriological balance in
the human digestive system. The deal announced on Monday for so-called "healthy gut" products will give
Nestle's Health Science division exclusive rights to sell Seres' experimental treatments for Clostridium
difficile infection (CDI) and inflammatory bowel disease outside the United States and Canada. Nestle's
payments to Seres from the products, which are in development, could reach up to $1.9 billion after
factoring in royalty and milestone installments over the next 15 years. (1/11)
NPR: Popular Acid Reflux Drugs are Linked to Kidney Disease Risk
People who take certain popular medicines for heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux may want to proceed
more cautiously, researchers reported Monday. The drugs, known as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs),
appear to significantly elevate the chances of developing chronic kidney disease, according to a study
involving more than 250,000 people. An estimated 15 million Americans use PPIs, which are sold by
prescription and over-the-counter under a variety of brand names, including Nexium, Prilosec and
Prevacid. (Stein, 1/11)
KPCC: Strokes are Up Among Young People but Few Know What to Look for
Significant numbers of younger people have strokes, but a new survey suggests that they don't seek help
quickly enough because they don't recognize what's happening. A national survey conducted by Ronald
Reagan UCLA Medical Center asked people under 45 what they would do if they experienced numbness,
difficulty seeing or speaking or a severe headache - all stroke symptoms. Nearly three out of four - 73
percent - said they would wait to see if the symptoms improved before going to a hospital. (Aguilera, 1/11)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
USA Today: Even a GOP President Might Not Kill Obamacare
Republicans in Congress finally achieved their long cherished goal of sending President Obama a bill to
repeal his signature health care law. It was a brief victory that lasted only until he vetoed it two days later.
But it could be the high-water mark of the repeal drive that has been a pillar of conservative campaigns
since 2010 — even if Republicans win the White House. The politics of the Affordable Care Act are
changing, as even the newly elected Tea Party governor of Kentucky has acknowledged. Polling on the
ACA, or Obamacare, reveals as much public division and ambivalence as ever toward the complicated
health law. But it is beginning to reach a critical mass of users and people who know them — and that is
the key to survival. (Jill Lawrence, 1/11)
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
JANUARY 13, 2016
KQED: Californians Overwhelmingly Support Soda Warning Labels, Poll Shows
Nearly four out of five registered voters — 78 percent — support a warning label on sugary beverages
according to a statewide Field Poll released Wednesday. More than half of those surveyed — 54 percent
— “strongly” favor a label. Overall support crossed party lines. (Aliferis, 1/13)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
The New York Times: In State of the Union Address, Obama Confronts Americans’ Fears
President Obama on Tuesday set forth an ambitious vision for America’s future but conceded his own
failure to heal the political divisions holding back progress, calling it a lasting disappointment of his tenure.
In a prime-time televised speech that avoided the usual litany of policy prescriptions, Mr. Obama used his
final State of the Union address to paint a hopeful portrait of the nation after seven years of his
leadership, with a resurgent economy and better standing in the world despite inequality at home and
terrorism abroad. …“It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency, that the rancor and suspicion between
the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” Mr. Obama said. (Davis and Shear, 1/12)
The Washington Post: Cancer ‘Moonshot’ Will Actually Be a Collection of Smaller
Initiatives
President Obama called Tuesday for a stepped-up war on cancer, but with hundreds, even thousands, of
types of cancer and an ever-increasing number of specialized therapies for them, experts say there is no
true “moonshot” approach to tackling the nation’s second-leading cause of death. “A single approach to
cancer...ain’t going to happen,” said Jose Baselga, president of the American Association for Cancer
Research and chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “Cancer,
we’ve learned, is far more complex than we’ve ever imagined. Every single tumor is different.” Yet top
cancer specialists agree on several big ideas that might push the boundaries of research and therapy for
the 1.7 million people diagnosed each year. (Bernstein, 1/12)
Reuters: Obama Nominee to Lead FDA Wins Backing from Senate Committee
President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Robert Califf, won
backing from a Senate committee on Tuesday as its members shrugged off criticism from consumer
watchdogs that he is too closely linked with the pharmaceutical industry to lead the agency impartially.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted to confirm Califf as FDA
Commissioner, a position that has been open since Dr. Margaret Hamburg stepped down last February.
The nomination must now be approved by the full Senate. He is widely expected to be confirmed. (Clarke,
1/12)
CAMPAIGN 2016
NBC News: Chelsea Clinton Takes Aim at Sanders over Health Policy
Stumping for her mother for the first time in 2016 on Tuesday, Chelsea Clinton directly criticized Bernie
Sanders on health care policy, echoing Hillary Clinton's recent attacks on the Vermont senator. Asked
about mounting enthusiasm for Sanders among young people, the daughter of the Democratic
presidential frontrunner urged younger voters to focus on the "specifics" of Sanders' policy proposals.
(Brewster and Dann, 1/12)
MEDICAID
Healthcare IT News: CMS Launches Medicaid IT Online Resource, Highlights State
Opportunities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched an online resource to support states' efforts
to update outdated IT systems, Andy Slavitt, CMS' acting administrator, announced on Monday. Through
the resource, private sector companies can identify opportunities to participate in Medicaid investments.
The site places all Medicaid procurement sites and open state Medicaid IT proposals in one place, which
makes it easy for IT vendors to find. (Davis, 1/12)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
U.S. News & World Report: Obamacare’s Success Hinges on States
Within 24 hours, Obamacare lost one convert and gained another. On Monday, newly sworn-in
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky said the commonwealth would be chucking its exchange. ... That
same day, in Louisiana, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards announced during his inaugural address that
Tuesday he would be accepting federal funding for expanding Medicaid. ... The developments illustrate
the important role states play in carrying out the major tenets of Obamacare. (Leonard, 1/12)
MARKETPLACE
Los Angeles Times: Bill that Aimed to Shed Light on Specialty Prescription Drug Pricing
is Shelved
In a battle between two Capitol lobbying heavyweights — health insurers and pharmaceutical companies
— the latter scored a major win Tuesday, beating back a measure designed to provide more
transparency on prescription drug pricing. Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) declined to put
his transparency measure up for a vote in a key committee Tuesday, effectively killing the bill. (Mason,
1/13)
The Associated Press: FDA Panel Favors Approval for Drug-Oozing Addiction Implant
Federal health advisers recommended approval Tuesday for an experimental implant designed to treat
patients recovering from heroin and painkiller addiction. Despite shortcomings in company studies, a
majority of Food and Drug Administration advisers said the implant offers important benefits not currently
available. The drug-oozing device is intended to be a safer, more reliable approach to controlling cravings
and withdrawal symptoms. (Perrone, 1/12)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Reuters: Aetna CEO Says He is not Giving Up on Public Insurance Exchanges
The chief executive of Aetna Inc. on Tuesday said the health insurer is not about to withdraw from the
public health exchange market, even after losing money on the business last year. "We believe it is
incredibly important, in the business we're in, that we insure all Americans," Chief Executive Mark
Bertolini said. "We believe we have an obligation to stick it out and work with it until we know that it won't
work. And I believe it is too early to give up on this process." (Kelly, 1/12)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Medium: Inspiring a New Generation to Defy the Bounds of Innovation: A Moonshot to
Cure Cancer
Tonight, the President tasked me with leading a new, national mission to get this done. It’s personal for
me. But it’s also personal for nearly every American, and millions of people around the world. We all know
someone who has had cancer, or is fighting to beat it. They’re our family, friends, and co-workers. (Vice
President Joe Biden, 1/12)
The Washington Post: Here’s The Real Deal on the Latest Big Clinton-Sanders Dust-Up
While Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders started their presidential campaigns with an unspoken mutual
non-aggression pact, it was inevitable that as the voting approached and the sense of urgency grew, they
would start criticizing each other more and more. But an attack Clinton has now launched on Sanders’
support of single-payer health care is both odd and important, so I’m going to try to sort it out — both the
substance and the politics. (Paul Waldman, 1/12)
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
JANUARY 14, 2016
California Healthline: Trying to Reach Last Few Children Eligible for Coverage but Not
Insured
Many of the remaining uninsured children in California have parents who are employed by small
businesses throughout the state. Most of those employed parents are unaware their children likely are
eligible for Medi-Cal coverage, according to advocates. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. (Gorn,
1/14)
California Healthline: Aging Plan Gets Downscaled, Approved
An effort to dramatically reform the way the state handles senior care cleared its first hurdle on
Wednesday with unanimous approval from the Senate Health Committee. It has been a long time coming
for SB 547. The two-year bill by Assembly member Carol Liu (D-La Cañada/Flintridge) failed to get by the
health committee last year for being "too far-reaching," Liu said at Wednesday's hearing. (Gorn, 1/14)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
The New York Times: Republicans Lead Congress with Two Distinct Agendas
While [Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Mitch McConnell] are set to stand together Thursday at a retreat for
congressional Republicans in Baltimore and cheerfully announce their unity against President Obama in
his final year in office, they are operating on starkly different political planets in this election year, with little
harmony in their legislative agenda. Mr. Ryan wants to finally offer a Republican alternative to Mr.
Obama’s signature health care law. Mr. McConnell does not. Mr. Ryan would like to see his chamber
explore authorizing military force against the Islamic State. Mr. McConnell would not. Mr. Ryan loves tax
reform. Mr. McConnell loves it too — when there is a Republican in the White House to sign it.
(Steinhauer, 1/13)
The New York Times: ‘Moonshot’ to Cure Cancer, to Be Led by Biden, Relies on
Outmoded View of Disease
Last Friday a group of 15 cancer researchers cut short a meeting at the Food and Drug Administration.
The reason: They had been invited to Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s office to discuss his “moonshot”
to cure cancer. ... [But] the idea that a concerted government push can lead to a “cure” for cancer is
nearly a half century old, stretching back to President Nixon’s failed “War on Cancer.” (Kolata and Harris,
1/13)
CAMPAIGN 2016
The Washington Post: Under Fire from Clinton on Health Care, Sanders Chides Those
Trying to ‘Demagogue’ the Issue
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, who’s been taking flak from his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton over
his call for universal health care, expressed frustration Wednesday night with those “who want to
demagogue the issue.” Sanders is advocating moving to a single-payer health-care system under which
all Americans would be enrolled in Medicare, and private insurance would become a thing of the past.
The Vermont senator introduced legislation with that aim in 2013 and has said he is working on an
updated version as a presidential candidate. (Wagner, 1/13)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Kaiser Health News: Obama Seeks to Offer New Incentive for States to Expand Medicaid
With full federal funding for expanding Medicaid set to expire at the end this year, President Barack
Obama is proposing to indefinitely extend the health law provision for any of the 19 states that have not
yet adopted the enhanced eligibility. But Obama would need the Republican-controlled Congress to
approve the offer. That appears unlikely considering Congress voted last week to repeal the Affordable
Care Act, though the GOP critics did not muster enough support to override the president’s veto. Obama
will seek congressional approval for extending the three years of full federal funding in his 2017 fiscal
year budget proposal, which is scheduled to be released Feb. 9. (Galewitz, 1/14)
California Healthline: 'Cadillac' Tax Delay: A Chance to Refine or First Step to Kill It
Altogether?
Opponents of the Affordable Care Act's so-called "Cadillac" tax won a major victory last month when
President Obama delayed its implementation for two years via a spending package. Under the Cadillac
tax, companies pay a 40% levy on the value of generous employee health plans above a certain limit.
The first year of the tax calls for a $10,200 annual cap for an individual plan and a $27,500 cap family
coverage. (Ackerman, 1/14)
Kaiser Health News: Fueled by Health Law, ‘Concierge Medicine’ Reaches New Markets
A growing number of primary care doctors, spurred by the federal health law and frustrations with
insurance requirements, are bringing a service that generally has been considered “health care for
billionaires” to middle-income, Medicaid and Medicare populations. It’s called direct primary care,
modeled after “concierge” practices that have gained prominence in the past two decades. Those feature
doctors generally bypassing insurance companies to provide personalized health care while charging a
flat fee on a monthly or yearly basis. (Luthra, 1/14)
The Sacramento Bee: No Health Insurance? Californians Face Tax Bite of Up to $10,000
Per Family
Sign up for health care coverage of pay the price. That's the message from Covered California officials,
who urged consumers Wednesday to sign up for Obamacare coverage by the Jan. 31 deadline or face
stiff tax penalties. This year, the penalties are hitting harder, ranging from a minimum of $700 for an
individual to as much as $10,000 for a family of four, depending on income. The average penalty in 2016
will be $969. That’s a 47 percent increase from last year, according to a recent analysis by the nonprofit
Kaiser Family Foundation. (Buck, 1/13)
MARKETPLACE
Reuters: Controversial 'Pay-for-Delay' Deals Drop after FTC's Win in Top Court
Branded drug companies hammered out far fewer deals with generic drug makers to delay sales of
cheaper medicines in the year after the Supreme Court ruled the Federal Trade Commission could legally
pursue such agreements as potentially illegal. The FTC, which has fought the practice for years, said that
pharmaceutical companies reached 21 of the "pay-for-delay" deals in fiscal 2014, compared with 29 in
2013 and a record 40 in 2012. (Bartz, 1/13)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
NPR: Average Age of First-Time Moms Keeps Climbing in the U.S.
Many women in the U.S. are waiting longer than ever to have their first child. Fifteen years ago, the mean
age of a woman when she first gave birth was 24.9-years-old. In 2014, that age had risen to 26.3. "It
doesn't sound like a big change," says T.J. Mathews, a demographer at the National Center for Health
Statistics and an author of the report published online Thursday. But, he says, the small shift underscores
some important trends. (Bichell, 1/14)
Kaiser Health News: Research Gives Context to Addressing Nation's Drug Abuse Crisis,
Review Finds
Prescription painkiller abuse is drawing national attention as states battle increasing abuse cases,
presidential candidates offer possible solutions and even President Barack Obama includes the issue in
his State of the Union address Tuesday night. A new review article published Wednesday in the New
England Journal of Medicine provides insights for policymakers on how to curb this deadly trend. (Luthra,
1/13)
The Orlando Sentinel: Western Diets Damage Gut Microbiota Over Generations, in Ways
Hard to Reverse
It may take more than a tub of yogurt to reverse the effects that a high-fat, low-fiber diet have wrought in
the bellies of men and women in the industrialized world, says new research. Indeed, the depletion of gut
microbes that comes with diets deficient in fiber extend well beyond the lives of those whose dietary
choices made it happen, a new study finds. Over generations of exposure to diets low in fiber, the
research shows that a microbiotic population die-off threatens to drive some of the trillions of
microorganisms that live in healthy human guts to the brink of extinction. (Healy, 1/13)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Bloomberg: How to Fix Drug Courts
Again and again on the campaign trail, the presidential candidates have been faced by America's rising
concern about addiction, particularly to opioid painkillers and heroin. And from Hillary Clinton to Chris
Christie, the politicians have responded by pledging their support for drug courts. This bipartisan reaction
is correct, in principle: Drug courts, which now exist in every state, can motivate people to overcome their
substance-abuse problems more effectively than punishment can. But to make the courts work in
practice, states need to see that they’re adequately funded and properly run. (1/13)
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
JANUARY 15, 2016
San Francisco Business Times: Divorce Proceedings: Nurses' Union Goes to Court to
End 'Hopelessly Dysfunctional Relationship'
The California Nurses Association, one of the most powerful unions in the state, has gone to court to
request arbitration of its disputes with the affiliated National Union of Healthcare Workers, in the hope of
ending "a hopelessly dysfunctional relationship." The Emeryville-based NUHW, led by health care
industry gadfly Sal Rosselli, officially joined forces with the Oakland-based CNA in early 2013, in large
part to gain access to subsidies from the bigger, more successful health care union. (Rauber, 1/14)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
USA Today: Paul Ryan's Short List of What Could Get Done This Year
House Speaker Paul Ryan has a list -- a short list, to be sure -- of legislation that he thinks has a good
chance of passing the Republican-controlled Congress and being signed by the Democratic president,
even during this election year. It's clear that the biggest proposals won't get enacted, from the GOP's goal
of repealing the Affordable Care Act to President Obama's support of a comprehensive immigration bill.
(Page, 1/14)
CAMPAIGN 2016
Los Angeles Times: Tightening Democratic Race Revives Party's Old Debate Over
Healthcare
The divergent views epitomize the differences between the candidates – Hillary Clinton as a battlehardened realist, with Bernie Sanders the uncompromising crusader – and the healthcare debate has
become one of the most rancorous parts of an increasingly competitive primary. Polls show Sanders
closing the gap with Clinton in Iowa and leading her in New Hampshire, the states that hold the country’s
first two nominating contests. (Megerian and Levey, 1/15)
USA Today: Republican Hopefuls Brawl in Feisty Debate
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz exchanged their harshest attacks yet Thursday in the first Republican
presidential debate of 2016, one that revealed three groups of candidates — those looking to win the
early contests, finish strong or simply survive. ... Two other candidates faring well in the polls also mixed it
up during the feisty debate — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. Rubio
said Christie supported President Obama’s agenda on education and guns and even “wrote a check to
Planned Parenthood” — charges Christie rejected. “This is the difference between being a governor and
being a senator,” Christie said. (Wolf and Jackson, 1/15)
HEALTH LAW ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
Kaiser Health News: Study: Some Marketplace Customers Spend 25 Percent of Income
on Health Expenses
Even with subsidies to make coverage more affordable, many people who buy health insurance on the
marketplaces spend more than 10 percent of their income on premiums, deductibles and other out-ofpocket payments, a recent study found. Among those hit hardest, the researchers said, are people who
spend nearly a quarter of their income on health care expenses. (Andrews, 1/15)
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Reuters: Planned Parenthood Files U.S. Lawsuit Against Group Behind Secret Videos
The 65-page complaint alleged that the Center for Medical Progress is a "complex criminal enterprise"
that violated racketeering laws, set up a fake company and secured false identification to access private
abortion conferences and meetings in California, Maryland and Florida. The complaint also accused the
group of violation of privacy, fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract, and trespassing in
connection with the video-recording campaign. The Center for Medical Progress called the lawsuit
"frivolous" in a statement. (Skinner, 1/14)
MARKETPLACE
NPR: New Medications Are on the Horizon for Treating Opioid Addiction
A new method of delivering medication for opioid addicts gained approval from a Food and Drug
Administration advisory panel this week. It's a matchstick-like insert designed to slip under the skin and
release a drug over a period of months. Some physicians say the implant will be a useful addition to the
currently short lineup of medication-assisted treatment options. The rod is called Probuphine, developed
by the companies Braeburn Pharmaceuticals and Titan Pharmaceuticals. It contains a medication
called buprenorphine which the FDA approved for opioid addiction in 2002 and is currently widely in use.
The FDA typically follows the advice of its advisory panels on approvals. (Chen, 1/15)
STAT: FDA Faulted for Failure to Track Safety Issues with Drugs Already on Market
Most Americans assume that drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration are safe to take as
directed. But safety concerns often arise only after the drugs go on the market, when companies or
doctors tell the FDA about cases of patients who have fallen ill or died from their medications. On
Thursday, however, a federal watchdog agency said the FDA is failing to sufficiently track and publicly
disclose instances in such cases. (Kaplan, 1/14)
Los Angeles Times: Infections Tied to Medical Scopes Higher than Previously Thought
The toll of potentially deadly infections tied to contaminated medical scopes is far higher than federal
investigators previously estimated, according to a U.S. Senate committee report being released early
Wednesday. In less than three years, between 2012 and spring 2015, at least 25 incidents of antibioticresistant infections linked to specialized duodenoscopes sickened at least 250 people worldwide, most at
U.S. hospitals. That's nearly double the 142 infections identified since 2010 by the federal Food and Drug
Administration. (Aleccia, 1/12)
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Kaiser Health News: Hispanic Children's Uninsured Rate Hits Record Low, Study Finds
The rate of Hispanic children without health insurance fell to a historic low in 2014, the first year that key
parts of Obamacare took effect, but they still represent a disproportionate share of the nation’s uninsured
youth, according to a new study. About 300,000 Hispanic children gained insurance in 2014 from 2013,
dropping the number of uninsured to 1.7 million, researchers said. Their uninsured rate fell to 9.7 percent,
almost 2 percentage points below the year before. The rate for all U.S. children fell to 6.0 percent from
7.1 percent. (Gillespie, 1/15)
NPR: For Teenagers, Adult-Sized Opioid Addiction Treatment Doesn't Fit
Deaths from heroin overdose in all age groups doubled from 2010 to 2012, according to a 2014 study
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response, communities are seeking new
strategies to treat addiction and speed access to care. That includes trying to meet the unique needs of
youth after years of addiction treatments geared to adults. Serenity Mesa is one of those youth-centered
efforts. (Benson, 1/15)
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
Bloomberg: Add a Little Sugar to Nutrition Labels
Americans have a sweet tooth, and the obesity and diabetes rates to prove it. The best way to help
people eat less sugar is to let them know how much of it is in their foods. Yet a sensible plan to inform
consumers about the amount of sugar added to packaged products is under fire from the food industry
and politicians. The Food and Drug Administration should stand strong and stick with the plan when it
issues its final rules later this year. (1/14)
The Washington Post: Hillary Clinton’s Latest Attack on Bernie Sanders Shows She’s a
Rotten Candidate
At some point, you cannot blame the national mood or a poor staff or a brilliant opponent for Hillary
Clinton’s campaign woes. ... Her attack over health care makes no sense whatsoever. Clinton is dinging
Sanders for a universal health-care plan that she says would require a big tax hike. Huh? This is Sanders,
the darling of the left, who has always wanted true, single-payer health care. The idea that Sanders —
“the democratic socialist” — would be coming up with a dastardly plan to undermine or take away
universal health care, from the left’s perspective, is inconceivable. (Jennifer Rubin, 1/14)
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