Nitrous oxide goes mainstream: Southern California sees surge in quick-and-cheap drug

Associated Press

Authorities say the use of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug has grown from a rave party phenomenon to mainstream use, propelled by the ease of social media to reach young people. They say the drug has spurred fatal car accidents, rapes and teen deaths — all in the name of a temporary high that lasts just a few minutes and costs just a few dollars.

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Marijuana Vending Machines May Be Coming To California

Huffington Post

Vending machines have long dispensed chips and candy bars to Californians. But what if it could also sell the marijuana one consumed before eating said chips and candy bars? Medical cannabis vending machines are gradually becoming a reality in the Golden State. A number of companies have begun offering their products for sale or lease to pot shops in California, and San Diego's city council will look at approving their wider use later this month. The city of Los Angleles already has at least three dispensaries using the technology.

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Health Insurers Warn on Premiums

Wall Street Journal

Health insurers are privately warning brokers that premiums for many individuals and small businesses could increase sharply next year because of the health-care overhaul law, with the nation's biggest firm projecting that rates could more than double for some consumers buying their own plans. The projections, made in sessions with brokers and agents, provide some of the most concrete evidence yet of how much insurance companies might increase prices when major provisions of the law kick in next year—a subject of rigorous debate.

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States Urged to Expand Medicaid With Private Insurance

New York Times

The White House is encouraging skeptical state officials to expand Medicaid by subsidizing the purchase of private insurance for low-income people, even though that approach might be somewhat more expensive, federal and state officials say. Ohio and Arkansas are negotiating with the Obama administration over plans to use federal Medicaid money to pay premiums for commercial insurance that will be sold to the public in regulated markets known as insurance exchanges.

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Health Reform's Success Depends on Language Access

Huffington Post

This isn't groundbreaking news, but shopping for health insurance is difficult. In addition to cost issues, there are a number of obstacles that keep more than 45 million people in this country from getting covered. Finding and comparing insurance companies, individual plans and the different ways in which they are structured is confusing. That's even before you get to the paperwork and the litany of questions a person has to answer just to apply! And unfortunately, selecting a plan is not much easier. Comparing co-pays, deductibles and premiums is a rigorous mental exercise that will give anyone a headache. It can be a logistical nightmare.

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Loopholes Allowed Health Care Worker To Transmit Hepatitis C To Patients

CBS Baltimore

He’s accused of exposing nearly 2,000 patients to hepatitis, including several in Maryland. Now a new report details how a healthcare worker lied to keep working at hospitals in eight different states. Meghan McCorkell has more on the loopholes officials are trying to close. David Kwiatkowski was fired three times and suspended once for suspicion of stealing drugs, yet was still able to continue working at hospitals across the country.

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Kaiser Mental Health Care Report: California Regulators Slam Hospital Giant For 'Serious' Deficiencies

Huffington Post

A report released earlier this week by the California Department of Managed Health Care slammed Kaiser Permanente, one of the state's largest health care providers, for numerous problems in the way it handles mental health coverage for more than 6.8 million plan members. "These deficiencies are serious," Shelly Rouillard, the department's chief deputy director, told The Huffington Post. "We want to ensure that consumers are getting the care they need when they need it, and, in some cases, we found that wasn't happening."

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Titan Shares Rise After FDA Panel Backs Opioid Implant

Bloomberg Businessweek

Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TTNP) rose the most in almost four years after U.S. regulatory advisers recommended approval for the company’s experimental implant to treat addiction to heroin and prescription painkillers. Titan increased (TTNP) 38 percent to $1.70 at 9:56 a.m. New York time. The stock reached $1.90, for its biggest intraday gain since May 7, 2009. The Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to decide by April 30 whether to approve the treatment.

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Five more lawsuits filed against Narconon Arrowhead

Tulsa World

Five lawsuits filed Thursday allege that an Oklahoma drug rehabilitation facility engaged in false representation, fraud and deceit in its dealing with patients. Narconon Arrowhead's program "has the appearance of being nothing more than a pyramid scheme and sham" that operates to extort money while acting as a recruiting tool for the Church of Scientology, according to one of the lawsuits filed Thursday in Pittsburg County District Court.

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14-Year-Old Girl Dies After Inhaling Computer Duster

NBC Southern California

A 14-year-old honor student from Northridge died this week after inhaling computer keyboard cleaner, a growing trend among students as young as eighth grade. "I'm positive my daughter didn't realize it had the potential to kill her," Carolyn Doherty said. A straight-A student at Nobel Middle School, Aria Doherty died Monday. She’d been home alone for a couple hours when she inhaled the duster. Her parents believe it was her first time huffing – also known as bagging or dusting.

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SPECIAL REPORT: Two states with an ocean view, and an ethical cloud

Addiction Professional (Three-part Series)

In Florida and California, two states where new addiction treatment programs crop up on a regular basis in an intensely competitive environment, it is the best of times and the worst of times for patients—depending on whether you have money. Patients frequently are recruited to treatment centers in these states from out of state, or even out of the country. And it’s not only because of the climate and the opportunity to enjoy beautiful ocean views while paying for treatment in a “luxury rehab.”

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Senate OKs legislation to keep government open; House votes next

Los Angeles Times

All but ensuring there will be no federal shutdown, the Senate on Wednesday approved a measure to keep the government running — but not before tweaking the automatic budget cuts that threaten some of the lawmakers’ favorite programs. Meat plant inspectors and tuition assistance for military service members were among the programs spared from reductions. The bill, which passed on a 73-26 vote, returns to the House for final approval as soon as Thursday. The legislation is needed to avert a shutdown when a stopgap funding measure expires March 27, a prospect both parties want to avoid. It would keep the government running for the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

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Jerry Brown says panel shouldn't cut elected officials' pay

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Jerry Brown said this evening that the commission that sets pay packages for lawmakers and constitutional officers, including the governor, should not further reduce any officials' pay. Brown, appearing at a California Hall of Fame event in Sacramento, declined to say if he thought any pay raises are warranted.

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The State Worker: Deena Mount and the case of the $5 debt

Sacramento Bee

The certified letter from the state demanded that Deena Mount pay a 6-year-old debt. Amount owed: five bucks. Cost for the certified postage: $6.51. And if she doesn't pay up, her former employer, the California Emergency Management Agency, is prepared to deploy the dreaded "Franchise Tax Board offset process." That's bureaucratese for, "Pay up or we'll yank the cash out of your next state tax refund." Mount is bewildered. "It's not like I was trying to be deceitful," she said this week during an interview near the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs offices where she now works. "All they had to do is call me."

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EDITORIAL: Reject rash of new tax and fee hikes

Press Enterprise

No list of pressing public priorities includes making the state’s tax system more bloated and incoherent. But legislators have proposed a series of taxes and fees that would hit narrowly targeted groups, then funnel the money to unrelated programs. That approach is misguided policy that the Legislature should reject.

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The Face of Future Health Care

New York Times

When people talk about the future of health care, Kaiser Permanente is often the model they have in mind. The organization, which combines a nonprofit insurance plan with its own hospitals and clinics, is the kind of holistic health system that President Obama’s health care law encourages. Kaiser has sophisticated electronic records and computer systems that — after 10 years and $30 billion in technology spending — have led to better-coordinated patient care, another goal of the president. And because the plan is paid a fixed amount for medical care per member, there is a strong financial incentive to keep people healthy and out of the hospital, the same goal of the hundreds of accountable care organizations now being created.

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Report: Kaiser wrongly denied mental health care

Fresno Bee

State investigators say Kaiser Foundation Health Plans improperly denied some patients timely access to mental health care, which may have worsened their conditions. More than 6.8 million Californians get their health care through the nonprofit, which is regulated by the state Department of Managed Health Care. The Sacramento Bee reports the department found numerous problems with Kaiser's mental health care in a survey released this week.

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Matsui seeks mental health funding

Tribune

Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress this week would bolster funding for mental health centers, partly with the goal of curbing gun violence.The measure, referred to as the Excellence in Mental Health Act, would allow stand-alone mental health facilities to tap into Medicaid funds, called Medi-Cal in California.Experts say that one in four people develop a mental health problem at some point in their lives. With appropriate care and, in some cases medication, behavioral conditions can be managed much like other ailments.

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Prescription drug deaths: Bill would tighten rules on hydrocodone

Los Angeles Times

Taking aim at “America’s most abused narcotic,” congressional lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would place tighter restrictions on the painkiller hydrocodone, which is a key contributor to the nation’s prescription drug death epidemic. Sold under the brand names Vicodin, Norco and Lortab, hydrocodone-based medications “are some of the most potent and addictive narcotics on the market,” U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) said in a statement.

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California lawmaker revives bill to regulate medical marijuana

Los Angeles Times

A state lawmaker has revived legislation to regulate medical marijuana in California, saying the measure is necessary to clarify hazy legal areas that continue to plague the state's pot program 16 years after voters approved it. The proposal, AB 473 by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), would create a division within the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to monitor supply and sales of medical marijuana.

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Californians drinking less beer, more wine, spirits

Sacramento Bee

California adults now drink, on average, less than a gallon of beer each year. They're making up for it by drinking more wine and distilled spirits. California beer consumption per adult fell 12 percent from 1998 to 2010, according to the latest federal statistics. Over that same period California wine consumption per adult grew by 22 percent, while distilled spirits consumption grew by 16 percent.

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Former Santa Cruz heroin user addresses recent drug crime

Contra Costa Times

Frankie Marie, a 57-year-old former heroin user, tried to describe the pain and resignation that led her to be homeless in Santa Cruz 20 years ago. At a meeting of more than 30 members of Santa Cruz Neighbors at the Santa Cruz police station on Tuesday, Marie tried to relate her experiences to explain why drug use and illegal camping has become so prevalent. She also offered some ideas of what could be done to stop it, and participants including Santa Cruz Vice Mayor Lynn Robinson listened and asked questions.

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Keep Santa Cruz Weird? Residents say they're over it

KSBW Monterey

Outrage and concern over a controversial drug needle exchange program shifted from Santa Cruz City Hall to the County Board of Supervisors chamber this week. During a public comment session Tuesday morning, dozens of residents took issue with allowing volunteers to park a van on county property on Emeline Street. Addicts, many who are homeless, can go to the van three days a week for free needles and the county is in charge with overseeing the needle operation.

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Richer health benefits cost 47% more, industry report warns

Los Angeles Times

Premiums for comprehensive health insurance are 47% higher than other policies without all of those benefits, a new industry study shows, but those higher rates also yield lower deductibles. The report issued Tuesday by eHealth Inc., the company behind online shopping website eHealthInsurance. adds to a steady drumbeat of predictions about "rate shock" when the federal healthcare law kicks in next year.

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California Endowment puts $90 million into boosting health care workforce

Sacramento Business Journal

The California Endowment announced a $90 million investment Tuesday in a multiyear plan to boost the state’s health care workforce so it can accommodate millions of Californians with new coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The investment is part of the Health Happens Here campaign and a 10-year plan to build healthy communities by increasing employment, education, housing, neighborhood safety, healthy environmental conditions and access to healthy food.

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Immigrant Populations Could Pose Challenges for Medicaid Expansion

California Healthline

States that are home to high numbers of undocumented and recent immigrants could face greater challenges than other states in expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, according to a recent analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Modern Healthcare reports. Background: During the health reform debate in 2010, Democrats pledged to block undocumented immigrants from obtaining health benefits under the ACA. President Obama renewed that pledge when he released his immigration reform plan in January.

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House Approves Rule to Limit Debate on Various Budget Proposals

California Healthline

The House on Tuesday voted 224-189 along party lines to approve a rule governing debate on House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) fiscal year 2014 budget proposal, The Hill's "Floor Action Blog" reports. The rule allows four hours of debate on Ryan's budget and sets up 30 minutes of debate on several alternative budget proposals that are put to a vote. Ryan's budget proposal would balance the federal budget over the next decade by repealing the Affordable Care Act, transitioning Medicare to a premium-support program and turning Medicaid into a block-grant system. The budget proposal calls for $4.6 trillion in savings, with about $2.7 trillion coming from federal health care programs.

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Dan Walters: California Legislature 'solving' problems it created

Tribune

The 2013 session of the California Legislature is nearly four months old, having begun in early December, and lawmakers have done little to earn their salaries and living expense checks. They've been occupying their – really, our – time with mostly pointless "hearings" on their pet causes and, in the Senate, with a series of lectures from the podium on various topics. Production of legislation has been scant to the point of near invisibility. But the legislative leadership is fast-tracking a couple of bills, and therein lies a tale.

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On the 10th Anniversary of the War in Iraq, a View on the Health of U.S. Soldiers

Healthline

As a decade of combat in Iraq draws to a close and thousands of troops return home from the battlefields of Afghanistan, we must consider the toll that more than a decade of combat has taken on the minds and bodies of the soldiers serving the U.S. A 2009 report by the military-funded RAND Corporation reveals that 14 percent—or 340,000—of post-9/11 combat veterans exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Moreover, 267,000 cases of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, have been diagnosed in young veterans since 2000, according to the Department of Defense, though the majority of these injuries occurred in non-deployment settings.

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Feds battle Walgreens in painkiller distribution case

Tribune

A federal crackdown on the Florida pain pill market will pit Walgreens against the Drug Enforcement Administration in a high-level and multi-front legal battle that comes to a capital courtroom this week. Represented in part by the former U.S. solicitor general, the nation’s largest retail pharmacy company is challenging the DEA’s effort to stop a major South Florida distribution center from shipping controlled substances like oxycodone, a powerful painkiller. Both sides are sounding alarms, as they prepare to face off Thursday before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

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Freshman brains change with images of alcohol

Futurity

Connections among brain regions involved in emotion processing and cognitive control may change with increased exposure to alcohol and alcohol-related cues during the first year of college. Anecdotal evidence abounds attesting to the many negative social and physical effects of the dramatic increase in alcohol use that often comes with many students’ first year of college. The behavioral changes that accompany those effects indicate underlying changes in the brain.

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Suit filed by parents of student in hazing death

Associated Press

The parents of a California State University, Fresno freshman who died in 2012 of alcohol poising while pledging for a fraternity have filed a wrongful death suit against the fraternity and several of its members. Paul and Diane Dhanens, parents of 18-year-old Philip Dhanens of Bakersfield, filed the suit against the Indiana-based Theta Chi Fraternity Inc., the local Beta Upsilon chapter, and six members of the fraternity. The suit was announced Friday by San Francisco-based law firm Kerr & Wagstaffe.

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Sacto 911: Buying-alcohol-for-minors sting nets 506 arrests in California

Fresno Bee

Agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, in cooperation with more than 100 law enforcement agencies, conducted a record-setting statewide decoy "shoulder-tap" operation. The task force operation was conducted Friday and resulted in 506 arrests statewide, surpassing last year's record of 435 arrests, according to a department news release. More than 400 individuals were cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors, and at least 50 were arrested for other crimes such as illegal drugs, illegal gun possession, public drunkenness, parole violations and outstanding warrants, officials said.

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Hospital faces shortfall as health reform nears

Press-Enterprise

If Riverside County’s public hospital were a patient, it might qualify for intensive care. Right now, Riverside County Regional Medical Center is expected to end the fiscal year with a budget shortfall of around $10 million. The hospital’s shaky footing worries county officials already anxious about how national health care reform will be implemented in California.

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Editorial: State needs to set sensible leave policies

Sacramento Bee

The average state worker today has accumulated more than 53 days of unused vacation time – time that can be cashed out when they leave public service. That's almost 2.5 times as much as in the 1990s. The skyrocketing levels of unused leave have saddled California government with $3.9 billion in liability, a burden that continues to grow at an alarming clip. A recent report by the Legislative Analyst's Office blames the problem on mandatory furloughs instituted over the last five years to save money during difficult budget times.

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A Pattern of Problems at a Hospital for Veterans

New York Times

In an unusually strong letter sent to the White House on Monday, the office that handles complaints from federal whistle-blowers says it has found a pattern of problems at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Jackson, Miss., that raises serious questions about the hospital’s management practices. The problems over the last six years include poor sterilization procedures, chronic understaffing of the primary care unit and missed diagnoses by the radiology department.

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Drug Diversion and Abuse: VA Agrees to PMP Database Dump

Pharmacy Times

The prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) throughout the country are probably the single most innovative help in years to law enforcement trying to deal with pharmaceutical diversion issues. Although some of the states’ systems are not as friendly to law enforcement access, those that are provide a wealth of easily accessible information for potential prosecutions.

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Asher Parents Concerned Over Anti-Drug Presentation At School By Narconon

NewsOn6.com

Several parents say they are concerned over an anti-drug presentation at their school. The organization making the presentation and handing out literature is the controversial Narconon Arrowhead, which News 9 has been investigating here for several months. Last week, Narconon made the anti-drug presentation in Asher. But parents across Oklahoma have contacted News 9 upset about this very thing. The Asher parents say they have no issues with the school or its administration, but are concerned about Narconon's ties with the Church of Scientology.

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Correction: Doctors-Prescription Deaths story

Associated Press

In a story March 11 about a legislative hearing into prescription drug overdoses, The Associated Press misidentified Democrat Ed Hernandez of West Covina. He is a state senator, not an assemblyman. A corrected version of the story is below: Board lacks authority to track prescription drugs. State medical board lacks authority to track prescription drug overdoses linked to doctors

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Officials Crack Down on Heroin Addiction Among Young Users

NBC Southern California

A heroin addict for years, Taylor Beatty is 22 years old, has been sober for a month, and says she faces a daily struggle against the drug that is addicting an increasing number of young people. "I started using at 12 and this has been the biggest struggle I’ve had to go through in my life," she said. Taylor has been homeless for several years trying to regain her family’s trust. She recently overdoses and said she didn’t think she was going to make it. Luckily, she did. Now, she’s in her 17th treatment center. Drug Enforcement Agency officials say they are seeing deadly drug affect more teenagers and adults throughout Southern California.

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City Urged to Defy State Housing Rules

San Diego Union-Tribune

After hearing from passionate residents, the City Council last week postponed action on an update to the city’s housing code that would bring the city’s rules in compliance with state law. “This is the kind of ordinance that can change the environment of this community,” said George Rombach, a Temecula resident who spoke during the public hearing on the matter. Rombach was joined at the podium by six other residents who urged the council to defy the state and find out what would happen if Temecula stood up for “local control” of its housing laws.

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$4 million worth of marijuana found on California beach

San Jose Mercury News

Authorities have found about $4 million worth of marijuana next to a panga boat at a beach in Santa Barbara County. The Los Angeles Times reports the discovery was made Sunday at Arroyo Camada Beach. There was an estimated 2,000 pounds of pot wrapped in plastic bags on the beach. The boat was apparently abandoned and had at least 20 fuel containers on board. Panga boats are often used for smuggling people or drugs into the United States from Mexico.

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RIVERSIDE: RCC student set to graduate despite life’s obstacles

Press-Enterprise

For Paul Jones, graduating from Riverside City College in May with conditional acceptance to Cal State San Bernardino is a light at the end of a long, winding tunnel. Jones, now 51, had a troubled start in Akron, Ohio. Born into a dysfunctional household, he said he suffered abuse and neglect, the toll of which drove him to first experiment with alcohol at the age of 11. After struggling to graduate from high school, Jones enlisted in the Navy at age 17, just to leave Ohio behind. He relocated to California. His two years in the service, however, did not help his budding alcoholism. “Drinking and going to other countries is a rite of passage, so it was an excuse to drink,” Jones said. “It wasn’t frowned upon — it was encouraged.”

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OxyContin case overwhelms court

Spokesman Review

A courtroom packed with attorneys and 21 of the 62 defendants tied to a massive Spokane-Los Angeles OxyContin distribution ring appeared in court Thursday as a federal judge tried to set guidelines for how the complex case will move forward. Defense attorneys said they still have no information from the government supporting charges against their clients, who were rounded up in dozens of raids on Feb. 28. As of last week, some 20 of the 62 defendants remained at large.

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Call for screening of healthcare enrollers meets resistance

Los Angeles Times

State officials say they need 20,000 people for the job of signing up millions of Californians for health insurance in the coming months, but a battle is brewing over whether these workers should undergo background checks and fingerprinting. At issue is the level of screening these "assisters" should receive before they handle confidential information about the people they are enrolling this year in the state's new health insurance exchange, called Covered California.

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California Receives 'D' Grade for Health Care Price Transparency

California Healthline

California has earned a "D" grade for its transparency on pricing for hospital and clinic services, according to a national report card from the Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute, Modern Healthcare reports. How States Were Graded. For the report, state laws were graded on: how easily the laws allow patients to access health care pricing information; whether laws required disclosure of prices or discounts paid by health insurers; and how many health care providers and procedures were included in the pricing data.

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Calif. Lawmakers Eye New Fees, Taxes To Boost Health Care Programs

California Healthline

California lawmakers this legislative session have introduced more than two dozen bills -- including some health care-related bills -- that aim to increase fees or taxes, the Sacramento Bee reports. The bills, most of which were introduced by Democrats, propose taxes or fees to bolster existing state services or to try to alter what lawmakers consider to be harmful habits.

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Heroic Iraq vet, Capt. Peter Linnerooth, who spent years counseling soldiers during the bloodiest stretches of the Iraq war loses struggle with PTSD, commits suicide

Associated Press

During his time as an Army psychologist, Linnerooth met with soldiers 60 to 70 hours a week to help them cope with the carnage of the battlefield. When he returned home to Minnesota in 2007, he battled PTSD, depression and anger, and ultimately turned a gun on himself earlier this year.

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VA Gives Tranquilizers to 30 Percent of PTSD Patients, Despite Warnings

Nextgov

The Veterans Affairs Department treats more than 30 percent of veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder with tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium, despite clinical practice guidelines issued in 2010 warning against their use, VA’s National Center for PTSD reported. The 2010 PTSD clinical practice guidelines, which also apply to the Defense Department, cautioned providers against using benzodiazepines to manage PTSD due to “the lack of efficacy data and growing evidence for the potential risk of harm,” the PTSD center said in the March edition of its research quarterly publication.

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Spring Break's Biggest Danger? Binge Drinking

ABC News

It's an annual rite of spring. Millions of teens and college-age kids migrate to beaches all over the world for spring break, posting videos on YouTube that show wild parties fueled by booze, bikinis and sex. During spring break, teens are drawn to crowds and succumb to peer pressure. Things can get downright deadly. Just last week, police said, a 20-year-old college student from Michigan died in an alcohol-related incident while on spring break in Panama City, Fla.

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