Coalition working on ballot measure to limit prescription drug abuse

Los Angeles Times

Fearing lawmakers may fail to pass a package of medical reform bills, a coalition of consumer groups and trial lawyers is mounting a campaign to put before voters an even more ambitious slate of initiatives aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse and holding doctors more accountable for misconduct.

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Treatment Facility has no License

TMZ.com

The treatment facility Lindsay Lohan is currently at has NO LICENSE to provide rehab treatment because its license was REVOKED ... TMZ has learned. TMZ broke the story ... Lindsay has entered Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach ... even though prosecutors never signed off on the facility. The judge is giving prosecutors a week to investigate the facility, and here's the first thing they'll find.

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Medicaid has mixed record on improving health for poor, study says

Los Angeles Times

As state leaders debate whether to expand their Medicaid programs next year under President Obama’s healthcare law, new research suggests the government insurance plan for the poor has only a mixed record of improving health. Medicaid beneficiaries are less likely than the uninsured to have catastrophic medical expenses and significantly less likely to suffer from depression, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found.

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Obamacare: How to switch plans, get kids coverage

San Jose Mercury News

How does the Affordable Care Act affect children in low-income families and people who want to buy coverage on the new state insurance exchanges? Below find some answers to questions that were posed by readers. Q: I am the breadwinner for a family of five, including my wife and three kids. The insurance for me is cheap, but for the entire family it's prohibitively expensive. I'd like to know if the health-reform law is doing anything for the kids of families — like mine — that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

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Reform May Improve Access to Pediatric Specialties

California Healthline

Children with special health care needs in Los Angeles County should not be treated as "small adults," according to pediatric specialists who see health care reform as a golden opportunity to design tailored systems of care for children with complex, chronic and rare health conditions.

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Measure To Reverse Medi-Cal Pay Cut Advances

KPBS

Momentum is building in the state legislature to reverse a looming 10 percent cut in the rate Medi-Cal pays doctors and hospitals. The pay cut is scheduled to take effect on June 1st. Lawmakers originally approved the cut two years ago when the state was in financial trouble.

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Huntington Beach detox facility in question over man's death

ABC 7

One year ago, Jason Redmer passed away and not a day goes by that his mother, Lynne, doesn't ask the question, "Why?" "He had a deep heart and he just loved life," the Orange County resident recalls. But behind his big smile was a decade long struggle with alcohol. "Whiskey is what he normally would drink," she said. "He said when he would go on trips and vacations he would take lots of pictures because he wouldn't remember the vacations." Redmer's family said he tried several times to get sober, only to relapse. After a work injury in 2010, his mother said he also became addicted to pain killers. "It was horrible because he was trying. He was trying so hard," the grieving mother said.

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California's medical board backs some prescription-drug-abuse reforms

Los Angeles Times

The Medical Board of California on Friday embraced a host of reforms aimed at combating prescription drug abuse and reducing overdose deaths but balked at a proposal to strip it of its authority to investigate physician misconduct. The board, meeting in Los Angeles, voted to support proposed legislation that would upgrade the state's prescription drug monitoring system, require coroners to report prescription drug overdose deaths to the board, and give the panel new power to halt a doctor's prescribing in some cases.

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California conservative defends state's pot law in Congress

Los Angeles Times

For more than a decade, conservative Orange County Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has formed an unusual alliance with liberals on an unexpected topic — the defense of marijuana. Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and his allies have so far waged a futile effort to pass legislation that would prevent federal authorities from interfering with medical marijuana use in California and other places where pot use is permitted by state law.

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Be prudent in diagnosing, medicating ADHD

San Francisco Chronicle

Among all the changes that are about to happen in the way doctors diagnose psychiatric problems, I'm most concerned about the ones that could lead to adults and teens being misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the guide by which most doctors make a diagnosis. The newest edition, the DSM-5, includes a number of changes and will be published in May. ADHD is a behavioral syndrome that is characterized by multiple symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity.

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Son's overdose makes San Ramon woman a tireless crusader

San Jose Mercury News

Blindsided by the death of her 21-year-old son, Joey, from a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol in 2009, April Rovero has since made it her mission to help other parents avoid the nightmare she endured. For the past three years, few individuals have done more than Rovero to educate students, parents and lawmakers on the dangers of such prescription drugs as OxyContin, Vicodin and Ritalin. In 2010, Rovero, 60, founded the nonprofit National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse to stem the rise in deaths and raise awareness of the problem nationwide.

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Capitol Alert: Bill setting 'zero tolerance' for driving on drugs stalls in Senate

San Luis Obispo Tribune

A proposal to create a "zero tolerance" policy for driving under the influence of drugs stalled in the California Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 289, by Democratic Sen. Lou Correa of Santa Ana would make it illegal to drive if the driver's blood contains any trace of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana and painkillers. Medications that have been lawfully prescribed, excluding medicinal marijuana, would be exempted.

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Teen girls less successful than boys at quitting meth in UCLA pilot research study

UCLA Newsroom

A UCLA-led study of adolescents receiving treatment for methamphetamine dependence has found that girls are more likely to continue using the drug during treatment than boys, suggesting that new approaches are needed for treating meth abuse among teen girls.

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San Francisco police still using buy-bust tactic on marijuana dealers in Haight-Ashbury

Examiner

The “decoy” arrest — in which plainclothes officers approach would-be drug sellers asking for a $40 bag of marijuana — has become an increasingly less common tactic throughout The City. But not in the Haight-Ashbury. While buy-bust arrests citywide are dropping — from 485 in 2008 to 160 last year — they are increasing in the iconic neighborhood.

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Health Care Law Is ‘Working Fine,’ Obama Says in Addressing Criticism

New York Times

President Obama said Tuesday that his health care law was “working fine,” and he played down concerns that the law could disrupt coverage or lead to higher premiums for people who already had health insurance. At the same time, federal officials released simplified application forms to be used by people seeking health insurance, tax credits and other government subsidies under the law, which Mr. Obama signed three years ago.

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Obama seeks to allay healthcare law concerns

Los Angeles Times

President Obama sought to tamp down fears Tuesday that his landmark healthcare law would raise insurance costs and cause other disruptions, saying most Americans were already benefiting from it and others soon would. "Any time you're implementing something big, there's going to be people who are nervous," the president said at a news conference at which he delivered a new pitch for the 2010 legislation. "For the average American out there, for the 85 and 90% of Americans who already have health insurance, this thing's already happened."

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Rescissions and the public opinion problems of health-care reform

Washington Post

The Affordable Care Act, “Obamacare,” has now been with us for three years. It’s gone through Supreme Court tests. It’s gone through efforts to repeal. A huge chunk of it’s already been implemented. And for the 85 to 90 percent of Americans who already have health insurance, they’re already experiencing most of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act even if they don’t know it. Their insurance is more secure. Insurance companies can’t drop them for bad reasons. Their kids are able to stay on their health insurance until they’re 26 years old. They’re getting free preventive care.

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The 'Obamacare' Rollout's 'Glitches and Bumps' Won't Doom Health Reform

National Journal

President Obama acknowledged reality when he said Tuesday that the rollout of the health reform law next year is going to be interrupted by “glitches and bumps.”  But if the past is any indication, an initial spate of difficulties or bad headlines won't alone spell failure. “There will still be stories that will say this will not be working the way it’s supposed to,” Obama said during a 45-minute press conference. “That’s basically been true of every government program that’s ever been set up.”

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Interview with Top Calif. Health Official on Doctor Shortage and ACA

Capital Public Radio

Capital Public Radio sat down with California's Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley to talk about doctor shortages in the state, and how that ties to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

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Health care reform bills going to governor

Sacramento Business Journal

The first two bills from the special legislative session on health care received final approval by California lawmakers Monday and were sent to the governor. The two bills would reform the individual health insurance market, ban insurance denials and discrimination for pre-existing conditions, guarantee issue and renewal of coverage and require that insurance premiums be based solely on age, geography and family size.

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Talking Covered California's 'massive challenge' in video

Sacramento Business Journal

Health care reform is a “mammoth challenge,” Covered California executive director Peter Lee says in a new video on small business questions about the new insurance marketplace for individuals and small employers that will go life next year, but “it will be easy relative to how complicated buying insurance has been in the past.” The video is in the latest edition of CalChamber News. Launched last year by the California Chamber of Commerce, CalChamber News covers issues affecting employers in the state.

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HMO trade group breaks down health care reform

Sacramento Business Journal

The California Association of Health Plans — the trade group for the HMO industry — is weighing in with its own version of how the Affordable Care Act will affect consumers and change the state’s insurance market. The biggest impact will be in the individual market, where some small businesses and individuals purchase coverage, according to the association’s Affordable Care Act 101 Guide.

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Managing Medi-Cal With Enrollment Up, Spending Down

California Healthline

A report from the National Center for Policy Analysis shows California at or near the extremes in two Medicaid categories: California has the second-highest percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries compared with the state's population; California's average Medicaid spending per enrollee is the lowest among the states. The report -- "The State of Health Care Spending," released last month with detailed accounts of Medicare and Medicaid spending for all 50 states -- arrives at a time of change and controversy for Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.

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Proposal Would Raise Medicare Payments for Hospice Care Services

California Healthline

CMS on Monday issued a proposed rule that would increase Medicare reimbursement rates to hospices by 1.1%, or $180 million, for fiscal year 2014, Modern Healthcare reports. CMS said the increase was proposed in part because of a nearly 60% increase in average length of stays among Medicare beneficiaries, from 54 days in fiscal year 2000 to 86 days in FY 2010. In addition, CMS spending on hospice services has grown from $2.9 billion in FY 2000 to $14.7 billion in FY 2012.

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California Moves to Protect Smokers from Higher Obamacare Insurance Costs

Kaiser Health News

Smoking has its risks – but in California, higher prices for health insurance probably won't be one of them. The federal health law allows states to charge smokers up to 50 percent more for a health plan – but legislation is moving forward in the California legislature that will make sure that doesn't happen. And unlike other efforts around the country to alter the law, this is one coming from a Democrat. The Affordable Care Act is supposed to remove discrimination in the pricing of health insurance for things like gender and a person’s medical condition. And some say a tobacco surcharge creates a new category of discrimination that singles out smokers.

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Exclusive: White House to Streamline Obamacare Application

Time (Opinion)

A few weeks ago, I gave the President a tough time about the slow and messy implementation of his health care plan. But there’s been some progress in recent weeks — and I’m happy to pass it on. One of the things that concerned me was the 21-page application form that was required for people to join a health care exchange — which, if you’re unfamiliar with the jargon, is an online health-insurance superstore (think Orbitz or Hotels.com) where individuals will have the collective market power of large corporations like, say, Time Warner.

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Analysis: Large Part of Prison Rx Spending Goes Toward Anti-Psychotics

Associated Press

In recent years, California has spent significantly more on anti-psychotic medications for inmates than other states with large prison systems, the AP/Washington Post reports. Findings of AP Analysis: According to records obtained by the Associated Press, anti-psychotic drugs account for nearly $1 of every $5 spent on pharmaceuticals for the state prison system.

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Debating Age Limits on Tobacco

New York Times (Opinion)

The New York City Council has taken up a proposal to raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases to 21 from 18, the strictest such limits in any major American city. Smoking declined significantly among the city’s teenagers from 2005 to 2007, then remained level through 2012, and Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, has cited “clear data” showing that 80 percent of smokers begin before age 21.

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DEA Holds Nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

CBS

It is the safest way to dispose of unneeded and expired medication. The Drug Enforcement Administration has conducted a nationwide prescription drug take-back day. Tim Williams reports the effort deters a potential problem that’s growing bigger all the time. Saturday, a Harford County parking lot was a hot bed for drug activity, but it wasn’t people buying from dealers creating the traffic. It’s responsible citizens turning in unwanted drugs to federal agents.

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Chris Christie Comes Out For Good Samaritan Drug-Overdose Bill

Huffington Post

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has come out in favor of a good Samaritan law that would allow drug overdose victims to call 911 without fear of legal repercussions, drug policy reform advocates announced on Monday. Christie's decision to reverse his earlier opposition to the bill paved the way for a compromise measure to pass the state Senate and Assembly by overwhelming bipartisan margins on Monday. New Jersey will join 11 other states and the District of Columbia, which have similar laws, if he signs the bill as expected.

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Narconon under investigation again

WSBradio.com

The Scientology-linked drug rehabilitation program known as Narconon of Georgia is again in trouble with the law. This time, agents from the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s office and Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter are looking for evidence of insurance fraud.

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