First Edition: October 31, 2017
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Timeline: Roadblocks To Affordable Care Act Enrollment
President Donald Trump’s decision last month to cut off payments to insurers for discounts they provide to some low-income people who buy individual health coverage was big news. But it was far from the first time the president and his administration have sought to deter enrollment on the insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act. Enrollment for 2018 plans begins Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15. Over the course of the year, the administration has announced a variety of changes that affect sign-ups. (Rovner, 11/1)
Kaiser Health News:
Funding For ACA Sign-Up Campaigns Varies Widely From State To State
If you buy insurance on your own and have been paying attention to the Affordable Care Act, you’ve probably heard that open enrollment for 2018 plans has just started and the government is spending a lot less money this year to get the word out. That’s true in the 39 states that rely on healthcare.gov. But circumstances are different in some of the 11 states plus the District of Columbia that run their own ACA websites and marketplaces. (Zdechlik, 11/1)
Kaiser Health News:
Rising Health Insurance Costs Frighten Some Early Retirees
Don and Debra Clark of Springfield, Mo., are glad they have health insurance. Don is 56 and Debra is 58. The Clarks say they know the risk of an unexpected illness or medical event is rising as they age and they must have coverage. Don is retired and Debra works part time a couple of days a week. As a result, along with about 20 million other Americans, they buy health insurance in the individual market — the one significantly altered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). (Findlay, 11/1)
The New York Times:
As Open Enrollment For Obamacare Begins, Confusion Reigns
David Branch knew that his job, helping people sign up for Obamacare, would be harder this year. But Mr. Branch didn’t fully realize the scope of his challenge until a group that he approached with his fliers insisted that the Affordable Care Act had been repealed. “They said: ‘Why are you guys here? Obamacare is done,’ ” Mr. Branch recalled Friday as he finished a training session here. (Goodnough and Pear, 10/31)
Politico:
The Bicoastal Bid To Shore Up Obamacare
Two big blue states on opposite sides of the country have a mission: Save Obamacare. California and New York, which run their own health insurance exchanges and will spend tens of millions this year on marketing and outreach, don’t expect to have a stellar year in the sign-up season that starts Wednesday. (Colliver and Goldberg, 11/1)
USA Today:
Insurers, Ex-Obama Officials Promote Wednesday Insurance Enrollment
Insurers, some states and former Obama administration officials are heavily promoting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment that starts Wednesday to make up for the lack of marketing the law is getting by President Trump's administration. "We are as an industry doing everything we can," says Kelly Turek, an executive director with trade group America's Health Insurance Plans. (O'Donnell, 10/31)
NPR:
As Enrollment Opens For ACA Plans, States And Insurers Step Up Promotion
Can a puppy video get you to buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges? Florida Blue, a major insurer in that state, hopes the answer is yes. "It's hard to resist puppies, right? Let's just be honest," says Penny Shaffer, the insurer's South Florida regional market president, who talked to WLRN's Sammy Mack. In the video, puppies tumble while the announcer pitches, in Spanish, affordable plans and personalized service. (Grayson, 10/31)
Bloomberg:
Obamacare's Rising Premiums Will Hurt The Middle Class The Most
For some lower-income people in Obamacare, the rising premiums President Donald Trump has talked so much about will barely be felt at all. Others, particularly those with higher incomes, will feel the sharp increases when insurance sign-ups begin Wednesday. Richard Taylor is one of the people on the wrong end. The 61-year-old, self-employed Oklahoman has meticulously tracked his medical costs since 1994. In 2013, he signed up for an Affordable Care Act plan for the law’s first year offering coverage to millions of Americans. (Rausch and Tracer, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
Trump Ad Incorrectly Blames Dem For GOP Health Care Struggle
President Donald Trump is lashing out at Democrats in a new TV ad that incorrectly blames his critics in the opposing party for blocking fixes to the nation's health care system. The new ad, set to begin airing on cable stations nationwide on Tuesday, seizes on "skyrocketing" insurance premiums "all while Democrats in Washington, D.C., block a better plan to repeal and replace Obamacare once and for all — obstructing our president just to score political points with the radical left." (Peoples, 10/31)
The Hill:
RNC Ad Blames Democrats For Failure To Repeal ObamaCare
A new ad from the Republican National Committee (RNC) claims ObamaCare is “failing," and blames Democrats for congressional Republicans' failure to repeal and replace the law earlier this year. The ad points to "skyrocketing" insurance premiums as an example of ObamaCare failing, and hits Democrats for blocking “a better plan to repeal and replace Obamacare once and for all — obstructing our president just to score political points with the radical left.” (Weixel, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
Lawsuit Targets Trump's Rollback Of Birth-Control Rule
Two national advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana on Tuesday challenging a rule change by President Donald Trump's administration allowing more employers to opt out of no-cost birth control for workers. The suit was filed on behalf of five women at risk of being denied birth control coverage, including three University of Notre Dame students. (Crary, 10/31)
The Hill:
Notre Dame Ending No-Cost Contraceptive Coverage
The University of Notre Dame is reportedly ending its free contraceptive coverage after the Trump administration rolled back an ObamaCare requirement that employers include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans. The Catholic university will stop the coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2018, according to The South Bend Tribune. (Savransky, 10/31)
The Hill:
Despite Changes, House Dems Still Oppose CHIP Bill
House Republicans have altered legislation to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but the changes won’t sway Democrats, who are accusing the GOP of using a must-pass bill to gut ObamaCare. An updated version of the legislation eliminates a provision opposed by Democrats that would have charged higher premiums to Medicare beneficiaries earning more than $500,000 a year. But in its place, the bill would cut more money from ObamaCare's public health fund. (Weixel, 10/31)
Reuters:
U.S. States Allege Broad Generic Drug Price-Fixing Collusion
Forty-six U.S. state attorneys general will seek to expand a lawsuit alleging price fixing of generic drugs to 18 companies and 15 medicines on Tuesday, including Novartis AG's generic unit Sandoz and India-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, people familiar with the matter said. The original complaint, being litigated in federal court in Pennsylvania, describes an industry-wide conspiracy in which companies divide up the market as a way to push up prices. (Freifield, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
States Seek To Expand Lawsuit Against Generic Drugmakers
Led by Connecticut, the states sought a federal court’s permission Tuesday to widen their complaint, which alleges a number of illegal agreements among 18 manufacturers to fix prices and divvy up the market for specific generic drugs including treatments for high blood pressure, arthritis and asthma. Mylan N.V., one of the drugmakers named in the suit, said it has investigated the allegations thoroughly and “found no evidence of price fixing.” Mylan also said it stands by Rajiv Malik, its president since January 2012 who was named in the expanded complaint. (10/31)
Bloomberg:
Mylan's President Targeted In Generic Drug Pricing Probe
Mylan NV’s second-ranking executive was named in a civil investigation by dozens of states conducting a multiyear probe into alleged price collusion by makers of generic drugs that is now targeting senior managers. State attorneys general said they’re seeking to sue Rajiv Malik, Mylan’s president and executive director, as part of an expanded complaint against pharmaceutical companies from 45 states and the District of Columbia, according to a statement by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. (Chen and McLaughlin, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
Maryland Officials Tout New Generic Drug Price-Gouging Law
Following Maryland’s recent efforts as the first state to enact a law that protects consumers from generic prescription drug price-gouging, local leaders and health care advocates on Tuesday highlighted the benefits of the legislation and urged Marylanders to share their personal stories about drug affordability. The law went into effect Oct. 1 and restricts manufacturers of generic and off-patent prescription drugs from price gouging, or the “excessive and not justified” increase in the cost of a drug, according to a state analysis. (Slater, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
Missouri Attorney General Demands Opioid Distributor Records
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley on Tuesday said he's demanding documents from three major opioid distributors that he claims didn't report suspiciously large shipments of prescription drugs. Hawley said his office sent requests backed by the force of law to AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson as part of a broader effort to investigate the opioid crisis. The attorney general said about 500 people died in Missouri from opioid overdoses or complications from opioid use in 2015. (10/31)
Bloomberg:
New Jersey Joins States Suing Purdue Pharma For Opioid Marketing
With more and more states going after pharmaceutical companies over the opioid crisis, New Jersey is getting in on the action. State Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Purdue Pharma Inc., maker of the widely known opioid OxyContin. The suit accuses the company of helping foster substance abuse through a "dangerously false" marketing campaign about the risks and benefits of the drugs. (Smythe, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
New Jersey Sues OxyContin Maker, Claims It Misled Public
State Attorney General Christopher Porrino says the five-count lawsuit against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma and two of its entities seeks undisclosed monetary damages for fraud and false claims. Purdue Pharma issued a statement saying it “vigorously denies” the allegations. The company said it’s deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and is dedicated to being part of the solution. (Shipkowski, 10/31)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Jersey And Alaska Sue Purdue Pharma For Opioid Marketing
Last year, New Jersey reported more than 2,000 overdose deaths, and the large majority were opioid related, Mr. Porrino’s office said. “When people ask ‘How did we get here, how did we get to an epidemic in New Jersey at this level?’ I think part of the answer lies in the complaint we filed today,” Mr. Porrino said in a release. Alaska, with a far smaller population, said it had 96 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2016, and that the number of such overdoses is climbing. Treatment programs across Alaska report that more than half—and up to 90%—of their heroin-addicted patients started with prescription painkillers, according to the state’s lawsuit. (King and Randazzo, 10/31)
Politico:
Trump Opioid Panel Ducks Question Of New Money
President Donald Trump’s opioid commission will call Wednesday for big boosts in substance abuse treatment programs but stop short of asking for new funding that federal and state officials say is critical to pay for such programs. The commission, led by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, will recommend the Trump administration increase access to addiction treatment and recovery programs, expand the availability of medication-assisted therapies and expand first responders' ability to administer the life-saving overdose reversal drug, naloxone, according to a draft of the commission’s final report obtained by POLITICO. (Ehley and Karlin-Smith, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
Arkansas Senator Ends Company’s Contract With Rehab Program
The top Republican in the Arkansas Senate said Tuesday that his company terminated its agreement with a drug rehabilitation program after accusations workers provided by the nonprofit were unpaid. Republican Sen. Jim Hendren said his company, Hendren Plastics, terminated the agreement with the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program following a lawsuit filed in Benton County that accused the program of conspiring with Hendren Plastics, Simmons Foods and others to use the clients as free labor. (10/31)
The Associated Press:
Aetna 3Q Profit Soars, Issues Strong Forecast
Aetna trumped third-quarter earnings expectations and raised its 2017 forecast again, even as the health insurer's withdrawal from the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplaces contributed to a revenue miss. The nation's third-largest insurer balanced a 5-percent drop in revenue with a bigger decrease in health care costs and improvements in its Medicare Advantage business. Overall net income jumped 39 percent, to $838 million. (Murphy, 10/31)
The Wall Street Journal:
Aetna Posts Revenue Decline, Doesn’t Comment On CVS Report
During a call with analysts to discuss earnings, Aetna executives declined to address a report in The Wall Street Journal that CVS Health Corp. was in talks to purchase the company for more than $66 billion. Chief Executive Mark T. Bertolini said the company won’t “comment on rumors or speculation.” He did, however, say that Aetna aims to announce its plans for the future of its pharmacy-benefit contract with CVS by the middle of next year, and that CVS’s agreement to service the new pharmacy-benefit manager being launched by Anthem Inc. is “not a problem for us.” The existing Aetna contract with CVS goes through 2022, but Aetna has the ability to opt out at the start of 2020. (Wilde Mathews and Prang, 10/31)
USA Today:
Transparency Pays As Hospitals Improve Grades On How Protect Patients
Fifteen U.S. hospitals — including two in Washington, D.C. — received failing grades in a new report on 2,600 hospitals released Tuesday that includes all 50 states for the first time. Maryland, which was previously exempted from providing hospital safety reports due to a special waiver, now ranks 46th on the non-profit Leapfrog Group's latest state rankings. (O'Donnell, 10/31)
Stat:
Donations Flowed For A Neighbor With Cancer. Then A Stranger's Email Came
It was a small town, so small that it wasn’t officially a town, but a village tucked inside the municipality of Greenburgh. Occupying 1 square mile, and counting only 4,600 souls, it was a commuter’s dream: a tight-knit hamlet just north of Manhattan, seemingly immune from 21st-century isolation. As the deputy fire chief put it, “You know, it’s like living in a fishbowl. Everybody knows what’s going on.” (Boodman, 11/1)
Stat:
Preterm Births In The U.S. Rise Again, Signaling Worrisome Trend
The preterm birth rate in the U.S. has increased for the second consecutive year, according to a new report, and minorities are suffering a disproportionate share of those births. The increases, which follow nearly a decade of declines, raise concerns that gains made in women’s health care are now slipping, experts say. The annual report on preterm births by the March of Dimes, released Wednesday, found that 9.8 percent of U.S. infants were born preterm in 2016, up from 9.6 percent in 2015. And rates found in some parts of the U.S. are on par with those found in undeveloped countries in Africa and the Middle East. (Ross, 11/1)
The New York Times:
Heartburn Drugs Tied To Stomach Cancer Risk
People who carry the stomach bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori are at increased risk for ulcers and stomach cancer. But even when antibiotic treatment has eliminated the bacterium, stomach cancer may still arise. A new study suggests that one reason may be the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, or P.P.I.s, acid-reducing medicines sold under brand names such as Prilosec and Prevacid. (Bakalar, 10/31)
Los Angeles Times:
How Your Brain Processes Certain Words Can Help Predict Your Risk Of Suicide
When a person’s distress, depression or discouragement appears to have taken a sharp turn for the worse, it’s time to ask him or her a weighty question: Are you thinking of harming yourself? If only the answer were a better guide. One study has found that nearly 80% of patients who took their own lives denied they were contemplating suicide in their last contact with a mental healthcare professional. Friends and family suffer the guilt and anguish of not having divined a loved one’s intentions, but mental health professionals rarely fare much better at doing so. (Healy, 10/31)
The Associated Press:
Michigan Health Chief Back In Court In Legionnaires’ Case
Testimony is resuming in a criminal case against Michigan’s health director, who is accused of keeping the public in the dark about Legionnaires’ disease during the Flint water disaster. Nick Lyon is charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office. A judge must decide whether there is enough evidence to send him to trial. The case picks up again Wednesday. (11/1)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Death Toll From San Diego Hepatitis A Outbreak Rises To 20
San Diego’s hepatitis A outbreak has now claimed 20 lives across the region. The county Health and Human Services Agency published new weekly totals late Tuesday morning, raising by one the number of deaths recorded since the health crisis started in November 2016. The running tally of confirmed cases also continues to increase, up to 536 from the previous total of 516. (Sisson, 10/31)
The Washington Post:
A Child Went Trick-Or-Treating And Brought Home A Bag Of Meth
A Wisconsin mother searching for a late-night snack in her child’s trick-or-treat bag was frightened to find a small packet of methamphetamine among the candy, authorities said. About 2:30 a.m. Monday, the mother contacted Menominee Tribal Police and told them how she’d found the small, yellow bag containing a crystal powder after dumping her child’s Halloween candy onto a table. The police came to her house, located on the Menominee Indian Reservation, and picked up the substance. It tested positive for methamphetamine, said Master Sgt. Warren Warrington. (Eltagouri, 10/31)