First Edition: September 14, 2016
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
CDC Deploys New Rapid Response Teams To Fight Zika
It was a call that public health officials were dreading, but for which they had prepared. An elderly man in Salt Lake City died after contracting the Zika virus, the first fatality from the disease in the continental United States. His son, who had been a caregiver, also had become sick, but health officials did not know how. Dr. Shannon Novosad was on a plane to Utah the next day, one of 10 detectives looking for answers about this case to help other professionals deal with this rapidly growing health problem. (9/14)
Kaiser Health News:
Number Of Uninsured Falls Again In 2015
Still, between 2013 and 2015, the first two full years the health law was in effect, the uninsured rate dropped by more than 4 percentage points. The total number of uninsured fell by 12.8 million. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans with insurance for at least some part of the year climbed to 90.9 percent, by far the highest in recent memory. (Rovner, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
Uninsurance Rate Drops To The Lowest Level Since Before The Great Recession
About 4 million Americans gained health insurance last year, decreasing the nation’s uninsured rate to 9.1 percent, the lowest level since before the Great Recession, according to new federal figures. The figures, released Tuesday from a large annual Census Bureau survey, show that the gains were driven primarily by an expansion of coverage among people buying individual policies, rather than getting health benefits through a job. This includes, but is not limited to, the kind of coverage sold on the insurance exchanges that began in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act. (Goldstein, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
The Striking Difference Between States That Expanded Medicaid And The Ones That Didn’t
The number of Americans without health insurance declined to 9.1 percent last year, according to federal data released Tuesday. A set of maps released by the Census Bureau suggests an obvious way to decrease the uninsured rate even more: expand Medicaid in the 19 states that haven't. (Johnson, 9/13)
CBS News:
Health Care Costs Still Push Americans Into Poverty
But one number buried in the Census Bureau report goes against the positive trend. It’s the Supplemental Poverty Measure, and it shows that the steep costs of health care continue to push millions of Americans into poverty. (Konrad, 9/14)
NPR/KBIA:
Gap Insurance Takes Sting Out Of High-Deductible Health Plans
For the first time in her life, 26-year-old freelance designer Susannah Lohr had to shop for health insurance this year. She called up a major insurer in the St. Louis area where she lives, and it offered her a plan with a hefty $6,000 deductible — that's the amount she would have to cover herself before the insurance kicks in. When she balked, the salesman on the phone suggested that she could buy a "gap plan," a separate policy for $50 a month to cover her deductible. "After I got off the phone with him, I realized: That's actually just insurance for my insurance," she said, laughing. (Sable-Smith, 9/13)
Hartford Courant:
In Reversal, ConnectiCare Will Remain In Obamacare Exchange
ConnectiCare changed course Tuesday and will now remain part of the state's federally subsidized health insurance exchange next year. The health insurance company said Friday that it wanted to sell Obamacare policies in Connecticut in 2017, but only if it could charge more than the 17.4 percent average increase regulators have granted for next year. (Lee, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
Zika Virus May Spread Through Bodily Fluids, Study Finds
Until now, scientists have said that Zika is spread primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can also be spread through sex as well as blood transfusions, and a pregnant woman can pass the virus to her fetus. But information released Tuesday by federal and state health officials suggest that contact with bodily fluids, such as tears, discharge from infected eyes, saliva, vomit, urine or stool, could have been how a Utah man became infected after caring for his elderly father. The father died in June after contracting Zika from travel abroad. The father's blood had a level of infectious virus 100,000 times as high as the average level reported in people infected with Zika, according to a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Sun, 9/13)
The Associated Press:
Investigation: Unique Utah Zika Case Remains Medical Mystery
A case of the Zika virus in Utah is now the only one in the continental U.S. that's still puzzling researchers on exactly how it spread, health officials said Tuesday. The man caught the illness after caring for his infected father, who had an extremely high level of the virus in his blood when he died in June, according to a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One possibility is that he transmitted the virus to his son through a bodily fluid in a way that hasn't been recognized with Zika yet, officials said. (Whitehurst, 9/13)
The Associated Press:
Florida Gov. Scott Presses For Zika Money, Blasts Democrats
Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott came to Washington on Tuesday to press for long-overdue money to fight the Zika virus, making his case for the money with top congressional Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan — while blasting away at the Obama administration and Democrats like three-term Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. ... Scott made his trip as lawmakers struggle to reach a bipartisan deal to fund the government's months-long battle against Zika, which is a major hang-up for a temporary spending bill that's the top item on Capitol Hill's slim pre-election agenda. (Taylor, 9/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
EpiPen Maker Dispenses Outsize Pay
The drugmaker buffeted by the furor over hefty price increases on its lifesaving EpiPen had the second-highest executive compensation among all U.S. drug and biotech firms over the past five years, paying its top five managers a total of nearly $300 million, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The big pay packages are unusual because of Mylan NV’s relatively small size in the U.S. drug industry, where it is No. 11 by revenue and No. 16 by market capitalization. (Maremont, 9/13)
The Associated Press:
Clinton Has History Of Ignoring Health -- And Paying A Price
Nearly two decades later, Clinton's desire to work through illness — and penchant for keeping her health secret — has helped cause the most damaging 48-hour period in her presidential campaign and given fresh ammunition to GOP rival Donald Trump. The incident has also stoked long-simmering conservative conspiracy theories about her health and questions about her commitment to openness (Lerer and Thomas, 9/13)
The New York Times:
Donald Trump And Dr. Oz: A Match Made On TV
When Donald J. Trump sought someone in a public forum to talk about his health, he went with a kindred spirit — a physician who is not only Republican, but also has spent the last decade attracting an enormous following on television. That doctor, Mehmet Oz, 56, will tape an episode of his show, “The Dr. Oz Show,” with Mr. Trump on Wednesday, to air the next day. (Haberman, 9/13)
Politico:
Trump On Clinton’s Health: ‘I Really Have No View’
Donald Trump — who for weeks has accused opponent Hillary Clinton of having “failing” health — told Fox News he has “no view” on the matter Tuesday night. “I really have no view. I just hope she gets better and can get back out,” the Republican nominee told Fox’s Sean Hannity on Tuesday. “I just — I have no view. You know, I just don’t want to get involved with it.” (Lima, 9/13)
The New York Times:
Pneumonia, Polyps And Gunshots: A Short History Of Presidential Health
While the public scrutiny of modern campaigns has made speculation about the health of presidential candidates more relentless, concerns about the fitness of candidates for office have long been a hallmark of American politics, with many hopefuls trying to conceal their maladies and opponents doing their best to exploit signs of weakness. From brushing off gunshot wounds to working through paralysis, presidents, and those seeking the office, have been no strangers to challenging ailments. Here are a few of history’s most prominent examples. (Rappeport, 9/13)
Politico:
Clinton To Return To Campaign Trail Thursday
Hillary Clinton is returning to the campaign trail Thursday after scrapping her West Coast travel for Monday through Wednesday as she recovers from a case of pneumonia at home in Chappaqua, New York, said campaign spokesman Nick Merrill. (Debenedetti, 9/13)
The New York Times:
Black Health Experts Renew Fight Against Menthol Cigarettes
Menthol cigarettes account for about a third of all cigarettes sold in the United States, and they are particularly popular among black smokers — about four out of five report smoking them, according to federal surveys. The effects are devastating: About 45,000 African-Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses — the largest cause of preventable death, more than homicides, AIDS and car accidents. Black men have the highest lung cancer mortality rate of any demographic group. (Tavernise, 9/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Newport’s ‘Pleasure Lounge’ Aims To Ignite Cigarettes Sales
Workers for Newport, the nation’s No. 2 cigarette brand, spent the summer handing out coupons for cigarettes at a price of $1-a-pack. That is five cents a smoke. Usually they cost about seven times that much. The vouchers—distributed at concerts, bars and convenience stores—have been part of an aggressive push by Newport-owner Reynolds American Inc., to target young adult smokers and boost Newport sales. (Mickle and Valentino-Devries, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
As Popularity Of E-Cigarettes Rises, More Smokers Are Able To Quit, Study Says
The more that vaping takes hold in England, the better the odds that smokers there will succeed in their attempts to stop using regular cigarettes. These parallel trends, reported Wednesday in the BMJ medical journal, don’t prove that electronic cigarettes help smokers kick the habit. But that possibility is looking more and more likely, experts said. (Kaplan, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
Stem-Cell Clinics Face New Scrutiny From Federal Regulators
The FDA, which has taken a mostly hands-off approach toward the rapidly proliferating stem-cell clinics, is signaling that some of the treatments should be regulated as drugs are, which would require advance approval. That would entail a lengthy process, with extensive safety and effectiveness data, at a potential cost of millions of dollars. The issue has ignited a fierce debate among physicians, patients, scientists and politicians about whether the agency should crack down on therapies that critics deride as snake oil but that some patients swear by. And it is fueling a broader, longer-term debate over how cellular therapies should be regulated. (McGinley, 9/12)
Los Angeles Times:
Most California Voters Support Legalizing Recreational Marijuana, Poll Finds
Six years after a similar initiative was rejected, a clear majority of California voters supports a measure on the November ballot that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in their state, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.Proposition 64, which would legalize personal use, is backed by 58% of California voters, and that favorable view extends across most lines of age, race, income and gender, according to the survey. (McGreevy, 9/13)
NPR/WBUR:
A Question For Voters This Fall: Is Pot Bad For The Brain?
Five states are voting this fall on whether marijuana should be legal, like alcohol, for recreational use. That has sparked questions about what we know — and don't know — about marijuana's effect on the brain. Research is scarce. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug. That classification puts up barriers to conducting research on it, including a cumbersome DEA approval application and a requirement that scientists procure very specific marijuana plants. (Bebinber, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Tax Candy, Not Tampons, Say Lawmakers Who Pushed For Sales Tax Exemptions
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed bills Tuesday that would have repealed the sales tax on diapers and tampons, saying that they would cost the state budget too much money. Now the two legislators who authored the legislation have an idea they say will make that argument irrelevant: Tax candy instead. (Dillon, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Reduces Number Of Mentally-Ill Waiting In Jail For Court-Ordered Hospital Treatment
Maryland health officials on Tuesday said they have nearly eliminated the backlog of people who have been charged with crimes but require psychological treatment or evaluations, reducing the need to put those people in jails that can’t address their needs. ... The reduction comes after mental-health advocates and corrections officials raised concerns this summer that a shortage of beds at Maryland’s five state mental hospitals had reached a crisis point. (Hicks, 9/13)
The Washington Post:
N.Y. Woman Dies After Exposure To ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba’ In Maryland
A New York woman died last month after being infected in Maryland by a waterborne parasite commonly known as a “brain-eating amoeba,” officials said. The New York State Department of Health said that the 19-year-old who died was infected with Naegleria fowleri, although it didn’t identify the patient, citing privacy concerns. New York health officials alerted Cecil County to the patient’s death on Sept. 1, a Cecil County Health Department spokesman said, and Cecil County learned the next day that the cause was Naegleria fowleri. (Moyer, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
County Sets Stage For Potential March Ballot Measure To Fund Services For The Homeless
Los Angeles County supervisors voted Tuesday to hold a countywide election in March, possibly setting the table for a sales tax initiative to fund homeless services. County officials had debated placing several possible funding measures to deal with homelessness on the November ballot. In July, they voted to put forward a tax on marijuana businesses, but then quickly reversed course after pushback from some homeless advocates and drug treatment providers. (Sewell, 9/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Southern California Gas To Pay $4-Million Settlement Over Massive Porter Ranch Gas Leak
Southern California Gas Co. agreed to pay $4 million to settle criminal charges over the massive gas leak near Porter Ranch last year, but the utility still faces potentially costly civil actions from both residents and regulators. The settlement ends a prosecution brought by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, which accused the gas company of failing to properly notify authorities when the largest recorded methane leak in U.S. history first occurred. The leak forced thousands of residents to flee their homes for months as officials worked to cap the leak. (Walton, 9/13)
The Associated Press:
Prosecutor Reaches $4M Settlement With Utility For Gas Leak
A utility that owns a well that leaked massive amounts of natural gas and drove thousands of families from their Los Angeles homes pleaded no contest to a criminal charge Tuesday as part of a $4 million settlement with prosecutors. ... The well that wasn't plugged until February led more than 8,000 families to move out of their homes in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley. Many experienced headaches, nosebleeds and nausea during the event that scientists said was the largest known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history. (Melley, 9/13)