State Highlights: Quarantine Questions Continue; Californians Split On Whether People In U.S. Illegally Should Get Subsidized Health Care, Poll Finds
News outlets report on health care developments in California, New Mexico, Georgia, Colorado, Minnesota, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.
The New York Times:
Ebola Crisis Passes, But Questions On Quarantines Persist
The Ebola epidemic has subsided, but in the United States the fallout over how health care workers and their families were treated during the crisis continues. Throughout the months of fear and uncertainty, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended monitoring people entering the United States from Ebola-affected countries, not confining them, because research showed that people with Ebola are not contagious before they show symptoms. But states, which have the legal authority to impose quarantines, often exceeded those guidelines, restricting the movements of returning health workers and others. (Fink, 12/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Californians Split On Health Coverage For Those In The U.S. Illegally
A new statewide poll found a noticeable split among Californians when it comes to offering government subsidized healthcare regardless of immigration status. The split is between Californians who vote and those who don’t. (Myers, 12/2)
The Sacramento Bee:
Gavin Newsom Picks Up California Nurses Endorsement
The California Nurses Association, whose support helped Gov. Jerry Brown defeat Republican Meg Whitman in 2010, on Wednesday endorsed Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to succeed him. The endorsement, though not unexpected, comes unusually early – three years before the 2018 election. It is an indication of Newsom’s appeal to organized labor, and also a challenge facing one of his main rivals, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. (SIders and Cadelago, 12/2)
The Associated Press:
Feds Want New Mexico To Repay $16M In Bonus Payments
Investigators recommended Tuesday that New Mexico repay the federal government nearly $16 million they say the state should not have received under a health insurance program for low-income children. The U.S. Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General made the recommendation following a review of enrollment over a five-year period beginning in fiscal year 2009. According to the findings, New Mexico overstated the number of children in the program when compared to enrollment data maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Bryan, 12/1)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia Authorities Shut Down 12 Care Homes For Elderly, Arrest 8 People
A team of state and local authorities shut down a dozen Georgia unlicensed care homes for the elderly and disabled on Wednesday, freeing as many as 30 people living in unsafe conditions. The daylong "Operation Mercury" arrested eight people who were running the homes in Gwinnett County operators who at times left their residents unattended and forced them to fork over food stamps and Social Security benefits as rent, police said. Metro Atlanta officials have struggled and largely failed to stop the proliferation of unlicensed personal care homes. Wednesday's operation reflected a new strategy of combining agencies when descending on these places. (Stevens, 12/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Prudential To Offer Life Insurance For People Living With HIV
Prudential Financial Inc. said it will make life insurance coverage available to people living with HIV, becoming the first major insurer to do so, according to California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. People with HIV will be eligible for 10- and 15-year individual convertible term life insurance products. The policies will be available to those who meet the underwriting qualifications, the Newark, N.J.-based company said. (Masunaga, 12/2)
The Denver Post:
Evergreen Fee-For-Emergency Response Unsuccessful At Bringing In Funds
Evergreen Fire Rescue's new fee charging out-of-district residents for response to their at-fault accidents has not brought in as much revenue as hoped. The district is now exploring the possibility of asking voters for a mill levy increase, as well as a bond to fund improvements to one of its stations. "The majority of our accidents that occurred in our area that had an injury involved drivers who live in our district," said Stacee Martin, public information officer for Evergreen Fire Protection District. Fee-for-service "was not the revenue stream we thought it may be, based on past years." (Klemaier, 12/3)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Minnesota OKs Using Medical Pot For Pain
The Minnesota Health Department says it will expand the legal use of medical marijuana to cover people with intractable pain. The department's top leaders announced their decision Wednesday after several meetings around the state to gather public input. (12/2)
The Connecticut Mirror:
Lembo Helps Dems In D.C. Sharpen Attack On High Drug Costs
Connecticut Comptroller Kevin Lembo has joined a growing Democratic attack on high drug prices, an issue expected to be at the center of many Democratic election campaigns next year. He was supposed to be there in person, but fog and rain grounded his plane and kept him from testifying at a Capitol Hill hearing on drug pricing Wednesday. Lembo submitted written testimony instead. (Radelat, 12/2)
The Associated Press:
Man Allegedly Used Genetic Testing Scheme To Cheat Medicare
Federal prosecutors say a New Jersey man defrauded Medicare by convincing hundreds of senior citizens to submit to unnecessary genetic testing. Seth Rehfuss was arrested Wednesday and charged with health care fraud. The 41-year-old Somerset man was due to make his initial court appearance later in the day. Since July 2014, prosecutors say Rehfuss and others used a nonprofit agency known as The Good Samaritans of America to gain access to low-income senior housing complexes. (12/2)
The Associated Press:
Wisconsin Lab Settles Medicare Fraud Allegations
A laboratory company in western Wisconsin and its owners have agreed to pay the federal government $8.5 million to settle claims it submitted false billing information to Medicare. Federal prosecutors say the settlement resolves allegations that Pharmasan Labs, of Osceola, and its billing company, NeuroScience, also violated Medicare rules on services referred by practitioners who weren't doctors. (12/2)
The Associated Press:
Doctor Prescribed Opioids To Suspected Heroin Users
A western Massachusetts doctor has been indicted on dozens of charges including unlawfully prescribing oxycodone and other drugs and making false Medicaid claims. Dr. Fernando Jayma was indicted Monday by state Attorney General Maura Healey on charges including illegally prescribing controlled substances, false Medicaid claims and larceny. Authorities say Jayma was prescribing medications to patients who had tested positive for heroin and other non-prescription drugs. They say he also had other doctors see his patients, then billed MassHealth as if he had treated them. (12/2)
The Washington Post:
Judge Says Paramedic Not Negligent For Ambulance Running Out Of Gas At White House
The summer of 2013 delivered one public relations punch after another to the D.C. fire department. Top officials admitted they didn’t know how many vehicles they had. Ambulances were catching fire idling at emergency calls. Delays getting patients to hospitals seemed routine. (Hermann, 12/2)
