Reuters: From 'Hillarycare' Debacle in 1990s, Clinton Emerged More Cautious
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remembers the day 23 years ago when Hillary Clinton, notebook in hand, came to see him and other senior Republicans to talk about "Hillarycare." It was early 1993. Clinton, on behalf of her husband, then-President Bill Clinton, was leading a healthcare reform drive that vaulted her onto the national stage. Hillarycare would famously collapse after a fierce debate. In interviews with Reuters, some participants looked back on it as a crucible for the Democratic presidential front-runner that helped shape her approach to politics and governing. (Drawbaugh and Milliken, 6/6)

Meanwhile, an adviser says Clinton supports the administration's Medicare reimbursement changes, and a look at the nurses union ardently supporting Bernie Sanders in California —

Morning Consult: Clinton Supports Medicare Drug Pricing Proposal, Advisor Says
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton supports in principle the Obama administration’s Medicare proposal to change the way drugs administered in hospital and physicians’ offices are reimbursed, according to an outside advisor to the Clinton campaign. Clinton supports the overall structure and purpose of the proposal, but like several Democrats in Congress, she believes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should consider making changes, said Chris Jennings, a health expert, in an interview with Morning Consult. (Owens, 6/7)

NBC News: Nurses Union Confident In Sanders Headed Into California Primary
If Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are polling near neck-and-neck in California, the first union in the nation to back Sanders — the National Nurses United (NNU) — will proudly take its share of the credit. (Guillermo, 6/6)

Morning Consult: NIH To Get $2 Billion More In Senate 2017 Spending Bill
The National Institutes of Health would receive a pay bump of about $2 billion in the Senate bill funding the Department of Health and Human Services and the Labor Department for 2017, giving it a $34 billion budget, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill is scheduled to receive a markup and vote in subcommittee on Tuesday and in the full Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The NIH received a funding bump of $2 billion in the omnibus funding bill that passed in December last year, raising its budget from $30 billion to $32 billion. (Owens, 6/6)

The Hill: Overnight Healthcare: NIH Headed For $2 Billion Funding Boost
The biggest news out of the Senate's health spending bill so far is the $2 billion in new funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ... Other notable funding increases: $1.39 billion for Alzheimer's research, about $400 million more. $261 million for opioid abuse, about $126 million more. $300 million for President Obama's precision medicine initiative, about $100 million more. $626 million for antibiotic resistance programs, up about $53 million. (Ferris 6/6)

Morning Consult: GOP Appropriators To Allow Obamacare Funding On HHS Spending Bill
The Senate spending bill to fund the Department of Health and Human Services and the Labor Department in 2017 will maintain Affordable Care Act funding, according to a senior GOP aide. “We will fund all of the things we need to fund to try to keep it bipartisan,” the aide told Morning Consult, adding that this means some Republicans, specifically Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), will accuse appropriators of funding Obamacare. The Senate’s Appropriations subcommittee on labor and health will vote on the proposal Tuesday. The full committee is slated to advance the bill on Thursday. (Owens, 6/6)

The Hill: Alzheimer's Research To Get $400 Million Boost In Senate Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee plans to propose a $400 million increase in funding for Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s has drawn growing bipartisan concern over the sharply growing costs of caring for people with the disease. (Sullivan 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: New Issues Raised About Hospital Bill With Readmissions, Outpatient Pay Fixes
The House on Tuesday is expected to approve a hospital-backed bill that will alter Medicare readmissions data at safety-net hospitals and exempt hospital outpatient buildings already under construction and certified cancer hospitals from new, lower rates. (Muchmore 6/6)

The Associated Press: Ryan Focuses On Policy Amid GOP Discord
Overhauling the nation's welfare and nutrition programs has long been a priority for [Republican House Speaker Paul] Ryan, who also plans to release a national security plan on Thursday. Policy plans on regulations, the constitution, health care and taxes will roll out in the coming weeks. (Jalonick, 6/7)

The New York Times: For His Latest Trick, John Oliver Forgives $15 Million In Medical Debt
For his latest trick, Mr. Oliver, the host of the HBO show, formed a company called Central Asset Recovery Professionals — or CARP, named after the bottom-feeding fish — and purchased $14.9 million worth of medical debt for just under $60,000. Mr. Oliver said it had cost $50 to create his company, after which he received the portfolio offering the names, current addresses and Social Security numbers of about 9,000 people. Mr. Oliver then gave the debt away, bragging that his giveaway was bigger than Ms. Winfrey’s — her car giveaway was estimated at $7 million — and completed the show by pressing a giant red button that triggered a rain shower of dollar bills. (Rogers, 6/6)

USA Today: John Oliver Buys And Forgives $15 Million Of Debt
"It is pretty clear by now (that) debt buying is a grimy business, and badly needs more oversight, because as it stands any idiot can get into it," Oliver said. "And I can prove that to you, because I'm an idiot, and we started a debt-buying company. And it was disturbingly easy." How easy? Well back in April they spent just $50 to start the company. "We called it Central Asset Recovery Professionals, or CARP, after the bottom-feeding fish." With an official company and a website at his disposal, Oliver was offered nearly $15 million of medical debt from Texas for less than half a cent on the dollar, or less than $60,000. (Lawler, 6/6)

STAT: Inside The Medical Debt Charity That John Oliver Just Made Famous
When comedian John Oliver forgave nearly $15 million in medical debt in theatrical style on Sunday night, he drew laughs by proclaiming himself more generous than Oprah, who once gave away $8 million worth of cars. But Oliver, host of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO, also pointed to a very real and serious problem: Getting sick often means amassing large health care bills that insurance companies won’t pay and patients can’t afford. (Samuel, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Few People Realize This Big Risk When They Go To The Hospital
More than three decades ago, emergency rooms could kick you out if doctors didn’t think you could pay. You might be suffering from a stroke, a gunshot wound or a broken spine, but if your insurance wasn’t good enough, many hospitals could slam the door in your face. This hot-potatoing of patients caused gruesome and unnecessary deaths before the practice was outlawed in 1986. Today, if you go to the hospital with an emergency, doctors pretty much have to treat you. If you have insurance, great. But even if you can’t pay, they’ll patch you up all the same. You’ll just leave the hospital with potentially crippling medical debt. Because of the health-insurance expansions under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, millions fewer Americans are likely to face that debt. (Guo, 6/6)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Consumer Groups Want Transparency During Final Review Of Aetna-Humana Deal
Missouri was the first state to take regulatory action against the merger of insurance giants Aetna and Humana, but consumer advocates are petitioning the state’s top insurance regulator to go even further. A handful of advocacy groups, both national and local, are calling on John Huff, the director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, to conduct the final step of the review process out in the open. (Liss, 6/6)

The Connecticut Mirror: Major Health Insurers Seek Sharply Higher Rates In Connecticut
Some of Connecticut’s major health insurers are seeking rate increases far beyond medical inflation, including an average increase of 26.8 percent for the individual plans offered by the state’s biggest insurer, Anthem Health Plans, according to filings made public Monday. (Pazniokas, 6/6)

The Cleveland Plain Dealer: MetroHealth And Medical Mutual Announce Partnership To Cater To HealthSpan Customers
As HealthSpan winds down its business, MetroHealth and Medical Mutual Insurance of Ohio are picking up the pieces to create a new insurance product they say will cut premium costs by 15 percent. The product, dubbed CLECare, seeks to achieve those savings by offering employers, and their covered employees, a tailored network of providers to deliver most health care needs. (Ross, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Biden Unveils Launch Of Major, Open-Access Database To Advance Cancer Research
Vice President Biden on Monday announced the launch of a first-of-its kind, open-access cancer database to allow researchers to better understand the disease and develop more effective treatments. The Genomic Data Commons, a part of the National Cancer Institute, contains the raw genomic and clinical data for 12,000 patients, with more records to come as researchers contribute to it, he said. Besides detailed analyses of the molecular makeup of cancers, the database has information on which treatments were used and how patients responded. (McGinley, 6/6)

Stat: Cancer Patients Keep Getting Aggressive End-Of-Life Treatment, Despite Lack Of Benefit
Despite efforts by the professional association of oncologists to persuade physicians to treat cancer patients less aggressively at the end of their lives, that is not happening, researchers reported on Monday. (Begley, 6/6)

STAT: The World Is Alarmed By The Zika Outbreak. No One Is Paying To Deal With It
Health officials trying to raise money to respond to the Zika outbreak say that their appeals are largely falling flat — and that the effort is shaping up as one of the most challenging hat-passing exercises they have ever seen. (Branswell, 6/7)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Republicans Ask Obama, Congress For Zika Help
Texas' top Senate Republicans on Monday upped the urgency on federal policymakers to do something about the Zika virus. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Sens. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, and Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, penned a letter to the state's congressional delegation and the Obama administration, saying Texas desperately needs federal funding to combat the Zika virus after recent floods. (Walters, 6/6)

Iowa Public Radio: Iowans Should Not Be Concerned About Local Transmission Of The Zika Virus
Iowans should not be concerned about local transmission of the Zika virus. Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Ann Garvey said Monday morning there is no indication that the types of mosquitoes spreading Zika are established in Iowa. (Boden, 6/6)

Minnesota Public Radio: Zika Virus: What We Know
MPR News reporter Euan Kerr asks what we know about the virus, its vectors and what the public health response will look like at the Olympics and in the US. He spoke with Paul Roepe, co-director of the Georgetown Center for Infectious Disease and Kristy Murray, associate professor of pediatrics - tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. (6/6)

The Columbus Post-Dispatch: Keeping Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes At Bay
Local mosquito experts are going to tell you how, and they're going to tell you how to protect yourself. They're going to tell you which blood-sucking skeeters are the worst house guests, and what, exactly, that squirt of poison could be. (West Nile? Zika?) By the end of this story, it's possible you'll know a little too much about mosquitoes. (Kurtzman, 6/7)

The Columbus Dispatch: First Case Of Zika Confirmed In Columbus
Public health officials are working to contain Franklin County's first known Zika case after a Columbus woman tested positive for the virus after a trip to the Dominican Republic. (Kurtzman, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Behind The Scenes Of A U.S. Superbug Discovery That Made Headlines Around The World
Microbiologist Patrick McGann knew he had identified a dangerous germ. He just didn’t know how dangerous. In mid-May, a colleague had found a strain of E. coli bacteria from a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman that tested positive for resistance to a drug called colistin. That’s the antibiotic used when all others fail. McGann, whose job is to prevent outbreaks of new pathogens in the U.S. military’s sprawling health-care system, wasn’t yet alarmed. Sometimes mutations occur spontaneously that make bacteria resistant to an antibiotic. It would be a completely different problem, though, if the bacteria turned out to carry a certain ­colistin-resistant gene called mcr-1. (Sun, 6/6)

The New York Times: New Opioid Limits Challenge The Most Pain-Prone
If you’ve come to rely on opioids for chronic pain, as a growing proportion of older adults has, you may have noticed that the drugs are becoming more difficult to get. Something had to be done, surely: More than 165,000 people died from overdoses from 1999 to 2014. But recent restrictions on access to these painkillers are likely to disproportionately affect the elderly — despite the fact that abuse and misuse of these painkillers have historically been lower among older patients than younger ones. (Span, 6/6)

The Associated Press: New Synthetic Drug U-47700 Has States Rushing To Stop Spread
A new synthetic drug that can be purchased online and is connected to at least 50 deaths nationwide has several states scrambling to stop its spread, with Kansas law enforcement agencies seeking an emergency ban. At least three other states — Ohio, Wyoming and Georgia — already have taken action to ban U-47700 after it was connected to overdoses. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said that the agency is studying the opioid but hasn't yet moved to control it. (6/6)

The Associated Press: Pfizer's Opioid Painkiller Can Be Manipulated For Abuse: FDA
Pfizer Inc's experimental long-acting opioid painkiller has some abuse-resistant properties but addicts can still extract oxycodone from the drug using certain solvents, a preliminary review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded on Monday. Pfizer is seeking approval to claim the drug, whose proposed trade name is Troxyca ER, deters abuse. It wants to market the drug for patients with pain severe enough to require around-the-clock treatment for whom other drugs are not enough. (Grover, 6/6)

Politico Pro: Rx Drug Monitoring Programs Curb Some Opioid Prescribing
Doctors in states that adopted prescription drug monitoring databases to help prevent doctor-shopping were 30 percent less likely to prescribe the most powerful opioids after having access to the data, according to a new study in Health Affairs. (Norman, 6/6)

Chicago Tribune: Donnelly, Officials Talk Strategy To Combat Opioid Epidemic
Abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers is a national epidemic, and it's having dire consequences, particularly in Indiana, officials said. U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., discussed the epidemic Monday with local law enforcement officers, educators and other state and federal officials at Merrillville High School and explained the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, passed in March. (Lazerus, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Why Many Hospitals Are Banning Flowers And Balloons
The next time you plan to bring a gift to a friend in the hospital, check the visitor policy first. Some health-care facilities are tightening restrictions on where flowers, plants, balloons and other cheery items are allowed, citing concerns about the potential for infection, among other risks. Most intensive-care units have been no-flower zones for decades. Many hospitals now have banned latex balloons out of concern for latex allergies. Now, some are extending limitations to ICU step-down units, cardiac-care units, pediatrics, labor and delivery units. (Beck, 6/6)

The Washington Post: The Sobering Thing Doctors Do When They Die
In "How Doctors Die," a powerful essay that went viral in 2011, a physician described how his colleagues meet the end: They go gently. At the end of life, they avoid the mistakes — the intensive, invasive, last-ditch, expensive and ultimately futile procedures that many Americans endure until their very last breath. "Of course, doctors don’t want to die; they want to live. But they know enough about modern medicine to know its limits," Ken Murray wrote. A new study reveals a sobering truth: Doctors die just like the rest of us. (Johnson, 6/6)

NPR: Febrile Seizures After Childhood Vaccines Are Rare, Study Finds
A seizure caused by a fever in a young child can be terrifying, and some parents worry that the occasional fever that can follow a vaccine may cause one. But febrile seizures after vaccines are rare, a study finds, affecting 3 children out of 10,000. And children almost always recover completely. The study, published Monday in Pediatrics, found that only a few vaccines or vaccine combinations increase the risk of febrile seizures. The pneumococcal vaccine given alone increases the risk, and so does the flu vaccine if given at the same time as either the pneumococcal vaccine or DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine. (Haelle, 6/6)

The Sacramento Bee: How Doctors Are Treating Strokes In Even Less Time
Traditionally, vascular surgeons used ultrasound and lasers or clot-busting drugs to break up blood clots. Stent retrievers, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012, are a newer innovation, along with new generations of flexible suction catheters. Used at Sutter Health and other local hospitals, they are considered a better way to quickly remove large blood clots. (Buck, 6/6)

The Oregonian: Hey, Kids, Turn Down The Music: Study Reports Hearing Damage In Youth
A new study of adolescents found that more than a quarter of those exposed to loud music already reported early hearing damage. A study published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports focused on the prevalence of tinnitus, or a buzzing or ringing in the ears, in students between the ages of 11 and 17, according to a news release. (Frazier, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Planned Parenthood Seeks To Block Medicaid Cutoff In Kansas
Planned Parenthood attorneys are asking a federal judge to prevent Kansas from cutting off Medicaid funding for the organization, arguing that the state is attempting to punish its affiliates for providing abortions. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson was having a hearing Tuesday in a lawsuit filed last month by two Planned Parenthood affiliates against the state health department's top administrator. The agency plans to cut off funding July 7 for services such as health exams and cancer screenings provided to poor Kansas residents whose health coverage is provided by the state's Medicaid program. (6/7)

The Associated Press: Louisiana Continues Fight Over Planned Parenthood Funds
A lawyer for Louisiana's attorney general asked a federal appeals court on Monday to overturn a judge's ruling that barred the state from taking Medicaid funding away from two Planned Parenthood clinics. Jimmy Faircloth, a lawyer for Attorney General Jeff Landry, told the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that a state administrative appeals process should be allowed to take place to decide whether Planned Parenthood should be funded. (Burdeau, 6/6)

The New York Times: New York Attorney General Seeks To Halt Sale Of 2 Nursing Homes Amid Inquiries
Citing misrepresentations and broken promises, the New York State attorney general’s office is seeking to prevent the purchase of two nursing centers by a company that was involved in transactions that put a Manhattan nursing home in the hands of luxury condominium developers. In letters sent on Monday to lawyers representing nursing care providers in Harlem and Coney Island, Brooklyn, an official from the charities bureau of the attorney general said that the office was objecting to “any proposed sales of not-for-profit organizations, in particular nursing homes, to the Allure Group.” (Goodman, 6/6)

The Tennessean: Certificate Of Need Agency Clashes With State Lawmaker
The [Tennessee] Health Services Development Agency and the lawmaker who sponsored successful legislation to amend its role are at odds over an interpretation of a new law, which will impact how providers apply to build or offer new services. (Fletcher 6/6)

The Associated Press: Thousands Of Nurses In Twin Cities Reject Contract
Union leaders representing about 5,000 nurses in the Twin Cities say members have rejected the latest contract offer from Allina Health, setting the stage for a strike at four hospitals. The nurses work at Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, Unity and United hospitals. The Minnesota Nurses Association said in a statement late Monday that a majority at all four hospitals voted to reject the contract that many say shifts too much of the company's health care costs to the nurses. (6/7)

Kansas Health Institute: Budget Cuts Lead To Waiting List For Senior Services
Eleven agencies that provide support to help Kansas seniors stay in their homes are starting to put some on waiting lists following state budget cuts. The $2.1 million reduction to the state’s Senior Care Act programs was part of a package of cuts Gov. Sam Brownback made last month after the Legislature sent him a budget that didn’t balance. (Marso 6/6)

Charlotte Observer: Charlotte To Expand Lead Tests In Drinking Water
Charlotte Water will expand its tests for lead in drinking water after the crisis in Flint, Mich., that exposed many homeowners to the toxic metal. Charlotte’s utility on Monday released its annual water-quality report that showed no violations of federal standards for 2015. For the first time, the report links to an interactive map of water test results. (Henderson, 6/6)

Kaiser Health News: Calif. Senate Nixes Bill Requiring Disclosures From Disciplined Doctors
The California Senate this week rejected legislation that would have required medical practitioners to notify their patients if they were on probation for serious infractions. The bill’s supporters said consumers were ill-served by the Senate’s decision. “Today’s vote means that most Californians will remain in the dark when their doctor is on probation for offenses that could jeopardize their health,” said Lisa McGiffert, manager of the Safe Patient Project at Consumers Union. (Ibarra, 6/7)

The San Francisco Chronicle: Hospital Chain Sued For Refusing To Cover Sex Reassignment’s Cost
A transgender nurse sued California’s largest private hospital chain, Dignity Health of San Francisco, on Monday for denying him insurance coverage for hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgery, which the company attributed to a “personality disorder.” (Egelko, 6/6)

Dallas Morning News: Frisco Health Care Software Company Valify Raises $2 Million In Funding
Valify, a Frisco health care software company, announced today that it has raised $2 million in Series A funding. Valify’s software helps hospitals manage costs and find potential savings for purchased services, such as janitorial companies, laundry vendors and food management. The company’s round was led by Frist Cressey Ventures and Step 5 Capital, along with other investors. (Repko, 6/6)

Bay Area News Group: Bay Area Physician Opens Right-To-Die Practice
When California's new right-to-die law finally goes into effect Thursday, Dr. Lonny Shavelson will be ready to consult with patients about their final plans. The Berkeley-based doctor has opened what may be the only specialized medical practice in the Bay Area, and possibly the entire state, focused solely on patients considering using the End of Life Option Act. (Seipel, 6/6)

Kaiser Health News: Students Fill A Gap In Mental Health Care For Immigrants
Patricia Becerril comes to Bethesda Health Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, every other week. And it's a slog. "It takes her two hours to get here," said Katherine Wilkin, a University of North Carolina at Charlotte master's student, translating for Becerril. "She takes two buses, so coming here, she's definitely devoted to getting this treatment. She comes every time." Wilkin is also Becerril's mental health counselor, and Becerril says Wilkin has helped her deal with depression. (Tomsic, 6/7)

Minnesota Public Radio: Medical Marijuana Is Helping, Patients Say, But It's Unaffordable
Most patients enrolled in Minnesota's medical marijuana program believe the medication is helping them, but a majority also think it's unaffordable, according to a Minnesota Department of Health survey. (Collins, 6/6)

Stat: The NIH Is Abandoning Vital Clinical Research Centers. That's A Mistake
One of the most successful research enterprises funded by the NIH, the Clinical Research Center (CRC) program, is dying, its highly productive life cut short with virtually no discussion in the scientific community. As longtime CRC users and the director (David M. Nathan) of one of them for more than 25 years, we mourn their loss even as we question the decision to abandon them. (David M. Nathan and David G. Nathan, 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: Rural Hospitals Taken Aback By Washington Insurer's Fingerpointing Over Rates
Like a number of other health insurers around the country, Premera Blue Cross is cutting back its participation in the Obamacare exchange market. What's notable is that the Mountlake Terrace, Wash.-based insurer is partly blaming rural healthcare providers' excessive rates for its pullback. At least one hospital leader in a smaller community was surprised by the not-for-profit insurer's position, saying the insurer had never complained to him about his organization's rates. (Harris Meyer, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: The Fundamentally Different Goals Of The Affordable Care Act And Republican ‘Replacement’ Plans
Rep. Pete Sessions and Sen. Bill Cassidy introduced legislation last month calling for replacing elements of the Affordable Care Act. A House task force established by Speaker Paul Ryan is expected to follow with more health-care proposals. These Republican health plans are generally referred to as “replacements” for the ACA–in the spirit of “repeal and replace”–as though they would accomplish the same objectives in ways that conservatives prefer. But the proposals are better understood as alternatives with very different goals, trade-offs, and consequences. Whether they are “better” or “worse” depends on your perspective. (Drew Altman, 6/7)

The Washington Post: Rep. Brooks: House Republicans Have Acted On Zika Virus
There is no doubt about it, we must act now to address the threats that Zika virus poses to our national health. It’s a crisis, similar to the one we experienced two years ago when the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa necessitated an immediate response. In truth, any future biological threat will cause a national health crisis until our national strategy for preparing for and protecting against biological threats is more proactive. We can’t continue to respond from crisis to crisis. Since the 2014 Ebola outbreak, despite steps taken by our hospitals and others to better prepare for biological threats and public health emergencies, our nation remains largely reactionary in its response. (Rep. Susan W. Brooks, 6/6)

The Washington Post: I’m A Stay-At-Home Mom. I’m An Addict.
Since his death, there have been countless articles speculating why a man as rich and famous as Prince would “allow” himself to become addicted to painkillers. But no one plans on becoming an addict. I know this because I, an educated stay-at-home mom, am an addict. Like Prince and the millions of Americans who take prescription painkillers every year, I began taking them for their intended purpose: I was in pain. When I became pregnant at 31, I knew my body would change irrevocably. I thought my red curls might go straight or my green eyes might reject contacts. I thought my feet might grow. I wasn’t prepared for my body chemistry to change. After my first son was born, certain foods tasted strange. I became allergic to alcohol. Muscle relaxants, which had previously helped my intense period cramps, no longer worked. My whole body felt different. Off. Wrong. (Jen Simon, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Don’t Let Polarizing Politics Derail How We Talk About Death
In the end, the personal was political. What brought the 78-year-old California governor and former Jesuit seminarian to sign the law that will allow doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients was thinking about his own last days. “I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain,” wrote Jerry Brown, breaking a long silence on this issue. “I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.” And so on Thursday, California will become the fifth and largest state to make physician-assisted death legal. (Ellen Goodman, 6/6)

Los Angeles Times: Hospital Says It Will Comply With End-Of-Life Law — For Now
Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena will participate in California’s assisted suicide law when it takes effect Thursday. But that could change down the road. I reported last month that medical leaders at the hospital quietly had voted for the facility's hundreds of doctors and affiliated personnel to opt out of the End of Life Option Act, which allows physicians to prescribe medication to hasten the death of terminally ill adults. The hospital’s board of directors was expected to finalize the opt-out decision at its May 26 meeting. But Huntington’s top brass is proceeding more cautiously now that the controversial matter is public knowledge. (David Lazarus, 6/7)

The Kansas City Star: Make It A Priority To Restore Vital Help For The Mentally Ill In Kansas City Area
The services that the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Kansas City has provided for people and families for 36 years are too vital for it to remain closed for long. Funding and staff problems recently forced the alliance to cease operations. Close to 30 percent of its revenue was from a portion of the Jackson County Community Mental Health Fund tax levy. Concerns over a need for the alliance to be reorganized caused it to be dropped from funding. (6/5)

The New York Times' The Upshot: The U.S. Is Failing In Infant Mortality, Starting At One Month Old
Many more babies die in the United States than you might think. In 2014, more than 23,000 infants died in their first year of life, or about six for every 1,000 born. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 other industrialized nations do better than the United States at keeping babies alive. (Aaron E. Carroll, 6/5)

Bloomberg: How To Lose $4.5 Billion Overnight
Forbes made quite a stir last week, by reporting that it had cut the estimated net worth of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes from $4.5 billion to…zero. Since Forbes is widely regarded as the authority on the size of private fortunes, this was a dramatic move. How could so much wealth disappear so fast? (Noah Smith, 6/6)