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>> >>PEGGY: HEALTH CARE REFORM AND EDUCATION FUNDING AND SERVICES WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST
STORIES OF 2012. JOINING ME WITH AN UPDATE OF THOSE STORIES
AND MORE ARE KPBS HEALTH REPORTER KENNY GOLDBERG AND KYLE AWL CALVERT.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH KYLA, YOU DID A SERIES THAT BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR ON HOMELESS
STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO. WHAT'S THE LATEST ON THAT?
>> >>KYLA CALVERT: WHEN I DID THOSE STORIES IN FEBRUARY, THE DISTRICT HAD GONE FROM IDENTIFYING
600 HOMELESS IN 2006 TO MORE THAN 3500 AT THE BEGINNING OF 2012.
I CHECKED IN WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH FOR THAT STORY AND THEY TOLD ME NOW THERE
ARE MORE THAN 4,000 HOMELESS STUDENTS IN THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT THEY'RE
WORKING WITH. >> >>PEGGY: SO IT CONTINUES TO RISE.
>> >>KYLA CALVERT: IT IS CONTINUING TO PICK UP.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU DID A PROFILE, FOLLOW AD HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR WHO LIVED A GROUP HOME IN DOWNTOWN.
REMIND OF US OF STORY. >> >>KYLA CALVERT: COURTNEY'S MOTHER WAS AN
ADDICT AND PASSED AWAY, HER FATHER WAS NOT REALLY IN HER LIFE, AND SHE WAS LIVING WITH
HER GRAND MOTHER AND THAT SITUATION DETERIORATED. SHE TOOK TWO BUSES EVERY DAY TO GET TO SCRIPPS
RANCH HIGH SCHOOL. I SPOKE WITH HER, AND SHE IS APPLYING TO COLLEGES
AND FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO SAW THAT STORY ON HER SET UP A SMALL COLLEGE
FUND. >> >>PEGGY: THAT'S A GREAT UPDATE.
KENNY, AMONG THE HEALTH ISSUES YOU COVERED THIS YEAR, ONE OF THE BIG ONES WAS RISE OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE. WHAT WAS THE SITUATION, AND WHERE DOES IT
STAND NOW? >> >>KENNY GOLDBERG: IT'S NOW THE LEADING
CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN SAN DIEGO. SURPASSED EVEN CAR ACCIDENTS.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF ADDICTION TO VICODIN, OXYCONTIN, WE'RE ALSO SEEING A RISE NOW IN
THE ABUSE OF PRESCRIPTION TRANQUILIZERS LIKE *** AND XANEX.
SO IT'S AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM IN HIGH SCHOOLS. ONE OUT OF FIVE KIDS SAY THEY'VE ABUSED PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS, IT'S ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS. >> >>PEGGY: THAT'S NOT THE ONLY DRUG MAKING
A COME BACK. IT SEEMS *** IS MAKING A MAJOR COME BACK.
>> >>KENNY GOLDBERG: ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IS KIDS ARE GETTING HOOKED ON OXYCONTIN AND THEN THE PILLS COST ABOUT
60 DOLLARS ON THE STREET A PIECE. WHEN THEY RUN OUT OF THOSE, IT'S CHEAPER TO
GO TO *** THAN ONE OF THOSE PRESCRIPTION PILLS.
>> >>PEGGY: ONCE AGAIN, A BIG SEARCH YOU WERE SAYING.
>> >>KENNY GOLDBERG: A VERY BIG SURGE. THE NUMBER OF KIDS IN THE 18 TO 25 YEAR OLD
AGE IN TREATMENT HAS TRIPLED FOR *** ADDICTION. >> >>PEGGY: KYLA, LET'S GET BACK TO THE SCHOOLS
AND PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION 30, OBVIOUSLY A HUGE STORY HERE.
IT WAS A BIG RELIEF, BUT WHAT IS THE IMPACT GOING TO BE IN THE COMING YEAR?
>> >>KYLA CALVERT: THE IMPACT WE CAN REALLY SAY RIGHT NOW IS THAT PROP 30 PREVENTED ABOUT
SIX BILLION DOLLARS IN CUTS THAT WOULD HAVE FALLEN ON EDUCATION.
IN SAN DIEGO UNIFIED THAT MEANT THEY DIDN'T CUT THREE WEEKS FROM THE SCHOOL YEAR AND OTHER
DISTRICTS ARE POISED TO CUT DATES FROM THE SCHOOL YEAR.
THOSE CUTS DIDN'T HAPPEN. AS TO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR, THAT'S NOT AS
CLEAR. WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT GOVERNOR JERRY
BROWN PROPOSES IN HIS PROPOSED BUDGET IN JANUARY IN TERMS OF SPENDING THOSE NEW REVENUE.
>> >>PEGGY: PLUG THE HOLE IN THE *** BUT WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE IT GOES.
KENNY, THE BIGGEST MEDICAL STORY LAST YEAR NATIONALLY THAT IMPACTS US HERE WAS THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO CALIFORNIANS AND BY DEFAULT SAN DIEGANS.
>> >>KENNY GOLDBERG: CALIFORNIA WAS GOING AHEAD WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HEALTH
CARE REFORM ACT BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT UP HELD IT.
SO NOW THE STATE IS GOING STRAIGHT AHEAD RED TEE IMPLEMENT IT 2014 IS A TARGET WHEN THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE THIS HEALTH EXCHANGE ONLINE WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO COMPARE HEALTH PLANS,
SHOP FOR RATES. THE NATIONAL GOAL IS TO START THOSE THINGS
BY JANUARY. CALIFORNIA WANTS TO INTRODUCE THEIRS BY OCTOBER.
THEY'RE WORKING HARD TO GET IT READY. >> >>PEGGY: A BRIEF UPDATE FOR FOLKS.
ANY TIME YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE INSURANCE.
>> >>KENNY GOLDBERG: ESPECIALLY WHO HAVE EMPLOYER PROVIDED INSURANCE REALLY NOTHING CHANGES.
THEIR BEN FTSZ ARE GOING TO STAY THE SAME. THANKS TO HEALTH CARE REFORM THEY'RE GOING
TO INSURE THEIR KIDS AND GET PREVENTIVE SERVICES LIKE MAMMOGRAMS, PAP SMEARS FOR FREER.
>> >>PEGGY: WE ARE OUT OF TIME. KPBS REPORTERS, KYLA CALVERT AND KENNY GOLDBERG.
>> >>KENNY GOLDBERG: THANK YOU. >> >>KYLA CALVERT: THANK YOU.