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California Watch

News stories in this section spotlight activities in California, including actions by the state Assembly and state Senate; proposed legislation; regulators like the Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Insurance; and the state ACA exchange, Covered California.

The Fight Over How To Pay For Medi-Cal Puts Pressure On Newsom To Raise Taxes

California health care advocates, labor unions and progressive lawmakers are urging the governor and the Legislature to find new money to fund medical care and other social services for millions of low-income and disabled Californians. Their coalition, known as “Fight for Our Health,” demanded Wednesday on the Capitol steps that the Legislature and soon-to-be lame ...

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California Flu Hospitalizations Are Climbing. Here’s What Doctors Are Watching Next

Flu hospitalizations are increasing across California, with projections showing further rises in the coming weeks, state officials warned Tuesday – though forecasts indicate this flu season may not be as bad as last year’s, which was one of the worst in at least a decade. “We are seeing increasing flu cases and (hospital) admissions in ...

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California Ends Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Despite TrumpRx Plan

Many low-income Californians prescribed wildly popular weight loss drugs lost their coverage for the medications at the start of the new year. Health officials are recommending diet and exercise as alternatives to heavily advertised weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, advice experts say is unrealistic. “Of course he tried eating well and everything, but ...

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Newsom’s Budget Shows Big Revenue Gain, But We’ve Been Down That Path Before

“This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.” When Gov. Gavin Newsom declared today that the state will likely receive an extra $42.3 billion in tax revenue over the next three years, thus alleviating a stubborn budget deficit, the inimitable Yogi Berra’s famous observation came to mind. “It’s like déjà vu all ...

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This California Strategy Safeguarded Some Medicaid Social Services Funding From Trump

When Virginia Guevara moved into a studio apartment in California’s Orange County in 2024 after nearly a decade of homelessness, she needed far more than a roof and a bed. Scattered visits to free clinics notwithstanding, Guevara hadn’t had a full medical checkup in years. She required dental work. She wanted to start looking for ...

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On the Hook for Uninsured Residents, Counties Now Wonder How They’ll Pay

In 2013, before the Affordable Care Act helped millions get health insurance, California’s Placer County provided limited health care to some 3,400 uninsured residents who couldn’t afford to see a doctor. For several years, that number has been zero in the predominantly white, largely rural county stretching from Sacramento’s eastern suburbs to the shores of ...

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A New California Law Gives The State More Power Over Workplaces. Trump Is Suing To Block It

A new law backed by California unions gives a state board the right to regulate working conditions and labor rights as the federal labor board’s fate is in limbo.

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California’s Budget Outlook Is Grim. Here’s What You Need To Know

How did we get here? Where do we go from here? Spend one minute to catch up on everything you need to know about California’s budget health this year.

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Newsom Hires Former CDC Leaders As Public Health Advisers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Monday he is hiring two former top officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who were pushed out by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or resigned in protest of his policies. Susan Monarez, former CDC director, and Deb Houry, former CDC chief medical officer, will be ...

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The Country’s Largest All-Electric Hospital Is About To Open In Orange County

A new hospital at UC Irvine opens Wednesday and it will be all-electric — only the second such medical center, and the largest, in the country so far. People live through some of the toughest moments of their lives in hospitals, so they need to be as comfortable as possible. Hospitals traditionally connect with natural ...

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