New California Single-Payer Bill Intensifies Newsom’s Political Peril

A group of Democratic state lawmakers introduced legislation Friday to create a single-payer health care system to cover all Californians, immediately defining the biggest health policy debate of the year and putting enormous political pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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Biden Is Changing PPP Rules. For 2 Weeks, Only Businesses With Fewer Than 20 Employees Can Claim Pandemic Relief Loans.

President Joe Biden is set to change the main US coronavirus aid program for small businesses on Monday to try to reach smaller, minority-owned businesses and sole proprietors left behind in previous rounds of aid.

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New Vaccine Delivery System Launches In Parts Of California, Including Riverside County

California’s new system of delivering, tracking and scheduling coronavirus vaccines is being rolled out in select counties — including Riverside County — a first step in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to smooth out what has been a confusing and disjointed rollout hampered by limited national supply.

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Kaiser Is Expanding Who It’s Vaccinating. Here’s What You Need To Know

Kaiser Permanente is ramping up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination for senior members in a development being welcomed in the Bay Area and across California.

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GOP Working to Block Biden’s Health Care Pick; Dems Unfazed

President Joe Biden’s pick for health secretary, Xavier Becerra, told senators Tuesday that tackling the coronavirus pandemic will be his first priority if confirmed, but he also pledged to work to expand health insurance coverage, curb prescription drug costs and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in medical care.

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While Politically Divided, Americans United in Fear of Affording Retirement

Everyone knows how politically divided the country is these days, but Americans can agree on some things: The pandemic has increased concerns about financial security in retirement, and they want Social Security to be around for the long haul to help. A new report from the National Institute on Retirement Security shows the vast majority ...

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California Will Begin Setting Aside 10% Of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses For Teachers

California is planning to start setting aside 10% of the COVID-19 vaccine the state receives each week to vaccinate teachers, day care workers and other school employees in the hopes of getting more students back in the classroom. “It must be done, and it must be done much sooner than the current path we are ...

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Federal Watchdog Raises Concerns About Increasing Telehealth Fraud During Pandemic

A federal government watchdog is sounding the alarm that Americans’ growing enthusiasm for telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic has led to a worrying parallel: a “dramatic increase” in telehealth related fraud. The health department’s independent inspector general criticized policymakers for failing to put regulatory safeguards in place when they expanded access to telehealth in ...

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COVID-19 Costs, Care Deferrals Came Back To Bite Insurers In Q4 2020

While health plans reported sky-high profits in the early parts of 2020 due to care deferred under the pandemic, rising costs related to COVID-19 and more stable care utilization dinged their finances in the fourth quarter. Cigna was the most profitable of the major national insurers in the fourth quarter, bringing in $4.1 billion in ...

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California Legislators Approve $7.6-Billion COVID-19 Package, Including $600 Stimulus Checks

Californians who qualify for a $600 state stimulus payment could see the money arrive as soon as a month after filing their tax returns under a $7.6-billion COVID-19 economic relief package approved Monday by the state Legislature. Crafted by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders last week, the pandemic assistance plan also includes more than ...

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