California’s Reopening Confusion

The events of the last few days raise the question: In eight days, will Californians mistakenly believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is over? After all, Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised a “full reopening” of the state on that date.

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No More Masks At Work? California’s Rules Are On Track To Change

Mask-optional workplaces are almost here, as long as a proposal from California’s workplace safety agency gets final approval. As the state moves toward lifting many COVID-19 pandemic restrictions June 15

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Reminder On COBRA And ARP Deadlines

Word & Brown has shared several updates via our Newsroom, broker newsletters, and Compliance articles concerning the effects of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, which was signed into law in March 2021.

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How Scientists Are Already Hunting For California’s Next COVID Variant

At the start of the year, infectious disease experts across California were, in their own words, stumbling around in a blind frenzy.

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The Health Insurance Public Option Might Be Fizzling. The Left Is OK With That.

When President Barack Obama abandoned a public insurance option to win moderate support for the Affordable Care Act in 2009, progressives were enraged. A decade later, Joe Biden campaigned on making the public option a reality, but so far, he's done little to get Congress to enact one.

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COVID Was a Tipping Point for Telehealth. If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here to Stay.

As the covid crisis wanes and life approaches normal across the U.S., health industry leaders and many patient advocates are pushing Congress and the Biden administration to preserve the pandemic-fueled expansion of telehealth that has transformed how millions of Americans see the doctor. The broad effort reaches across the nation’s diverse health care system, bringing ...

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How Will Insurers Cover A New Alzheimer’s Drug?

Federal regulators have approved the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years, leaving patients waiting to see how insurers will handle the pricey new treatment. Health care experts expect broad coverage of the drug, which was approved Monday. But what that means for patients will vary widely depending on their insurance plan. ...

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Prescription Drug Prices Top Public’s Health Care Priorities

Key Findings * The latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds majorities of the public saying many current health care proposals being discussed by lawmakers are important priorities for Congress to focus on in the coming months, and few (less than one five) saying each of the health priorities “should not be done.” While majorities of ...

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Out-Of-Pocket Costs Can Vary Widely For Specialty Drugs In Part D

Medicare beneficiaries face wide variation in spending for specialty drugs across Part D plans, according to a new analysis. A report from GoodRx finds coverage variations between plans can lead to high out-of-pocket costs for medications, based on the top specialty medications covered under an Aetna Part D plan with more than 445,000 members. For example, the ...

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California One Of Just Two States At CDC’s Lowest Level Of COVID Transmission

California continues to help set the pace for U.S. COVID-19 recovery, now ranked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of just two states at the lowest level of coronavirus community transmission. In fact, according to the CDC’s four-level color-coded system, California’s transmission metrics were the lowest out of all 50 states ...

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