Author: Kalup Alexander

Justine Saffir, director at the Sunnymont-Westside nursery school in San Jose, keeps in her classroom a spare EpiPen to treat potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, even though she is not allowed to use it. And in her 22 years at the school, she hasn’t had to.

Two months after the Justice Department filed suit against Anthem’s purchase of Cigna, the insurer has finally responded to the DOJ’s complaint. Cigna agreed with Anthem that the deal between the two would enhance access to affordable plans for consumers and wouldn’t harm competition, according to a new court filing.

When Senate Democrats announced a new push for a public option in Obamacare last week, the private insurance industry swung into action. And it did so quickly.

A California-based insurer that once sold mostly Medicaid plans has become a top competitor in ObamaCare’s marketplaces.In likely the toughest year yet for the reform law, Molina Healthcare is thriving in a market that’s seen high-profile departures from some of the nation’s largest health insurers.

Gap insurance is in a category of insurance known as “limited benefit.” No matter how bad a person’s situation, the plan will pay out only a certain amount of money. “Mini-med” policies, now illegal under the Affordable Care Act, are another example of a limited benefit plan.

A closely watched California prescription drug-pricing initiative is leading 3-1 with likely voters, but a third of those surveyed remain undecided, according to a new statewide Field-IGS Poll.

At first blush, the tobacco tax measure on California’s November ballot looks pretty straightforward. Proposition 56 would raise the price of a pack of cigarettes by $2 and tax e-cigarettes for the first time. Proponents say the higher price would prevent kids from smoking and lower health care spending because people won’t suffer as much from tobacco-related illness.

Once again, the Obama administration is giving insurance companies what they need, while exposing consumers to greater risk. It’s like déjà vu all over again.

Monthly premiums for seniors enrolled in the Medicare Advantage program are expected to be about 4 percent less expensive in 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday.

With major insurers retreating from the federal health law’s marketplaces, California’s insurance commissioner said he supports a public option at the state level that could bolster competition and potentially serve as a test for the controversial idea nationwide.