Extended California Heat Wave Brings Extreme Health, Fire Risk; Power Shutoffs Likely

Authorities are warning of extreme health and wildfire risks across California this week, as the longest heat wave of the year is set to kick off Tuesday, bringing triple-digit temperatures, with little overnight cooling, to the vast majority of the state. “This is really just a long-duration heat event that will provide little to no ...

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Why You Should Think Twice Before Taking A Daily Multivitamin To Ward Off Death

If you’re taking a multivitamin to help you live longer, a new study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute may prompt you to reconsider. After analyzing health and nutrition data from nearly 400,000 Americans, the researchers found that people who took multivitamins had a small but significantly greater risk of premature death than people ...

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ACA Preventive Care Mandate Still In Effect, Except For Firms That Sued: Court Ruling

An appeals court affirmed a lower court's ruling that HHS could not force Braidwood and other firms who challenged the ACA mandate to cover PrEP drugs for HIV, however, the nationwide ACA coverage mandate is still in effect.

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California Leaders Tussle With Health Industry Over Billions of New Dollars for Medi-Cal

Gov. Gavin Newsom, state lawmakers, and health industry leaders have a small window to reach an agreement on billions of new dollars for Medi-Cal before it’s put to voters in November.

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Private Plans Cover More Americans: CDC

Employer-sponsored health plans and other private plans seem to be covering more Americans, but people with income over 400% of the federal poverty level are less likely to have any coverage.

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California Leaders Agree To Delay Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Increase To Help Balance Budget

Democrats in California have agreed to delay a minimum wage increase for about 426,000 health care workers to help balance the state’s budget. The agreement is part of a larger plan to close an estimated $46.8 billion shortfall.

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Federal Appeals Court Protects Cigna From California State-Law Suit

A federal appeals court in California has shielded a health insurer against a state-law breach-of-contract claims and other state-law claims. A three judge panel at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently found that the state-law claims had a “connection with” a benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Congress passed ERISA in ...

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Kaiser Permanente-Backed Risant Health Acquires Second Hospital System

Risant Health, the nonprofit entity created by Kaiser Permanente, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire North Carolina’s Cone Health, the nonprofit systems said Friday. Cone would be the second system to join Risant, subject to regulatory approval, following Geisinger Health earlier this year. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. It is expected to close in ...

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Cigna + Oscar Exiting Group Market, Offering Early Renewal

Cigna and Oscar Health have announced they will exit the Small Group market in California and other states as of December 15, 2024. Cigna + Oscar exited the Covered California Affordable Care Act marketplace in 2023. Current groups with Cigna + Oscar coverage will be allowed to renew early (for coverage effective 12/1/2024) if they ...

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State Judge Clears Sutter Health In $519M Double-Billing Case

Sutter Health was absolved this week from a California whistleblower lawsuit alleging the nonprofit system owed $519 million for double-billing patients. After a seven-week trial, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Stephen Kaus ruled Monday retired surgeon Dr. Gregory Duncan and patient Gary Hulbert failed to show that Sutter’s billing practices for surgical patients were fraudulent. Duncan and ...

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