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.
State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, and former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim both agree that California’s property insurance market needs fixing. But in a debate Thursday, the candidates for the state’s next insurance commissioner showcased what is a defining difference in their race: How far they want that change to go. “The truth is ...
Proposition 44 would require clinics to spend more money on patient care. The union pushing the measure is the same one supporting the billionaire tax proposal. Clinics say the measure will force closures.
Every Tuesday, Naman Shah sees tuberculosis patients at a small public clinic in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. Shah, a physician and epidemiologist at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, pores over images of battered lungs, listens to labored breathing, and checks medications. It’s part of an initiative dating to the early 20th ...
In June, lawmakers passed a healthcare tax that could increase premiums in order to combat federal Medicaid cuts. The California Medical Association and California Association of Health Plans say in a new lawsuit that the tax violates Proposition 35, passed by voters in 2024.
Gov. Gavin Newsom this week claimed a major victory for CARE Court, his program to provide mental health treatment to Californians with serious conditions. Did it really help 10,000 people?”
A proposal to tax California’s billionaires has fractured Democratic politics, repelled some of the state’s richest residents and exploded into a costly battle that’s overshadowing even the gubernatorial election. Known as Proposition 40, the ballot measure is also dividing the very industry it’s supposed to help. The healthcare-workers union behind the initiative, which would authorize ...
Blue Shield of California announced Thursday that it plans to expand its Virtual Blue program, doubling program enrollment for members. Beginning in January 2027, the benefit will be included in fully insured preferred provider organization (PPO) plans for employers with 101 to 3,000 employees, as well as for certain individual and family plans, the insurer ...
Health Net has released FAQs to help brokers and members navigate its exit from the California Small Group and Large Group medical markets. These resources provide information directly from Health Net regarding the transition, including important details and guidance for affected groups. View Health Net Broker FAQs View Health Net Member FAQs We encourage brokers ...
Nearly 25,000 Californians could see their medication switched next year. Doctors can object, but insurers would gain new power over prescriptions.
Overview Health Net is exiting the California Small Group and Large Group medical markets. The exit impacts all Health Net Small Group and Large Group medical groups, including groups enrolled through CalChoice. This change does not impact the Medi-Cal, Marketplace/Covered California or Medicare lines of business. The final Health Net renewal and new-business effective date is September ...