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.
They distribute GPS devices so they can track their homeless patients. They stock their street kits with glass pipes used to smoke meth, crack, or fentanyl. They keep company credit cards on hand in case a patient needs emergency food or water, or an Uber ride to the doctor. These doctors, nurses, and social workers ...
Regional Medical Center, which operates one of just three adult trauma centers in Santa Clara County, has reversed course on its previous plans to close its trauma center on Aug. 12, and will instead remain open — but with fewer services than before. The East San Jose hospital will downgrade its trauma center from Level II ...
The hidden costs of extreme heat — from lost productivity to healthcare for heat-related illnesses — totaled more than $7.7 billion over the last decade, a new report from the California Department of Insurance found.
Word & Brown General Agency Senior Director of Education and Market Development Paul Roberts, REBC, has been selected to join the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) 2024-2025 National Legislative Council.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care and Blue Shield of California went out of network on June 29 in Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Hospitals affected include Stanford Health Care Medical Center, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto and Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley in Pleasanton. “While we are disappointed we have not reached an agreement at ...
UCSF must continue charity care, adhere to price growth caps and invest hundreds of millions of dollars into St. Mary’s Medical Center and St. Francis Memorial Hospital, the two struggling San Francisco hospitals it is acquiring for $100 million, under a settlement reached with the California attorney general. The settlement, announced Tuesday, resolves a complaint brought ...
The health care industry put a measure on the November ballot that would raise more money for Medi-Cal and block lawmakers from spending it on general government services. Billions of dollars are on the line.
Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to buy up and forgive millions of dollars in medical debt as part of a comprehensive plan to tackle a $2.9 billion burden that weighs on almost 800,000 residents. The measure, authored by supervisors Janice Hahn and Holly Mitchell, allows the county to enter into a pilot program with Undue Medical Debt, ...
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed California’s budget to close an estimated $46.8 billion deficit through $16 billion in spending cuts and temporarily raising taxes on some businesses. Lawmakers passed the budget Wednesday following an agreement between Newsom and legislative leaders in which both sides made concessions and also had wins as they were forced, for the ...
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 ...