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.
Hospitals must promptly report to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health every time they try to collect medical debt from patients, under an ordinance backed Tuesday by county supervisors. The ordinance, which requires a second vote to be adopted, requires hospitals to tell the county within a month or two of initiating debt ...
The Contra Costa County health department on Tuesday recommended people wear masks in crowded indoor settings as COVID-19 infections increase throughout the Bay Area. The department said masking is particularly important for those at high risk of serious illness if infected. However, the department also stressed that it is a recommendation, not a health order, ...
When Californians phone for help with their Medicaid coverage, they routinely face waits of nearly an hour — and are regularly disconnected without reaching anyone, researchers found in a newly released analysis. An audit released Wednesday by the Children’s Partnership, an advocacy group focused on child health, found the average wait when researchers phoned in ...
Why OIG Did This Audit California pays managed care organizations to make services available to eligible Medicaid enrollees in return for a monthly fixed payment (capitation payment) for each enrollee. Previous OIG audits found that State Medicaid agencies made capitation payments on behalf of enrollees who were residing and enrolled in Medicaid in another State. ...
Premiums for health insurance sold through the state’s marketplace will increase by nearly 8% in 2025, Covered California officials announced Wednesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that set health care workers on a path to a $25 minimum wage. Lawmakers then delayed it, but some hospitals are raising pay ahead of schedule.
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.