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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.

U.S. Appeals Court Says Medi-Cal Cut to Hospitals Was Illegal

A U.S. appeals court decided Monday that the federal government wrongly approved California’s request to temporarily cut Medi-Cal reimbursement by 10% during the recession for hospital outpatient care.

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Want a Better Obamacare Rate? You May Have to Call the Movers

Under preliminary Obamacare rates announced by Covered California, premiums on exchange plans will rise by an average of 5.7 percent in Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties. That’s less than half of the statewide average of 12.5 percent, and consumers could virtually avoid an increase altogether if they shop around.

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Covered California Individual Rates Increase 12.5%, Anthem Pulls Out Of Regions

Covered California on Tuesday announced that health insurance rates on the state’s health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act will increase by an average rate of 12.5 percent for 2018 plans.

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Why Obamacare Is More Secure in California Than In Other States

Obamacare remains the law of the land, for now, perhaps nowhere more securely than in California.

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Single-Payer Supporters Launch Recall Against Rendon

When Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) halted a measure to establish single-payer healthcare in California, the bill's most dedicated backers immediately called for him to be removed from office.

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Senate Republicans Fail in Full Repeal Bid

Republican leaders were stung by another defeat Wednesday when the Senate rejected a repeal of the Obamacare law and its mandates on coverage, taxes and Medicaid expansion.

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Obamacare Exchanges In Limbo, Covered California Seeks Clarity, Examines Options

California’s Obamacare exchange scrubbed its annual rate announcement this week, the latest sign of how the ongoing political drama over the Affordable Care Act is roiling insurance markets nationwide.

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Brokers Talking Tech

For businesses with up to 100 employees, many of which lean heavily on the advice of their broker, technology can transform an adviser from a once a year sales person into an invaluable, year-round business consultant. Those who are reluctant to jump on the technology train must adapt or die off, as they live in a world and work in an industry that is increasingly taking advantage of online tools and resources.

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Health Care Overhaul Collapses as Two Republican Senators Defect

Two more Republican senators declared on Monday night that they would oppose the Senate Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, killing, for now, a seven-year-old promise to overturn President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement.

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Senate to Take Up Bill to Repeal Obamacare Without Replacement Plan

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced late Monday that the Senate will give up on its bill to replace Obamacare and vote instead on legislation to repeal the law within two years.

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