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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.

Covered California to Cap Patient Costs for High-Priced Specialty Drugs

Covered California board members voted Thursday to become the first state health care exchange in the nation to impose price caps on high-cost specialty drugs to treat conditions such as hepatitis C and HIV.

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Multi-Carrier Private Exchange Eclipses California SHOP

Covered California's Small Employer Health Options Program (SHOP) is growing, but a private-sector competitor to the state-run HIX is growing even faster.

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Audit Questions Medicaid Billing by 335 California Dentists

A California dentist who treats children under Medicaid billed for more than 1,000 services a day for almost 100 days in 2012.

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Huge Coalition Launches $10M Media Campaign to Hike Medi-Cal Rates

A coalition of health care, business, consumer and labor groups will spend $10 million over the next eight weeks on a media campaign to convince state leaders to raise Medi-Cal rates.

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States Lose $721B If SCOTUS Rules Against Obamacare

Next month, the Supreme Court will decide whether Obamacare enrollees in states that did not set up their own exchanges will continue to have access to federal subsidies.

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Brown Unveils Revised Budget Plan; Health Advocates React

On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released the revised version of his fiscal year 2015-2016 budget plan, which includes several health care proposals, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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State Pressured To Explain Why it Revoked Blue Shield’s Not-for-Profit Exemption

A consumer advocacy organization has launched a campaign to get state officials to explain why they revoked Blue Shield of California's tax-exempt not-for-profit status last year.

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Amid Slower Growth, California’s Obamacare Exchange Cuts Proposed Spending

After using most of $1 billion in federal start-up money, California's Obamacare exchange is preparing to go on a diet.

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1 in 4 Adults Had Insurance But Still Couldn’t Afford Medical Care

More than 1 in 4 adults who bought insurance for themselves or their families last year had to skip needed medical care because they couldn't afford it, according to a study released Thursday by Families USA, a consumer health group.

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Coalitions Form To Get Slice of Budget

Two coalitions of health care providers, advocates and medical groups announced their formation in the past week and said they would try to ramp up pressure for a couple of key budget issues as the state budget talks intensify.

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