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 officials and health care groups had mixed reactions to a budget plan (AB 93) passed by the California Legislature on Monday, Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News” reports (Orr, “KXJZ News,” Capital Public Radio, 6/15). For more on the Legislature’s budget plan, see today’s “Capitol Desk” post. Background Last month, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released ...
California lawmakers are advancing legislation to add pregnancy to the list of so-called ‘life-qualifying events’ allowing people to buy health insurance outside the regular open enrollment period. U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California have urged the state to adopt the measure, and advocates are pressuring federal health authorities to do the same. ...
A top California regulator vowed a “deep dive” into a $1.2-billion acquisition proposed by Blue Shield of California amid criticism that the nonprofit insurer is shortchanging the public. Shelley Rouillard, director of the state Department of Managed Health Care, signaled tough scrutiny ahead for Blue Shield’s proposed purchase of Medicaid insurer Care1st Health Plan at ...
California businesses have for years complained about lawsuits related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, where plaintiffs visit their stores or restaurants and then demand financial damages after finding oftentimes technical violations of the accessibility rules. At one point last year, 20-some businesses in thedowntown area of one northern California city were hit with such ...
Floor sessions on Tuesday in the state Senate and Assembly were fast-paced affairs. The deadline to pass bills out of their house of origin is June 5 so the legislation queue on Tuesday was pretty long and resulted in a rapid-fire pace. The Senate passed a high-profile measure to expand coverage to some undocumented immigrants. A ...
On Monday, CMS publicly released new online data that reveal hospitals’ Medicare charges and payments, as well as what doctors billed, in 2013, Modern Healthcare reports (Herman, Modern Healthcare, 6/1). Background The data were unveiled at the Health Datapalooza conference in Washington, D.C. (CMS release, 6/1). It is the third straight year that Medicare has ...
On Thursday, California lawmakers advanced measures related to childhood vaccine requirements, the state’s prescription drug database and physician-assisted suicide. However, legislators also shelved several health-related measures. The decisions come ahead of a June 5 deadline for bills to be approved by at least one body of the state Legislature. Childhood Vaccine Bill A bill (SB ...
Sometimes, paying more upfront can cost less in the long run. That has been the case for a collaborative effort of the state’s largest for-profit health insurance company and a handful of doctor groups that worked to coordinate the care of 200,000 patients with multiple chronic conditions. Today, Anthem Blue Cross of California is announcing ...
A proposal to expand health care to Californians in the country illegally cleared the Senate on Tuesday, passing on a 28-11 vote and heading to the Assembly. Senate Bill 4 would allow undocumented immigrants to purchase health insurance on the state exchange, pending a federal waiver, and enroll eligible children under the age of 19 ...
A new survey shows that 44% of Covered California policyholders find it difficult paying their monthly premiums for Obamacare coverage. And a similar percentage of uninsured Californians say the high cost of coverage is the main reason they go without health insurance. The issue of just how much people can afford will loom large as ...