California Watch

Republicans have been chomping at the bit to repeal Obamacare since the instant President Barack Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010.

President Barack Obama's health-care plan will face a fresh round of investigations and public hearings in the Republican-controlled Senate next year, though the president's veto power will keep it from being dismantled.

Voters have soundly defeated an attempt to raise California's cap on medical malpractice damage awards, after physician and insurance groups poured tens of millions of dollars into the opposition campaign.

California voters on Tuesday shot down a ballot initiative that sought to expand the state insurance commissioner's authority after health insurance companies poured millions of dollars into advertising to fight it.

Opponents of Proposition 45 say the measure, which would give the state insurance commissioner authority over proposed health insurance rates, could interfere with Covered California.

Health insurance premiums for Covered California's Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) have been proposed and submitted to state regulators.

Moving to close what many see as a major loophole in Affordable Care Act rules, the Obama administration will ban large-employer medical plans from qualifying under the law if they don't offer hospitalization coverage.

California's public health department has failed to adequately manage investigations of nursing homes statewide, resulting in a backlog of more than 11,000 complaints - many involving serious safety risks to patients, according to an audit released Thursday.

A "small subset" of applicants to Covered California has been deluged with multiple notices, as many as 20 different letters -- some of them with conflicting eligibility information, exchange officials said.

Less than three weeks before Covered California kicks off its second open enrollment, there are problems with the website.