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.
Luca-Amine Hadir was 4 days old when his parents raced him to the ER. His mother, Jill McDonald, had wanted her child to have a gentle transition into the world, and Luca’s first four days were just that. He was born at home in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, in spring 2020 — Jill, now ...
A major union announced a proposal Thursday to impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in California to address federal funding cuts to health care for low-income people. Proponents, including the Service Employees International Union, hope to place the statewide measure before voters next year. The tax would be on the net worth of California’s ...
Hospitals argue that spending caps imposed by an affordability office will result in layoffs, cuts in health care services and reduced access to care for Californians.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a major state major medical insurance benefits bill into law this week. The Democrat also vetoed some health benefits bills, arguing that those bills would do too much to weaken health plan care utilization management efforts and increase plan costs. The new EHB package law could have a direct effect on ...
A five-day strike that affected hundreds of Kaiser Permanente clinics and hospitals in California and Hawaii came to an end after the union representing workers said it had “new momentum” to head back to the bargaining table, but no apparent agreement has been reached. “This strike may be over — but the fight for patient ...
California this week plans to notify Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees that their costs could rise sharply next year unless Congress extends subsidies to help people buy health insurance. Health care analysts say the nation’s uninsured population will rise significantly if federal lawmakers do not agree to renew covid-era tax credits, which Congress authorized in 2021 to ...
Changes to prior authorization, charity care screening and corporate influence in medicine are on the way for Californian healthcare organizations. Among the dozens of bills signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom ahead of an Oct. 12 deadline were several outlining new requirements or broader enforcement of healthcare practices. The new laws, as well as ...
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Saturday that will revamp the laws governing pharmacy benefit managers operating in his state. The bill “represents the most aggressive effort in the country to lower prescription drug costs,” Newsom said in a bill signing statement. The new California PBM law appears to be broader than the PBM laws ...
California, like much of the nation, is not producing enough nurses working at bedsides to meet the needs of an aging and diverse population, fueling a workforce crunch that risks endangering quality patient care. Nearly 60% of California counties, stretching between the borders with Mexico and Oregon, face a nursing shortage, according to state data. Democratic Gov. Gavin ...
California is putting the current Affordable Care Act preventive services coverage requirements into state law. ACA supporters in the state are hoping the move will protect the preventive services benefits mandates.