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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.

New California Law Expands Pay Scale Disclosure, Pay Data Reporting

Legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week requires employers to make pay scales available to job applicants and employees and expands California’s pay data reporting requirements.

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Bay Area COVID Cases Level Off With ‘A Significant Amount Of Virus Circulating’

After a precipitous drop over the past two months, California’s COVID-19 trends have hit a plateau. The state reported an average of 3,336 cases a day as of Thursday, only a 5% decrease from the previous week’s numbers, according to health department data.

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Doctors Fear California Law Aimed At COVID-19 Misinformation Could Do More Harm Than Good

California doctors will soon be subject to disciplinary action if they give their patients information about COVID-19 that they know to be false or misleading.

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Voters Support Newsom’s Mental Health Plan and Back Mandatory Kindergarten, Poll Shows

California voters strongly support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to set up a new court system for people struggling with a combination of severe mental illness, homelessness and substance use, but split with the governor on requiring children to attend kindergarten, a new poll shows.

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New California Legislation Affects Health Care

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of new laws in late September that significantly affect health care and access to abortive care in the Golden State. These changes impact most Californians, especially those covered by fully insured group health plans, individual plans, or Medi-Cal.

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California Monkeypox Cases Plunge 95%, Outbreak Isn’t Over Yet

The number of people testing positive for monkeypox has plunged in California, with the seven-day average of new cases down about 95% since the peak of the outbreak in early August. Though health experts caution that the virus threat hasn’t disappeared, progress in fending it off so far constitutes a major public health success. The ...

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Newsom Signs Bill Making Family Leave Affordable To More Workers

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a family leave bill today that will enable lower-income workers to recoup up to 90% of their income when they take time off to care for a new child or a sick family member. That will be a boost from the current program and will apply to those who make as ...

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San Francisco Leaders Announce New Efforts to Curb Opioid Overdose Epidemic

As the opioid overdose epidemic continues to spread across the state, a new bipartisan legislative committee is coming together to look for a solution.

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Health Plan Shake-Up Could Disrupt Coverage for Low-Income Californians

Almost 2 million of California’s poorest and most medically fragile residents may have to switch health insurers as a result of a new strategy by the state to improve care in its Medicaid program.

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California Poised To Extend COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Requirements

With current COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) requirements set to expire on September 30, the California Legislature has passed California Assembly Bill 152 (AB 152), which now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature.

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