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.
Starting on Jan. 1, employers with at least 15 workers will have to include pay ranges in job postings. Employees will also be able to ask for the pay range for their own position, and larger companies will have to provide more detailed pay data to California’s Civil Rights Department than previously required.
$24 Billion Projected Budget Deficit May Test California’s Resolve To Grow Safety Net Amid Recession
California faces a projected deficit next year even if the U.S. avoids a recession. Despite the expected shortfall, policymakers say they’ll maintain spending on social programs though advocates are calling for more.
California took another step toward slowing the escalation of healthcare cost growth with the formal launch of the Office of Health Care Affordability at a briefing in Sacramento on November 30. The long-awaited state agency’s goals are to lower the cost of care by setting spending targets for payers and providers – including hospitals – ...
The Biden administration moved this week to eliminate the so-called “family glitch,” giving 391,000 California residents a way to slash those costs starting this week. When the U.S. Affordable Care Act went into effect, it excluded workers from buying insurance coverage for their families on state-based exchanges if they could get a job-based policy for ...
Each year brings annual compliance responsibilities to employers regarding their health plans, federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance, and COBRA responsibilities. It’s important for employers to be aware of – and adhere to – these responsibilities, supported by their health insurance brokers.
COVID-19 transmission continues to surge in California, along with spikes in other respiratory viruses, as state and local health officials urge indoor masking and additional precautions with end-of-year holidays approaching.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid from the tobacco industry to block a California ban on flavored tobacco products. The ban, or Proposition 31, was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November and will prohibit the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. The emergency plea was brought by R.J. Reynolds, a ...
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021 created a myriad of new compliance requirements for health plans, insurance issuers, insurance agents, and providers – all aimed to promote transparency. While the law was signed on December 27, 2020, many of its requirements and deadlines are approaching now. One of the new CAA requirements is for ...
California is now reporting very high flu levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the respiratory illness continues to surge nationwide.
There has been a troubling spike in coronavirus-positive hospital admissions among seniors in California, rising to levels not seen since the summer Omicron surge.