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.
A federal judge has partially revived California’s “pay for delay” law, which prohibits pharmaceutical companies from paying competitors to keep generic drugs off the market. But the law’s author said the latest ruling would still allow companies to sidestep enforcement. The 2020 law, the first of its kind in the nation, was aimed at a ...
California schools and childcare facilities no longer have to require masks indoors after March 11, state officials announced Monday, although masks are still “highly recommended.” The announcement does not necessarily mean that all San Diego County students will be able to ditch masks immediately after that date, however. Schools can continue to require masks if ...
The board of Covered California has agreed to hire Jessica Altman — the Pennsylvania insurance commissioner — to succeed Peter Lee as CEO. Lee, the outgoing Covered California CEO, has been leading the public health insurance exchange for more than 10 years and helped oversee the launch of its website in late 2013. Lee announced plans ...
Medi-Cal, the state’s safety net health program, isn’t free for everyone. More than half a million of California’s lowest-income children, pregnant individuals and working disabled adults are required to pay health insurance premiums, ranging from $13 a month to as much as $350. That may change this year under two proposals being floated in Sacramento. ...
On February 17th, 2022, Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced S. 3673. This bipartisan bill will provide much-needed relief for employers seeking to comply with the reporting requirements under Section 6055 and 6056 for enforcement of the ACA's individual and employer mandates.
California's mask mandate officially lifts Wednesday, and all counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, except Santa Clara, plan to drop indoor face-covering requirements for vaccinated people. Yes, that means if you go to the movies or eat out at a restaurant, you no longer need to sport a mask in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano or Sonoma counties.
The California Department of Public Health on Monday reported the latest daily case rate at 57 per 100,000, down 46% from 106 per 100,000 a week earlier.
The classroom was always going to be the last stand for the mask wars in California. Schools stayed closed longer here than anywhere else in the country as teachers unions made access to vaccines a condition of their return. More recently, teachers have demanded better masks and more testing to guard against the Omicron variant.
California legislators are trying to succeed where the federal government couldn’t by mandating that all businesses require their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, introduced a bill Friday that would mandate vaccines for workplaces and require employers to verify that their workers are immunized. New hires would need to have ...
Amazon.com Inc. says its medical consultation service is expanding around the U.S., underscoring the company’s determination to become a major player in the health care industry. Amazon Care offers virtual health services nationwide and this year will expand in-person care to 20 more cities, including New York, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago, Amazon said Tuesday in ...