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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.

Cal/OSHA Extends and Revises the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS)

Cal/OSHA readopted the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on December 16, 2021.  While a large portion of the existing ETS remains in place, there were a few changes made in this newly adopted ETS.

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Covered California’s Insurance Deals Range From ‘No-Brainer’ to Sticker Shock

If you purchase your own health insurance, it’s time to choose your coverage for 2022. If you buy it through Covered California, the chances are better than ever that you will get a big discount on your monthly premium — or pay no premium at all.

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California More Prepared For Latest Surge Of New Virus Cases

California is poised for a surge in new coronavirus infections as a far more contagious version of the disease spreads among holiday parties and family gatherings forced indoors by a series of winter storms. But experts say the nation’s most populous state is likely to avoid the worst scenario — spikes in hospitalizations and deaths ...

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Adjust The Cap On Compensation For Medical Malpractice

Under a 1975 California law known as MICRA – the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act – the victim of medical malpractice may collect no more than $250,000 for pain and suffering, regardless of how devastating the injuries might be. As the state that leads the nation in protection of consumers, how can this gross injustice be allowed ...

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Doctors Sue Envision Healthcare, Say Private Equity-Backed Firm Shouldn’t Run ERs In California

An emergency medicine physicians group has sued Envision Healthcare, the giant health care services company, alleging that it violated California laws barring corporations from practicing medicine when it took over staffing of the emergency department at Placentia-Linda Hospital in Placentia, California, in August. The lawsuit was filed by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Physician Group, or ...

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California Orders Statewide Mask Requirement Starting Wednesday Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases

Faced with rising coronavirus cases and growing concerns about the Omicron variant, California is ordering a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces to go into effect on Wednesday.

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Word & Brown Names New CEO

Word & Brown General Agency, an Orange-based provider of insurance and health benefit brokers with more than 500 employees, named current President Jessica Word as its new chief executive.

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California Universal Mask Mandate Starts. What Are The Exceptions And When Does It End?

California’s statewide mask mandate goes into effect Wednesday. For those in the Golden State, this means everyone, vaccinated and unvaccinated, must wear a face covering in indoor public spaces — for the most part.

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Looming Medicare Cuts are Unsustainable and Threaten Access to Care

The California Medical Association (CMA) and the California Hospital Association (CHA) today sent a joint letter to the California Congressional Delegation, urging immediate action to eliminate or delay the Medicare payment cuts that are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2022. “California’s hospitals and physicians continue to provide critical health services to their patients and ...

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Federal Appeals Court Lifts Injunction On San Diego Schools’ COVID Vaccine Mandate

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted on Saturday to lift a temporary injunction that it had placed on the San Diego Unified School District’s student COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The rare weekend decision, reached by a 2-1 vote, lifts the injunction the court had placed on the mandate about a week ago. Judges had ...

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