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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.

Newsom Tells Calif. To Not Expect ‘Mass Availability’ Of Vaccine Until 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday under the best-case scenario, an extremely limited supply of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration will be available by November or December, countering President Donald Trump's repeated assurance to the American people that a vaccine could be widely available before the year's end.

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Wildfire Smoke In US Exposes Millions To Hazardous Pollution

Wildfires churning out dense plumes of smoke as they scorch huge swaths of the U.S. West Coast have exposed millions of people to hazardous pollution levels, causing emergency room visits to spike and potentially thousands of deaths among the elderly and infirm, according to an Associated Press analysis of pollution data and interviews with physicians, health authorities and researchers.

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Attorney General Becerra Takes Action to Ensure Californians Have Access to Mental Health Care

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today urged California’s four largest health insurance providers: Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Health Net of California, and Kaiser Permanente, to demonstrate their compliance with state and federal mental health parity laws.

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California Pushes Ahead With Health Policy Overhaul

Though COVID-19 forced California leaders to scale back their ambitious health care agenda, they still managed to enact significant new laws intended to lower consumer health care spending and expand access to health coverage.

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California To Make Its Own Insulin, Generic Drugs In Effort To Lower Costs

California could make its own insulin and other prescription drugs in an effort to lower costs under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he signed into law Monday.

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Vericred and CaliforniaChoice Key Players in Health Insurance Enrollment API Roll-Out

Beam, CaliforniaChoice, Kaiser Permanente and Oscar partner with Vericred to create a de facto standard for California group enrollment and member management

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Gov. Newsom Signs Law To Grow Mental Health Coverage

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Friday that for the first time in California defines "medical necessity," a move aimed at requiring private health insurance plans to pay for more mental health and drug addiction treatments.

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California Expands Privacy Protection to Public Health Workers Amid Threats

California will allow public health officials to participate in a program to keep their home addresses confidential, a protection previously reserved for victims of violence, abuse and stalking and reproductive health care workers.

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California Enacts Small Business Bills

On September 9, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills into law that were designed to provide support for small businesses, including restaurants and other food and beverage companies.

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California Halting New Unemployment Claims For Two Weeks To Catch Up On Backlog

State Employment Development Department has faced sharp criticism for delays; 1.6 million jobless not properly paid benefits

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