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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.

Coronavirus: More Cases Of New UK Virus Strain Discovered In California

Just as California was beginning to see some hopeful signs of an alarming COVID-19 surge ebbing in some regions, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that more cases of a highly contagious strain of the virus from the United Kingdom have been discovered in Southern California, a sign that it likely has been stealthily circulating across ...

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California Stay-At-Home Orders To Be Extended In Coming Days, Weeks

As available ICU beds remain at critically low levels, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday warned that the state’s regional stay-at-home order would be extended in certain parts of the state as early as Tuesday, the latest sign that California’s battle against COVID-19 wages on.

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Wednesday is Deadline for Jan. 1 Individual Coverage Under Covered CA

As COVID-19 cases surge, Covered California is urging uninsured residents to sign up for coverage by this Wednesday’s deadline.

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California’s COVID-19 Surge Sparks Battle Between Hospitals and Nurses Over Workload

Telemetry nurses in California normally take care of four patients at once. But after the state relaxed California’s unique nurse-to-patient ratios in mid-December, Nerissa Black has to keep track of six.

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California Leaders Fear Remote Culture Could Fuel Business Departures

Fed-up Californians have been trading their cramped, pricey apartments for affordable living in cheaper states for decades. Now, California’s businesses are making similar calculations after a months long remote work experiment triggered by the pandemic.

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What The Federal Stimulus Package Means For California

The federal stimulus package that lawmakers in Washington have agreed to is “very encouraging news” for California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday as he outlined how much of the $900 billion federal package is likely to flow to the Golden State.

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California Gov. Newsom selects Alex Padilla to replace Kamala Harris in the Senate

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) selected on Tuesday his longtime political ally and current California secretary of state, Alex Padilla, to fill the U.S. Senate seat when Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris steps down next month.

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California Unemployment Fraud Amid COVID-19 Pandemic May Total $2 Billion, Bank Of America Says

Bank of America estimated Monday that fraud in California’s unemployment benefits system could total $2 billion, and said it has identified 640,000 accounts with suspicious activity that should be investigated to determine whether they are bogus and should be shut down.

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Nearly 1 Million Californians May Have To Pay Back Some Of Their Unemployment Benefits

Right before the holidays, thousands of self-employed and gig workers just found out they may have to pay back unemployment benefits they have already received. It is a crisis, just before the holidays, many have already spent the money on living expenses. Now nearly one million workers were just notified they might have to pay ...

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DMHC Directs Health Plans To Remove Administrative Burdens On Hospitals During COVID-19 Surge

The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) today directed health plans regulated by the Department to remove administrative burdens on hospitals during the COVID-19 surge. This includes directing plans to take immediate steps to reduce or remove unnecessary barriers to the efficient admission, transfer, and/or discharge of health plan enrollees. “Hospitals and providers are ...

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