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.
California’s health care industry has a consolidation problem. Independent physician practices, outpatient clinics and hospitals are merging or getting gobbled up by private equity firms or large health care systems. A single company can dominate an entire community, and in some cases, vast swaths of the state.
Despite having the most serious coronavirus outbreak in California, Los Angeles County on Friday was given the go-ahead to reopen restaurants for in-person dining, and resume services at barbershops and hair salons in the biggest test of whether the state can reopen the economy without causing COVID-19 to spread more rapidly.
As massive protests over the death of George Floyd spread across the country, concerns are being raised over possible coronavirus transmission given close contact.
The region’s wealthiest health care providers are pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus emergency funds from the federal government while struggling hospitals are getting just a fraction of the relief.
As the novel coronavirus tore through Italy and then New York in March, California, anticipating a deadly surge in cases, ordered hospitals to shut down routine procedures and called in thousands of health care workers to help patients.
Hundreds of Mexicans and Americans who live south of the border enter southern California’s hospitals every day.
Memorial Day weekend brought crowds to beaches, trails and parks, but officials said that for the most part there were no major problems and that most people appeared to be following social distancing rules.
California will allow houses of worship to open for in-person services at reduced capacity and let retailers open for in-store shopping, state officials announced Monday.
Newsom is taking a strategic, if risky, approach by tying many state budget cuts to aid from the federal government. Will it work?
A tax surprise could be around the corner for business owners who participate in the federal government’s forgivable loan program — unless Congress intervenes.