Gov. Jerry Brown Friday signed first-in-the-nation legislation requesting federal approval for the state’s health insurance exchange to sell policies to immigrants living in California illegally.

Obama administration officials want to limit use of short-term health insurance in the United States to periods of three months or less.

The Obama administration is seeking to limit short-term health policies that include features largely banned under the Affordable Care Act, a proposal that could crimp a profitable and growing business for some insurers.

California’s decision to raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2022 could have unintended consequences for thousands of workers who will make too much money to stay on Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents.

The state Senate on Wednesday took action to shine a light on skyrocketing prices for many prescription drugs, approving a bill that requires drug manufacturers to provide 60-days notice to purchasers if the cost is going to be increased by more than 10%.

Cancer drug costs have gone up 72 percent over the last five years, to about $15.9 billion. It’s one sobering reality oncologists are facing at one of their big annual meetings this week in Chicago.