Nevada’s bid to enact the second state-based public option health benefit plan in the nation passed the state Senate Monday on a 12-9 party line vote and moved to the Assembly with one week remaining in the session.

Nevada reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 1,813 new cases. That's down 29.2% from the previous week's tally of 2,559 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

A pair of bills recently introduced in the House and Senate aim to ensure that a boom in telehealth use during the pandemic does not go away. A House bill introduced Monday and a Senate bill introduced Tuesday both aim to make certain telehealth flexibilities permanent for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries.

A California workplace safety board postponed a vote Thursday on a proposal that would have allowed workers to return to their jobs without social distancing or face masks so long as everyone in a room is vaccinated.

Among the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021’s many economic stimulus provisions is a temporary subsidy for COBRA coverage that will undoubtedly be a significant benefit for individuals who lost health coverage during the pandemic, but which is just as certain to be a tremendous administrative burden for employers and group health plans.

According to California’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, some 97% of the state’s companies have a gender wage gap. To close that gap, the state legislature has instituted a new law, SB 973, also known as the “pay data reporting law.”