Covered California reported Thursday that the number of new enrollees has surged to 318,000, surpassing the total number from last year, as open enrollment nears its close on Jan. 31.

Lowering health costs emerged as a major part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2020 agenda earlier this month when he unveiled plans to get state government in the business of selling prescription drugs.

The hospital chargemaster list is the latest political hot potato to be gingerly handled by the Trump administration. With new disclosure requirements scheduled to take effect in 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services intends to provide health care consumers access to data never before made public in an effort to help them make better decisions concerning their health.

San Diego podiatrist Dr. John Chisholm recalls the jolt some of his patients felt in 2009 when Medi-Cal, the government-funded health insurance in California for low-income people, eliminated coverage for podiatry care and several other benefits for adults due to a massive budget shortfall engendered by the Great Recession.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and others say they have agreed to invest in a nonprofit’s effort to develop and sell cheaper drugs.

President Donald Trump opened the door Wednesday to overhauling entitlement programs such as Medicare, a move that could run counter to a campaign promise – and one that Democrats attacked.