For much of this year, progressive lawmakers, labor unions and advocacy groups have pushed Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to shore up the state’s healthcare system against federal cuts by taxing corporations more. After all, proponents argued, Republicans in Washington, D.C. cut into healthcare programs for California’s most vulnerable residents to pay for ...

“This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.” California lawmakers adopted a $356 billion state budget late Monday that would largely avoid or delay billions of dollars in social service cuts Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed last month. Then, the (real) budget negotiations can begin. The vote was only a formality, because ...

When Congress allowed covid-era subsidies for health insurance to expire, California used its own funds to offset the hike in Obamacare premium costs for residents with low incomes. But the reach has been limited. As Gov. Gavin Newsom negotiates his last budget with the legislature, the Democrat wants to offer financial help to more than ...

Health plans expect the cost of treating patients to climb in 2027, projecting the highest medical cost trend in nearly two decades with a 9% rise in commercial health costs, according to a new analysis from PwC. Payers are pointing the finger at several inflationary factors, including the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools by ...

Healthcare costs in the U.S. are growing faster than inflation, and the U.S. spends significantly more than other comparable nations on healthcare. And according to one healthcare executive, this is unsustainable. “The healthcare system is bankrupting and failing us. It requires systemic reform, and it’s not going to come from inside the industry,” said Paul Markovich, president ...

Dive Brief: A federal judge has struck down key provisions in a CMS rule overhauling the Affordable Care Act, in a setback for the Trump administration’s push to combat fraud that critics argue is a smokescreen for weakening the exchanges set up by the Obama-era law. On Friday, Judge Brendan Hurson of the Maryland District Court vacated ...