Today, US Senate Republicans announced a new COVID-19 relief package that will do little to actually help struggling Californians. Beyond the reduced unemployment benefits negatively impacting millions of Californians, the new proposal includes no new aid to state and local governments, likely forcing major cuts to education, health care, and other vital human services that are needed now more than ever.
Health and Community Groups Condemn Trump HHS Rule to Allow Discrimination by Health Providers; Urge California Regulators to Double Down on State Patient Protections
On Friday, Health and community advocates condemned the Trump Administration new rule to undermine the enforcement of the civil rights provision (Section 1557) of the Affordable Care Act, designed to protect patients from discrimination in health care. This rule is cruel and callous attempt to spread confusion and embolden health care providers and insurance companies […]
Major Federal Help Needed To Prevent Massive Cuts To Health and Other Vital Services
Today, the California Department of Finance released new data showing the depth of the economic impact due to the COVID-19 crisis, in many ways greater the Great Recession a decade ago, leading to an estimated $54 billion shortfall for the state of California in the current and budget year.
Federal and California Responses to COVID-19
During COVID-19 Crisis Enrollment in Covered California Continues to Grow
Covered California today released updated enrollment numbers showing that interest and sign-ups in the exchange continue to grow. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 20 Covered California announced a special enrollment period to last until June 30. Since then over 84,000 Californians have enrolled in health care coverage through Covered California—2.5 times more enrollments […]
Congress Passes Fourth COVID-19 Relief Bill, But More Help Needed for CA
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a fourth federal COVID-19 relief package. This act will augment funding established in the CARES Act, passed on March 27th. While this relief will help many Americans facing health and economic shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic, major gaps remain in our system that must be addressed to help states and individuals […]
How the Federal CARES Act May Affect Your Health Coverage
Congress passed and the President signed a $2 trillion federal relief package that will provide some immediate help to many Americans facing health and economic shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic. The “CARES Act”, as it’s called, included Recovery Rebates for Individuals (cash payments) as well as extended and enhanced federal Unemployment Insurance. While many Californians […]
Federal Relief Signed, But More Help Needed to Respond to COVID-19
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, and President Trump signed a $2 trillion federal stimulus package that will provide some immediate relief to many Americans facing health and economic shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic. More help will be needed to ensure that states and individuals are able to fully respond to the public health crisis.
New Federal Attacks on Our Health Care: Substandard AHP Coverage Rule and New Attempt to Repeal the ACA
Fresh federal attacks on our health care were announced today with the Department of Labor’s final rule to expand Association Health Plans, and a renewed congressional attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Both actions seek to destabilize our health care marketplace and will lead to increases in premiums for health consumers and the […]
Three Ways that Access to Health Care in California Improves This Year, Despite Federal Attacks
Despite epic threats to our health care system from federal proposals to repeal the Affordable Care Act and massively cut and cap Medicaid, California policymakers successfully worked to both hold consumers harmless from administration attacks on our health care, and significant progress in 2017 to not just protect the progress the state made in reducing […]