California bill requiring fentanyl inclusion in routine urine drug screening advances to second chamber
Soraya Marashi | May 10, 2022 | California
5 Things California: Q&A w/ Sen. Eggman, Kaiser contract bill, Primary care investment
Eli Kirshbaum | May 5, 2022 | California
California hospital profit margins still below pre-pandemic levels, according to new financial analysis
Soraya Marashi | May 4, 2022 | California
A new financial analysis published by KaufmanHall, prepared at the request of the California Hospital Association, reveals that—though not as extreme as in 2020—2021 marked a year of significant financial strain for California hospitals. The analysis includes data representing 79 California hospitals. In the second year of the
Investing in primary care leads to higher quality care and lower costs, new CHCF study finds
Soraya Marashi | May 3, 2022 | California
Health care systems that invest more in primary care as part of their overall budget perform better on measures of clinical quality and patient experience, hospital inpatient and emergency department utilization, and total cost of care, according to a study recently published by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF).
What They're Watching: Jonathan Freedman, Health Management Associates
Eli Kirshbaum | May 2, 2022 | California
For Jonathan Freedman, Regional Vice President at Health Management Associates, the "enormous surge of activity" happening in California's Medi-Cal program is the most important things to watch in state health policy. CalAIM is transforming how the state delivers health care and, with initial program rollouts having started in January, it
Q&A: Sen. Eggman discusses new behavioral health bill package and mental health conservatorships
Soraya Marashi | Apr 29, 2022 | California
Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D–Stockton) has been representing California’s fifth Senate District since 2020. She currently serves as Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and is a member of the Senate Health Committee. In this Q&A, Eggman discusses her advocacy for modernizing the state’s behavioral
Health care consolidation bill passes Assembly Committee on Health hearing
Soraya Marashi | Apr 29, 2022 | California
Assembly Bill 2080, also known as the Health Care Consolidation and Contracting Fairness Act of 2022, passed its hearing in the Assembly Committee on Health on Tuesday in a 11-3 vote and was re-referred to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary. The bill’s sponsor, Asm. Jim Wood (D–Santa Rosa) said the
California expands Medi-Cal to all eligible adults 50 years of age and older
The Office of Governor Gavin Newsom | Apr 29, 2022 | California
Starting on May 1, Medi-Cal, California’s health coverage program for low-income individuals and families, is extending eligibility for full coverage to more than 185,000 individuals who are 50 years of age or older, regardless of immigration status. “We’re delivering concrete results for Californians, continuing to fulfill the promise of a Healthy