California voters likely will see a mental health ballot measure on the March 2024 election. One would issue a $6 billion bond to create housing for people with mental illnesses.

Some California hospitals have a nurse vacancy rate of 30%, stressing overworked staff and causing some to leave the industry earlier than they planned.

Covered California will waive deductibles for many patients, and continue generous subsidies, but a projected 9.6% rate hike signals that runaway health care costs are back after five years of low premium increases.

California legislators have passed a slew of laws to protect abortion rights. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many fear attempting to regulate “crisis pregnancy centers” is legally risky.

California set up a fund to cut out-of-pocket costs for those enrolled in Covered California, but Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget shifts that money to other expenses.

State health officials last year launched a first-ever competitive bidding process for its Medi-Cal insurance contracts, but when the winners were announced, several insurers complained about the process and its potential impact on patient care.

California’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end Feb. 28, 2023, nearly three years from its initiation, officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced this week. The announcement on Oct.

As other states restrict or ban abortions, the California laws aim to improve access and protect patients and clinicians. They will also expand services to accommodate an expected influx from other states.