‘Legislative Analysis’ Archives
Financial Advisers to Benefit from Same-Sex Marriage
Financial advisers say LGBT couples have to take a second look at their financial planning following the Supreme Court's decision to extend federal recognition of same-sex marriages in states that recognize them. That translates into a lot of work for the professionals helping LGBT clients with their finances, with some prioritizing what must be [...]
Will ObamaCare Kill CA Health Insurance?
Will relatively young and healthy people purchase health insurance from the ObamaCare exchanges? After the release of insurance premiums by California's ObamaCare-mandated health insurance exchange—"Covered California"—the participation of the Golden State's youth is the topic of serious debate. David Hogberg at the National Policy Analysis [...]
A Hidden Tax in Obamacare?
The central provisions of the Affordable Care Act require younger and healthier Americans to buy insurance policies that will, in essence, subsidize the healthcare of older and sicker Americans. But one of Obamacare's hidden taxes — a new limit on contributions to health flexible spending accounts, or FSAs — will hit older and chronically [...]
Senate OKs Bills Addressing Medical Provider Gap
Over the objection of doctors, the state Senate on Tuesday passed two of three health reform-related bills intended to address California's medical provider gap. Lawmakers passed SB491 which will expand the role of nurse practitioners. The 21-12 vote was the bare majority needed for the bill to move to the Assembly. They also passed SB492, [...]
Major Providers “Sitting Out” Obamacare
All eyes are focused on California, which offers quite the blend of individual and commercial customers, as well as a number of soon-to-be Medicaid participants under the PPACA's Medicaid expansion. California has revealed the 13 contract winners who will be participating in its insurance exchange in the coming months. Notably missing from the [...]
Does Obamacare Put Farm Workers Health Care at Risk?
Call it another round for unintended consequences. The Affordable Care Act, designed to improve access to health care for millions of Americans, carries the threat of stripping tens of thousands of agriculture workers of their existing health plans. Currently, California's Salinas Valley growers and shippers provide health insurance to their ag [...]
Feds, California Penalize Adventist Health
In 2008 doctors sued Roseville CA's Adventist Health in U.S. District Court in Sacramento over the way doctors were being compensated by White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. Eric Havian, one of the doctors' lawyers, said the payments violated federal laws. Doctors should refer patients to a particular hospital "because it's the best [...]
California Now Stuck on Details of Medicaid Expansion
It's been months since Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to expand Medi-Cal, as Medicaid is known in the state, to some 1.4 million Californians, but he and his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature are still wrangling over details of the expansion. Democrats, who control the Assembly and Senate, disagree with Brown over the Medi-Cal enrollment and [...]
Latest Amendments to AB 975 Conflict with Federal Affordable Care Act
Since its introduction, Assembly Bill (AB) 975 has faced bipartisan opposition. It was scheduled to have been considered in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. That hearing has been canceled, however, and the bill removed from the committee's jurisdiction. It's clear that AB 975 is now on life support thanks to yet another series of [...]
Bill Would Let Life Policyholders Use ‘Living Benefit’
A bill that would allow life insurance policyholders to advance the payment of death benefits when they encounter costly and life-changing health conditions is moving in the state Legislature. Senate Bill 281 by Sen. Ron Calderon, a Democrat from Montebello, sailed through the Senate Insurance Committee Wednesday with unanimous approval. The bill [...]
