Kristen Hwang
CalMatters-
Pharmacy benefit managers attempt to negotiate cost savings for insurers. California is considering new rules that would require them to pass their discounts on to consumers. -
Kamala Harris has a long record of supporting abortion rights in California. In one case, she launched an investigation into an anti-abortion group that published secretly recorded interviews with Planned Parenthood leaders. -
The health care industry put a measure on the November ballot that would raise more money for Medi-Cal and block lawmakers from spending it on general government services. Billions of dollars are on the line. -
Medication abortion will remain widely available to Californians after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by anti-abortion groups and doctors to challenge the Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 approval of the drug. -
California now is one of nine states with regulations limiting health care cost increases (Oregon is another). Consumers won鈥檛 necessarily notice the changes, but supporters say they will make a difference over time. -
California bought and distributed a quarter of a million abortion pills, fearing a federal ban. At today鈥檚 Supreme Court hearing, the justices seemed hesitant to limit access. -
Recent polls show many Californians were undecided heading into Election Day on Gov. Newsom鈥檚 Proposition 1, which would fund new mental health treatment facilities. -
All but two California counties are delaying their implementation of a new law that makes it easier for a court to place someone in involuntary confinement if they can鈥檛 care for their own medical needs or personal safety. -
Black women are three times more likely than any other women to die during or immediately after pregnancy. California lawmakers passed a law in 2019 requiring hospitals to train labor and delivery staff on unconscious bias in medicine. -
Several anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers are advertising 鈥榓bortion pill reversal鈥�. California Attorney General Rob Bonta calls the claims false advertising that mislead vulnerable patients. -
California collects a special tax on high incomes to fund mental health services. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to change how the money is spent so a share of it can be used to fund housing for homeless people with mental illnesses. -
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.
