Scientists are cheering California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he builds a public health bulwark against health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine stance and President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
Angela Hart / KFF Health News
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom pins political rise on abortion, guns and health care
As California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims the role as the national Democratic Party’s political attack dog, he is trolling red-state governors over their positions on guns and abortion. He’s also making a case for himself — with health care front and center.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California inks sweetheart deal with Kaiser Permanente, jeopardizing Medicaid reforms
The backroom deal with politically connected Kaiser Permanente, which infuriated other Medi-Cal health plans, allows the health care giant to continue selecting the enrollees it wants.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Vaccine wars ignite in California as lawmakers seek stronger laws
Anti-vaccination activists say California’s Democratic lawmakers are helping strengthen their movement nationally by pushing for tougher vaccine requirements — without exemptions for religious or personal beliefs. But a new pro-vaccine lobbying force is vowing to fight back.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Health industry wields power in California’s high-stakes battle to lower health care costs
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to regulate out-of-control health care spending in California. The effort is being shaped by the very health industry players that would be regulated.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Health care unions defending Newsom from recall will want single-payer payback
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inHousing & Development
California set to spend billions on curing homelessness and caring for ‘whole body’ politic
California is embarking on a five-year experiment to infuse its health insurance program for low-income people with billions of dollars in nonmedical services spanning housing, food delivery and addiction care. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the goal is to improve care for the program’s sickest and costliest members and save money, but will it work?
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Without enough boots on the ground, California’s vaccination efforts falter
California’s vaccination rates have stagnated, particularly in Black and Latino inner-city neighborhoods and in rural towns. County health officials, who say trust is their most important commodity, need more money for one-on-one interactions with holdouts, but the state has instead largely funneled money to advertising firms and tech companies.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
It’s not just QAnon. Democrats and Independents also want to recall Gov. Newsom
Gov. Gavin Newsom is painting the effort to remove him from office as a partisan power grab. But among the tens of thousands of Californians who signed the recall petition are Democrats and independent voters frustrated by his pandemic policies, from school closures to vaccine distribution.
Posted inVaccine Watch
Blue Shield spent years cultivating relationship with Newsom, and it got the state vaccine deal
Insurance giant Blue Shield of California has made millions in charitable and political donations to Gov. Gavin Newsom over nearly two decades, largely to his dearly held homeless initiatives. In turn, Newsom has rewarded the insurer with a $15 million no-bid contract to lead the state’s covid vaccination distribution.