California Health News

News & Announcements about health insurance in California




New Blue Shield Billing and Online Payment System

Blue Shield of California will be implementing a new online payment system for their individual and family plan members in 2018. Consumers with off-exchange health plans, those bought directly from Blue Shield and not from Covered California will be transitioned to the new billing system in March … [Read More...]

Proposed Work Requirement For Medi-Cal Beneficiaries

CMS announces new policy guidance for states to test community engagement for able-bodied adults Will support states helping Medicaid beneficiaries improve well-being and achieve self-sufficiency CMS today announced new guidance that will support state efforts to improve Medicaid enrollee … [Read More...]

Individual Mandate Penalty Update Covered California

Covered California Health Coverage Remains You may have questions about the federal tax law that was just passed this week. We want to assure you that the benefits related to consumer's Covered California coverage, including financial help to reduce monthly premiums, has NOT changed for 2018. The … [Read More...]

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  • How Reduced Self-Employment Income Impacts Social Security
    If we assume the individual collects Social Security for 20 years, they will receive $128,709 less with the lower income. The individual saved $64,230 on self-employment taxes with the lower income of 25 percent. However, in this scenario, the reduced income costs the individual over $60,000 in Social Security benefits if they retire at their […]
  • Income Eligibility Verification System for Medi-Cal
    For decades, Medi-Cal has verified the income for applicants and renewing beneficiaries using federal and state databases. The process known as the Income and Eligibility Verification System (IEVS). The California Department of Health Care Services has provided county Medi-Cal offices with a reminder of the IEVS process in an All County Welfare Directors Letter, 25-16. […]
  • 2026 Medicare Part D Cost Structure
    Medicare allows alternate cost structure designs. These designs must be as good as the standard cost structure. One alternate structure only has drugs in tiers 3, 4, 5 subject to the pharmacy deductible. Generic drugs, tiers 1 and 2, are not subject to any deductible. The plan member goes straight into a set copayment or […]
  • Honda Prologue Granite Bay to Pinnacles National Park
    What I had noticed was the Prologue gained 4 to 6 miles of range over night. Sunday night the range showed 89 miles. Monday morning it was at 96 miles. The temperatures were over 100 degrees during the day, and the cooling fan would run when we stopped the Prologue. I’m assuming that once the […]
  • Optimizing Social Security Income with a Roadmap
    The Roadmap report generates the Maximum Social Security income scenario. We can also enter other age-based claiming scenarios that are detailed within the report. In the sample below, Mick was born in 1963, and his spouse Diana was born in 1977. Because Mick and Diana have children, the analysis concluded that Mick and Diana would […]