The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Injury Control and Prevention (NCIPC), recently announced a funding opportunity for local health departments. The opportunity will award up to five counties or cities to implement interventions to…
Read More »A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) found that since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage provisions beginning in 2010, the uninsured rate among Black Americans under age 65 decreased from 20 percent in 2011 (approximately…
Read More »This week, Covered California’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Jessica Altman as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Altman currently serves as the insurance commissioner for the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance where she is charged with regulating Pennsylvania’s insurance marketplace, protecting consumers, and ensuring their health insurance needs are met. Altman previously served…
Read More »The California State Senate and Assembly today reached the deadline to introduce new bills for the second half of the 2021-22 Legislative Session. Legislators this week introduced hundreds of bills on a wide range of topics, and the Senate and Assembly desks are anticipated to finalize processing of all new bill introductions through the weekend….
Read More »This week, the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 considered key public health- and health-related investments proposed by the Newsom Administration. Below, we detail these hearings: Senate Sub. 3 Considers CDPH Investments, Including for Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce Today, the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Subcommittee…
Read More »The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) this week issued its assessment of the Newsom Administration’s proposal for public health foundational support, namely the Governor’s January Budget proposal to provide $300 million ongoing to state and local public health. The LAO provides historical context and background of state funding into the California Department of Public Health (CDPH),…
Read More »Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled his Administration’s approach to the next phase of the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response. According to the Newsom Administration, the SMARTER Plan builds on lessons learned over the past two years and the state’s ongoing commitment to equity. The Plan will “ensure California can maintain its focus on communities that…
Read More »Data from recent studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccine boosters remain safe and continue to be highly effective against severe disease over time. The first CDC study reviewed data from two of its vaccine safety monitoring systems, V-Safe and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)….
Read More »The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) this week announced it has awarded nearly $55 million to 29 HRSA-funded health centers to increase health care access and quality for underserved populations through virtual care such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms. The funding builds on over $7.3…
Read More »The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Robert Califf as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Senate narrowly confirmed his appointment on a 50-46 vote with six Republicans supporting his appointment and five Democrats voting against his appointment. Califf was identified as a candidate by the Biden Administration last year. Dr….
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