This afternoon, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced a new program to encourage vaccination among Medi-Cal beneficiaries. $350 million (half general fund and half federal funding) will be available to Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) to incentivize outreach programs and activities by the plans and their providers, particularly primary care providers and pharmacies,…
Read More »The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed an order placing a moratorium on evictions for sixty days in areas across the United States “experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission levels of SARS-CoV-2.” The previous CDC moratorium expired on July 31, 2021. Despite previous statements…
Read More »On Thursday, CDPH Director and State Health Officer, Dr. Tomás Aragón issued the first in the nation public health order requiring all health care workers be vaccinated in the state, allowing for medical and religious exemptions, by September 30. Under this new state order, all employees who work or provide services in health care facilities…
Read More »On Monday, eight jurisdictions in the Bay Area, Alameda, Berkeley, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, issued local health officer orders requiring masks for all indoor public places regardless of vaccination status. In an effort to minimize the spread of the Delta variant, and consistent with Centers for Disease Control and…
Read More »In a shift from previous guidance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday recommended that all Americans wear a face covering when in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC’s masking update comes as sharp increases in B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant cases…
Read More »On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the State of California will require all state employees and health care personnel to either show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or be tested at least once per week. California is encouraging all local governments and other employers to adopt a similar protocol. Under the state order, health…
Read More »On Thursday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a series of community meetings to share information about COVID-19 as parents and students prepare for full-time, in-person instruction this coming fall. The school health plans are 90-minute virtual meetings featuring local education representatives, medical experts, school mental health experts, community advocates and others. Nine…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week jointly issued guidance on how “long COVID” can be a disability under specified provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). HHS notes that people continue to experience…
Read More »The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) continues to promote COVID-19 vaccinations statewide amid increases in cases and hospitalizations, as well as increasing presence of COVID-19 virus variants. CDPH continues to focus on vaccinating the remaining population and maintaining vaccine accessibility through data-driven approaches that prioritize communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Communication and outreach…
Read More »This week, the State of California and Blue Shield of California announced a joint agreement for Blue Shield of California to transition out of its role as the state’s third-party administrator (TPA) for COVID-19 vaccine allocation and distribution activities. Recall, the Newsom Administration in January 2021 announced the selection of Blue Shield of California as…
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