California lawmakers can help reduce smoking rates in the state, particularly among the Asian-American population, by ensuring that Medi-Cal, the state's health insurance program for the elderly, disabled and poor, covers the full range of smoking cessation services.

Kaiser Permenente says voluntary Fresh Start program will provide health insurance coverage for previously rescinded California members.

California health insurers Kaiser Permanente and Health Net agreed to reinstate coverage to about 1,200 individuals whose policies were improperly rescinded.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would try again to pass legislation to overhaul the state's health care system and that he would not reduce the scale of his plan to get it approved.

More than half of California voters are worried about the state's health care system and nearly three-quarters said they would have approved a health system overhaul proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year.

A plan by California Governor that would require most Medi-Cal beneficiaries to complete eligibility forms four times per year, rather than annually, will affect children the most and will not save the state money in the long run.

Consumer Watchdog praised a California state regulator's efforts to begin reinstating the insurance coverage of patients left uninsured, uninsurable and often hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt when their health insurance policies were illegally cancelled after they got sick.

NEJM perspectives examine California health reform efforts and individual health insurance mandates.

The California released draft regulations that would bar physicians and hospitals from billing patients for the cost of services above what their HMOs are willing to pay.

California has not been complying with a state law that requires the Medi-Cal director to review physician reimbursement rates annually and ensure that Medi-Cal beneficiaries have access to physician and dental services.