When California froze new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults, thousands of Kern County families were left in limbo. At Clinica Sierra Vista, staff members are racing to keep patients covered — and fighting fear with trust.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California announced that despite the expiration of federal tax credits that helped millions of Americans afford health insurance, over 1.9 million Californians signed up for or renewed their insurance during the 2026 open-enrollment period.
On Feb. 11, California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a news conference to sign a $90 million one-time emergency funding bill for Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care clinics in the state. The event became tense when questions from reporters veered into unrelated political issues, prompting California’s First Partner Jennifer Siebel-Newsom to step in and sharply criticize the press.
Health policy changes in Washington will ripple through the country, resulting in millions of Americans losing their Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. But there are still ways to find care.
On Feb. 5, the California State Assembly voted to pass Assembly Joint Resolution 25 (AJR 25) – legislation focused on maintaining lowered health care costs authored by Assemblymembers Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay).
When Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, learned he no longer qualified for federal subsidies to help him pay for his “gold” Affordable Care Act health plan, the 37-year-old opted for skimpier coverage. But the deductible is about a quarter of his yearly income.
Technology is often sold to us as neutral, objective, and free of human flaws. We are told that computers remove emotion, bias, and error from decision-making. But for many Black families, lived experience tells a different story. When technology is trained on biased systems, it reflects those same biases and silently carries them forward.
For many pregnant people, pregnancy brings a mix of both joy and uncertainty. Alongside excitement, there are questions about finding the right doctor, understanding what care is covered, and knowing where to turn for support after the baby arrives. For Black families in Kern County those questions are often compounded by long-standing disparities in maternal health outcomes.
Serenity Cole enjoyed Christmas last month relaxing with her family near her St. Louis home, making crafts and visiting friends.
In the largest Medicare Advantage fraud settlement to date, Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $556 million to settle Justice Department allegations that it billed the government for medical conditions patients didn’t have.
Each year on the third Monday in January, communities across the nation honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. In Bakersfield and throughout Kern County, that legacy is reflected not only in remembrance ceremonies, but in hands-on service and community care.
Tom Brady stepped into the broadcast booth and, without saying a word, said everything. One glove. Not a gimmick. Not nostalgia cosplay. Just a quiet, unmistakable signal that even in a football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills, the most famous silhouette in modern culture still casts a shadow. Seventeen years after his death at 50, Michael Jackson remains unavoidable.
Gnae Dismuke experienced a miscarriage at 11 weeks in 2017 and later gave birth to three children, now ages six, four, and one month. Gnae
For the millions of Americans who buy Affordable Care Act insurance, there’s still time left to enroll for 2026. But premium increases and the expiration of enhanced tax subsidies have led to larger-than-expected costs.
We’ve been here before: congressional Democrats and Republicans sparring over the future of the Affordable Care Act.
The battles over the Affordable Care Act were never only about policy or the price of insurance. They were never simply arguments about federal subsidies, individual mandates, or the markets that hold the system together. From the moment America elected a Black president and that president dared to place the health of the poor and the marginalized at the center of national law, a deeper truth rose to the surface. That truth has followed the country for centuries. It was waiting for its next target. The target became Barack Obama. The instrument became Obamacare.
As millions of Americans brace for health insurance bills that will soon double or worse, the coming crisis is not the result of confusion or accident. It is the consequence of a long campaign that treated health care not as a human necessity, but as a battleground for grievance, race, and political spite.
California offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive maternal health systems, which includes full coverage through pregnancy and up to 12 months postpartum, plus access
Advocates say Medicare Advantage plans simplify health coverage for older adults, typically offering comprehensive plans with low or no premiums and deductibles. They also offer
When children struggle emotionally, it can affect every part of their lives — at home, in school, with friends, and even their physical health. In many Black families, we’re taught to be strong and push through. But our kids don’t have to struggle alone. Medi-Cal provides mental health care for children and youth, with no referral or diagnosis required.
