California Weekly Roundup: Next Governor Faces A Surge Of Uninsured

Plus: What California lawmakers passed during the legislative session; contamination at Los Robles Hospital; West Nile virus in Stanislaus County; overdose deaths in San Diego; and more ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

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Sign Up Wednesday, September 09, 2026 Visit KFF Health News for the latest California headlines California Weekly Roundup THIS WEEK'S FEATURE ‘It’s Triage’: California’s Next Governor Will Face Destabilizing Surge in Uninsured (Leon Bennett / Getty Images for CBS Television Stations)  By Christine Mai-Duc     By the time Democrat Xavier Becerra left Washington, D.C., more Americans than ever had health insurance, owing partly to his work over the years to pass, defend, and expand the Affordable Care Act.    It’s an achievement the former congressman and former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services often touts as he campaigns for California governor against Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator.    But should Becerra cruise to victory in November, as polling suggests, he will face what may be the steepest decline in health insurance coverage in a generation, one that will land especially hard in his home state.    By 2030, the number of uninsured Californians under 65 is expected to nearly double from 2.4 million to 4.6 million, as recently enacted state and federal cuts to Medicaid and ACA marketplaces begin to roll back historic gains in health coverage, according to a May analysis by the University of California-Berkeley Labor Center. The anticipated rise in the uninsured population could have broad implications for hospital systems, insurers, and the economy.    In February, Miranda Dietz, the labor center’s healthcare program director, told legislators the changes could end up costing California about 200,000 jobs, mostly in the healthcare industry.    Hospital executives have begun reporting more unpaid medical bills, and experts warn health plans will raise premiums further as they’re left with enrollees who are, on average, sicker and more expensive to cover.    “It’s triage,” said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, the nation’s largest state-run health insurance marketplace. “That’s what the next governor is walking into.”     Read the full story here.  Follow us online for more KFF Health News coverage: Top Health Headlines From Around California Legislative Watch CapRadio: California Lawmakers Conclude Another Legislative Session, Here’s What They Passed Among the measures awaiting action by Gov. Gavin Newsom: a measure to limit sexual assault liability for public agencies and separate bills that would tighten regulations for social media platforms. (Fitzgerald, 9/3)   CalMatters: California Moves To Expand Access To GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs SB 1089 would help lower the cost of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, expanding access for Californians. (Ibarra, 8/27)   The Fresno Bee: Child Marriage Ban Goes To California Assembly Vote Advocacy groups have fought for the legislation since 2018. California is one of three states that has no minimum marriage age. (Williams, 8/25)   Times of San Diego: Voters Could Fund What Trump And California Lawmakers Will Not Painful is one word to describe the past 18 months for California researchers affected by the Trump administration’s assault on science. And the pain was compounded in June in the Capitol when the state’s housing affordability crisis blocked a $23 billion scientific research rescue plan from this fall’s ballot. (Jensen, 9/7)   San Francisco Chronicle: He Wrote California's Landmark Vaccine Laws. Now He Wants To Take On RFK Jr. From Congress Pan, a pediatrician and former state senator, has long battled with U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over California’s vaccine laws. (Wiley, 9/8)  Health Industry VC Star: Los Robles Hospital Used Contaminated Tools In Surgery, State Says Los Robles Regional Medical Center failed to sanitize surgical equipment, used contaminated instruments in surgeries, and failed to report an “adverse event” to the state, California regulators said. (Kisken, 9/4)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Legislature Bypasses Voters, Transfers Remaining Palomar Health Assets Moving the hospital under joint powers authority, a UCSD executive said, was crucial for refinancing $700 million in debt to avoid a balloon payment set for late 2027. (Sisson, 8/31)   Chico Enterprise-Record: Oroville Hospital Receives Federal Residency Program Development Grant Oroville Hospital’s slice of the multimillion dollar grant pie was $729,537 for an internal medicine residency program, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration website listing of 2026 recipients. (Gottesman, 9/7)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Tired Of Waiting? $40 Million Project At UCSD Aims To Accelerate Healthcare The new mission control center at UC San Diego Health pulls together real-time data generated by the university’s three medical campuses, giving analysts an unprecedented ability to see trends unfolding in real time. (Sisson, 8/30)   The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Sonoma County Indian Health Project Secures Expansion Space As Large Santa Rosa Clinic Project Delayed Sonoma County Indian Health Project leases new space as temporary relief while the massive Santa Rosa clinic project faces delays. (Quackenbush, 9/4)   Imperial Valley Press Online: Pacific Health Group Supports Imperial Valley Residents In Need A new resource is available for Imperial Valley residents in the form of Pacific Health Services, a mobile health service provider that connects eligible individuals to local community resources and preventative health services. (Uriarte, 9/3)   Los Angeles Daily News: 738 Caregivers Laid Off By 24Hr Homecare In El Segundo The company said the layoffs are happening because of the "unexpected end of a material third-party service arrangement and the resulting lack of work." (Maio, 9/8)   VC Star: Nursing Home Advocates Share Advice For Selecting A Facility The California Department of Public Health, the agency responsible for licensing and overseeing skilled nursing facilities, has a tool to compare facilities and the numbers of complaints, violations, and fines they have received. (Huey, 9/5)   CalMatters: Medi-Cal Won't Pay For Assisted Living In Most Of California. One Brother Fought Back California's Medi-Cal assisted living waiver skips most counties — one family's fight sparked a pilot to change that. (Blough, 9/8)   San Francisco Examiner: Health Care Labor Continues To Adapt As The Industry Evolves Workers across healthcare unions have rallied and gone on strike again and again in recent years, highlighting concerns that include wages, benefits, worker safety, and other issues that have arisen from local health systems’ expansion and investment in artificial intelligence. (Gurevich, 9/4) Transgender Care Bay Area News Group: Trump Administration Cuts Health Care Coverage For Some Transgender Youth In California With federal funding set to end in October for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for minors, California medical associations and LGBTQ+ advocates have asked the state to approve millions of dollars in emergency funding to maintain payments to providers. (Stringer, 8/30) Public Health Modesto Bee: Three People Hospitalized With West Nile In Stanislaus County Health officials are reporting that West Nile virus transmission has been particularly active across California this year, including in Stanislaus County. (Clark, 9/5)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: County Confirms Cases Of Diarrhea-Causing Disease At Gaylord Pacific Resort The county health department is warning guests of Gaylord Pacific Resort in Chula Vista that they may have been exposed to the cryptosporidium parasite if they used the facility’s pools between July 24 and Aug. 15. (Sisson, 9/4)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Ramona Egg Ranch Makes Difficult Choice In Salmonella Outbreak Four positive samples from two of its 26 barns could force the killing of 10,000 hens or more than $100,000 in egg testing. (Sisson, 9/8)   Bay Area News Group: Two Hotspots In Sonoma And Napa Counties Among Northern California Cluster Where Lower Vaccination Rate Could Enable Measles Spread The report, which indicated shortfalls in vaccine uptake in one sizeable part of Sonoma County and a slice of Napa County, comes as measles cases are on the rise in the U.S., underscoring a resurgent public health threat as vaccine skepticism now grips the highest levels of U.S. government. (Espinoza, 9/8)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: This Vaccine Reduces Risk Of Melanoma Coming Back. Can It Work For Other Cancers? A Q&A with translational immunologist Stephen Schoenberger at La Jolla Institute for Immunology on the headline-generating new drug Intismeran Autogene. (Sisson, 8/31)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: County Supervisors Greenlight Plan To Build Own Tijuana River Treatment Plant The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to launch the first phase of an initiative to capture and treat sewage on the U.S. side of the border and to fund a permanent fix at the Saturn Boulevard pollution hot spot. (Armstrong, 9/1)   Monterey Herald: Methomyl, The Latest Character In The Salinas Valley Pesticide Struggle With each application of methomyl popping up on the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s SprayDays alert system and an especially bad pest season increasing spraying, Salinas Valley citizens are raising questions about the health of their communities. (Hamilton, 9/7)   Capital & Main: Elevated Levels Of Ammonia Following L.A. Warehouse Fire Raise Safety Concerns The California Environmental Protection Agency says that Lineage stored between 10,000 and 24,999 pounds of anhydrous ammonia in the warehouse daily. (9/3)   inewsource: These San Diegans Live Among Cancer-Causing Chemicals Chemicals are seeping up from the earth in one of south San Diego’s few and highly-frequented grocery stores in a neighborhood that is ethnically diverse and historically underserved. (Salata, 9/2)   Lodinews.com: Tokay High Band Illnesses Under Investigation The Lodi Unified School District is investigating why several Tokay High School students became ill during a football game last week and why some experienced similar symptoms again during band practice Tuesday. (Bowers, 9/2) Housing Crisis Bay Area News Group: Marin Count Shows Homeless Population Edging Up Again Marin County’s homeless population increased by 3.5%, to 1,128 people, between January 2024 and January 2026, according to the latest biennial count. (Halstead, 9/5)   Chico Enterprise-Record: Chico City Manager Gillian Haen Outlines New Priorities Gillian Haen discusses her first impressions about housing and homelessness in Vallejo and strategies she might employ to address the issues. (Weber, 9/7)   VC Star: Camarillo Opens Six-Unit Housing Site For Homeless Residents The Barry Street housing community, where residents are expected to stay six to eight months, features six single-occupancy housing units, according to a news release. (Woods II, 9/3)   San Francisco Examiner: Advocates Alarmed By Closure Of SoMa Drop-In Services Center The impending closure of Hospitality House’s Sixth Street Center has community leaders and advocates for the homeless concerned that the closure fits into a larger pattern of San Francisco moving away from harm reduction and support services toward punitive measures in tackling the behavioral-health crisis. (Gurevich, 8/28)   Los Angeles Times: How An L.A. Charter School Has All But Eliminated Chronic Absenteeism Among Homeless Students Scholarship Prep South Bay in Wilmington has worked to eliminate chronic absenteeism among homeless students through wrap-around care, trauma-informed support and family trust. (Pinney, 9/8) Substance Abuse The San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Overdose Deaths Fell For 4th Straight Year In 2025 San Diego County officials said 840 people died last year from unintentional overdoses, an 11% decline from 945 such deaths the year prior and a 36% decline from 2021, when overdose deaths peaked at 1,309. (Riggins, 8/31)   The Desert Sun: Palm Springs Psychiatrist Prescribed Drugs To Addict Who Died A psychiatrist in Palm Springs accused of overprescribing drugs to a known addict, who later died from an overdose, agreed to have his medical license put on probation. (Gasparyan, 9/4) Other California News The San Diego Union-Tribune: Coronado Bridge Is Getting Its Anti-Suicide Barrier. Next Could Be $400M In Structural Upgrades. The state is launching an environmental analysis of the project and expects to release a draft environmental study early next year. (Garrick, 8/26)   EdSource: ‘I’m Listening Hard’: Teens Increasingly Turn To AI Chatbots For Mental Health Support In the past year, researchers have observed a 50% increase in reliance on AI chatbots for mental health support among teens. (Seshadri, 9/9)   Bay Area News Group: Santa Clara County Accepts Deadlines For Improving Jail Medical Care Eight years after Santa Clara County fell under a federal consent decree to overhaul medical care access for inmates, officials have agreed to stricter benchmarks. (Salonga, 9/8)   Pasadena Star News: Inmate Safety Checks Flagged In More Than 100 LA County Jail Deaths, Watchdog Says Deputies spent an average of half a second checking each cell on one floor at Men's Central Jail. County watchdog reviewed nearly 200 checks at Men's Central Jail. (Henry, 9/6)    Capital & Main: Months Of Pain, Delayed Care: An Asylum Seeker’s Health Crisis In ICE Custody Mother held at San Diego immigration facility says months of delayed and inadequate medical care have left her with serious kidney infection and worsening pain. (Morrissey, 9/8)   The Desert Sun: Positively Aging Project Conference To Explore Aging Better With HIV Founded in 2015, the Positively Aging Project is a collaborative community initiative dedicated to improving the lives of people aging with HIV. (9/4)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: A Longtime San Diego Learn4Life Educator Says She Was Fired For Cancer Treatment. She Blames These 3 Obscure Companies. Sharrene Stuht's lawsuit points to a handful of firms with close ties to the Learn4Life charter school network, citing an investigation by The San Diego Union-Tribune. (McDonald, 8/26)   EdSource: Their Children Couldn’t Tell Them What Happened. Now Some California Parents Want Cameras In Classrooms Suspected cases of teacher misconduct have prompted parents in the Central Valley to demand that cameras be placed in self-contained special education classrooms. (Gallegos, 9/8)   The Stockton Record: San Joaquin County Free Food Distributions In September 2026 Food distributions will resume Sept. 15 through the end of the month for San Joaquin County residents who self-certify residency and meet income guidelines. (Rocha, 9/4)   KQED: A North Richmond Farm Expands Food Access As CalFresh Cuts Deepen Hunger In East Bay As federal rules push hundreds of thousands of Californians off food assistance, an East Bay nonprofit is growing produce from 10 acres wedged between a landfill, a concrete recycler, and the Chevron refinery. (Ali-Ahmad, 9/5) The 'KFF Health News Minute' Violence against hospital workers fuels calls for mandatory staffing rules. Plus, tips on how to find a clinical trial. 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