Medi-Cal

With a final sale this month, PG&E’s Fire Victim Trust has now sold all of the company’s stock it set aside to compensate wildfire survivors, but it still doesn’t have enough money. Also, Shasta County supervisors voted last week to significantly increase the severance package for its recently hired public health officer, and California’s Medicaid program is undergoing major changes in the new year aimed at improving health care access and delivery for people enrolled in the safety net program. But state regulators will need to rigorously enforce the improvements.

Youth offenders convicted of serious crimes will now be housed in the counties where they were convicted rather than state facilities, but do counties have the resources they need? Also, Adventist Health will hold a meeting in Paradise tonight about plans the company has for healthcare in the area, and Mildred Garcia discusses her goals as the new chancellor of the California State University system.

A new political group of concerned residents called Groundwater for Butte is protesting the Tuscan Water District which would encompass about 100,000 acres between Chico and Durham. Also, new data shows that 225,000 Californians assessed in June were dropped from MediCal, and temperatures will soar to 110 in Chico today and 113 in Redding.

North State organizations are teaching children about wildfire safety. Also, millions of the state’s poorest residents may be forced to switch health insurers, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will boost paid family leave benefits for workers in the coming years.

Hundreds of structures remain threatened by the Rices Fire that’s now 12% contained. Also, Max Steiner — Democratic candidate for California’s 1st Congressional District — criticizes the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, and California lawmakers approve a record $300 billion state budget.

People with costly medical needs who make more than the income limit to qualify for free Medi-Cal may still access the program by paying a share of cost, but it’s often unaffordable.