UCSF Health and Adventist Health are considering buying the closed Madera Community Hospital in California. This news comes as another deal to reopen the hospital is being reviewed in court. A recent report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center shows that 52% of Californians have delayed or avoided medical care due to high costs, even if they have health insurance.
The deadline for health insurance sign-up through California’s state marketplace, Covered California, has been extended to February 9. This extension is due to high demand and a cybersecurity incident that impacted customer service call centers. The original deadline was January 31. A new state office is working to control the rising cost of healthcare in California. Their goal is to limit cost increases to 3% per year.
On Capitol Hill, the CEOs of Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck were questioned by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. They were asked to explain why drug prices in the United States are higher than in other countries. The hearing was led by Senator Bernie Sanders and attracted public attention.