Ana B. Ibarra
Reporter | CalMattersAna B. Ibarra covers health care for , a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics, and a JPR news partner.. Her reporting largely focuses on issues around access to care and affordability. Before joining CalMatters, Ana worked as a reporter at KFF Health News, where she covered the Legislature and California health agencies.
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Rates in the state鈥檚 health insurance marketplace will increase an average of 6% next year. The agency also warned premiums may double for some enrollees if Congress does not renew federal aid. -
For years, consumer advocates and some legislators have been battling to rein in escalating health care costs. Now the state has created a new agency to limit future growth in health care costs 鈥� and it will have the power to enforce that mandate. -
Gaps in COVID vaccination rates among the state鈥檚 Medi-Cal population persist. Five Medi-Cal plans still have vaccination rates under 50%. -
Gov. Gavin Newsom鈥檚 administration is pushing a first-in-the-nation plan for California to partner with a drugmaker to produce cheaper insulin. It鈥檚 one of many proposed state and federal remedies to soaring insulin costs. -
Expiration of two COVID-19 emergency programs means Californians could lose their Medi-Cal insurance or find Covered California unaffordable. -
Many working undocumented immigrants won鈥檛 qualify for state health insurance even if they don鈥檛 earn a living wage. That leaves them with few viable options for coverage. -
Millions of Californians at high risk from conditions like heart disease, autoimmune disorders and diabetes feel unprotected and forgotten as the state rolls back its COVID orders. -
With 7 million Californians infected, how risky is it to work? When is it safe for omicron-infected workers to return? -
Although state and federal rules require COVID tests to be free or covered by health insurance, people often have to pay hundreds of dollars upfront. -
In 19 California counties, less than a third of vaccinated residents are boosted. In some counties, it鈥檚 less than 25%. One health official blames 鈥減andemic fatigue.鈥� -
The Valencia lab, a public-private venture between the state and PerkinElmer, processed only 1 to 8% of all Californians鈥� COVID tests in the first 10 months of the contract. And the lab was riddled with dozens of problems, according to an inspection report. -
The answer is no in many parts of California. Eighteen counties, mostly rural ones, have more hospitalized COVID-19 patients today than a year ago.
