Blog

Each Wonks' Corner, a member of Blue Shield's government affairs team dives into a current policy topic. See our previous Wonks' Corner blogs here. California’s 2026–27 budget negotiations are expected to conclude in the coming days. While the Legislature approved the main budget appropriations bill…

Understanding declining vaccine rates and how to reverse them is critical to improving public health and an important priority for Blue Shield of California. With more than 39 million residents, getting it right in our state requires a transparent, collaborative, and data-driven approach...

News of major changes to federal vaccine policy have patients, stakeholders and members asking what it all means for their coverage and care – especially for their children. Blue Shield of California is committed to protecting patient access to vaccinations as one of the most effective interventions available against the spread of infectious disease...

In July, the Trump Administration made a splash by declaring their intent to “Make Health Tech Great Again.” At this event, a series of voluntary commitments were made by the likes of Epic, Amazon, UnitedHealth Group, and Google (among others) to improve data sharing between patients and providers and increase patients’ access to personalized digital health tools...

As families stretch their budgets further than ever — Medi-Cal has become a lifeline for over 14 million Californians—more than one-third of the state’s population. Medi-Cal delivers care to working families, children, older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals experiencing homelessness...

Sharing clinical data is essential for the health and social services systems in California to work effectively. For health plans like Blue Shield of California, we rely on our provider and hospital partners to share important clinical data. This data helps us manage...

Health care has increasingly become more expensive for Californians. Personal health care spending has nearly tripled in California since 2000, outpacing economic indicators like median wage and median household income. A majority of Californians (57%)...

Each Wonks’ Corner, a member of Blue Shield’s government affairs team dives into a current policy topic. See our previous Wonks’ Corner blogs here. Prior authorization. These two words trigger a lot of negative emotions from consumers and everyone...

Each Wonks’ Corner, a member of Blue Shield’s government affairs team dives into a current policy topic. See our previous Wonks’ Corner blogs here. From accelerating demand for electronic health record systems to mandating use of modern data exchange...