LAKE COUNTY
Marking 59 years of Medicare and Medicaid
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law legislation that established Medicare and Medicaid, landmark programs now delivering health benefits to millions of Californians.
Fifty-nine years later, Medicare and Medi-Cal have grown from basic insurance programs to robust insurance programs providing Californians with access to the quality and affordable health care they need.
Today, one in six Californians are enrolled in Medicare and over 15 million Californians are enrolled in Medi-Cal. As these programs continue to expand access to health services, they are bringing in critical funding to support our local health providers and pushing for new innovations to better serve people.
Take the COVID-19 pandemic, for example.
I've been working on telehealth and telemedicine since my time in the State Senate, and when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, I was ready with bipartisan, bicameral legislation that immediately allowed seniors on Medicare to receive telehealth services for the duration of the public health emergency. I was also pleased that my legislation extending telehealth access through 2024 was adopted into law. Now, I'm working to make those expansions a permanent part of the Medicare program.
Not to mention our leap forward in lowering costs for seniors. I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which helped lower people's out-of-pocket medical spending. Thanks to that bill, Medicare can negotiate the price of prescription drugs on behalf of seniors for the first time ever. This was a long-sought goal that will save Americans hundreds of billions of dollars. But we didn't stop there. My colleagues and I also implemented a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for people on Medicare and helped cap the price of insulin at $35.
We still have a way to go to ensure everyone has easy access to affordable health care and health care providers receive an adequate level of funding, but these steps are already making a difference. On the anniversary of these historic health care programs, I remain committed to continuing to lower costs and improve accessibility for Californians and all Americans.
—Submitted by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-4.
SACRAMENTO
Gov. Newsom secures additional federal assistance for Park Fire, surveys damage
As the state's largest fire to date in 2024 continues to grow and threaten communities, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the Incident Command Post established by CAL FIRE for the Park Fire on Saturday and surveyed ongoing firefighting efforts to protect communities. B-roll video of the visit can be downloaded at https://govca.app.box.com/s/nibao84lx4laepg30c8s4a7azlb1bxui
Following his visit, the Governor announced that the state secured federal assistance for Tehama County to suppress the Park Fire. This is in addition to the federal assistance secured for Butte County.
"This is already one of the biggest fires in California history, and we're continuing to see dangerous conditions – our firefighters and emergency responders are working day and night to protect our communities. Californians must heed warning from local authorities and take steps to stay safe."
Yesterday, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Butte and Tehama counties due to the Park Fire. The proclamation makes additional resources available for response and recovery efforts, and supports impacted residents by easing access to unemployment benefits and waiving fees to replace driver's licenses and records such as marriage and birth certificates. It also allows the waiver of certain statutes and regulations so that hospitals, adult and senior care facilities, home care organizations and other care facilities impacted by the fires can continue to provide services and, if necessary, provide care to patients or residents displaced from other facilities by the fires.
On Wednesday, the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire burning in Butte County. Already this wildfire season, California has secured FMAGs for the Thompson, French and Hawarden fires that burned nearly 5,000 acres.
The fast-moving Park Fire near the city of Chico has burned more than 348,000 acres, forcing evacuations of thousands of people. Real-time information, including road closures, evacuation maps and centers, is available at fire.ca.gov.
—Submitted
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