Health

Covered California Continues to Terminate Some Customers

Published

10 years ago

April 2, 2016

By Emily Bazar, Kaiser Health News

It wasn’t until a doctor ordered medical tests for Adriana Vitale that she discovered her Covered California coverage had disappeared.

“I was shocked. I was crying. I was depressed,” said Vitale, 61, of Downey, California

Her insurance had been dropped, even though she had paid all her premiums on time.

She’s not the only one. A number of people who have signed up for Covered California coverage have been dumped from their plans unexpectedly, without explanation — even though their premium payments were up to date.

Others were shifted into Medi-Cal without approval or consent. They found out after the fact.

It’s been a persistent, but apparently unquantified problem, since 2014.

In Vitale’s case, she went to the hospital in December for a bleeding ulcer. Her daughter called the insurance carrier, Blue Shield, to confirm that her mother’s follow-up tests would be covered.

“They said, ‘We don’t have anyone by your mom’s name covered by Blue Shield. But we have all these medical bills in her name,’” the daughter, Kathy Castilla, recalled.

It took an administrative law judge in late December to resolve the problem. He ordered Vitale’s policy reinstated.

He noted that neither Blue Shield nor Covered California could explain why Vitale’s policy had been terminated without her request.

“The failure to be able to explain these discrepancies casts doubt on Blue Shield and/or [Covered California] record keeping as it applies to appellant’s coverage,” he wrote.

Several other customers whose paid-up policies disappeared talked to California Healthline about their plight, as did health care advocates who help them unravel the bureaucratic knots.

The evidence is anecdotal. Not even Covered California knows how many people might be affected.

“We are not aware of anything that would result in the terminations of a large number of consumers without notification, or of any problems with our process of notifying consumers who are deemed eligible for Medi-Cal,” spokesman Larry Hicks said.

When pressed further on whether Covered California is aware of the termination problem and if so, how many people it affects, Hicks issued this statement: “While we want every enrollment and transition to be as smooth as possible, we know that with 1.5 million consumers, there will be times when issues come up that need to be resolved. We deal with these on a case-by-case basis as we discover them and, where appropriate, look for ways to improve our existing processes.”

No one seems to know what’s causing these terminations. Nor is it clear whether they’re a result of errors committed by Covered California or the health insurance plans — or both.

Blue Shield declined to comment on Vitale’s case, citing privacy concerns, but said there are several reasons why someone’s plan might be terminated. These include non-payment of premiums, not providing proof of citizenship and changes in income that would make the person ineligible for a subsidized Covered California plan, the insurer said.

None of those seem to apply to Vitale.

“Blue Shield is committed to providing coverage to all Californians — this includes working closely with Covered California to decrease the state’s uninsured rate,” said spokesman Clinton McGue.

Covered California’s Hicks suggested that consumers who face problems with their coverage and are unable to resolve it with their insurer contact the exchange’s customer service center at 800-300-1506.

Vitale’s daughter said she tried that. The service center acknowledged an “error,” but when she asked whose it was, “they didn’t want to tell me,” she said. The agent did tell her the problem would “take a while to fix.”

The family turned to Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, which helped them take the case to the administrative law judge.

But Vitale still hasn’t had her medical tests, in part because it has taken so long to get her coverage reinstated, despite the judge’s order.

“I wish they would never do this again to another person,” she said. “It’s a terrible thing.”

Wendy Heath of San Diego also contacted Covered California’s help line after her policy was dropped. She said she had renewed her Health Net policy through the exchange and paid her January premium. When her February invoice didn’t show, she called Health Net.

“They said, ‘You don’t need to pay us. As a matter of fact, we’ve refunded the amount you paid for January,’” Heath, 39, recalled. “They said, ‘Your plan was canceled by Covered California.’”

When she called Covered California, she said, a representative could only acknowledge that “we’ve seen the issue” with her case. Eventually, she got her coverage restored with the help of a community service group, San Diegans for Healthcare Coverage.

In the meantime, she had canceled two physical therapy appointments, afraid she might not be covered, she said.

Health Net spokesman Brad Kieffer said policyholders having trouble with their coverage should call the plan at 888-926-4988.

“This is not the experience we want for our members,” he said. “Anybody who feels that this has happened to them can call us and we’ll look into it and resolve the matter on their behalf.”

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Activism

COMMENTARY: The Biases We Don’t See — Preventing AI-Driven Inequality in Health Care

For decades, medicine promoted false assumptions about Black bodies. Black patients were told they had lower lung capacity, and medical devices adjusted their results accordingly. That practice was not broadly reversed until 2021. Up until 2022, a common medical formula used to measure how well a person’s kidneys were working automatically gave Black patients a higher score simply because they were Black. On paper, this made their kidneys appear healthier than they truly were. As a result, kidney disease was sometimes detected later in Black patients, delaying critical treatment and referrals.

Published

4 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D (D-San Diego). File photo.

By Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., Special to California Black Media Partners

Technology is sold to us as neutral, objective, and free of human flaws. We are told that computers remove emotion, bias, and error from decision-making. But for many Black families, lived experience tells a different story. When technology is trained on biased systems, it reflects those same biases and silently carries them forward.

We have seen this happen across multiple industries. Facial recognition software has misidentified Black faces at far higher rates than White faces, leading to wrongful police encounters and arrests. Automated hiring systems have filtered out applicants with traditionally Black names because past hiring data reflected discriminatory patterns. Financial algorithms have denied loans or offered worse terms to Black borrowers based on zip codes and historical inequities, rather than individual creditworthiness. These systems did not become biased on their own. They were trained on biased data.

Healthcare is not immune.

These biases were not limited to software or medical devices. Dangerous myths persisted that Black people feel less pain, contributing to undertreatment and delayed care. These beliefs were embedded in modern training and practice, not distant history. Those assumptions shaped the data that now feeds medical technology. When biased clinical practices form the basis of algorithms, the risk is not hypothetical. The bias can be learned, automated, and scaled.

For us in the Black community, this creates understandable fear and mistrust. Many families already carry generational memories of medical discrimination, from higher maternal mortality to lower life expectancy to being dismissed or unheard in clinical settings. Adding AI biases could make our community even more apprehensive about the healthcare system.

As a physician, I know how much trust patients place in the healthcare system during their most vulnerable moments. As a Black woman, I understand how bias can shape experiences in ways that are often invisible to those who do not live them. As a mother of two Black children, I think constantly about the systems that will shape their health and well-being. As a legislator, I believe it is our responsibility to confront emerging risks before they become widespread harm.

That is why I am the author of Senate Bill (SB) 503. This bill aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare by requiring developers and users of AI systems to identify, mitigate, and monitor biased impacts in their outputs to reduce racial and other disparities in clinical decision-making and patient care.

Currently under consideration in the State Assembly, SB 503 was not written to slow innovation. In fact, I encourage it. But it is our duty must ensure that every tool we in the healthcare field helps patients rather than harms them.

The health of our families depends on it.

About the Author

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D–San Diego) is a physician and public health advocate representing California’s 39th Senate District.

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As California Hits Aging Milestone, State Releases Its Fifth Master Plan for Aging

“California’s Master Plan for Aging started a powerful movement that is shaping the future of aging in our state for generations to come,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement, calling the initiative a “future-forward” model delivering real results for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families.

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Jan. 27, California released its Fifth Master Plan for Aging Annual Report,titled “Focusing on What Matters Most,” outlining the state’s progress and priorities as its population rapidly grows older.

The report, issued by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), provides updates on the Master Plan for Aging’s “Five Bold Goals”: housing, health, inclusion and equity, caregiving, and affordability.

The report comes as Californians aged 60 and older now outnumber those under 18 for the first time, a demographic shift expected to accelerate over the next decade.

Launched in 2021, the Master Plan for Aging takes a “whole-of- government” and “whole-of-society” approach, coordinating state agencies, local governments, community organizations, and private partners. The annual report highlights significant milestones, including more than 100 California communities joining AARP’s Age-Friendly Network and $4 million in state funding awarded to local organizations to develop aging and disability action plans in 30 communities statewide.

The report also underscores California’s leadership at the national level, noting that dozens of states have followed its example and that federal legislation inspired by the plan was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate in December 2025.

CalHHS Secretary Kim Johnson emphasized the plan’s focus on equity and resilience amid ongoing challenges.

“The Master Plan for Aging continues to provide a vision, a focus, and a platform for collaboration,” Johnson said. “Equity is at the center of all that we do.”

Looking ahead, the report notes that by 2030, one in four Californians will be age 60 or older, positioning the Master Plan for Aging as a central framework for meeting the state’s long-term social, economic, and health needs.

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Candidates Vying for Governor’s Seat Debate at Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco

The gubernatorial debate participants included Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor; Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor; Betty Yee, former California state controller; Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and attorney general of California; Steve Hilton, political commentator and political adviser; Tom Steyer, entrepreneur, and Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction.

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

The gubernatorial debate was hosted by KTVU’s Greg Lee, KTTV’s Marla Tellez and KTVU’s Andre Senior. The candidates are (l.-r.): Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Betty Yee.

By Carla Thomas

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, seven candidates took the stage at the historic Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco for the gubernatorial debate, hosted by the Black Action Alliance (BAA) in partnership with KTVU and sister station KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles.

For many voters, it marked a first opportunity to hear directly from several candidates seeking to lead the nation’s most populous state.

Crucial topics and issues addressed throughout the debate included housing, crime, immigration, climate change, health care and homelessness.

The debate was moderated by KTVU political reporter Greg Lee alongside KTVU’s Andre Senior and KTTV Fox 11’s Marla Tellez.

Candidates also addressed inflation and the rising costs across the state, impacting everything from groceries to childcare and health care.

Thurmond vowed to generate 2.3 million units of housing by placing 12 units on each parcel of available land in the 58 counties of California. Steyer agreed that billionaires should pay their fair share of taxes.

Hilton wanted to cut taxes, help working-class families, and end the Democrats “climate crusade and insane regulations.”

Yee offered a more transparent governmental approach with accountability, given the state’s debt.

Gonzalez said, “This debate was a great way to see who has great ideas and who has substance.”

“It’s important to have the debate within a community that requires the most,” said business leader Linda Fadekye.

Attendees included State Controller Malia Cohen, representatives of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Coalition of 100 Black Men, the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, and Black Women Organized for Political Action, among others.

Event host, the Black Action Alliance (BAA) was established to amplify the voices of the Bay Area’s Black community, whose perspectives have too often been overlooked in politics and public policy.

Loren Taylor, CEO of BAA, said it was important to bring the event to the Bayview in San Francisco and shared his organization’s mission.

“The Black Action Alliance (BAA) stands for practical, community-driven solutions that strengthen public safety, address homelessness, support small businesses, expand affordable housing, and ensure access to quality education—issues at the heart of the Black experience in the Bay Area,” said Taylor.

California’s primary election will take place on June 2 and the general election will take place on Nov. 3.