Health

Advocates to State Senate: Diabetes Patients Can’t Afford to Wait on “Life-Saving” Bill

Published

6 years ago

August 7, 2020

California Black Media

A group of doctors, some African American healthcare advocates as well as Californians living with diabetes are asking the state Senate to take up — and quickly vote on — an “urgent” public health bill that lawmakers have put on ice.

If passed, the legislation would place a $50 cap on monthly copayments insurers require diabetic patients to cover when buying their insulin treatments.

Dr. Bill Releford, a podiatrist in Inglewood who specializes in helping diabetics with circulation problems thereby reducing amputation rates, shared the story of Jamal M.

Every day, Jamal M. is faced with tending to the hard-to-heal lesion so that his foot will not have to be cut off while managing the underlying medical condition he has learned to live with despite the challenges. But to stay on top of them, Releford says, Jamal M. has to keep up with costly co-payments for doses of the life-saving insulin that his doctor prescribes.

Unfortunately, Jamal M. can’t afford his share of the cost for his insulin, which falls between $400 to $500 per month.

“Jamal M. was splitting his insulin dosages in half” in an attempt to curb the medical cost to purchase the synthetic hormone that regulates his blood sugar, Releford told California Black Media.

“It really wasn’t working,” Releford explained.

To give a financial lifeline to Californians like Jamal M. — people seemingly caught between dollars and a deadly disease — state Assemblyman Adrian Nazarian (D-Van Nuys) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 2203 in February.

“I know that this uncertain time during COVID-19 pandemic is difficult for us, and many Californians are struggling to survive,” Nazarian said. “My bill AB 2203 aims to help Californians with diabetes by lowering the out-of-pocket costs for insulin so they can stick to their treatment plan outlined by their physician.”

The Assembly Health and Appropriations committees voted separately to move the legislation forward with a combined 25-0 yes vote earlier this year. And although the full Assembly voted June 8 to pass the bill with 64-4, the Senate Health committee, which Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) chairs, has not yet considered the bill that diabetes advocates have labeled “life-and-death” legislation.

The average annual cost per diabetes patient for insulin was $5,705 in 2016, reports SingleCare, an online company that offers pharmacy discounts to registered members. Currently, one vial of insulin could cost up to $250.

Releford, like other African American advocates, says, because diabetes is a co-morbidity that can cause death among COVID-19 patients, keeping his patients healthy is more critical right now than ever.

Diabetes-related coronavirus complications account for over 30% of the current hospitalizations for patients 35 and older in California. As of early June, the blood-sugar disorder was also the second leading contributing cause of COVID-19 deaths, according to a UCLA study. The first, at that time, was hypertension. 

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes is a significant underlying medical condition that increases risk of serious COVID-19 complications,” the study reads. 

For Diabetes patients, the UCLA study reports that COVID-19 fatalities are double their percentage of the general population. 

California Black Media (CBM) contacted Dr. Pan’s office to inquire why the Senate has not yet scheduled a hearing for AB 2203.

Shannan Velayas, a spokesperson for Dr. Pan, who is a practicing pediatrician, said there are some “policy issues” with AB 2203 that still need to be resolved.

“Dr. Pan has worked to improve chronic disease management, including diabetes and access to medication throughout his entire career,” Velayas wrote to CBM in an email. “Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, we are unable to properly vet this bill at this current time for all of its potential issues, including those raised by the Administration in the context of both existing law and other proposals to improve access to insulin for people with diabetes.”

On Monday, July 27, the Dept. of Managed Health Care (DMHC) sent a letter to Nazarian stating that it “regrets to inform you that it (DMHC) has taken an ‘Oppose Unless Amended position’ on AB 2203.”

“Existing law already places comprehensive cost-sharing limits on all outpatient prescription drugs, and the DMHC believes that any changes to cost-sharing should be considered holistically among all prescription drugs. The DMHC requests removing the cost-sharing limit,” Mary Watanabe, DMHC’s acting director said in the letter to Nazarian.

The Association of California Life (ACL), the California Association of Health Plans (CAH) and several health insurance companies have all stated their opposition to AB 2203.

“It sets a precedent that treats one class of drugs differently as it creates a special category for insulin,” those groups wrote in a joint statement. “This inevitably will increase the cost of premiums for all insureds and enrollees by inappropriately socializing the cost of these drugs against all rate payers.”

If passed by the Senate and signed into law by Gov. Newsom, AB 2203 would apply to anyone with an individual, group, or non-employer insurance plan. Besides the $50 cap on the copay, AB 2203 would authorize the California Attorney General to investigate the pricing of insulin to ensure protection for consumers.

Aldon Thomas Stiles contributed to the reporting for this article.

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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

2 months 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

2 months 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

2 months 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.