Business

Asm. Mia Bonta’s Bill Cracking Down on Private Equity Healthcare Deals Heads to Gov’s Desk

“AB 1415 ensures that Californians have a watchdog when it comes to the billions of dollars of private equity transactions in California’s healthcare system,” said Bonta, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee. “This bill is a crucial step to close the gaps in the Office of Health Care Affordability’s oversight abilities at a time when our constituents are demanding that we take action to protect access to affordable and high-quality care.”

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Mia Bonta represents California’s 18th Assembly District, which covers Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville.

By Oakland Post Staff

California is one step closer to tightening oversight of private equity and hedge fund spending in the healthcare sector as lawmakers sent Assembly Bill (AB)1415, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), to Gov, Gavin Newsom’s desk this week.

The measure, if signed into law, would expand the authority of the state’s Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA), requiring private equity groups, hedge funds, and Management Services Organizations (MSOs) to notify the office of major transactions, including mergers or acquisitions involving hospitals, physician organizations, skilled nursing facilities, or other MSOs.

Created in 2022, OHCA was tasked with tackling rising health costs that continue to outpace inflation and strain working families. The office monitors healthcare spending enforces statewide cost-growth benchmarks, reviews transactions for their effect on access and equity, and promotes strategies to improve affordability and quality.

Bonta’s bill follows last year’s veto of AB 3129, a similar measure blocked by Gov. Newsom. In that veto, Newsom directed that OHCA — not other agencies –should be the lead state entity reviewing healthcare mergers and acquisitions, a role AB 1415 would now cement.

Supporters say the legislation is urgently needed as California faces rapid healthcare consolidation. Between 2019 and 2023, private equity acquisitions of healthcare providers in the state totaled $4.31 billion, representing nearly one-third of all healthcare deals. The share of community hospitals owned by larger health entities climbed from 53% in 2004 to 68% in 2022. And the percentage of physicians working in hospitals or practices owned by bigger systems grew from 29% in 2012 to 41% in 2022.

Research shows that when consolidation increases, so do prices. Critics of unchecked mergers warn that corporate takeovers often lead to service reductions, closures, and diminished community access to care.

“We all are feeling the rise in our health care prices, and one big reason is that powerful investment and private equity firms are quietly buying up hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices, often cutting corners to boost profits. Yet the state doesn’t have all the information needed to determine the impact of these mergers for California health care consumers,” said Katie Van Deynze, Senior Policy Advocate with Health Access California, a statewide healthcare consumer coalition.

Deynze continued, “We hope Governor Newsom signs this bill so we can have the full picture when health care mergers have the potential to harm patients or workers and drive up costs.”

If signed, AB 1415 would mark a first-of-its-kind law in California and could set a precedent nationally. Other states, including Illinois and Texas, along with Congress, are exploring similar efforts to scrutinize private equity’s growing footprint in the healthcare industry.

Bonta represents California’s 18th Assembly District, which covers Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville. She is also the first woman of color to chair the Assembly Health Committee.

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Business

Chase Launches Fraud & Scam Prevention Month

JPMorganChase is launching Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month this November to help consumers protect their personal information and finances. As the holiday season approaches, the nationwide initiative provides education on avoiding sophisticated tactics used by criminals, such as phishing and impersonation scams. The program features free workshops hosted by community managers across the lower 48 states and builds on existing financial wellness efforts that have reached over one million customers. Read more to learn how these new resources and technologies aim to stop financial crimes.

Published

5 hours ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Sponsored by JPMorganChase

New initiative builds on Chase’s longstanding commitment to fraud and scam prevention education nationwide.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 – Scams can happen to anyone. That’s why Chase is dedicating November to helping consumers protect themselves.

As consumers prepare for the holiday season, criminals are increasingly using sophisticated tactics to pressure people into sending money, sharing personal information and making decisions they’ll later regret.

This November, JPMorganChase is launching Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month, a nationwide consumer education initiative designed to help people recognize common scams, avoid in-the-moment mistakes and better protect their money and personal information during the holiday season.

The initiative builds on Chase’s longstanding efforts to help consumers navigate fraud and scams through education, awareness and community-based programming. Through its financial wellness initiatives, Chase has served more than 1 million customers and continues to host more than 1,000 fraud and scam prevention workshops annually across the country.

Throughout November, Chase Community Managers will host free educational workshops in all lower 48 states, as Chase continues to expand digital resources and consumer awareness efforts focused on helping people spot scams and take practical steps to protect themselves. Programming will address scams commonly seen during the holiday season, including impersonation scams, package delivery phishing attempts, gift card scams, fake online deals and fraudulent charity solicitations.

“Scammers are constantly adapting their tactics, making education and awareness more important than ever,” said Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Consumer Banking at Chase. “For years, JPMorganChase has invested in helping consumers recognize scams, understand warning signs and feel empowered to protect themselves. Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month builds on that commitment by providing practical guidance that can help people make safer decisions during the holiday season.”

Fraud and scam prevention remains a key component of Chase’s broader commitment to consumer financial wellness. Through educational workshops, local partnerships and community outreach, Chase helps communities build financial confidence and stay informed about evolving fraud and scam threats. The firm also works closely with law enforcement to share scam trends and insights and help drive more effective interventions as agencies work to combat financial crime.

Ongoing Fraud and Scam Prevention Efforts

Beyond consumer education, Chase continues to invest in technology, partnerships and customer protections designed to help prevent fraud and scams before they occur.

Scam prevention is embedded throughout the customer experience, from account opening and authentication to payments and customer service interactions. Chase continues to strengthen protections across the customer journey through targeted warnings, risk-based interventions, behavioral science-informed approaches and frontline employee training. These efforts help employees identify potential scams, recognize warning signs and better support customers who may be at risk of fraud or scams.

In addition, the firm continues to invest in next-generation security tools, including expanded use of passkeys and other authentication technologies designed to help defend against phishing, social engineering and account takeover attempts, as well as Trusted Contact Person, which allows customers to designate a trusted adult who may be notified of certain transactions to help guard against potential fraud or financial exploitation.

Earlier this year, JPMorganChase also announced nearly $14 million in philanthropic investments focused on consumer awareness, real-time prevention and victim support.

For more information about Chase’s fraud and scam prevention efforts and tips, visit Chase.com/security and attend a local fraud and scam prevention workshop.

About Chase

Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America with operations worldwide, assets of $5 trillion and $375 billion in stockholders’ equity as of June 30, 2026. Chase serves more than 87 million consumers and 7.5 million small businesses with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,100 branches in 48 states and the District of Columbia, 14,500 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to chase.com.

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Business

Fate of Bay Area Public Transit Hinges on Regional Transit Measure

Voters in five Bay Area counties will decide the fate of a regional sales tax measure on Nov. 3 that could determine the future of local public transportation. If approved, the Regional Transit Measure would implement new sales taxes in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties starting in 2027. The funding aims to address massive financial deficits facing agencies like BART and Muni, providing nearly $1 billion annually to prevent station closures and service cuts. Read more.

Published

6 hours ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Tanay Gokhale, Bay City News

On Nov. 3, voters in five Bay Area counties will vote on a regional sales tax measure that, if it fails, could prompt local transit agencies to close train stations and cut bus service.

If passed, the Regional Transit Measure, or RTM, will impose a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties as well as a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco starting April 2027.

The tax would raise an estimated $980 million annually for 14 years to fund the region’s public transit agencies, which are struggling with massive financial deficits. Revenue would go to BART, Muni, Caltrain, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Bay Ferry, Golden Gate Transit, and other transportation agencies operating in the five counties.

In California, a regional measure for a new sales tax would normally require a two-thirds majority approval if the state Legislature directly places it on a ballot. Transit advocates, however, chose to collect signatures to make the sales tax a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would lower the threshold to a simple majority of votes cast across the five counties.

The RTM received more than 241,000 signatures, exceeding the 186,000-signature threshold required to qualify for the ballot.