In its February 21, 2014 issue, Sacramento Business Journal brought to light some of the challenges faced by the state's health insurance exchange, Covered California, in recruiting top talent. In an article titled "Top jobs go begging at Covered California," the publication noted that while the agency continues to ramp up, particularly in hiring matters, The Tori Group has filled many staffing gaps in addition to continuing its consulting work there. 

The article notes, "Leesa Tori was hired early on as interim director of health plan management at Covered California. Chief at The Tori Group, she gets kudos from health plans as responsive and helpful during the launch of the program."
Click here for a PDF of the entire Sacramento Business Journal article.

By Steve Peoples & Ken Thomas, Associated Press, February 23, 2014

The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but America's governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is here to stay.

While governors from Connecticut to Louisiana sparred Sunday over how best to improve the nation's economy, governors of both parties shared a far more pragmatic outlook on the controversial program known as "Obamacare" as millions of their constituents begin to be covered. Read more...

A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey highlights the challenges that California faced when beginning Affordable Care Act implementation and how the state could offer lessons for others implementing the law, Kaiser Health News reports.

The report surveyed 2,500 California adults in October 2013, before the beginning of open enrollment. Details of FindingsThe report found that many uninsured residents were disconnected from the health care system. Specifically, it found that:

• 50% of uninsured California residents had not had access to health insurance for five years or longer;
• 22% of uninsured residents never had access to health coverage; and
• 25% of uninsured residents said they had a regular physician.

Read more...