California Black Media

Tens of Thousands of Black Californians Retain Health Coverage After Post-Covid Redetermination

Over 36,000 Black Californians maintained coverage with a health insurance provider through the 14-month Medi-Cal to Covered California redetermination process led by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and Covered California. This number does not include Californians who have employer or private insurance or those who have been enrolled in Medi-Cal or Covered California and have met all the eligibility requirements for both programs. In total, more than 158,000 Californians retained their health coverage through the statewide redetermination initiative, which began in April 2023 and ran until June of this year, according to DHCS.

Published

7 months ago

September 10, 2024

Oakland Post

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By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

This number does not include Californians who have employer or private insurance or those who have been enrolled in Medi-Cal or Covered California and have met all the eligibility requirements for both programs.

In total, more than 158,000 Californians retained their health coverage through the statewide redetermination initiative, which began in April 2023 and ran until June of this year, according to DHCS.

Covered California Chief Medical Officer and Chief Deputy Executive Director Dr. S. Monica Soni said the availability of affordable health coverage can help prevent negative medical outcomes in the Golden State’s Black communities. That coverage includes Medi-Cal, California’s version of the Medicaid program — which offers free or low-cost health care access to low-income people across the nation — or one of the affordable health plans offered through Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange

“We know primary care is one of the ways to have good health and wellness — from behavioral health to physical health to instances where someone has a substance abuse disorder,” said Soni, also a primary care doctor and the first Black Chief Medical Officer at Covered California.

“Our communities are some of the most incredible community-oriented, health-seeking ambitious folks,” Soni continued. “We have a lot of assets in our communities, but it is true we have higher rates of death for many cancers. We have more obesity. We have really higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure as well.”

The redetermination project kicked off when Medi-Cal resumed its renewal process to establish eligibility for over 15 million of its members following the end of the federal continuous coverage requirement put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Covered California automatically enrolled individuals in one of its low-cost health plans with insurers such as Aetna Health, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Health Net, Molina Health Plan, or Valley Health Plan if they lost Medi-Cal coverage and qualified for Covered California.

According to a survey conducted last fall on behalf of Covered California by NORC and Slosar Research, 82% of people in the Medi-Cal renewal processes were covered through employer- insurance; were already enrolled with Covered California, or returned to Medi-Cal.

Soni stated that the main obstacle that prevents people without health insurance from selecting a plan through Covered California is a belief the price will be out of their budget.

“Sometimes people are worried about the cost,” she explained. “We have zero-dollar and $10-a-month plans, depending on household income. Regardless of what health plan you choose all of your primary care costs are the same. We believe you should be able to shop for the health plan you want.”

Covered California’s open enrollment period runs from November of this year to January 2025. Soni said Covered California will have record levels of support and affordability during the upcoming year.

“Incredible support we are getting from the state and federal government makes us able to do that,” she said.

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Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Honors California Women in Construction with State Proclamation, Policy Ideas

“Women play an important role in building our communities, yet they remain vastly underrepresented in the construction industry,” Smallwood-Cuevas stated. “This resolution not only recognizes their incredible contributions but also the need to break barriers — like gender discrimination.

Published

3 days ago

March 24, 2025

Oakland Post

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), center, is shown with other guest speakers at the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction brunch held at the State Capitol on March 6, 2025. On the left is Jennifer Todd, LMS General Contractors Founder and President. To Todd’s right is Dr. Giovanna Brasfield, from Los Angeles-based Brasfield and Associates. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

To honor Women in Construction Week, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 30 in the State Legislature on March 6. This resolution pays tribute to women and highlights their contributions to the building industry.

The measure designates March 2, 2025, to March 8, 2025, as Women in Construction Week in California. It passed 34-0 on the Senate floor.

Authored by Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro), another bill, Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 28, also recognized women in the construction industry.

The resolution advanced out of the Assembly Committee on Rules with a 10-0 vote.

The weeklong event coincides with the National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) celebration that started in 1998 and has grown and expanded every year since.

The same week in front of the State Capitol, Smallwood, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), and Assemblymember Maggie Krell (D-Sacramento), attended a brunch organized by a local chapter of NAWIC.

Two of the guest speakers were Dr. Giovanna Brasfield, CEO of Los Angeles-based Brasfield and Associates, and Jennifer Todd, President and Founder of LMS General Contractors.

Todd is the youngest Black woman to receive a California’s Contractors State License Board (A) General Engineering license. An advocate for women of different backgrounds, Todd she said she has been a woman in construction for the last 16 years despite going through some trying times.

A graduate of Arizona State University’s’ Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, in 2009 Todd created an apprenticeship training program, A Greener Tomorrow, designed toward the advancement of unemployed and underemployed people of color.

“I always say, ‘I love an industry that doesn’t love me back,’” Todd said. “Being young, female and minority, I am often in spaces where people don’t look like me, they don’t reflect my values, they don’t reflect my experiences, and I so persevere in spite of it all.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 11.2% of the construction workforce across the country are female. Overall, 87.3% of the female construction workers are White, 35.1% are Latinas, 2.1% are Asians, and 6.5% are Black women, the report reveals.

The National Association of Home Builders reported that as of 2022, the states with the largest number of women working in construction were Texas (137,000), California (135,000) and Florida (119,000). The three states alone represent 30% of all women employed in the industry.

Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus supported Smallwood-Cuevas’ SCR 30 and requested that more energy be poured into bringing awareness to the severe gender gap in the construction field.

“The construction trade are a proven path to a solid career. and we have an ongoing shortage, and this is a time for us to do better breaking down the barriers to help the people get into this sector,” Rubio said.

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Report Offers Policies, Ideas to Improve the Workplace Experiences of Black Women in California

The “Invisible Labor, Visible Struggles: The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Workplace Equity for Black Women in California” report by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI), unveiled the findings of a December 2024 survey of 452 employed Black women across the Golden State. Three-fifths of the participants said they experienced racism or discrimination last year and 57% of the unfair treatment was related to incidents at work.

Published

3 days ago

March 24, 2025

Oakland Post

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By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

Backed by data, a report released last month details the numerous hurdles Black women in the Golden State must overcome to effectively contribute and succeed in the workplace.

The “Invisible Labor, Visible Struggles: The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Workplace Equity for Black Women in California” report by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI), unveiled the findings of a December 2024 survey of 452 employed Black women across the Golden State. Three-fifths of the participants said they experienced racism or discrimination last year and 57% of the unfair treatment was related to incidents at work.

CBWCEI President and CEO Kellie Todd Griffin said Black women have been the backbone of communities, industries, and movements but are still overlooked, underpaid, and undervalued at work.

“The data is clear,” she explained. “Systemic racism and sexism are not just historical injustices. They are active forces shaping the workplace experiences of Black women today. This report is a call to action. it demands intentional polices, corporate accountability, and systemic changes.”

The 16-page study, conducted by the public opinion research and strategic consulting firm EVITARUS, showcases the lived workplace experiences of Black women, many who say they are stuck in the crosshairs of discrimination based on gender and race which hinders their work opportunities, advancements, and aspirations, according to the report’s authors, Todd Griffin and CBWCEI researcher Dr. Sharon Uche.

“We wanted to look at how Black women are experiencing the workplace where there are systematic barriers,” Todd Griffin told the media during a press conference co-hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media. “This report is focused on the invisible labor struggles of Black women throughout California.”

The aspects of the workplace most important to Black women, according to those surveyed, are salary or wage, benefits, and job security.

However, only 21% of the survey’s respondents felt they had strong chances for career advancement into the executive or senior leadership ranks in California’s job market; 49% felt passed over, excluded from, or marginalized at work; and 48% felt their accomplishments at work were undervalued. Thirty-eight percent said they had been thought of as the stereotypical “angry Black woman” at work, and 42% said workplace racism or discrimination effected their physical or mental health.

“These sentiments play a factor in contributing to a workplace that is unsafe and not equitable for Black women in California,” the report reads.

Most Black women said providing for their families and personal fulfillment motivated them to show up to work daily, while 38% said they were dissatisfied in their current job with salary, supervisors, and work environment being the top sources of their discontent.

When asked if they agree or disagree with a statement about their workplace 58% of Black women said they feel supported at work, while 52% said their contributions are acknowledged. Forty-nine percent said they felt empowered.

Uche said Black women are paid $54,000 annually on average — including Black single mothers, who averaged $50,000 — while White men earn an average of $90,000 each year.

“More than half of Black families in California are led by single Black women,” said Uche, who added that the pay gap between Black women and White men isn’t forecasted to close until 2121.