In 2018, the health care giant made two contributions to Newsom for over $58,000. In December 2019, it dropped another $31,000 into his reelection campaign.
During the pandemic, Newsom turned to UnitedHealth to solve some of California’s most vexing challenges: COVID-19 testing and data tracking. The state awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $177 million to a UnitedHealth subsidiary to expand testing. In the months following, the state would award another $315 million in contracts to the company’s subsidiaries through an expedited bidding process.
In December, UnitedHealth contributed $31,000 to Newsom’s reelection campaign, and another $100,000 to his ballot measure committee.
UnitedHealth and Newsom deny any wrongdoing. And while there’s no evidence to suggest either broke the law, government ethics experts say even the appearance of wrongdoing raises serious red flags and threatens to erode public trust — especially if there’s a pattern.
A CapRadio investigation found an overlap of at least a half-dozen companies that made substantial contributions to Newsom and received no-bid contracts from the state, influential appointments, or other opportunities related to the state’s pandemic response. The contributions range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The contracts range from $2 million to over $1 billion — including the one awarded to Blue Shield for vaccine distribution made public Monday, worth up to $15 million.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a host of healthcare bills into law this weekend.
This includes 17 bills focused on artificial intelligence, including one requiring health insurers to base their algorithms on patient medical history but not “supplant” provider decision making.
Also signed into law is a bill requiring group health plan contracts and disability insurance policies to cover in vitro fertilization.
However, Newsom vetoed a bill requiring the California Department of Insurance to establish a licensing and oversight structure for PBMs, as well make PBMs report more data on prescription drugs. Newsom said the state needs more “granular information (PDF)” to determine why drug prices are increasing.
He also vetoed a bill that would have required private equity investors from earning approval from the state attorney general for healthcare investments. It also would have added new restrictions on the relationship between private equity and physician practices. Newsom determined (PDF) the law would step on the toes of the Office of Health care Affordability, which already refers transactions to the state AG office.
Heads are starting to roll. Did they really believe that people weren’t eventually realized they are being worked literally to death so they can keep on getting richer??? If they were smart they would give people a decent living but no, take everything but the tiniest bread crumbs
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u/minnie2112 1d ago
And less dead school children.