California recently required most of the commercial insurers in its Medi-Cal program to re-bid their contracts. It's a competition intended to improve quality, equity and transparency in the care these companies provide.
In August, the state announced the preliminary results of the bidding. It showed Blue Shield of California and Health Net among four companies standing to lose contracts in just over a year's time. If that happens, about 15 percent of Medi-Cal's more than 12 million enrollees in managed care will have to change health plans and possibly doctors.
Those potential changes would affect Medi-Cal patients in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Kern, Alpine and El Dorado counties.