The Bolsa Bridge archive
Find a story
Type what you want to know — Vietnamese or English both work.
All stories in Health & Benefits — newest first.
- Health & Benefits
2027 Medicare Star Ratings Are Out: What Should You Check Beyond the Score?
CMS has released 2027 Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage and Part D on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. The ratings summarize plan quality, but do not tell you whether a plan’s doctors, medicines, or costs fit your situation.
- Health & Benefits
OneCare Complete 2027: Flex Card Rises by $3 a Quarter; Gym Rides Change
CalOptima’s 2027 Annual Notice of Change raises the OneCare Complete Flex Card allowance from $167 to $170 a quarter. Gym rides change from unlimited trips to up to 300 one-way trips to gyms and grocery stores for members who qualify for the health-related benefit.
- Health & Benefits
The Right Door: Who Can Help With Health Coverage in Orange County?
Medicare, Medi-Cal, and Covered California each have different places to call. Knowing whether you need to enroll, understand benefits, or compare options can help you reach the right office.
- Health & Benefits
Medi-Cal changes four times in the next 12 months: your parents get asked about assets, you get asked about work hours — who in your household is affected, and what to do at renewal
Between October 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027, the federal law known as H.R. 1 changes Medi-Cal four times: which immigration statuses qualify, an 80-hour-a-month work rule, shorter retroactive coverage, and renewals every six months. Meanwhile, a $130,000 asset limit for people 65 and older has been back since January. In a three-generation household in Little Saigon, one family can be hit at both ends.
- Health & Benefits
Vaccine season 2026–27 is here: California says three shots for anyone 65 and up, Orange County starts free flu shots Sept. 21 — and Medicare pays $0
On September 4, 2026, the California Department of Public Health issued this year's respiratory-season vaccine recommendations together with three other West Coast states. If you are 65 or older, that means flu, COVID-19, and RSV if you are 75 or have a chronic condition. Here are the three questions we hear most around Bolsa: what to get, where to get it, and what it costs.
- Health & Benefits
The most important Medicare letter of the year is in your mailbox now: skip it before Sept. 30 and you could pay more for your 2027 drugs without knowing why
By September 30, 2026, every Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plan must send members an "Annual Notice of Change" spelling out how premiums, copays and drug lists will change on January 1, 2027. This year the letter matters more than usual: the government is ending a program that kept stand-alone drug-plan premiums stable, and the cap on what you pay out of pocket for drugs rises to $2,400.