Covered California explains why health insurance rates are projected to increase. Author of “The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America” discusses lessons from Stockton. Woodland Opera House performs the Broadway musical “In the Heights.”

Covered California rate increases

Six percent. That’s how much the cost of health plans offered by Covered California are expected to go up next year. And that’s just the average. There are some parts of the state where rates will likely increase by double digits. And if federal funding isn’t renewed, health insurance marketplaces across the country like Covered California may push rates even higher. And as more people resume doctor appointments at this stage in the pandemic, costs to see a physician are also having an impact. There is also another big change at Covered California this year. For the first time since the state health insurance marketplace launched in 2012 Covered California has a new leader. Covered California's new Executive Director Jessica Altman joined Insight to discuss her journey to becoming the leader of Covered California and the rate changes. 

Stockton reinvestment

It’s been 10 years since Stockton filed bankruptcy, the largest municipality to do so at the time (Detroit would file bankruptcy the following year). During the 2008 recession, a perfect financial storm hit cities like Stockton hard. Foreclosures, declining home values, loose spending, and not planning for a negative downturn. Stockton is one of the most diverse cities in the country, yet it is often used as a headline as a poverty-stricken and high-crime place. But headlines as just that and there is always more to the story. Michelle Wilde Anderson is an Urban Law Professor at Stanford University and her new book, “The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America,” documents the dismantling (and rebuilding) of local government in high-poverty communities. Professor Anderson joined Insight to unpack what happened to Stockton and how residents are reinventing their city and fighting urban decline.

"In the Heights" at the Woodland Opera House

A Tony-award-winning musical and major motion picture will take the stage in Yolo County. The Woodland Opera House is opening its season with "In the Heights," based on the book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and transformed into a Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the Heights showcases the thriving migrant community of Washington Heights in Manhattan, incorporating Caribbean rhythms, Hip-Hop, and traditional musical ballads to tell the story of a predominantly Latinx and Black neighborhood. The lead character Usnavi de la Vega, is the owner of a "bodega," a small Spanish grocery store, following his ambitions, struggles, and longing for a home. Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya, Director and Choreographer for the musical at the Woodland Opera House, joined Insight to discuss the performance.