Lauren Farnsworth (left) and April Buell hand out literature in late March encouraging people to get health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Brennan Linsley/AP hide caption
CAlifornia
Mike Smith, of Long Beach, Calif., now pays $200 for his family's health insurance policy, compared with the $3,000 a month he would have had to pay on the individual market last year. Stephanie O'Neill for NPR hide caption
Informational pamphlets are displayed during an enrollment fair on the last day before the sign-up deadline at the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
A 2011 GAO report that sampled data from a handful of states suggests that, even before Obamacare, patients got the claim denial overturned 39 to 59 percent of the time when they appealed directly to the insurer. iStockphoto hide caption
Flames devoured both vehicles just after a FedEx truck hit a charter bus Thursday in Northern California. At least 10 people were killed. The bus was carrying high school students who were going to visit a college. Jeremy Lockett/AP hide caption
Last-minute applicants for health insurance jam the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond, Calif., on Monday. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption
State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, right, and Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, celebrate the passage of their gun control measures during the Senate session at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., in 2013. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption
People of Asian descent are more likely to buy in person from an insurance agent than online. Covered California hide caption
Video screen-grab of drone footage of a dolphin stampede off California coast. Dave Anderson/Capt Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari hide caption
Before the deluge: Sandbags and barriers lined a road in Glendora, Calif., on Thursday. Authorities expect flooding as heavy rains spread across the area. Reed Saxon/AP hide caption
Raindrops on a windshield blurred the view of a woman Wednesday in San Francisco. California, which is suffering through a drought, is getting some much-needed precipitation this week. Ben Margot/AP hide caption
Chardonnay grapes are picked in the Stelling Vineyard at Far Niente winery Wednesday morning, Aug. 28, 2013 in Oakville, Calif. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption
A new electronic system will attempt to cut costs at the Planned Parenthood in Concord. Courtesy of Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific hide caption