Health Care Reform
Some health insurance gets pricier as Obamacare rolls out
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
Many middle-class Californians with individual health plans are surprised they need policies that cover more — and cost more. Read More ›
Kaiser faults California’s exchange for lack of quality ratings
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
Healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente and two other insurers say California’s insurance exchange is withholding crucial information from consumers by not posting quality ratings alongside health plan rates. Read More ›
Insurers limiting doctors, hospitals in health insurance market
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
Insurers in California’s new health insurance exchange are holding down premiums by limiting choices, raising concerns that patients will struggle to get care. Read More ›
Field Poll says half of California voters can’t afford health care
by Carmen Balber, Consumer Watchdog
The Health Insurance Rate Public Justification and Accountability Act on the November 2014 ballot would make health insurance rates more transparent and allow the insurance commissioner to reject a rate that is found to be excessive. Read More ›
California reveals insurance firms to participate in health exchange
by Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee
Covered California, the insurance exchange created under the new federal health care law, announced a list of insurance firms that have signed contracts to sell health plans on the exchange. Read More ›
Ballot measure filed to raise California’s medical damages cap
by Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee
A coalition has been lobbying this year to change a $250,000 cap on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. They argue the current limit, put in place in 1975, is outdated and insufficient to cover the prolonged affects of doctor negligence or botched medical procedure. Read More ›
National healthcare reform sparks concern about scams
by Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times
The national health reform law is expected to open the door for identity theft and insurance scams when millions of uninsured Americans begin enrolling in coverage this fall, officials and advocates warn. The Federal Trade Commission said dozens of consumers have reported fraud since last summer’s Supreme Court ruling upholding the law, and officials predict widespread abuse when enrollment begins in October. Read More ›
Fraud fear raised in California’s health exchange
by Judy Lin, Associated Press Writer, Daily Democrat
As California prepares to launch its health care exchange, consumer groups are worried the uninsured could fall victim to fraud, identity theft or other crimes at the hands of some of the very people who are supposed to help them enroll. Read More ›
UnitedHealth to exit individual insurance market in California
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
The move by UnitedHealth, the nation’s largest health insurer, will force thousands of customers with individual policies to find new coverage. Read More ›
Aetna will exit California’s individual health insurance market
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
Aetna said it would stop selling individual health insurance policies in California next month, and nearly 50,000 existing policyholders will have to find new coverage by January. Read More ›
House panel to probe alleged seizure of California medical records by IRS
by Elise Viebeck, The Hill
A House committee launched another probe of the IRS after a lawsuit alleged that the agency improperly seized millions of personal medical records in California. Read More ›
Doctors brace for pain as 10% cut to Medi-Cal rates looms
by Anna Gorman and Anthony York, Los Angeles Times
The cuts, affecting physicians, dentists and pharmacists, were enacted in 2011 to counter a budget deficit. Now medical providers want to restore funds for poor Californians. Read More ›
California health exchange reveals premium costs
by Jim Sanders , Sacramento Bee
Californians have now received the bottom line on which insurance firms will sell policies on the state’s new health-care exchange this fall and how much those premiums will cost. Read More ›