Health Care Reform
California gets federal approval to close Healthy Families
by Kevin Yamamura , Sacramento Bee
California will begin moving 860,000 lower-income children from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal next month after receiving last-minute federal approval today, state health officials said. Read More ›
Affordable Care Act presents many unknowns for California officials
by Anthony York, Los Angeles Times
It is unclear how many Californians will sign up when the healthcare law takes effect in 2014, making it difficult for the Brown administration to estimate the costs of expanded coverage. Read More ›
Covered California health benefit exchange wraps up productive year
by Linda Leu, California Progress Report
The board of directors of Covered California, the new Health Benefit Exchange, met yesterday in Sacramento to continue its work implementing a reformed healthcare market in compliance with the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010. Read More ›
Facing deadline, most states say no to running their own insurance exchanges
by Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
The Obama administration will have to build and operate online health insurance markets for more than 30 states, something few expected when the federal health law was approved in 2010. Read More ›
Decision day for states on health insurance marketplaces
by Michael Pearson, CNN
The federal government will run 24 exchanges outright and likely partner with states to run the other six; 19 states will run their own, while Florida and Utah remained undecided as of Friday. Read More ›
Blue Shield of California seeks rate hikes up to 20%
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
In filings with state regulators, Blue Shield is seeking an average rate increase of 12% for more than 300,000 customers. Consumer advocates say the firm should use its reserves to hold down rates. Read More ›
Ballot Measure Would Control Skyrocketing Health Insurance Rates
The initiative would require health insurance companies to submit proposed rate increases to the Department of Insurance, which could deny or modify an excessive rate hike.
Study: Lack of health insurance causes thousands of Californians to die prematurely
by Stephanie O'Neill, 89.3 KPCC
As the nation awaits the historic Supreme Court ruling on the Obama administration’s health care law, a new report released Wednesday says California leads the nation in the number of premature deaths caused primarily by lack of health insurance. Read More ›
SB 1538 Improves Breast Cancer Detection Information Following Mammograms
SB 1538 (Simitian) provides a simple notification requirement that ensures that a woman is aware of her breast density so she can make informed decisions about her healthcare. Read More ›
California’s Fight to Stop Health Insurance Price Gouging and the Single Payer Solution
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Consumer Federation of California
State regulators should have the power to veto health insurance industry attempts to unjustifiably gouge consumers. The California State legislature should immediately support this effort to rein in rising premiums costs ‘ a step already taken by 36 states. Read More ›
CFC Supports AB 52 (Feuer) – Health Insurance Rate Approval
AB 52 would bring California in line with 35 other states that require some form of prior health insurance rate approval by state regulators. Read More ›
California Legislation Would Rein In Insurance Industry Price Gouging
Excessive health insurance rate increases have placed health care coverage out of the reach of 8.2 million Californians ‘ with millions more barely making ends meet due to industry profiteering. Read More ›
CFC Supports AB 714 ( Atkins) – Pre-Enrollment in Exchange and Medi-Cal
This measure implements and improves on the provisions of federal health reform by maximizing the uninsured and underinsured enrolled in the Exchange and Medi-Cal on January 1, 2014 when the Exchange opens and Medi-Cal Eligibility expands to cover adults without children under 18 at home. Read More ›