Laurie Sobel is a Senior Attorney at the West Coast Office of Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. Ms. Sobel is a recognized expert on health care policy and consumer protection. Since joining Consumers Union staff in 1999, Ms. Sobel has advocated for access, fairness and accountability for health care consumers by working with legislators, regulators, community groups, and media organizations.
From 2000 to 2006, she directed the Community Health Care Assets Project, which resulted in 23 states enacting legislation based on the project’s Model Act and created the public pressure and precedent that helped to preserve more than $21 billion in 185 health philanthropies. She was Consumers Union principle lobbyist for SB 680 (2001) that created public reporting of heart by-pass surgery mortality rates by hospital and surgeon in California. Since 2002, Ms. Sobel has served on the California Office of Statewide Planning and Health Development Technical Advisory Committee, which advises the state agency on quality reporting
Last week, Washington Insurance Commissioner Kreidler rejected Time Insurance Company’s request for a 37% rate increase and instead approved a 19% rate increase. The company had asked for the rate increase to be effective in January- but because of the time it took to thoroughly review the filing – consumers will be spared any increase Continue Reading
Today, the Oregon insurance regulator rejected Regence’s request for a 22.1% rate increase and instead approved a 12.8% rate increase, saving consumers $12.5 million in the next year. The Department thought it was imperative to significantly lower the rate increase because a higher rate increase “would cause healthier members to drop their coverage, driving rates Continue Reading
A new direction for healthcare...
