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• ACA provides $100 Million to fight health insurance premium hikes
  Posted 09/20/11 at 8:26 pm

  From the HHS Release http://1.usa.gov/qMUW8y Over $100 Million in New Affordable Care Act Grants Help Fight Health Insurance Premium Hikes HHS Releases New Report Showing How Rate Review Protects Consumers U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced Affordable Care Act grant awards of $109 million to 28 States and Continue Reading

• California: the fight for protections against excessive insurance rates will go on
  Posted 09/08/11 at 8:36 pm

  Earlier this year, 150,000 Californians saw their Anthem Blue Cross health insurance rates jump by an average of 16 percent even though state regulators declared the hike to be “unreasonable.” Though California regulators have the ability to determine whether health insurance rate hikes are excessive, they don’t have the power to prevent them from going Continue Reading

• CA AB 52: Rate Reg Bill Fight Continues into 2012
  Posted at 8:23 pm

  Earlier this year, 150,000 Californians saw their Anthem Blue Cross health insurance rates jump by an average of 16 percent even though state regulators declared the hike to be “unreasonable.” Though California regulators have the ability to determine whether health insurance rate hikes are excessive, they don’t have the power to prevent them from going Continue Reading

• LA Times Editorial Supports Rate Regulation in AB 52!
  Posted 08/25/11 at 8:18 pm

  http://lat.ms/qV8j6p August 25, 2011 California needs to be able to regulate health insurance premiums Lawmakers shouldn’t lose sight of the basic problem the bill would address: the inability of regulators to do anything but complain about unreasonable increases in premiums. A bill to let the state block excessive health insurance premiums is running into trouble Continue Reading

• Rate regulation bill, AB 52 moves to Senate Floor
  Posted at 8:06 pm

  Good news! Today the California Senate Appropriations Committee voted on a party line vote to put hardworking consumers ahead of the health insurance industry. .The bill, AB 52, which received the support of all Democratic members of the Committee, gives state regulators the ability to deny or modify rates if they are inadequate, unreasonably high Continue Reading

• CA Health Benefits Exchange Hires Executive Director!
  Posted at 4:40 pm

  The California Health Benefits Exchange Board has hired Peter Lee as its first Excutive Director. Peter has a long history of advocacy on behalf of consumers with a particular focus on increasing consumer engagement around health care policy.  The release is below.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                          Contact: Luis Vizcaino (916) 654-3304 August 25, 2011  Peter V. Continue Reading

• Editorial:CA Senate Should Pass Insurance Rate Oversight Bill
  Posted 08/24/11 at 8:15 pm

  http://bit.ly/oB8Uai From the San Jose Mercury News The fate of the most important health care legislation in California this year — Assemblyman Mike Feuer’s AB 52, permitting oversight of insurance rates — rests with the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday. California’s insurance commissioner should have the power to review all premium rate hikes by insurers. Continue Reading

• What do you want from insurance marketplace reform?
  Posted at 6:44 pm

  Starting in 2014, the California Health Benefit Exchange will make it easier for individuals and small businesses to compare plans and buy health insurance on the private market. The Exchange will enhance competition while organizing the private insurance market so it makes sense to consumers.  Clarity,  transparency and accountability for health insurers will create a Continue Reading

• Sac Bee:CA interests line up to shape state’s health exchange
  Posted 08/18/11 at 7:25 pm

  By Kevin Yamamura kyamamura@sacbee.com At a suburban Sacramento auditorium normally reserved for tax matters, the new California Health Benefit Exchange board attracted a who’s who of health care lobbyists when it convened in April. Among those represented: Insurers, doctors, drug companies, low-income patients, small businesses, HMOs and information technology firms. It was a clear indication Continue Reading

• CA Healthline:CA Nabs Over $38M for Insurance Exchange Planning
  Posted at 7:22 pm

  Posted by Steve Dixon on 08/16/11 at 4:49 pm On Friday, HHS awarded California more than $38 million for work on its statewide health insurance exchange, The Hill’s “Healthwatch” reports (Baker, “Healthwatch,” The Hill, 8/12). California is one of 13 states and Washington, D.C., that will share $185 million in funding to help set up Continue Reading