Category: Insurers

Insurers, Mergers, Prescription Drugs, Transparency, Undocumented

Legislative Priorities Clear Deadlines

As the April 22 policy deadline approached, all of Health Access’ priority bills made it over the finish line. Last week, the legislative committees voted on two important bills that will increase transparency in our health care system. Transparency for Prescription Drug Costs Prescription drugs are the health service most commonly used by consumers and […]

Insurers, Mergers, Prevention, Quality

Wonkery for Your Week

We wanted to spotlight two of the recent Health Wonk Reviews, a biweekly compendium of the best from the health policy blogosphere. Last week, Charles Gaba at ACAsignups.net (the best place to track Obamacare enrollment nationally) had a very California-heavy edition, with posts about Covered California’s quality initiatives, our death-with-dignity law, and our post about […]

Insurers, Mergers, Network Adequacy, Quality, Timely Access

Anthem Blue Cross-Cigna’s Troubling Track Records Spotlighted at DMHC Public Meeting

On March, 4, 2016, the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) held a public meeting on the proposed takeover of Cigna by Anthem Blue Cross. The public meeting was requested by consumer groups including Health Access, Consumers Union, and others to raise questions about the structure of the deal, its potential impact on California’s patients […]

Hospitals, Insurers, Language Access, Network Adequacy, Prescription Drugs, Quality, Timely Access

Covered CA Board Takes Big Steps on Standardized Benefit Design and Quality/Equity Measures; Considers New Barriers to Special Enrollment

Thursday’s Covered California Board meeting, the first since the last day of open enrollment 2013, offered a deep dive on the standardized benefit designs and the quality/equity framework that will guide contracting with insurers for the next 3-year cycle (2017-2019), and a heated discussion about the new documentation requirements that insurers are calling for to qualify […]