With a DMHC hearing pending, Health Access is pleased to release a new issue brief for dialogue and open discussion: “What is the Role of a Nonprofit Insurer? Should the Affordable Care Act Change the Expectations of Insurers with a Public Service Mission?” New questions have arisen about what it means to be a nonprofit […]
Highlights from Covered CA Board Meeting December 15, 2014
Today’s tight two-hour meeting featured a much anticipated presentation on benefit designs for 2016, an enrollment update, and a surprise announcement: that this meeting would be California Endowment Chief Executive Dr. Bob Ross’s last as a member of the Covered California Board. Dr. Ross’s’ valuable contributions to the Board’s discussions since he was appointed by […]
Final Floor Votes This Week on Health Reform Bills…
HEALTH ACCESS UPDATE: Monday, August 27, 2012 KEY HEALTH REFORM BILLS UP FOR FINAL FLOOR VOTES THIS WEEK * Key Legislation on Essential Health Benefits, Insurance Market Reforms, and Outreach and Enrollment Set for Floor Votes * Bills Essential for ACA Implementation Need to Pass This Week Bfore Friday, August 31st Deadline; If Passed, Governor […]
Making Insurance Reform Real in 2014: New Recommendations from the NAIC Consumer Representatives
As federal and state policymakers gear up for the sweeping insurance reforms required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to begin January 1, 2014, a broad based group of patient and consumer advocates today released a set of recommendations to ensure the reforms meet consumers’ needs. The report authors serve as appointed consumer representatives to […]
Over 10,000 in California in PCIP…
At the MRMIB Board meeting today, it was announced that California’s Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program (PCIP) now has over 10,000 enrollees. It’s by far the biggest PCIP of any state, as is appropriate. PCIPs were created under the Affordable Care Act, as a way to provide care to those denied for pre-existing conditions until 2014, […]
Preventing the “bottomless pit” of out-of-pocket costs…
This afternoon, the Assembly Health Committee heard AB1800(Ma), a bill to cap out-of-pocket costs, as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which Health Access California is co-sponsoring with the Northern California MS Society. Here’s the powerful testimony of one of the witnesses in support: My name is Melanie Rowen, I live in San Francisco and […]
Senate Health Approves Reforms to the Individual Market
Senate Health Committee met yesterday afternoon and heard several bills, including an important bill related to the implementation of health reform. One of the most important pieces of health legislation this year, SB961 (Hernandez) is the companion bill to AB1461 (Monning), which passed out of Assembly Health Committee yesterday. This bill similarly reforms the individual […]
Blame, Blacklisting, Death, and Destruction
A packed Assembly Health Committee agenda kicked off today with AB1461, the bill that would reform the individual health insurance market in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. Chairman Monning, the bill’s author, outlined the protections covered by the bill, including community rating (rather than rating based health status) and guaranteed issue and renewal. Carolyn […]
Beyond the War on Women’s Health…
There’s been a lot of talk about a “war on women” in politics today. Clearly, there’s been a “war on women’s health“–with even access to contraception being called into question. In a great column a few weeks ago in the Ventura County Star and elsewhere, Timm Herdt usefully broadens the discussion. The debate about contraception […]
Senate Health Passes Key Bills..
Senate Health Committee met this afternoon, and considered as part of its agenda, 3 bills of benefits to California health care consumers. We followed it on Twitter @healthaccess. SB1410 (Hernandez) improves upon Independent Medical Review, the process by which consumers can appeal denial of care decisions. The changes are intended to make the process more […]