Insurance

Amid Ballot Fight, State Insurance Commissioner Rips Anthem Rate Hike

October 22, 2014 · Mark Reback

In the final days of a battle over Proposition 45, California's insurance commissioner criticized Anthem Blue Cross for an "excessive" rate hike affecting 120,000 people with small-business health coverage. Dave Jones, the state's elected insurance commissioner, said Anthem had failed to justify its 10% average rate increase and used an "unwarranted accounting maneuver" to mask its high profits. But Jones has no power to stop Anthem's increase, a fact he's been campaigning hard to change with Proposition 45.

Staggering Campaign Contributions In Many California Races And Proposals

October 21, 2014 · Mark Reback

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— California may not have the hotly contested, high-profile races for U.S. Senator or governor that some other states do this year, but it’s still attracting some of the biggest campaign spending in the country. To many voters, this is kind of a sleepy campaign season, but there’s still close to $200 million being spent on the five most expensive California races.

Calif. Insurers Spend $12M in Five Days on Campaign Against Prop. 45

October 21, 2014 · Mark Reback

Health Insurers Boost No On 45 Funding

October 20, 2014 · Mark Reback

<div id="content-only-wrapper-block"> California insurers have pumped more than $12 million over the last five days into a campaign to defeat Proposition 45, an initiative on the Nov. 4 ballot that would regulate health insurance rates. Blue Shield gave $2.66 million, WellPoint $6 million, Kaiser Permanente $3.73 million and Health Net $350,000, according to late filings at the secretary of state's office. The latest contributions boost the No on 45's campaign kitty to $55.4 million, while proponents report having raised only about $2.5 million.

Propositions 45, 48: Two Obvious ‘Yes’ Votes

October 19, 2014 · Mark Reback

It's almost a foregone conclusion that the Proposition 1 water bond on next month's ballot will pass easily: Every poll shows it with almost a 2-1 lead heading into the vote and the opposition has virtually no money for television commercials. But two other propositions are almost equally deserving of yes votes, Propositions 45 and 48.

New Anti-Prop. 45 TV Ad Misleads Viewers

October 18, 2014 · Mark Reback

Proposition 45 would allow California's elected insurance commissioner to regulate health plan rates for 6 million Californians with individual policies or who get their insurance as employees of small businesses. The No on 45 campaign recently released a 30-second television ad, now running in major media markets.

Editorial: Yes On Prop. 45, A Missing Link Health Insurance

October 18, 2014 · Mark Reback

Proposition 45 on the Nov. 4 ballot would let California’s elected insurance commissioner reject excessive health insurance rates.

Roundtable Looks At Props 45 & 46, SDPD Body Cameras, Minimum Wage Reboot

October 17, 2014 · Mark Reback

Big Money, Complex Issues Make Prop. 45 Tough Issue For State Voters

October 16, 2014 · Mark Reback

Almost three decades ago, a small band of consumer activists persuaded California voters to slap tough new rate regulations on auto insurance. Now that same group wants to crack down on health insurance rates. And the insurance industry and its business allies are back with a multimillion-dollar war chest to fight Proposition 45 with an omnipresent media campaign.

EDITORIAL: ‘Yes’ Vote On Prop. 45 Will Rein In Health Premiums

October 16, 2014 · Mark Reback

Powerful forces are opposed to Proposition 45, which would give California's publicly elected insurance commissioner the power to reject excessive health insurance rate hikes. These forces — you know them as Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Kaiser, Health Net and United Healthcare — don't want voters to approve Prop. 45 on the Nov. 4 ballot because it would force them to justify premium increases and bring transparency to the process.

Insurers’ Spending Against Prop. 45 Tips Scale In Its Favor

October 15, 2014 · Mark Reback

Proposition 45, which would allow California's insurance commissioner to regulate rates for certain medical plans, is a close call for this voter. On the one hand, the commissioner would be touching on — although not exactly duplicating — work already performed by the state entity created to administer Obamacare. That could slow down the work of Covered California in managing an exchange in which people can obtain health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Consumer Watchdog Calls for Investigation of Covered California’s No-Bid Contracts

October 14, 2014 · Mark Reback

The group backing a health insurance rate-control measure on next month’s ballot called on Attorney General Kamala Harris on Monday to investigate millions of dollars in no-bid contracts by Covered California and reported links between the health exchange’s executives and and the <a class="lingo_link" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/insurance+industry/" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;">insurance industry.</a>

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