Insurance

Covered California 2015 Rates Will Increase an Average of 4.2%

August 1, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">On Thursday, <a href="http://news.coveredca.com/2014/07/covered-california-announces-rates-for.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covered California officials announced</a> that the average premium for health plans offered on the exchange will increase an average of 4.2% for the coming year, the <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/31/6596232/california-health-exchange-touts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Sacramento Bee</em></a> reports (Cadelago, <em>Sacramento Bee</em>, 7/31).</p>

California’s 2015 Obamacare Premiums Will Increase Modestly

July 31, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><a href="http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2014/07/31/californias-2015-obamacare-premiums-will-increase-modestly/">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment</a> (Scroll down).</p> <p>Officials with Covered California, the state’s Obamacare marketplace, say premiums will go up an average 4.2 percent statewide in 2015 for the 1.4 million Californians currently enrolled in insurance through the exchange.</p>

California Health Exchange Touts 4.2 Precent Increase In Rates For 2015

July 31, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>California’s health insurance exchange officials announced Thursday that the average premium will increase an average 4.2 percent for the coming year, touting the lower-than-usual figure as evidence that the federal health care overhaul is making coverage affordable for millions of residents.</p>

Obamacare At Center Of Debate Over California Health Insurance Initiative

July 29, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>As state insurance commissioner, <a class="lingo_link" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/Dave+Jones/" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;">Dave Jones</a> has the power to regulate rates for car and homeowner insurance. He can halt an insurer’s proposed increase if the company can’t justify the higher cost.</p>

Dave Jones: Data Shows Steep Insurance Rate Hikes… In 2014

July 29, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>In a pre-emptive strike against what are expected to be lower-than-expected health plan rates for 2015, California Insurance Commissioner <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/search/results?q=Dave%20Jones">Dave Jones</a> took to the bully pulpit Tuesday to rail against rate hikes in 2014 as well as rally support for a rate regulation initiative on the November ballot.</p>

Health Premiums Soared, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones Says

July 29, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong><span class="trb_sharelines_text" data-role="socialshare_sharetext">Californians paid 22% to 88% more for individual health coverage this year than last, commissioner says</span></strong></p> <p>The cost of health insurance for individuals skyrocketed this year in California, with some paying almost twice what they did last year, the state's insurance commissioner said.</p>

Why I Support Prop 45: 1000% Rate Hike – Can’t Retire

July 21, 2014  ·  rob

<p class="rtecenter" style="margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1.5em; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><em style="font-size: 16px;"><strong style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">"I am 57 years old and was going to retire at 60 but I cannot because the cost of my health insurance is so high."</span></strong></em></span></span></span></p>

Proposition 45: Campaign Funds Continue To Increase

July 21, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Campaign funds are rising for those supporting and opposing Proposition 45, the "Insurance Companies Required to Justify Their Rates to the Public Initiative." This proposition allows the insurance commissioner -- currently Dave Jones -- to regulate health care insurance premiums. It will be on the November 4 ballot.</p>

How Your Health Insurance Company Can Still Screw You, Despite Obamacare

July 21, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>No law has done more to reform health insurance and protect consumers against the industry's most heinous practices than the Affordable Care Act. But Obamacare didn't magically transform insurers into benevolent entities solely devoted to taking care of sick people.</p> <p>Health insurance companies, even those that are not-for-profit, have to collect more money in premiums than they shell out in claims for medical care. That means they have a financial incentive not to pay for things.</p>

Consumer Group Sues Anthem Blue Cross, Claims ‘Bait and Switch’ Fraud

July 10, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="inaugural"><a href="http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/07/09/45242/consumer-group-sues-anthem-blue-cross-claims-bait/">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio news broadcast</a>.</p> <p class="inaugural">A consumer group said Wednesday it has filed a class action lawsuit that accuses a top California health insurer of fraud and unfair business practices allegedly intended to lure customers into buying its health insurance plans. </p>

Report: Insurer Sued Over Narrow O-Care Networks

July 10, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Anthem Blue Cross is now facing multiple lawsuits over the narrow physician networks it used in plans on California's ObamaCare exchange, according to a report.<br /> <br /> A new lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court alleges that the insurance giant misled consumers into buying plans with narrow networks when they believed they were receiving more robust coverage.<br /> <br />

Anthem Sued Over Limited Networks

July 9, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Amid growing scrutiny statewide, insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross faces another consumer lawsuit over its use of narrow networks in Obamacare coverage.</p> <p>Six<strong> </strong>Anthem policyholders sued California's largest for-profit health insurer Tuesday in state court, accusing the company of misrepresenting the size of its physician networks and the insurance benefits provided.</p>