As bills to increase access to necessary medical care and give HMO patients the right to trial race toward it, the California Assembly Health Committee is emerging as the major stronghold of HMO and insurer influence in the legislature, according to an analysis released today by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
With HMO and insurer contributions to Committee members already nearing $400,000.00 for the 2001/02 election cycle, Committee Chair Helen Thomson (D-Davis) has held all current benefit mandate bills for the remainder of the session, to be referred to a new Benefits Commission proposed for 2003. Included are measures that would require HMOs to allow ovarian cancer screening, bone marrow tests, hearing aids, and medically necessary prescription drugs.
Thomson has received a larger percentage of her contributions from insurers than any other committee member (16.91%). FTCR also reported that HMO and insurer contributions to a single member already reach as high as $51,400.00 (Frommer, D-Los Angeles, the incoming Health Committee Chair). The Speaker of the Assembly, Herb Wesson (D-Culver City), who has stood behind Thomson’s decision to halt mandate bills, has accepted $194,683.00 from the insurance industry. Full comparison charts are attached.
“Health vs. wealth will be the true battle in the Assembly Health Committee as the popular will for new patient protections contends with the power of cash register politics,” said Jamie Court, executive director of FTCR.
Interestingly, noted FTCR, the two newest additions to the Committee (as of March 12, 2002), Assemblymembers Strom-Martin (D-Duncans Mills) and Goldberg (D-Los Angeles) ranked the lowest in both total HMO/insurer contributions (with only $500 each) and in percentage of total contributions (2.5% and 0.41% respectively).
Blue Cross, CA Association of Health Plans, Association of California Insurance Companies, Blue Shield, and Health Net were the top five contributors to the Assembly Health Committee giving $36,250, $35,000, $19,450, $19,250, and $18,500 respectively.
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2001/2002 Insurer Contributions Comparison
(as of last Secretary of State Form 460 report date: 2/20/02; next report due: 7/31/02)
In Order of Greatest Total Insurer Contributions:
| Assemblymember | Total Insurer Contributions | Total Contributions | % Contributions from Insurers |
| Dario Frommer |
$51,400.00 | $419,696.33 | 12.25% |
| Edward Chavez | $42,250.00 | $305,621.31 | 13.82% |
| Keith Richman |
$34,958.00 | $273,754.12 | 12.77% |
| Patricia C. Bates |
$34,620.56 | $261,033.90 | 13.26% |
| Rebecca Cohn |
$31,000.00 | $311,464.22 | 9.95% |
| Samuel M. Aanestand, Vice Chair |
$25,750.00 | $417,332.01 | 6.17% |
| Helen Thompson, Chair |
$25,550.00 | $151,129.48 | 16.91% |
| Paul Koretz |
$23,518.80 | $262,018.80 | 8.98% |
| Robert Pacheco |
$20,750.00 | $123,600.00 | 16.79% |
| Charlene Zettel |
$17,000.00 |
$154,256.00 | 11.02% |
| Richard L. Dickerson |
$15,175.00 | $303,547.90 | 5.00% |
| Wilma Chan |
$13,100.00 | $273,974.00 | 4.78% |
| Simon Salinas |
$12,250.00 | $144,613.82 | 8.47% |
| George Runner |
$11,750.00 | $119,795.00 | 9.81% |
| Howard Wayne |
$8,500.00 | $115,534.68 | 7.36% |
| Gloria Negrete McLeod |
$5,350.00 |
$143,097.33 | 3.74% |
| Carl Washington |
$1,500.00 | $18,640.00 | 8.05% |
| Virginia Strom-Martin |
$500.00 | $20,000.00 | 2.50% |
| Jackie Goldberg |
$500.00 | $122,700.00 | 0.41% |
In Order of Greatest % of Total Contributions:
| 1″>Total Insurer Contributions | Total Contributions | % Contributions from Insurers |
|
| Helen Thompson, Chair |
$25,550.00 | $151,129.48 | 16.91% |
| Robert Pacheco |
$20,750.00 | $123,600.00 | 16.79% |
| Edward Chavez | $42,250.00 | $305,621.31 | 13.82% |
| Patricia C. Bates |
$34,620.56 | $261,033.90 | 13.26% |
| Keith Richman |
$34,958.00 | $273,754.12 | 12.77% |
| Dario Frommer |
$51,400.00 | $419,696.33 | 12.25% |
| Charlene Zettel |
$17,000.00 |
$154,256.00 | 11.02% |
| Rebecca Cohn |
$31,000.00 | $311,464.22 | 9.95% |
| George Runner |
$11,750.00 | $119,795.00 | 9.81% |
| Paul Koretz |
$23,518.80 | $262,018.80 | 8.98% |
| Simon Salinas |
$12,250.00 | $144,613.82 | 8.47% |
| Carl Washington |
$1,500.00 | $18,640.00 | 8.05% |
| Howard Wayne |
$8,500.00 | $115,534.68 | 7.36% |
| Samuel M. Aanestand, Vice Chair |
$25,750.00 | $417,332.01 | 6.17% |
| Richard L. Dickerson |
$15,175.00 | $303,547.90 | 5.00% |
| Wilma Chan |
$13,100.00 | $273,974.00 | 4.78% |
| Gloria Negrete McLeod |
$5,350.00 |
$143,097.33 | 3.74% |
| Virginia Strom-Martin |
$500.00 | $20,000.00 | 2.50% |
| Jackie Goldberg |
$500.00 | $122,700.00 | 0.41% |
Prepared By the non-profit, non partisan Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR)
