Monday, July 22, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
The Politicians Versus the Health Insurance Industry
Personally, I am sick of the adversarial relationship between politicians and the health insurance industry. Everyone is promoting their own agendas. The insurance companies keep raising rates in order to make profits, and the insurance commissioner of California continues to make ludicrous politically motivated comments about the big bad health insurance companies. Would it not make sense for a coalition of these people to sit at the same table and figure out a way to offer affordable health insurance to this country instead of creating questionable programs that may continue to drive rates higher? The people I work with and talk to want one thing, and that's for their health insurance rates to be more affordable.
Instead of striving to reach this objective, everyone is playing a game of one-upmanship, and the consumer winds up getting shafted. The biggest challenge for the near future is separating truth from fiction, as we are about to be bombarded with a multi million dollar advertising program from the State of California regarding the new Covered CA health insurance exchange. Whether it's me or someone else, please consider working with a knowledgeable person who can help you sift through this new health insurance maze.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
California’s Modest Rates: Behind the Numbers
by: Bruce Shutan
June 6, 2013
Anthony Wright, executive director of the advocacy group Health Access, recently told Reuters that the premium projections represent “a revolutionary improvement to move from a broken market where people are charged by how sick they are, to a competitive market where people pay what they can afford, based on a percentage of their income, on a sliding scale.”
Not exactly, according to California Republican Assemblyman Dan Logue, who compared the rates to “a shell game” and predicted that a tax hike would be needed to fund subsidies, which would trigger higher prices at the gas pump, grocery store and other venues.
Thirteen of the more than 30 health insurers that had applied to participate in the California Health Benefit Exchange will offer coverage in the HIX. Peter Lee, the exchange’s executive director, has noted that residents can expect to pay up to 29% less than current rates for small businesses.
The public exchange rates being reported in California and some other states across the U.S. do not necessarily reflect what individuals may pay once their age, location, smoking status and income are all factored into the mix, cautions Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans. Another consideration is the regulatory environment that’s in place in each of these states.
“Many people are going to be required to purchase coverage that’s much more comprehensive, but also more expensive than what they’re purchasing today,” he says. A recent Milliman report estimated that premiums could climb an average of 30% next year for many of the roughly 1.3 million middle- or higher-income Californians with individual-market coverage.
Conspicuously absent from the recent announced rates in California is how they compare to what people are paying today, which Zirkelbach says could vary significantly from one individual to the next. Some young people, however, are expected pay nothing at all, depending on their earnings, while others will qualify for subsidies to help finance their coverage.
One bright spot is that market forces are already shaping the HIX model. “We’re seeing plans offer a variety of innovative benefit packages in a lot of these exchanges, including a high-value provider network, as well as programs that promote prevention and wellness, and coordinate care for patients with complex medical conditions,” Zirkelbach observes. The underlining goals are to improve care, while also making coverage more affordable, he adds.
Concern has been voiced about a lack of HIX competition in some states, such as Alabama and Alaska, where certain health insurance carriers dominate those markets. But Zirkelbach explains that “just because one health plan has large market share doesn’t mean there’s not competition in the marketplace or there are not choices for consumers.”
He points to a variety of coverage options from different health plans as well as multiple policies being available within any given carrier – information that’s easily accessible at www.healthcare.gov and categorized by Zip code.
Bruce Shutan is a Los Angeles freelance writer.
Some unlikely to pay for Obamacare coverage
by Grace-Marie Turner
Galen Institute
June 6, 2013
Virtually all Americans will be required to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act starting in 2014, and President Barack Obama especially wants young, healthy people to sign up.
About two-thirds of the uninsured are younger than 40. They use fewer health services, and their premiums are needed to help keep insurance costs down for everyone else. Yet the incentive structures in the law work at cross-purposes with this goal and could well undermine its success. It will all come down to costs. Four out of 5 people younger than 30 will face higher premiums than without the Affordable Care Act even with the subsidies many can receive.
Galen Institute
June 6, 2013
Virtually all Americans will be required to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act starting in 2014, and President Barack Obama especially wants young, healthy people to sign up.
About two-thirds of the uninsured are younger than 40. They use fewer health services, and their premiums are needed to help keep insurance costs down for everyone else. Yet the incentive structures in the law work at cross-purposes with this goal and could well undermine its success. It will all come down to costs. Four out of 5 people younger than 30 will face higher premiums than without the Affordable Care Act even with the subsidies many can receive.
The law requires young people to pay more for their health coverage so older
people can pay less. A study published this year by the American Academy of
Actuaries’ Contingencies magazine found that because of this provision,
“premiums for younger, healthier individuals could increase by more than 40
percent.” Young men will pay even more than young women.
A former director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, conducted a survey that showed fewer than half of young people will sign up for insurance if premiums rise by 30 percent.
Young people also face a daunting approval process in applying for coverage. Applicants must divulge their income, family status and information about their employers, details on any insurance offered at work and their health habits — just to find out if they are eligible for subsidies.
Ezekiel Emanuel, a key architect of the president’s health plan, says he is worried that young people will be “bewildered,” and they may “forgo purchasing health insurance and opt to pay a penalty instead.”
That certainly will be an attractive option for many since the penalty starts at just $95 the first year.
And there is yet another disincentive for young people to enroll in coverage: They can wait to sign up for coverage until after they get sick or injured. The law requires health insurance companies to sell insurance to anyone who applies. But if young people don’t sign up, the insurance pools are likely to be composed primarily of people who have high health costs. This could cause a “death spiral” where many more older — and sicker — people are enrolled, causing health insurance premiums to rise to cover their medical costs, thereby driving even more young people out of the market.
The White House believes that it will be able to persuade young people, who overwhelmingly supported the president, to enroll out of loyalty. “The president connects with young people, too, so he needs to use that bond and get out there to convince them to sign up for health insurance to help this central part of his legacy,” said Emanuel, a health care expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
But young people may find that zeal may be severely tested when it comes down to paying thousands of dollars for health insurance that they may not want or need.
Consider, for example, a 27-year-old earning about $34,000 a year. He now could buy health insurance for about $200 a month. However, the new rules and more generous benefits required under the health law mean he would have to pay about $300 a month instead. He could get a subsidy of about $20 a month but, even with that, he still would be paying nearly $1,000 a year more for health insurance than without the law.
The White House is expected to mount a massive advertising campaign this summer to encourage people to enroll. This will severely test his young supporters, who are having the hardest time finding jobs in our economy. Forcing them to also purchase health insurance — and pay more for it — may cool their enthusiasm to help the president fulfill his legacy.
A former director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, conducted a survey that showed fewer than half of young people will sign up for insurance if premiums rise by 30 percent.
Young people also face a daunting approval process in applying for coverage. Applicants must divulge their income, family status and information about their employers, details on any insurance offered at work and their health habits — just to find out if they are eligible for subsidies.
Ezekiel Emanuel, a key architect of the president’s health plan, says he is worried that young people will be “bewildered,” and they may “forgo purchasing health insurance and opt to pay a penalty instead.”
That certainly will be an attractive option for many since the penalty starts at just $95 the first year.
And there is yet another disincentive for young people to enroll in coverage: They can wait to sign up for coverage until after they get sick or injured. The law requires health insurance companies to sell insurance to anyone who applies. But if young people don’t sign up, the insurance pools are likely to be composed primarily of people who have high health costs. This could cause a “death spiral” where many more older — and sicker — people are enrolled, causing health insurance premiums to rise to cover their medical costs, thereby driving even more young people out of the market.
The White House believes that it will be able to persuade young people, who overwhelmingly supported the president, to enroll out of loyalty. “The president connects with young people, too, so he needs to use that bond and get out there to convince them to sign up for health insurance to help this central part of his legacy,” said Emanuel, a health care expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
But young people may find that zeal may be severely tested when it comes down to paying thousands of dollars for health insurance that they may not want or need.
Consider, for example, a 27-year-old earning about $34,000 a year. He now could buy health insurance for about $200 a month. However, the new rules and more generous benefits required under the health law mean he would have to pay about $300 a month instead. He could get a subsidy of about $20 a month but, even with that, he still would be paying nearly $1,000 a year more for health insurance than without the law.
The White House is expected to mount a massive advertising campaign this summer to encourage people to enroll. This will severely test his young supporters, who are having the hardest time finding jobs in our economy. Forcing them to also purchase health insurance — and pay more for it — may cool their enthusiasm to help the president fulfill his legacy.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
CA State Insurance Exchange Covered California Announces Plans and Rates for 2014
SACRAMENTO, CA – Covered California™ today announced 13 diverse health
insurance plans that will offer in 2014, affordable, quality health care
coverage to millions of Californians. The plans reflect a mix of large non-
profit and commercial plan leaders, along with well-known Medi-Cal and regional
plans.
The tentative selection of health plans is subject to a rate review by state regulators. It is difficult to make a direct comparison of these rates to existing premiums in the commercial individual market because in 2014, there will be new standard benefit designs under the Affordable Care Act, and the actual change in an individual’s premium will depend on the person’s current insurance coverage. However, Covered California believes that a valuable frame of reference for its premiums, is comparing them to the small employer market in California. Both the small employer market and Covered California are competitive markets, and offer guaranteed issue – you cannot be denied for pre-existing condition.
The rates submitted to Covered California for the 2014 individual market ranged from two percent above to 29 percent below the 2013 average premium for small employer plans in California’s most populous regions. This is impressive since the 2014 products include doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital stays and more essential benefits; protecting consumers from the "gimmicks and gotchas" of many insurance policies.
“This is a home run for consumers in every region of California,” said Peter V. Lee, Executive Director of Covered California. “Our active negotiating will not only benefit potential enrollees to Covered California, but will benefit all Californians by making health care affordable.”
Additionally, there is financial protection like a maximum out-of-pocket cost of $6,350 which will dramatically reduce the chance of someone going bankrupt because of medical bills not covered by insurance.
“Californians should be proud of how not only health plans in this state, but doctors, medical groups and hospitals have stepped up – and creating a market that will allow millions of consumers to enroll in affordably priced products. Because of that, we will be able to deliver exceptional value, low rates, access to health care in every region of the state, and a solid platform to achieve the dream of providing quality health care for all Californians,” Lee said.
Covered California’s rigorous review and selection process resulted in a portfolio of plans that achieve three objectives: a robust choice of offerings throughout the state, affordable prices, and access to doctors and hospitals. The terms of Covered California’s relationship with its partnering health plans means they will collaboratively work to promote care improvements, foster prevention, and seek to reduce costs by promoting better care.
Once plan rates are approved by state regulators, Covered California looks forward to signing final contracts and beginning the work of enrolling millions of Californians in the following health plans:
• Alameda Alliance for Health
• Anthem Blue Cross of California
• Blue Shield of California
• Chinese Community Health Plan
• Contra Costa Health Services
• Health Net
• Kaiser Permanente
• L.A. Care Health Plan
• Molina Healthcare
• Sharp Health Plan
• Valley Health Plan
• Ventura County Health Care Plan
• Western Health Advantage
"Covered California plans include the largest current health insurers in the individual market, as well as new entrants, regional plans and local Medi-Cal plans that want to be part of making history," Lee said. On average, there will be five plans from which to choose.
Even in rural areas where choice has been historically sparse, there will be two or three health plans. Throughout the state consumers will have a choice of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs).
To get prices at such competitive points, winning health plans built their bids around the expectation of high enrollment, not high profit. Plans reduced profit margins down to two and three percent; embraced Affordable Care Act programs such as Accountable Care Organizations and Patient-Centered Medical Homes, that seek to improve care while lowering costs; found common ground with doctors, medical groups and hospitals on lower reimbursement rates to make care affordable.
Virtually every health plan designed a custom network for Covered California. Negotiations included a detailed review of each plan’s rates, their mix of hospitals, physicians and other providers, and their contingency plans for expanding networks in the event more consumers sign up than expected.
The current list of insurers is for individual policies only. Covered California will announce its options for small businesses to buy health insurance in June.
California was the first state to create a health benefit exchange following the passage of the federal health care law. Covered California is charged with creating a new insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to health insurance. With coverage starting in 2014, Covered California will help individuals compare and choose a health plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Financial help will be available from the federal government to help lower costs for people who qualify on a sliding scale. Small businesses will be able to purchase competitively priced health plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits. Covered California is an independent part of state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and Legislature. For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
The tentative selection of health plans is subject to a rate review by state regulators. It is difficult to make a direct comparison of these rates to existing premiums in the commercial individual market because in 2014, there will be new standard benefit designs under the Affordable Care Act, and the actual change in an individual’s premium will depend on the person’s current insurance coverage. However, Covered California believes that a valuable frame of reference for its premiums, is comparing them to the small employer market in California. Both the small employer market and Covered California are competitive markets, and offer guaranteed issue – you cannot be denied for pre-existing condition.
The rates submitted to Covered California for the 2014 individual market ranged from two percent above to 29 percent below the 2013 average premium for small employer plans in California’s most populous regions. This is impressive since the 2014 products include doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital stays and more essential benefits; protecting consumers from the "gimmicks and gotchas" of many insurance policies.
“This is a home run for consumers in every region of California,” said Peter V. Lee, Executive Director of Covered California. “Our active negotiating will not only benefit potential enrollees to Covered California, but will benefit all Californians by making health care affordable.”
Additionally, there is financial protection like a maximum out-of-pocket cost of $6,350 which will dramatically reduce the chance of someone going bankrupt because of medical bills not covered by insurance.
“Californians should be proud of how not only health plans in this state, but doctors, medical groups and hospitals have stepped up – and creating a market that will allow millions of consumers to enroll in affordably priced products. Because of that, we will be able to deliver exceptional value, low rates, access to health care in every region of the state, and a solid platform to achieve the dream of providing quality health care for all Californians,” Lee said.
Covered California’s rigorous review and selection process resulted in a portfolio of plans that achieve three objectives: a robust choice of offerings throughout the state, affordable prices, and access to doctors and hospitals. The terms of Covered California’s relationship with its partnering health plans means they will collaboratively work to promote care improvements, foster prevention, and seek to reduce costs by promoting better care.
Once plan rates are approved by state regulators, Covered California looks forward to signing final contracts and beginning the work of enrolling millions of Californians in the following health plans:
• Alameda Alliance for Health
• Anthem Blue Cross of California
• Blue Shield of California
• Chinese Community Health Plan
• Contra Costa Health Services
• Health Net
• Kaiser Permanente
• L.A. Care Health Plan
• Molina Healthcare
• Sharp Health Plan
• Valley Health Plan
• Ventura County Health Care Plan
• Western Health Advantage
"Covered California plans include the largest current health insurers in the individual market, as well as new entrants, regional plans and local Medi-Cal plans that want to be part of making history," Lee said. On average, there will be five plans from which to choose.
Even in rural areas where choice has been historically sparse, there will be two or three health plans. Throughout the state consumers will have a choice of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs).
To get prices at such competitive points, winning health plans built their bids around the expectation of high enrollment, not high profit. Plans reduced profit margins down to two and three percent; embraced Affordable Care Act programs such as Accountable Care Organizations and Patient-Centered Medical Homes, that seek to improve care while lowering costs; found common ground with doctors, medical groups and hospitals on lower reimbursement rates to make care affordable.
Virtually every health plan designed a custom network for Covered California. Negotiations included a detailed review of each plan’s rates, their mix of hospitals, physicians and other providers, and their contingency plans for expanding networks in the event more consumers sign up than expected.
The current list of insurers is for individual policies only. Covered California will announce its options for small businesses to buy health insurance in June.
About Covered California
California was the first state to create a health benefit exchange following the passage of the federal health care law. Covered California is charged with creating a new insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to health insurance. With coverage starting in 2014, Covered California will help individuals compare and choose a health plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Financial help will be available from the federal government to help lower costs for people who qualify on a sliding scale. Small businesses will be able to purchase competitively priced health plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits. Covered California is an independent part of state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and Legislature. For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Must Read for all Californians re State Health Insurance Exchange
San Francisco Chronicle by Patrick Johnston -
May 5, 2013:
Over the next month, Californians will begin to get a clearer picture of the historic changes the Affordable Care Act will make in the state's insurance market for individual plans as it expands coverage to millions of the state's uninsured residents.
The state is scheduled to start providing the details about the health plans that will be offered through Covered California, a new competitive marketplace for individual, families and small businesses purchasing coverage.
Through Covered California, these Californians can begin purchasing insurance plans on Oct. 1 that will more resemble employer-provided insurance than the bare-bones coverage they may have had in the past.
The plans will go into effect on Jan. 1, and will offer more comprehensive coverage and smaller out-of-pocket expenses for deductibles and co-pays. Pre-existing conditions will no longer be taken into consideration, lifetime limits are eliminated, and subsidies will be available for individuals earning up to $46,000 and for families with an income of up to $94,200.
This will mean that many individuals will pay less for coverage than they did before the new federal law, but some Californians will face higher health insurance premiums.
Those on the lowest end of the income scale could see their premiums decline by as much as 84 percent, according to a report commissioned by Covered California.
But middle- and upper-income Californians who buy their coverage in the individual market and who don't qualify for the subsidies could face premium increases of as much as 30 percent, the report said. This could be especially true in San Francisco, with its higher median income and growing ranks of self-employed entrepreneurs, who will be seeking insurance in the individual market.
Among the reasons for the higher premiums for these Californians is the shift of out-of-pocket costs into premiums - that is, Californians will have lower co-pays and deductibles because the premiums will absorb more of the underlying cost of care. This shift ultimately could save money for people who use medical services more frequently. Families earning less than $60,000 a year, for example, could save up to 76 percent on the cost of care.
Providing more comprehensive benefits also means Californians in the individual market may pay more than they have before because the plans contain additional benefits - including benefits they might never use, such as pediatric dental care for beneficiaries who have no children.
Younger people may also lose some of their price advantage because of changes in the ways health plans calculate benefits. Because they were considered to be healthier, younger beneficiaries previously paid less than older people. Under the new plan, they will still pay less than older Californians but they will pay more than before. The report estimated these changes would cause Californians under age 25 to face, on average, up to a 25 percent higher premium, while older people would see an increase of about 12 percent if they don't qualify for subsidies. The report suggested that on average, individual premiums in California would rise 9 percent.
While these subsidies will help reduce premiums for some 2.6 million Californians, they won't reduce the underlying cost of care, which continues to outpace inflation by almost 250 percent. These underlying costs often are outside health plans' control, including the rising cost of hospitalization, doctors' visits, medical tests, prescription drugs and other health care services.
Among the many reasons for the rising costs are unnecessary tests, procedures and drugs, which experts say consume about $1 of every $3 spent on health care. We are an aging population, and older people have more costly medical needs. Also, about 40 percent of adult Californians live with at least one chronic condition, and chronic conditions account for more than 75 percent of all heath care costs.
Health plans are working to reduce costs by providing wellness programs. They offer free counseling for depression, quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthier and reducing alcohol use. They're also limiting their overhead to about 11 cents out of every $1 in premiums. Plans are also working collaboratively to more closely align quality and payment in medical treatment and to improve cost transparency for consumers.
The federal Affordable Care Act and state law place tight limits on profits by requiring health plans to spend 80 to 85 cents out of every $1 in premiums on doctors' and hospitals' bills, prescription drugs, tests and other health care services for their members.
If the plans fall short of that requirement, then they must provide a rebate. California commercial plans exceeded those requirements by spending, on average, 89 cents out of every $1 in premiums on medical care.
California health plans' net profit margins are far less than others in the industry, averaging just 3.6 percent annually. Other sectors of health care, such as the pharmaceutical industry, benefited from net profit margins of up to 16.7 percent, according to Yahoo Finance data.
While the federal health care law will expand coverage, increase benefits and make many other changes to help Californians, it does not do enough to address the rising cost of care that continues to drive up the price of premiums.
The prescription for curing our health care system calls for more cooperation among all of us - elected officials, hospitals, physicians, patients and insurers - to lower the underlying costs of care so that we can ensure coverage is affordable.
May 5, 2013:
Over the next month, Californians will begin to get a clearer picture of the historic changes the Affordable Care Act will make in the state's insurance market for individual plans as it expands coverage to millions of the state's uninsured residents.
The state is scheduled to start providing the details about the health plans that will be offered through Covered California, a new competitive marketplace for individual, families and small businesses purchasing coverage.
Through Covered California, these Californians can begin purchasing insurance plans on Oct. 1 that will more resemble employer-provided insurance than the bare-bones coverage they may have had in the past.
The plans will go into effect on Jan. 1, and will offer more comprehensive coverage and smaller out-of-pocket expenses for deductibles and co-pays. Pre-existing conditions will no longer be taken into consideration, lifetime limits are eliminated, and subsidies will be available for individuals earning up to $46,000 and for families with an income of up to $94,200.
This will mean that many individuals will pay less for coverage than they did before the new federal law, but some Californians will face higher health insurance premiums.
Those on the lowest end of the income scale could see their premiums decline by as much as 84 percent, according to a report commissioned by Covered California.
But middle- and upper-income Californians who buy their coverage in the individual market and who don't qualify for the subsidies could face premium increases of as much as 30 percent, the report said. This could be especially true in San Francisco, with its higher median income and growing ranks of self-employed entrepreneurs, who will be seeking insurance in the individual market.
Among the reasons for the higher premiums for these Californians is the shift of out-of-pocket costs into premiums - that is, Californians will have lower co-pays and deductibles because the premiums will absorb more of the underlying cost of care. This shift ultimately could save money for people who use medical services more frequently. Families earning less than $60,000 a year, for example, could save up to 76 percent on the cost of care.
Providing more comprehensive benefits also means Californians in the individual market may pay more than they have before because the plans contain additional benefits - including benefits they might never use, such as pediatric dental care for beneficiaries who have no children.
Younger people may also lose some of their price advantage because of changes in the ways health plans calculate benefits. Because they were considered to be healthier, younger beneficiaries previously paid less than older people. Under the new plan, they will still pay less than older Californians but they will pay more than before. The report estimated these changes would cause Californians under age 25 to face, on average, up to a 25 percent higher premium, while older people would see an increase of about 12 percent if they don't qualify for subsidies. The report suggested that on average, individual premiums in California would rise 9 percent.
While these subsidies will help reduce premiums for some 2.6 million Californians, they won't reduce the underlying cost of care, which continues to outpace inflation by almost 250 percent. These underlying costs often are outside health plans' control, including the rising cost of hospitalization, doctors' visits, medical tests, prescription drugs and other health care services.
Among the many reasons for the rising costs are unnecessary tests, procedures and drugs, which experts say consume about $1 of every $3 spent on health care. We are an aging population, and older people have more costly medical needs. Also, about 40 percent of adult Californians live with at least one chronic condition, and chronic conditions account for more than 75 percent of all heath care costs.
Health plans are working to reduce costs by providing wellness programs. They offer free counseling for depression, quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthier and reducing alcohol use. They're also limiting their overhead to about 11 cents out of every $1 in premiums. Plans are also working collaboratively to more closely align quality and payment in medical treatment and to improve cost transparency for consumers.
The federal Affordable Care Act and state law place tight limits on profits by requiring health plans to spend 80 to 85 cents out of every $1 in premiums on doctors' and hospitals' bills, prescription drugs, tests and other health care services for their members.
If the plans fall short of that requirement, then they must provide a rebate. California commercial plans exceeded those requirements by spending, on average, 89 cents out of every $1 in premiums on medical care.
California health plans' net profit margins are far less than others in the industry, averaging just 3.6 percent annually. Other sectors of health care, such as the pharmaceutical industry, benefited from net profit margins of up to 16.7 percent, according to Yahoo Finance data.
While the federal health care law will expand coverage, increase benefits and make many other changes to help Californians, it does not do enough to address the rising cost of care that continues to drive up the price of premiums.
The prescription for curing our health care system calls for more cooperation among all of us - elected officials, hospitals, physicians, patients and insurers - to lower the underlying costs of care so that we can ensure coverage is affordable.
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