The bills would require insurers to spend at least 85% of their earnings on patient care; block insurers from canceling policies of patients who need extensive care; and force them to cover more procedures, such as maternity services.
Over the objections of the major doctor and hospital lobbies, the Assembly approved a measure backed by Schwarzenegger that would require medical providers to publicly reveal their costs and medical performance.
With the insurers already spending 22% on administrative cost, a bill that would protect Californians from being dropped will also hinder influence peddling. With hospital books opened and secrets revealed, in addition to pointing out their administrative waste the uninsured will be be given a chance to renegotiate.
On this Super Tuesday with the upcoming unification of the Democrat Party, this story probably won't get much focus but the details are very good.
This bill, one of more than a dozen health bills that are advancing through the California legislature is referred to as a "first step in health care reform."
"In the aggregate, it could be pretty significant," said Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), chairwoman of the Senate Health Committee, of the legislation. "I think it's just getting to the point where the opposition has just overreached so badly and the insurance companies' actions have been so egregious that both sides of the aisle are getting fed up with them."
States may be limited in the ability to deal with the medical industry and Bush's Supreme Court may stick a meddling hand into cutting into profits but such a positive measures moving forward in California will have some influence on the national debate. Historically states pave many roads to needed changes and this issue is already red hot with voters.
Health care is doing better than Schwarzenegger's unsuccessful proposals to expand medical coverage and being seen in a more positive light because even Republicans who voted against previous efforts are switching sides. The voters are too fed up for excuses and Republicans trying to stay in office have changed colors and showing a willingness to cut into the insurance profits.
Opposition from insurers, however, is not dissuading Republicans -- a traditional ally of the industry -- from supporting some new restrictions. On Thursday, 12 of 32 Assembly Republicans joined Democrats to require insurers to obtain approval from state regulators before canceling coverage for people who have become ill and submitted medical bills.
That bill, by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) is one of three measures the Assembly has passed to address that practice, which has prompted state investigations of -- and in some cases led to fines for -- many of the state's biggest insurers. Those companies include Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, PacifiCare and Health Net.
A bill that hinders insurance providers from canceling out patients who have become ill could make for an inroad to a national bill that ends that heartless practice altogether.
One paragraph was an extremely upsetting example of the state of the health care system in this nation. Not that there is actually anything resembling a system in this free market of death.
Some GOP lawmakers also are agreeing to expand the type of procedures insurers must cover. Twelve of 15 Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in the Senate and voted to require insurers to pay for surgery to fix cleft palates, a common birth defect that occurs in one of every 790 babies.
Can you believe this nation? I had no idea that insured families were left to deal with a cleft palate on their own. The story also points out that on May 15 a law was passed compelling insurers to provide "for additional charges, coverage to include the purchase of wheelchairs, oxygen tanks and other durable medical equipment." For additional charges?
And how about a bill that compels insurers to reveal how often they rule that procedures are not medically necessary? Does this whole industry gets to operate behind closed doors, messing with American's lives with no oversight whatsoever? Well, at least in California, the times they are a changing.
If you are a Californian a little positive input may prove very helpful to the rest of us Americans who are still waiting. You know where to go. Please contact the California State Senate and the California State Assembly and tell them how strongly you support health care reform.
Do it for the rest of us that live in states where our representatives still have their heads in the sand.
