The Blog

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Access California

The Wall Street Journal had this tragic story last week about a Merced man -- who was insured -- but still socked with a $1.2 million hospital bill (not counting thousands in doctor's office bills also).

What happened to Jim Dawson, of Merced, that landed with debt that could bankrupt him is a textbook example of what health consumer advocates have been fighting to reform for years.

Dawson had a good job with Valero Energy Corp., a big oil refinery. He had Valero-sponsored comprehensive health insurance policy, and a regular primary care physician who knew his medical history, *should* not have been vulnerable to medical-financial angst. That's at least what many think. But Dawson's story shows how anyone can be vulnerable.

Continue reading " A Big, Unfortunate and Expensive Illustration for Health Reform" »

Posted December 3, 2007 at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Access California

Shane Goldmacher at Capitol Alert has the scoop on the most recent developments:

The Assembly sessions for December 5th and 6th are now postponed. There was an issue that they conflicted with retreats with the Assembly and Senate Republican caucuses, and it seems they need more time in negotiating on health reform.

We've heard from various Assembly offices that the Speaker has asked members to be available within 24 hours notice.

Continue reading "At the Call of the Speaker" »

Posted November 29, 2007 at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

As health reform negotiations go on, I continue to be puzzled why the Governor has yet to publicly budge on having some--any--affordability standard for individuals in the context of a mandate. Any other politician, concerned about voter reaction, would not just include affordability in their plan, but lead with it. The presidential Democratic candidates, like Clinton, Obama, and Edwards, both provide assurances to voters than coverage will be affordable, both in terms of costs (tied to a percentage of their income), or in terms of benefits (for example, saying that people should have access to coverage as good as what Congress gets).

Some, like healthcare blogger Alan Katz, have criticized the notion of an affordability exemption--saying it undermines the point of a mandate. The Governor's team asks, "don't you want universal coverage?" Of course, but I think they misunderstand the point.

Continue reading "Not Just a Word, But a Challenge" »

Posted November 28, 2007 at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Access California

The America's Health Insurance Plans is patting itself on the back for discovering that the majority of high-deductible health plans, which are connected to Health Savings Accounts, cover recommended preventive benefits -- meaning that patients can go in and get pap smears, well-baby visits, colonoscopies without having to pay full price for the office visit.

Okay... that's a good start. But what happens when your preventive screening shows you have Diabetes? Asthma? Breast Cancer? Then what?

Herein lies the problem. Actually, there are a couple problems.

Continue reading "And Then What?" »

Posted November 20, 2007 at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Betsy Imholz
Special Projects Director
Consumers Union

The era for public reporting of medical safety and cost data is now! That’s why transparency is a key piece of healthcare reform.

In a new survey from the esteemed Commonwealth Fund, three-fourths of health opinion leaders said that increased transparency about quality and price is important to improving the U.S. health system performance. More than 4 in 5 opinion leaders think that stimulating provider performance improvement activities is the key benefit of quality and price transparency.

Continue reading "The Need for Transparency in Healthcare Reform" »

Posted November 20, 2007 at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

For another time this year, the Assembly Health Committee Wednesday passed comprehensive health reform legislation aimed at expanding coverage to a significant swath of California’s 6.5 million uninsured. The newly reconstituted Assembly Health Committee voted on the first health reform bill of the special session, ABX1 1 (Nunez/Perata) and vowed to send the bill to its Senate counterpart by the end of the month. The bill passed on a 10-5 party-line vote.

Continue reading "One More Time, With Feeling" »

Posted November 15, 2007 at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Earlier this week, Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) announced the framework of a new healthcare universal healthcare proposal.

Health Access California Executive Director Anthony Wright stayed up late to take an in-depth look at the framework, compared it to the vetoed AB 8 and offers his analysis. For anybody that wants to see the details before the legislative language is made available, check it out.

Continue reading "Nunez, Perata Offer New Proposal, AB X1 1" »

Posted November 8, 2007 at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

In preparation for the Wednesday hearing on the Governor's health reform, here's the Health Access California 15-page letter to the Governor with our issues.

The proposal isn't a bill, but most of the consumer, community, and constituency groups that I work with say they oppose the measure if there was no change... but we hope that by being clear about our concerns, it creates the conversation to get to a compromise that we can be actively in support.

Continue reading "Mailbag" »

Posted October 29, 2007 at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Aurelio Rojas in the Sacramento Bee has a terrific story about the young and uninsured, which Robert in Monterey at Calitics comments on extensively.

As we stated on this blog previously and in the article, twenty-somethings are the biggest slice of the uninsured, but it's not because they don't want coverage: it's that they are more likely to be low-income, to work at jobs that don't provide coverage, to not be eligible for public programs. When offered coverage, they take it up at similar rates as other age groups.

The question is whether we can offer coverage that is affordable, available, and administratively simple.

Continue reading "The Young and the Restless" »

Posted October 29, 2007 at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Last week's 48-hour, candle light vigils were a great success. Held in six cities around the state -- Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego -- the vigils drew lots of interest from health advocates, and the local press.

Check out some of the local news reports below the fold.

Continue reading "IOH Vigils on the Tube" »

Posted October 24, 2007 at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Yesterday, the Department of Managed Health Care released a draft of proposed regulations to stop insurers from retroactively denying people for health coverage.

Because this is an informal comment process on "post-claims underwriting," the draft proposed regulation text is not posted to the Department’s web site. However, it was the subject of some press, by Lisa Girion in the Los Angeles Times, and Victoria Colliver in the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as California Healthline.

Continue reading "Underwritten" »

Posted October 24, 2007 at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Wednesday at noon, the coalition kicked off 48-hour vigils for healthcare from Sacramento down to San Diego. Vigils are being held outside six district offices of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to continue to apply pressure him on healthcare.

Here in San Francisco, several members of the local clergy of various faiths spoke to the amassed crowd. Mayor Gavin Newsom spoke at the opening ceremony and lit a candle along with others in support of meaningful healthcare reform. Attendees also signed a large "reality check" for the Governor.

For more of the story, check below the fold.

Continue reading "Vigils for Healthcare Kick-Off Across the State" »

Posted October 18, 2007 at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Below is a statement issued by the It's OUR Healthcare! coalition, correcting Tuesday's story in the Los Angeles Times.

Continue reading "Correcting the Record" »

Posted October 16, 2007 at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Health Access Executive Director Anthony Wright digested the 200-page proposal from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced at a press conference this week and produced a thorough critique of the plan.

Posted October 11, 2007 at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

We'll post our analysis shortly on the Governor's language... but one thing...

The Governor suggested yesterday that it is just the numbers left to negotiate. Actually, it's not just the numbers. There's still issues about the fundamental framework. It starts with an individual mandate, without condition, exception, or limit.

Continue reading "Not Just Numbers" »

Posted October 10, 2007 at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

While the orphan “working draft” in unowned by any policymaker, it is remarkably similar to the Governor’s proposal, about which our opinion was mixed, liking many elements, but strongly objecting to other pieces—including the individual mandate without regard to whether coverage is available or affordable. Our preliminary analysis of the Governor's proposal, available on our website still holds up.

This “working draft” would have been appropriate for release in March or April, rather than October. However, we appreciate seeing the draft, to better engage in the dialogue. Insurance agent Alan Katz has posted the full document(!) of the orphaned legislative language on his health reform blog, along with his own commentary.

Continue reading "Comparing the Gov's Plan with the Unowned Legislative Language" »

Posted October 4, 2007 at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

This week, the game changed, and things got much more urgent and intense. And I am not just talking about the super-exciting Rockies-Padres game that ushered in the baseball post-season on Monday.

We have legislative language! Sort of.

Continue reading "Little Orphans" »

Posted October 3, 2007 at 05:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Two good stories over the weekend spotlight the impact of the President's SCHIP veto to California. Bill Ainsworth in the San Diego Union-Tribune and Barbara Anderson in the Fresno Bee report that potentially hundreds of thousands of children wil lose coverage, as well as the wrench it throws into our health care reform debate.

Beyond making clear the scale of the disruption, I tried to make the point in my quotes in these articles that there should be political ramifications, especially for the 18 California Congressional Representatives from California that voted against SCHIP.

Posted October 2, 2007 at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

With the special session on healthcare now underway in Sacramento, Health Access has a lot of resources worth taking a look at. Check them out below the fold.

Continue reading "Survival Kit for the Special Session" »

Posted September 24, 2007 at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

The New York Times reports on a press conference this morning by President Bush, again threatening a veto on extension and expansion of the State Child Health Insurance Program.

He's right about the philosophical divide:

"What I'm describing here is a philosophical divide that exists in Washington over the best approach for health care. Democratic leaders in Congress want to put more power in the hands of government by expanding federal health care programs. Their S-CHIP plan is an incremental step toward the goal of government-run health care for every American."

Instead, President Bush is seeking to disenroll children and leave them uninsured.

Continue reading "Kicking Kids Off Coverage" »

Posted September 20, 2007 at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

With the legislature in extra innings to work on healthcare and water issues following Governor Schwarzenegger's call for a special session, Assembly Republicans and Democrats named their starting lineups working on healthcare reform in the last few days.

Health Access California's Anthony Wright provided us with the names.

Continue reading "The Starting Line-Ups in the Assembly" »

Posted September 17, 2007 at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

It drives me nuts that the Governor's team is allowed to get away with saying that their plan "covers everybody." It is simply not true.

Their own modeling leaves out 800,000 Californians.

More than that, there is another 1,000,000 Californians are not "covered." They are simply required to buy coverage in the individual market. These are folks that are not getting any assistance whatsoever, including from their employer, or from a public program. They are being forced to buy coverage, and will probably can't afford anything--and if they can, it would be a high-deductible plan. That requirement, without any subsidy or even the power of group purchasing--that's not a benefit, that's a burden.

Continue reading "Governor: Read Your Proposal" »

Posted September 13, 2007 at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Frank Russo at the California Progress Report and Bill Ainsworth at the San Diego Union Tribune have some good tidbits about the special session.

Here's Frank:

Continue reading "Isn't That Special?" »

Posted September 12, 2007 at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

As I write this at 6:45pm, Speaker Nunez is establishing the 1st Extraordinary Session for the purpose of considering comprehensive health reform.

It's interesting that they are quickly going through the motions of re-electing the Speaker, re-establishing the rules of the Assembly, etc. They are also establishing a 2nd Extraordinary Session on water issues.

It's the Governor's job to call a special session, and the Legislature's to schedule and run the session. Here's the Governor's proclamation:

Continue reading "It's Extraordinary" »

Posted September 11, 2007 at 06:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Just took a gander at the Health Affairs blog, which is chock full of reports and analyses on the SCHIP debate in Washington, DC.

While we debate historic expansions at the state level, we are facing the possibility of a remarkable contraction at the federal level. If SCHIP is not reauthorized, or even reauthorized at current levels, the state's Healthy Families program will at some point in the near future stop enrolling children (and create waiting lists), or start kicking them off. It's not a pretty picture.

Continue reading " Letting the SCHIPs Fall?" »

Posted September 10, 2007 at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

The state legislature is down to its final days of the session and Blue Cross alerted their list of insurance agent supporters that current reforms on the table are "unhealthy." (And the status quo isn't?)

If you're sick of groups like Blue Cross standing in the way of healthcare reform, then you'll love our new animated video released today at www.SickOfBlueCross.com/BrightSide. We're asking Californians to watch the video and sign our petition and tell Blue Cross: "Don't stand in the way of reform!"

Continue reading "Always Look on the Bright Side of Death" »

Posted September 6, 2007 at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)

By Susan Griff
Oak Park

(Editor's Note: IOH supporter Susan Griff received a letter from Blue Cross about their plans in pushing 'responsible' healthcare reform and writes about the other kinds of letters she gets from the state's largest health insurer. --Matt Ortega)

Blue Cross recently sent out a letter to their customers. It starts by stating they support “affordable coverage for all Californians.” But at the end of the letter, they warn that “we can’t rush” healthcare reform or we might “break what is working.”

This reminds me of another letter I routinely get from Blue Cross.

Continue reading "Blue Cross Writes Letters" »

Posted September 5, 2007 at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Sandy Kleffman of the Contra Costa Times had an in-depth story over the Labor Day weekend on hospital billing and "charity care" practices. It's an important reminder about what hospitals' responsibilities should be to respond to the needs of their communities.

A companion story couples these issues with the plague of underinsurance. A douple whammy.

Continue reading "The Biggest Bill You'll Ever Get" »

Posted September 4, 2007 at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)

By Lupe Alonzo-Diaz
Executive Director
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)

Healthcare reform has stopped being just another day at the office. It’s now personal.

My mother has worked hard all her life, but now finds herself without any healthcare coverage. It’s a shame that someone who dedicated her life to being a good Californian and labored at jobs that no one else wants, now finds herself without health insurance.

Continue reading "Reforming Healthcare for Our Families" »

Posted August 31, 2007 at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Elizabeth Sholes
Director of Public Policy
California Churches IMPACT

Clergy, health ministries, faith nurses, and members of congregations are on the front lines of our state’s health care crisis. We serve our own members in desperate need of health coverage through in-church clinics, advice on health services, and occasionally financial assistance. We also serve those in our communities in the same desperate straits.

For people of faith, health care is a right and a moral obligation for all. Christians, for example, know that when Jesus healed the sick, he did not ask for proof of insurance, and pre-existing conditions were definitely his specialty!

Continue reading "Jesus Didn't Ask for Proof of Insurance" »

Posted August 31, 2007 at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

By Jan from Anaheim

(Editor's Note: This is an open letter response to John Seiler, former Orange County Register columnist that commented on a recent print ad placed by the It's OUR Healthcare campaign that featured Jan's healthcare story.)

John,

I’m sure you and I have different opinions about any number of things, but a civilized debate of opposing views is a good thing. As a former editorial writer for my hometown paper, you would probably agree.

But I take personal offense to your recent blog post (“Register ad pushes socialized medicine” – a provocative, if not very accurate title).

Why would you start by questioning my story, ailment and treatment?

Continue reading "Attacking the Victim" »

Posted August 30, 2007 at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Access California

What I found interesting/sad about the census report released yesterday is this: While incomes are nudging upwards, the number of people with insurance is falling.

It seems counterintuitive -- that as more people broke into the ranks of middle-income earners, they'd be guaranteed coverage. But in fact, that is what we are fighting now. It's not just low-income who are being left behind, it's the middle-income as well.

Continue reading "Diverging Paths" »

Posted August 29, 2007 at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

(John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of Small Business for Affordable Healthcare recently wrote about poll findings that show, contrary to conventional wisdom, small businesses support healthcare reform. John R. Graham, Director of Health Care Studies at the Pacific Research Institute, mischaracterized the data. Mr. Arensmeyer's response can be found below. --Matt Ortega)

I am sorry that Mr. Graham finds our poll to be “strange” and the results “bizarre.” It is the only known scientific poll of small business owners and managers across California, and the results speak for themselves. All 506 randomly-selected small business owners who were polled responded in full to the survey (not half as Mr. Graham asserts), resulting in a +/- 4% margin of error. The same cannot be said for surveys of self-selected members of advocacy organizations that are often trotted out as representative samples of California’s 3.2 million small business owners.

Continue reading "Correcting the Critics" »

Posted August 29, 2007 at 01:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Steve Blackledge
Legislative Director
CalPIRG

It's like the bad David Spade commercial where he repeatedly yells "no, no, no" into the phone to his customers. In this case, it's health insurance companies saying "no, no, no" to potential customers because of their health problems.

It's a good way to maximize profits. Deny coverage to people who have had health problems, insure the people who appear on paper to be healthy, and then laugh all the way to the bank.

Continue reading "You're Denied!" »

Posted August 29, 2007 at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By John Arensmeyer
Founder & CEO
Small Business Majority

In stark contrast to the reflexive, ideologically-driven, anti-reform position articulated by traditional business advocacy organizations, a recent poll shows that, in fact, small businesses across California overwhelmingly support comprehensive health care reform, with substantial support for two of the leading reform proposals pending in Sacramento. The survey was released earlier this week by Small Business for Affordable Healthcare, a new coalition of California small business owners.

Key findings from the survey are:

Continue reading "New Poll Shows California Small Businesses Back Comprehensive Health Care Reform" »

Posted August 28, 2007 at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

So, it's official. If no positive health expansions are passed, Governor Schwarzenegger's "year of health reform" will actually take us backwards in terms of Californians' access to care, given these budget cuts.

In addition to the cuts that we have highlighted here, I would be remiss to not mention the most cruel cut--the $55 million cut to aid the mentally ill homeless, for what all accounts is an effective, humane programs that provides savings in the long term. Both Frank Russo and Bill Bradley point out how the Republican forces this cut while fighting for a $45 million yacht tax credit.

Continue reading "Still Angry" »

Posted August 25, 2007 at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

Another point about the Governor's comments to the Sacramento Bee editorial board, where he said he won't sign a less-than-comprehensive bill: "I won't sign it. It won't happen. Because we will never have a chance again to go back and cover the rest."

Does that mean he won't sign his own plan?

The Administration's own modeling, done by MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, leaves close to a million Californians not covered. There's a vague hope that the counties would cover those Californians, but there's no requirement or proposal for that to happen.

Continue reading "Fact Check #2" »

Posted August 23, 2007 at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

AB8 (Nunez) was heard in Senate Appropriations Committee today, and placed on suspense.

The Governor said to the Sacramento Bee editorial board that he won't sign AB8, or a bill that "has only employer mandate," he said. "I won't sign it. It won't happen. Because we will never have a chance again to go back and cover the rest."

Read the bill, Governor.

Continue reading "Read the Bill, Governor" »

Posted August 22, 2007 at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Breaking news from Sacramento: The Senate passed the state budget by a vote of 27-13, ending the 52-day stand-off at the Capitol.

With the budget finally out of the way, health advocates must continue to push and prod our leaders in Sacramento to skip the celebratory happy hours and get right back to work on passing real healthcare reform this year.

Posted August 21, 2007 at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Betsy Imholz
Special Projects Director
Consumers Union

Maybe so, but having health insurance doesn’t mean having health coverage. That’s what we found in talking to Americans around the country. A new survey by Consumer Reports’ National Research Center of a nationally representative sample of consumers found that 29 percent of us, a quarter of the population, are “underinsured.”

These are people who have health insurance – but it’s not good enough, and it’s expensive to use. That leads to choices like putting off needed medical care because of the cost (56%), digging deep into savings to pay medical bills (33%), and struggling to pay for medicines that insurance doesn’t cover adequately (63%).

Continue reading "Got Insurance?" »

Posted August 21, 2007 at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Access California

With just four weeks left of the 2007 session, time is slipping away for lawmakers to pass health care reform.

Legislators are back today from summer "recess'' and there's STILL no budget.

The It's OUR Healthcare! coalition today launched two TV ads aimed at getting lawmakers to focus on health care reform (this year) and a number of newspapers printed stories and columns the past few days reminding lawmakers that there's not much time left.

Continue reading "The Clock Starts Today" »

Posted August 20, 2007 at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

This morning at a press conference at the State Capitol in Sacramento, the It's OUR Healthcare! campaign announced the release of several new television and print advertisements.

The ads focus on the issue of affordability because it's not real healthcare unless we can afford to use it.

Watch the new ads below the fold.

Continue reading "IOH Unveils Television and Print Ads" »

Posted August 20, 2007 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Access California

Consumer Reports' latest issue surveys 37,000 readers about their health plans, and finds one in five (20%!) consumers "were sufficiently disappointed with their health-insurance plans and wanted to switch to a new one.''

Consumers were mainly disappointed in the choice of doctors, billing, high cost-sharing and access to care.

The best health care in the world? Not quite.

Continue reading "Clunkers" »

Posted August 15, 2007 at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Betsy Imholz
Special Projects Director
Consumers Union

Tuesday in Los Angeles, while Blue Cross patients and providers stood up one after another after another to tell their stories about Blue Cross problems – it was “Who, me?” from Blue Cross.

Blue Cross told the state Department of Managed Health Care (which convened the hearing) and everyone in the room that they had the lowest rate of complaints of any major insurer.

Consumer Reports heard a different story from our readers. In our national survey of the experiences of more than 37,000 Consumer Reports’ readers, the Blue Cross of California HMO scored close to the bottom of the list. Sixteen percent of those with Blue Cross HMO experiences reported problems with access to care—getting approval for needed care, getting coverage for medications, getting treatment or a test they believed they needed, or experiencing a decline in medical condition due to a treatment delay.

Continue reading "Who, Me?" »

Posted August 10, 2007 at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

In Los Angeles yesterday, Blue Cross was brought before the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) following 4,100 calls and complaints in the last three years. The Sick of Blue Cross petition drive turned in more than 1,600 in only one week's time.

The hearing gave Californians a great opportunity to hold the state's largest for-profit health insurer accountable for dangerous business practices such as only covering the healthy and denying coverage to the sick. Blue Cross is also notorious for raising rates however and whenever it chooses.

Find out more and see pictures of Mr. Sick of Blue Cross below the fold...

Continue reading "Thousands File Complaints Against Blue Cross" »

Posted August 8, 2007 at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

The Department of Managed Health Care will have its hearing later today on the practices of Blue Cross of California, especially after the Anthem-Wellpoint merger in 2004.

With the It's OUR Healthcare coalition, we launched www.SickOfBlueCross.com, and collected many consumer stories of BlueCross' bad behavior. At the hearing tomorrow, also working with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, we'll have some of those stories, at a 9:30am press conference before the hearing.

Continue reading "Blue Cross in the Spotlight" »

Posted August 7, 2007 at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Matt Ortega
It's OUR Healthcare

Health Access California's Executive Director Anthony Wright runs down what exactly is on the table concerning healthcare in the state.

Take a look.

Posted August 6, 2007 at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director
Health Access California

The California Endowment is starting a $6 million advertising campaign today, with a series of television, print, and newspaper ads to run for six weeks, to urge Califor