California is among the worst states in the country for residents without health coverage

The results of a new study are showing that in 2010, California was the state with the most residents – approximately 7 million – who do not have health insurance coverage. According to the California HealthCare Foundation’s data, around 1 million children and 6 million residents under the age of 65 did not have health insurance. Among the nonelderly population of the state, an average of 21 percent were not covered by health insurance over the three years from 2008 through to the end of 2010. On the national list,…

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California legislators debate on new health care plan that could expand insurance coverage

California lawmakers are considering a new health insurance system that will help people obtain coverage they could not afford otherwise. Called the Basic Health Program, the initiative is designed with lower-income households in mind. The program is meant to serve a stepping stone between Medicaid and private insurance plans by offering alternatives to expensive coverage plans offered by most insurance companies. Legislators are currently examining the benefits such a program would have for state residents and how those benefits would affect the state’s insurance industry. Many families in California cannot…

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California to receive over $38 million to create state insurance exchange

The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Friday, August 12, 2011, that California would be receiving over $38 million from the $185 in total funds that were being distributed among 13 states and Washington D.C., in order to assist with the development of state health insurance exchanges which are required under the nationwide health reform laws that went into place last year. On the same day, the Department of the Treasury, in conjunction with the HHS, issued the proposed rules that the states would need to follow for…

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Controversy surrounds the California health insurance industry

Blue Shield of California has had a tumultuous year when it comes to insurance rates. Earlier this year, the insurer sought steep rate hikes that drew the ire of the state’s Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, as well as criticisms from the public. After a lengthy battle in which the company refused to compromise on their proposed rate increases, Blue Shield finally submitted, abandoning their proposal altogether.  Two weeks ago, the company came under fire again after the Department of Insurance revealed documents detailing how the insurer payed it’s top 10…

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California small group health options narrow for employees

Many California employers are making cuts to the health care providers that are listed with their insurance providers. Companies are attempting the stymie rising insurance premiums as their insurers attempt to mitigate the growing costs of medical care. Many are unwilling to outright discontinue their offering of medical benefits, however, and are opting instead for smaller scale networks that offer limited choices in terms of medical providers. This increasingly popular trend is netting some companies as much as a 25% saving in insurance costs. Nearly 21 million people are a…

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