California insurance commissioner issues report card for PPO

The California Department of Insurance has released the quality of care report card by insurance commissioner Dave Jones, called the “2012 Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)”. According to Jones, this report is a useful resource which provides consumers with a larger amount of practical data about the quality of the care they can expect to receive, so that they are better able to make decisions that will meet their healthcare requirements. He added that “I want to encourage all Californians to take a look at the findings of the PPO report…

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Ruling in California could help those with mental illnesses obtain higher levels of insurance coverage

California may see new insurance rules regarding coverage and mental health as judges reach a verdict regarding the issue. Earlier this year, Jeanne Harlick of Northern California was denied coverage for her anorexia treatment. Anorexia, an eating disorder, is designated as a mental illness in accordance with Californian law. The denial led Harlick to file a suit against her insurance company, Blue Shield Blue Cross. A panel of judges from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Harlick, citing her long struggle with anorexia and…

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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 health insurer holds off on rate increase

WellPoint Inc., one of the nation’s top health insurers based in California, announced earlier this year that it would be raising premiums on individual policies by 16.4%. After increased pressure from state legislators and insurance commissioner Dave Jones, however, the insurer has proposed a new increase of no more than 9.8%. Furthermore, the company has heeded Jones’ call for delays on rate hikes and has announced that the increases will not take effect until July. According to Jones, the rate increases will affect more than 600,000 policyholders in the state.…

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