Thursday, July 3, 2014

Ballot Initiative to Regulate Health Insurance Rates Heard by Lawmakers

Voters will get to decide in November whether to make health insurers get prior approval before raising health insurance premiums for individuals and small groups. The state Insurance Commissioner and Department of Managed Health Care currently review proposed increases, but have no power to stop excessive rate hikes. Proposition 45 on the November ballot would change that. The Senate and Assembly Health Committees held a hearing on the measure at the State Capitol. Christopher Martinez reports from Sacramento.