| |
buying property abroad
News and Information Article
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 10 /-USNewswire/ -- In a letter
sent today commending Governor Schwarzenegger for supporting universal
access to health care and taking on anti-consumer practices of health
insurers, including refusals to provide insurance at any price to entire
occupations, a consumer group proposed reforms to ensure that Californians
will be able to afford the coverage that Schwarzeneggers plan would
require them to buy.
Reforms are also necessary to keep health reform from busting the state
budget. Read the letter at:
http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org/resources/letter1.10.07
The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) pointed out in
the letter that California has time-tested tools for regulating insurance
company overhead and profit under Proposition 103, which has saved
Californians almost $500 million in recent weeks.
"Reining in the charges of insurers, HMOs and medical providers is
critical to keeping health reform from busting the state budget, as well as
family finances," said FTCR Health Policy Director Jerry Flanagan. "The
state will be paying to cover all children, and ultimately subsidizing
coverage for hundreds of thousands of adults. If insurers are not required
to justify their premiums and explain their expenses, health care reform
will become an open- ended public trough at which private insurers will
feed."
FTCR said the danger of a plan such as Schwarzeneggers, requiring
individuals to buy health insurance from private health insurers without
adequate reviews of what the companies can charge, is that it allows health
insurers to raise rates at will and make basic coverage unaffordable for
families.
In the letter, FTCR wrote:
"Rate approval is far from revolutionary. Under Proposition 103, auto,
home and other insurers must seek permission for and justify rate changes,
a process that has saved homeowners nearly a half-billion dollars in recent
weeks alone. With this oversight, the market for auto and home insurance
has remained vigorous and profitable. Yet under your proposal, health
insurers and HMOs do not have to either seek permission from regulators
before raising rates or justify all their charges."
In addition to rate regulation, FTCR proposed the additional reforms in
the letter sent today:
* Allow any Californians to join a state self-financed buying pool run
by CalPERS which bypasses insurers. The governors plan offers such access
only to the HMOs run by private insurers, who are reaping a captive
customer base while preserving too much leeway over what they can charge.
* Require insurers to cover the sickest patients without requiring
patients to impoverish themselves. The governors proposal calls for a
health insurance purchasing pool to be administered by the Managed Risk
Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB), whose last-resort policies currently pay
no more than $75,000 no matter how sick the patient becomes or how many
expenses are incurred, as with cancer treatments.
Read about health insurance practices that refuse coverage for entire
occupations like firefighters and for people with minor conditions like
asthma, acne, and allergies:
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/healthcare/pr/?postId=7218 The governor
pledged to end these anti-consumer practices.
In the letter, FTCR wrote:
"Last night in your State of the State address, you said of reforming
Californias health care system, We will get it done. It also must be
done right. We are ready to work beside you on a plan that guarantees true
affordability for all Californians."
The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) is the states
leading public interest advocacy organization. For more information visit
us online at http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org
Contact: Jerry Flanagan, (310) 392-0522 ext. 319 & Judy Dugan, ext. 305
s.server=server()
s.channel="News Release"
s.pageName="Schwarzeneggers Health Plan Must Include Rate Reviews That Saved Homeowners Nearly $500 Million in Recent Weeks"
s.prop2="109"
s.prop3="01-10-2007"
s.prop4=""
s.prop5=""
/************* DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! **************/
var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code);
| |
|
|
 |
buying property abroad |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Locations
