Suit claims CA insurers discriminate against women

The city of San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against California's insurance regulators, arguing that they have permitted the state's health plans to charge more for women's individual health policies than for men.

In the suit, the city argues that the Department of Managed Health Care and Insurance Commissioner approved a system allowing health plans to impose "gender rating" when pricing policies. This has resulted in women paying up to 39 percent more for health coverage than men, the suit says.

The suit asks that the state's existing health insurance laws be declared unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the legislature has begun considering the issue in bills that would ban gender rating by health plans.

To learn more about the suit:
- read this Los Angeles Times article [1]

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