SPOTLIGHT: California changes MLR regulations for insurers

California's new insurance commissioner has ordered healthcare carriers to spend at least 80 percent of their premium dollars on care for patients with individual policies, the Los Angeles Times reports. Commissioner Dave Jones, a Democrat, issued emergency regulations on Jan. 3 requiring those insurers competing in the individual market to bump up their medical loss ratios from 70 percent. The regulations mirror what is required under federal healthcare reform. They require approval by the California Office of Administrative Law. Article