Anthem Blue Cross CEO Said Rate Regulation Unnecessary; "May Million" Facing Rate Hikes Differ
SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Consumer Watchdog Campaign:
WHEN: Friday, April 27 10:00 A.M.
VISUALS: -- Consumer advocate and patients will gather signatures for a ballot initiative to lower health insurance rates outside Blue Cross San Francisco offices -- Giant blank check for hundreds of millions of dollars to the three health insurance companies hiking rates on May 1
WHERE: Outside Blue Cross San Francisco office
Two Embarcadero Center, San Francisco 94111
WHO: Alison Heath, Blue Cross policyholder facing 19.7% premium increase on May 1
Harvey Rosenfield, author of insurance reform Proposition 103 and founder of Consumer Watchdog
WHAT: Harvey Rosenfield, author of insurance reform Prop 103 which has saved drivers $62 billion since 1988, will set up a table outside Anthem Blue Cross and give voters the chance to sign the official ballot initiative petition to ban excessive health insurance premiums and require health insurance companies to get permission before raising rates.
This week, CEO Angela Braly told investors that California doesn't need the health insurance rate regulation initiative because federal law adequately protects patients. The 1 million Californians facing rate hikes, including over 600,000 Anthem patients who will pay more than $100 million extra for their health insurance starting May 1, will not agree, says Consumer Watchdog Campaign.
Alison Heath, a self-employed mother from San Francisco, is one of the "May Million" who received a 19.7% premium increase taking effect May 1st. It will be her third increase in less than two years, hiking the monthly premium on the Anthem policy that covers Alison and her husband to $1767 a month.
The campaign has gathered more than 500,000 of the 795,000 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot, with just three weeks of signature-gathering remaining. Voters can download, print and sign the petition at www.JustifyRates.org.
One million Californians – the "May Million" – will pay hundreds of millions of dollars more for their health insurance on May 1st, as Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net and UnitedHealthcare increase premiums as much as 20%.
Consumer Watchdog Campaign is chaired by insurance reform Proposition 103 author Harvey Rosenfield. Consumer Watchdog Campaign is the campaign affiliate of Consumer Watchdog, which was founded by Rosenfield and whose president, Jamie Court, an award-winning consumer advocate and author, is the proponent of the proposed ballot initiative.
SOURCE Consumer Watchdog Campaign