Assembly Member Wants To Require Lawmakers To Use Exchange

Assembly member Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) plans to introduce a measure that would require state lawmakers to obtain health insurance through Covered California, the Los Angeles Times' "PolitiCal" reports (Mason, "PolitiCal," Los Angeles Times, 10/2).

Background

Open enrollment in the state health insurance exchange began on Tuesday and will end on March 31, 2014 (California Healthline, 10/1).

Under the Affordable Care Act, all federal lawmakers and aides are required to enroll in the law's health insurance exchanges (California Healthline, 8/27).

Details of Proposal

Nestande said that he does not support the ACA but that it would be "appropriate" for state lawmakers to purchase health coverage through the exchange ("PolitiCal," Los Angeles Times, 10/2).

"If the laws that we pass are good enough for our citizens and businesses, they should be good enough for us as elected officials," Nestande said, adding, " If we truly want to understand how the ACA is working and being implemented, there is no better way than to enroll in the exchange along with the people who elected us and share in the same benefits program" (Nestande release, 10/1).

He said, "If [the exchange is] not working well, we will know quickly, and we'll move to make any necessary changes."

The proposal would not apply to lawmakers' staff members.

Nestande plans to introduce the bill in January 2014 ("PolitiCal," Los Angeles Times, 10/2).