Editorial: Transparency in Health Contracts Necessary

A Monterey County Herald editorial argues that an exemption to the Public Records Act that keeps "every aspect of health care contracts confidential ... should be crumpled up and tossed out." The editorial discusses a contract between the California Prison Health Care Services and Health Net Federal Services, writing that the exemption policy "provides a level of confidentiality not available to private companies operating under competitive state contracts ... and makes it impossible for anyone to monitor state spending on health care."

• "State Contract Details Should Not Be Secret" (Monterey County Herald, 12/17).