Insurance Chief Advocates Just One Regulator for Health Plans

On Tuesday, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner (R) told members of the California Medical Association that he thinks one regulator should have authority over the health care insurance industry, Capitol Weekly reports. Currently, the departments of Managed Health Care and Insurance share responsibility for overseeing the industry, with authority over different types of health plans.

DMHC regulates HMOs and is run by an appointee of the governor, while the insurance department is headed by a popularly elected officer and regulates most of the state's insurance industry.

Poizner did not say his office should be the sole regulator, but Capitol Weekly reports that it "was suggested by his remarks."

Poizner said that unlike any other state, California has dual regulatory schemes and that the insurance department "has to step up here" because of increased problems with health plans.

However, no legislation has been introduced to alter the dual regulation of health insurers (Howard, Capitol Weekly, 4/15).