Insurance Commissioner Race Appears Close
Republican Steve Poizner and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D) both say that if elected, they will emphasize the role of insurance commissioner as a consumer advocate, the Copley News/San Diego Union-Tribune reports. According to the Copley News/Union-Tribune, the insurance commissioner race "appears to be among the closest" in the state.
Bustamante has said that as insurance commissioner, he would work to consolidate state regulation of health care insurance within the Department of Insurance, which currently oversees some plans. However, HMOs would not be under the jurisdiction of the department in Bustamante's plan.
Bustamante also has said he would like to develop a private-sector solution to provide health care coverage for about seven million uninsured Californians.
Meanwhile, Poizner has said his focus would be addressing the $15 billion in insurance fraud committed each year, among other issues (Sweeney, Copley News/San Diego Union-Tribune, 10/6).