Opinion: Rate Regulation Bill Would Not Fix Cost Problem
In a Bakersfield Californian opinion piece, Patrick Johnston -- president of the California Association of Health Plans -- writes that a bill (AB 52) to let California regulators block health insurance rate hikes is "a misguided attempt to control health care costs by artificially suppressing insurance premiums." He adds that "it's clear to see that rate regulation is bad public policy that is fraught with unavoidable, unintended consequences." According to Johnston, the bill would "[h]inder patients' access to medical care," set up "a costly and duplicative new bureaucracy" and "[i]ncrease costs for consumers."
- "Why Health Insurance Rate Regulation Is Not the Answer" (Johnston, Bakersfield Californian, 10/4).