We’re not done yet: Next steps for CA health care

The Supreme Court has upheld the national health care law, and this is really good news for consumers.
 
Insurance companies will have to keep spending at least 80% of premium dollars on care. They can’t go back to the days of denying coverage to sick children. And in 2014, the days of insurers being able to deny anyone coverage for “pre-existing conditions” will be history.
 
Second, we’re not done yet. Health care still costs more than it should. We can do better on quality. And consumers and small businesses still don’t get a fair shake in the marketplace.

From here, California needs to keep moving ahead:
 
• We need to scrutinize and expose unfair health care rate hikes for Californians. Last year, public pressure, including 1,200 public comments from CALPIRG supporters, convinced Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California to back off of double-digit rate hikes.
 
• Make insurance companies meet high standards to justify their rate hikes, and push them to cut costs – not by raising deductibles or cutting care, but by cutting waste and focusing on prevention.
 
• Move ahead with a California exchange — one of our best shots at cleaning up health care.  Done right, the exchange will be a competitive health insurance marketplace where consumers and businesses could join together to negotiate lower costs and better coverage.
 
It’s time to make sure health care really works here in California.