Anthem Health Insurance California Challenges Office Of Insurance

Anthem Health Insurance California plans recently filed for their 2013 rate increases for individuals and families. This was met with instant disapproval from not only their members, but from the Department of Insurance also. Over time, Anthem Blue Cross with all the major carriers have been continuously raising premiums for their individual plans. Their reasoning was to keep abreast of the interminable escalating costs of medical therapy, pharmaceutical costs, and executive wishes.

Previously, there was tiny for members to do apart from pay the higher premiums, move to a less comprehensive plan, or shop with another carrier. This was often tricky to do as medical claims and established conditions made it impossible to move from their plan. As a result, many were forced to pay premiums they could not afford, or risk going without anthem health insurance California altogether.

This looked like a lose-lose situation, until Assembly Bill 52 (Feuer) was passed. This bill needed anthem health insurance California and all carriers to file their proposed rate increased with the insurance commissioner first, starting Jan 1, 2012. The rates would be filed with documentation supporting the rate rises, and couldn’t be implemented without approval. This was was hoping to stop” exorbitant, insufficient, or unreasonably discriminatory”rate rises on clients, and force anthem health care insurance California carriers to prove that the rate hikes were in the best interest of plan members too. Since implementation of AB 52, many proposed rate increased were cancelled, postponed, or reduced, much to the relief of customers.

But blue cross health insurance California plans must keep abreast of rising medical care costs. Also , since the imposing of the Medical Loss Proportion obligation, every dollar was stretched further. While we all hear things about top corporate executives ranking in millions upon millions of dollars, it is vital not to forget the rest of the people inside these insurance corporations who do make the plans work. Directors who work out issues with claims or membership, those that make the talks with doctors and hospitals to guarantee their members can stay with them, and those who ensure that your plan pays according to your contract. These are the people that help blue cross health care insurance California members maintain optimum health and get the most out of their health plan.

With enormous changes on the horizon, it remains to be seen if blue cross health insurance California will continue on as it has so far. We all know many carriers would like to compete within the medical insurance exchanges, and remain a big player in the business. This year should be an engaging one, as insurance corporations, insurance commissioners, and providers wind down the last year of insurance as it was, and head into the great unknown.

Daniel Abrams, owner of Abrams California Health Insurance has been a top selling agent for blue cross health insurance California for over 30 years