Health
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Wednesday issued a notice to California health insurance and specialized health insurance companies, urging that they issue refunds back to their policy and certificate holders because consumers largely refrained from seeking medical care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting “stay-at-home” orders by state and local public health officers.
Savings from the months’ long deferral of medical care and treatment for ailments unrelated to COVID-19 has resulted in record net profits this year for health insurance companies and specialized health insurance companies, such as dental insurance plans.
“Health insurance companies are seeing record net profits this year due to lower policy benefit use, so I am urging they return some of those profits back to consumers, families, and businesses that they insure, many of whom are struggling financially due to COVID-19,” said Commissioner Lara. “As the regulator of the largest insurance market in the nation, it is my duty to make sure consumers are protected and insurance companies remain solvent.”
He added, “I am doing all within my authority to strike that delicate balance but, right now, the scales are not balanced for consumers and businesses with health insurance. With this notice, I am expecting health insurance companies to help contribute back to the recovery of services by businesses and get money back into the hands of consumers when they need it the most.”
The notice asks health insurance companies to provide premium refunds on either the November 2020 or December 2020 consumer statements in the form of a refund, credit, premium reduction or other adjustment.
Specialized health insurance policies, such as dental insurance, that have a maximum annual benefit may also comply with this request by increasing the 2021 annual benefit by a percentage equal to the period during which covered services were not available during 2020.
For example, as dental practices were essentially closed for a quarter of calendar year 2020, the 2021 maximum benefit would be increased by at least 25 percent.
The department has already worked with two health insurance companies who proactively sought to provide premium credits to their policy and certificate holders in the individual and group markets, returning between 5 percent and 15 percent of policyholders’ July 2020 premium.
Two other health insurance companies are currently working with the department in considering such credits as well.
This notice is the latest in a long list of consumer protection actions that Commissioner Lara has taken since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, including previous orders similarly directing insurance companies to provide premium relief for automobile insurance and commercial liability policies to reflect the lower risk that policyholders are experiencing in the current COVID-19 landscape, which has thus far resulted in more than $1.2 billion in premium relief and reduced future premiums for California consumers and businesses.
Savings from the months’ long deferral of medical care and treatment for ailments unrelated to COVID-19 has resulted in record net profits this year for health insurance companies and specialized health insurance companies, such as dental insurance plans.
“Health insurance companies are seeing record net profits this year due to lower policy benefit use, so I am urging they return some of those profits back to consumers, families, and businesses that they insure, many of whom are struggling financially due to COVID-19,” said Commissioner Lara. “As the regulator of the largest insurance market in the nation, it is my duty to make sure consumers are protected and insurance companies remain solvent.”
He added, “I am doing all within my authority to strike that delicate balance but, right now, the scales are not balanced for consumers and businesses with health insurance. With this notice, I am expecting health insurance companies to help contribute back to the recovery of services by businesses and get money back into the hands of consumers when they need it the most.”
The notice asks health insurance companies to provide premium refunds on either the November 2020 or December 2020 consumer statements in the form of a refund, credit, premium reduction or other adjustment.
Specialized health insurance policies, such as dental insurance, that have a maximum annual benefit may also comply with this request by increasing the 2021 annual benefit by a percentage equal to the period during which covered services were not available during 2020.
For example, as dental practices were essentially closed for a quarter of calendar year 2020, the 2021 maximum benefit would be increased by at least 25 percent.
The department has already worked with two health insurance companies who proactively sought to provide premium credits to their policy and certificate holders in the individual and group markets, returning between 5 percent and 15 percent of policyholders’ July 2020 premium.
Two other health insurance companies are currently working with the department in considering such credits as well.
This notice is the latest in a long list of consumer protection actions that Commissioner Lara has taken since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, including previous orders similarly directing insurance companies to provide premium relief for automobile insurance and commercial liability policies to reflect the lower risk that policyholders are experiencing in the current COVID-19 landscape, which has thus far resulted in more than $1.2 billion in premium relief and reduced future premiums for California consumers and businesses.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers, or RANCHO, is deeply concerned regarding the upcoming influenza season and its possible impact on our healthcare system during the current COVID-19 pandemic, and issued the following statement.
In spite of the well-established safety and efficacy of the influenza (“flu”) vaccine, too few people get vaccinated each year. This is true even in challenging work environments such as face to face educational settings and healthcare facilities.
The evidence supporting universal influenza vaccination is overwhelming and in other parts of the world where vaccination is widely accepted by the populace, there are fewer influenza
cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
RANCHO feels it is important to bring to everyone’s attention the critical need for vaccination this fall among area residents and especially among healthcare workers and school staff. While we always recommend that all members of the public get flu vaccination annually, this fall in particular we are most concerned about these particular groups.
Since early reopening this summer and fall, schools and colleges around the nation have
seen significant transmission of coronavirus. Healthcare workers are at increased risk of acquiring and transmitting both influenza and coronavirus, and some of our most distressing coronavirus outbreaks have occurred in healthcare settings.
We recognize that these same settings are historically places where influenza is easily transmitted as well. We also recognize that with COVID-19 prevention measures in place, it is possible that we will see a reduction in influenza cases compared to previous years,” the group said.
The flu season in Australia this summer, for example, was mild but it is important to point out that this success was likely attributable to both a vigorous campaign to raise vaccination rates and implementation of COVID-19 prevention measures.
The combination of influenza and coronavirus circulating at the same time this year will not only make diagnosis challenging (since the two have similar symptoms) and increase demands on testing, but it will likely threaten our healthcare system’s capacity to provide care for everyone who needs it, when they need it.
Reducing flu cases as much as possible makes diagnosis easier, and preserves the ability to continue to care for all.
“With that in mind, we strongly recommend that all high risk work environments for influenza transmission, especially those in the health care and educational settings, strengthen workplace policies to ensure that staff are vaccinated for their own protection and the protection of members of the public,” the group said. “Some counties within our group have even written public health orders to this end.”
The traditional fallback of wearing a surgical mask for those who refuse vaccination is inadequate at a time when mask-wearing indoors is nearly universal, the group said.
“We are in agreement that the need for widespread influenza vaccination is critical this year, and we support both our joint and independent efforts to achieve that goal,” RANCHO members said.
Universal flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older will make our communities safer for everyone this fall and winter, particularly those most vulnerable to serious complications of both influenza and coronavirus.
In spite of the well-established safety and efficacy of the influenza (“flu”) vaccine, too few people get vaccinated each year. This is true even in challenging work environments such as face to face educational settings and healthcare facilities.
The evidence supporting universal influenza vaccination is overwhelming and in other parts of the world where vaccination is widely accepted by the populace, there are fewer influenza
cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
RANCHO feels it is important to bring to everyone’s attention the critical need for vaccination this fall among area residents and especially among healthcare workers and school staff. While we always recommend that all members of the public get flu vaccination annually, this fall in particular we are most concerned about these particular groups.
Since early reopening this summer and fall, schools and colleges around the nation have
seen significant transmission of coronavirus. Healthcare workers are at increased risk of acquiring and transmitting both influenza and coronavirus, and some of our most distressing coronavirus outbreaks have occurred in healthcare settings.
We recognize that these same settings are historically places where influenza is easily transmitted as well. We also recognize that with COVID-19 prevention measures in place, it is possible that we will see a reduction in influenza cases compared to previous years,” the group said.
The flu season in Australia this summer, for example, was mild but it is important to point out that this success was likely attributable to both a vigorous campaign to raise vaccination rates and implementation of COVID-19 prevention measures.
The combination of influenza and coronavirus circulating at the same time this year will not only make diagnosis challenging (since the two have similar symptoms) and increase demands on testing, but it will likely threaten our healthcare system’s capacity to provide care for everyone who needs it, when they need it.
Reducing flu cases as much as possible makes diagnosis easier, and preserves the ability to continue to care for all.
“With that in mind, we strongly recommend that all high risk work environments for influenza transmission, especially those in the health care and educational settings, strengthen workplace policies to ensure that staff are vaccinated for their own protection and the protection of members of the public,” the group said. “Some counties within our group have even written public health orders to this end.”
The traditional fallback of wearing a surgical mask for those who refuse vaccination is inadequate at a time when mask-wearing indoors is nearly universal, the group said.
“We are in agreement that the need for widespread influenza vaccination is critical this year, and we support both our joint and independent efforts to achieve that goal,” RANCHO members said.
Universal flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older will make our communities safer for everyone this fall and winter, particularly those most vulnerable to serious complications of both influenza and coronavirus.
- Details
- Written by: Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers
How to resolve AdBlock issue?