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“Blue Shield’s rate hike of up to 59% hits its approximately 200,000 policyholders very hard. It comes at a time when many Californians continue to struggle. These health insurance rate hikes are not sustainable,” he said.
Jones said he was disappointed that Blue Shield has not agreed to what he considered a reasonable request that they delay the implementation of their March 1, 2011, rate increase.
He said he made the request in light of the fact that he had been sworn in only for 72 hours and wanted to make sure that he had the time needed to review their rate filing for compliance with a new state law, SB 1163, that went into effect Jan. 1.
SB 1163 requires the insurance commissioner to review the reasonableness of health insurance rate increases. It does not give the insurance commissioner the authority to reject unreasonable rate increases.
Despite Blue Shield’s unwillingness to delay their rate increase, the Department of Insurance will conduct a full and complete review of their rate filing, Jones said.
“Blue Shield is required by SB 1163 to obtain an independent actuarial certification of the reasonableness of their rate filing,” Jones said. “Their announcement today that they are hiring an actuary is something that is already required by law. We will request full disclosure of all information necessary to determine the reasonableness of the rate increase under SB 1163. We expect full compliance with SB 1163.”
Jones said the Blue Shield rate increase underscores the need for the Legislature to give the insurance commissioner the authority to reject excessive premium increases.
“I do not have that authority now. I have been fighting to get that authority,” he said. “As a state assemblymember I authored bills to give the insurance commissioner the authority to reject excessive premium increases. I look forward to working with Assemblymember Feuer who has re-introduced this legislation.”
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The partnership, formally established Wednesday, Jan. 12, during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, will allow for collaboration on cancer prevention and control research, outreach program development, undergraduate and graduate student research, scholarships and training for American Indians.
The two entities will apply for grants to study American Indians in California and their experiences with cancer, including barriers to prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. They also plan to research interventions that address cancer risk-factors.
“Formalizing this partnership between the UC Davis Cancer Center and the California Tribal Epidemiology Center gives both organizations the opportunity to significantly reduce cancer health disparities among American Indians through collaborative education, research and training,” said Marlene von Friederichs-Fitzwater, director of the cancer center's Outreach Research and Education Program. “And this represents another milestone in our ongoing relationship with the California Rural Indian Health Board.”
Thomas Kim, a physician and medical epidemiologist with the CTEC, said the agreement will allow for a major focus on two issues, often related, that afflict the American Indian population in California: obesity and cancer.
“As a former tribal clinical physician, I have seen these issues galvanize a community to engage preventive efforts, particularly in their concern for their children and for future generations,” Kim said. “Difficult and complex problems such as these can only be addressed in creative collaborations and agreements such as this.”
The partnership also hopes to secure research funds to better understand the relationship of historical trauma experienced by American Indians and their mental and physical well-being.
“Historical trauma, described by Yellow Horse Brave Heart as the suffering of various oppressed aboriginal people, is an unexplored and potential component in understanding American Indian/Alaska Native cancer prevention, research and treatment practices,” said Rebecca Garrow, a research associate with the CTEC. “Historical trauma includes a legacy of numerous traumatic events over several generations, including colonialism, forced assimilation, boarding school, forced adoption programs, as well as racism, warfare, murder, and cultural genocide leading to the loss of traditional life-ways.”
UC Davis Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. For more information, visit http://cancer.ucdavis.edu.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Mendocino Community Health Clinic (MCHC) is pleased to welcome two new providers at their Lakeside Health Center: Internist Dr. Thomas Luck and Family Nurse Practitioner Michael Gibson.
Dr. Luck was a Navy man, attending medical school on an Armed Forces Health Professions scholarship. After his service, he completed his residency at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Dr. Luck has worked as a hospitalist and a primary care physician, focusing on allergy and immunology as well as general internal medicine.
His recent experience includes locum tenens stints at Fort Defiance Indian Healthcare Facility and Chinle Comprehensive Healthcare Facility, both in Arizona.
He is a dedicated family man, to the point of temporarily giving up his practice to assist with aging parents and members of his wife’s family who have special medical needs.
“Dr. Luck is very thorough. He really pays attention to the details,” said Lakeside Site Manager Lori Conroy.
Dr. Luck is a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; the Southeastern Allergy Association, and the Allergy Association of Northern California. He holds active medical licenses in Florida and California.
Mike Gibson has only been with MCHC a short time, but he’s already seeing 18 patients a day. His colleagues call him “easy to work with” and, according to Conroy, patients love him.
“Mike’s experience and relaxed demeanor put patients at ease,” Conroy said.
Gibson took a circuitous route in joining the ranks of health care professionals. He served six years in the Army, packing parachutes for jump school and Special Forces (among other responsibilities). He served in Georgia, North Carolina and Panama. After his experience in the military, he worked as a welder and journeyman sheet metal mechanic.
In 1991, he decided to make a change, choosing a career that “couldn’t be exported to India,” as he put it. He became a registered nurse in 1996 and after several years as an RN, he went back to school and became a nurse practitioner, graduating in 2009. He spent a year as a nurse practitioner at Hayfork Community Health Center, but it was a little remote for his tastes, so MCHC invited him to join their team.
Both providers are currently accepting new patients at Lakeside Health Center, one of three health centers owned and operated by Mendocino Community Health Clinic, a local non-profit organization providing access to health care for the most vulnerable people in our community.
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MIDDLETOWN – The Middletown Seventh-day Adventist Church will host the annual Middletown Health Fair on Sunday, Jan. 23.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church, 21640 Highway 175 South.
There will be lots of great services and activities designed for your health and enjoyment.
Adventist Health will be available for a variety of free health screenings – blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, bone density and oxygen levels. Medical professionals will be available to walk you through the results.
The Live Well clinic is offering weight loss, diabetic support and health evaluation.
There also will be exercise classes every half hour from noon to 2 p.m. hosted by Middletown Jazzercise, food provided from the Middletown Pathfinder Youth group and The Garden, Sunrise Special Services Reach Out program, children's activities and more.
For more information call Jacque Felber at 707-987-2661.
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