Unless you make calls today and tomorrow to convince members of the Senate Health Committee -- and other Democrats who may influence them -- not to amend A.B. 52 when it comes up for a vote tomorrow, you deserve what you get. I and many others here who have made those calls do not, in my opinion, deserve it, but we'll get it too. Our names have already been taken down. We are counting on you.
The excellent diary published earlier today by nyceve has now fallen off the Rec List, so I'm stepping in here now with a booster shot. There's an hour left in the business day today and then there's the early part of tomorrow before the vote. This is it.
This committee, tomorrow, is where the health industry expects to succeed in gutting this commonsense reform bill. They are willing to pass something under the number A.B. 52, most likely, but it won't be the reform we need.
We need to call them on their chicanery. We call them on it, first, by calling them.
What I heard last week is that Committee Chair Ed Hernandez is likely to get what he wants -- and we don't really know what he wants. The actions of some other Latino representatives from low-income areas -- notably Assemblymen Jose Solorio and Charles Calderon -- suggest that there has been a real hard push by health insurers (either with or invoking the support of hospitals and doctors) to use these highly-placed members as the straw they need to suck the juice out of the bill (and then pass not much more than its inert shell.) It's an insult to the desperately needy voters that they represent and to the many strong and effective Latino legislators in California. Why are they doing it? I don't know -- maybe we'll find out in a few years when we see who signs their paychecks.
We need to send the message now that we will not accept significant amendments to this bill.
Here's what Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, who wants the power to hold down unreasonable -- and only unreasonable -- health insurance premium increases had to say earlier today:
Your Health Insurer Does Not Want You to Read This
Thanks to those who called or emailed Senate Health Committee members about AB 52, which would give me the authority to reject excessive health insurance rate hikes. Thousands of Californians have been contacting members of the Senate Health Committee asking them to vote for this bill. The calls and emails are making a difference.
The Senate Health Committee hearing on AB 52 last week lasted an unprecedented 3 ½ hours. Consumers, small businesses, labor unions and organizations representing communities of color joined Assemblymember Feuer and me to testify in support of AB 52. The testimony was powerful. The vote was put off to this Wednesday, July 6th (tomorrow), when the Senate Health Committee meets again.
The health insurers and HMOs and their lobbyists are pulling out all the stops to defeat AB 52. Because they know that Democratic Senators are unlikely to vote outright against AB 52, the insurers and HMOs are now proposing "amendments" that would seriously weaken AB 52.
We need your help in a very specific way. Please call or email the Democratic Members of the Senate Health Committee TODAY and TOMORROW. Ask them to reject "poison pill" amendments that would undermine our efforts to pass a strong bill that would give the Insurance Commissioner the authority to reject excessive health insurance rate increases.
The Insurance Commissioner already has this authority for auto, homeowners' and casualty insurance. I should have this same authority for health insurance, not something weaker that provides fewer protections for consumers.
Please call the Democratic Senators on the Health Committee and urge them to reject amendments that weaken AB 52:
Senator Ed Hernandez (Chair) -- 916-651-4024
Senator Elaine Alquist --- 916-651-4013
Senator Kevin de Leon -- 916-651-4022
Senator Mark DeSaulnier (AB 52 co-author) -- 916-651-4007
Senator Michael Rubio -- 916-651-4016
Senator Lois Wolk (AB 52 co-author) -- 916-651-4005
That's what your elected statewide representative wants you to do. You got the sort of Insurance Commissioner you wanted -- now, will you lift a finger to help him?
Insurers are doing whatever they can to get in the way. Ballots in the form of phone calls are being counted as we speak. Will you cast yours?
Especially if you live in Hernandez's district -- or Alquist's, or Rubio's -- it is as important as any vote you have ever cast.
4:42 PM PT: BACKSLIDING? Add DeLeon back onto the "Must Call" list. When I spoke to his office last week, I was told that he would support the bill; now I'm being told that -- under a DELUGE of calls -- he has not yet made up his mind, although "he has supported bills like this in the past." I'd like to think that his past support makes him more likely to support it now that it can pass, rather than that support having been easy to provide because it was inconsequential! Let him know how you feel!
