California Legislature passes health reform, but the governor may not

[villager]

Source: LA Times

Legislature passes health reform, but the governor may not

Lawmakers vote to bar insurers from dropping sick patients, and approve several other bills. But Schwarzenegger says his pen is on hiatus until lawmakers act on water and prison issues.

By Patrick McGreevy and Eric Bailey

The California Legislature passed a measure Tuesday that would curtail the ability of insurance companies to cancel coverage for patients diagnosed with serious illnesses

The bill addresses a practice known as rescission, which was the subject of a series of articles in The Times exposing how several major healthcare companies, including Blue Cross and Health Net Inc., canceled medical coverage for sick policyholders.

The practice has since been the subject of probes by law enforcement agencies in California and sparked congressional hearings. Government officials say thousands of policyholders in California have had their coverage dropped.

"The insurance industry has made billions by unfairly canceling health policies, with little to no oversight before rescinding a patient's insurance coverage," said Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), author of the measure, AB 2. He said the bill "protects consumers and will put an end to this shameful practice."

The proposal, pushed by the California Medical Assn. and other advocacy groups, would allow regulators to block the rescission of coverage unless they find that a patient intentionally lied to the company about preexisting conditions.

It also would clarify for consumers what information they must provide to insurance companies when they apply for coverage, and simplify the forms on which patients report the information. And it would require the companies to complete a check of a patient's health history before approving their coverage.

The measure, approved by both houses of the Legislature, will go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once the Assembly approves minor changes. But as lawmakers acted on the health insurance issue and dozens of other matters Tuesday, the governor vowed to stop signing bills until further notice.

<snip>


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-legis9-2009sep09,0,6129243.story?track=rss

[Orangepeel]

1. What happens in California if the Gov doesn't sign? Pocket veto or passive acceptance?

I don't know, but I have the idea that in some states, if the governor doesn't sign within a particular time period, the law goes into effect anyway, but in others, it dies.

:shrug:

[Bette Noir]

6. It will only become law without the Governor's signature if his term

expires in the meantime.

[Garbo 2004]

9. That's incorrect. CA Gov has to veto a bill or it becomes law. nt

[Orangepeel]

12. Thanks! Does he have until January?

that's what it looked like from your post (I admit I didn't read the link).

:-)

[Garbo 2004]

15. No. Since it's the end of the first year of a two year session the Gov's got 30 days from

the Leg's adjournment to take action on enrolled bills that reach his desk. Based on the legislative calendar, Oct 11 would be his last day to veto the bill.

[Garbo 2004]

7. In CA bill becomes law if Gov does not veto.

"Governor
If both houses approve a bill, it goes to the Governor. The Governor has three choices: sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without his or her signature, or veto it. A governor's veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses. Most enacted bills go into effect on the first day of January of the next year. Urgency bills, and certain other measures, take effect immediately after they are enacted into law." http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/guide.html#Appendix_A

[Auggie]

2. Lame excuse, butthead...

I can't wait until he's gone

[xxqqqzme]

8. No shit!

What an arrogant prick - wonder when his brain returns from hiatus?

[W T F]

3. A 50 state stratagy would put a big strain on the lobbyist fighing health care reform

[Winterblues]

4. Easy to get around, just raise the rates until they can not be met

That way they do not ever have to cancel anyone's insurance.

[Joe Bacon]

5. Steroid Boy vetoed single payer twice

He's shown he's on the side of the insurance racketeers. I expect him to keep being their rent boy.

[villager]

11. again, it's pitiable how many Dems here voted for him as a "new" kind of Republican

people really are that gullible...

[Joe Bacon]

14. I can't forgive Angelides and Westley for destroying each other

They tore each other apart and just let Arnold sit back and coast to another term.

[bemildred]

10. Can we just impeach this weasel yet?

Resign or do your job.

[PHIMG]

13. CA will have single payer in a few years

They passed it before and Arnold killed it. There were so many reasons for that little coup in CALIFORNIA. Preventing Single Payer was a big reason.