More insurance rescission coverage

March 28, 2006

Former Members Sue Blue Cross

The state's largest health insurer systematically -- and illegally -- cancels coverage retroactively for people who need expensive care, 10 former Blue Cross members claimed in lawsuits filed Monday.

April 17, 2008

HEALTHCARE

Anthem Blue Cross sued over rescissions

The state's largest for-profit health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, was accused Wednesday of a widespread pattern of false advertising and fraud in a $1-billion lawsuit that claims that the company's coverage "is largely illusory."

March 5, 2008

Healthcare insurance probe grows

The Los Angeles city attorney's office has expanded its probe of patient cancellations to the state's largest for-profit insurer, Blue Cross of California.

February 23, 2008

Health Net ordered to pay $9 million after canceling cancer patient's policy

One of California's largest for-profit insurers stopped a controversial practice of canceling sick policyholders Friday after a judge ordered Health Net Inc. to pay more than $9 million to a breast cancer patient it dropped in the middle of chemotherapy.

February 21, 2008

INSURANCE

L.A. sues insurer over cancellations

One of the state's largest insurers, Health Net Inc. of Woodland Hills, sold individual policies with the promise of medical coverage while engaging in a secret and illegal scheme to drop patients if they needed expensive treatment, the Los Angeles city attorney contended in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

February 12, 2008

Doctors balk at request for data

The state's largest for-profit health insurer is asking California physicians to look for conditions it can use to cancel their new patients' medical coverage.

December 30, 2007

Family rejects Blue Cross' claim

At 13, David Denney's body functions like that of a baby. Severe brain damage halted his motor development at 4 months.

November 9, 2007

Health insurer tied bonuses to dropping sick policyholders

One of the state's largest health insurers set goals and paid bonuses based in part on how many individual policyholders were dropped and how much money was saved.

August 29, 2007

Rules against health plan cancellations are delayed

Eight months after pledging to put the brakes on retroactive cancellations of individual health insurance policies, the state agency that regulates HMOs said Tuesday that new rules were taking longer than anticipated because of the variety of health plans involved.

August 8, 2007

Blue Cross undergoes exam

When an Indiana company bought Blue Cross of California in November 2003, it promised to maintain and improve the services and benefits of the state's largest health insurer.

July 11, 2007

INSURANCE

Complaints spark state hearing on Blue Cross

California has received more than 1,600 complaints from consumers, physicians and hospitals about Blue Cross of California since the state's largest health insurer was acquired by an Indiana firm in 2004, officials said Tuesday.

July 3, 2007

HEALTHCARE

Insurer cited in policy rescissions

BC Life & Health revoked 1,880 individual health insurance policies in California in 2004 and 2005, and a state agency that examined a sampling says it found that more than half the cases it reviewed were improperly handled.

May 11, 2007

The State

Blue Cross makes policy about-face

Blue Cross of California agreed Thursday to stop canceling individual health coverage unless it can show policyholder deception -- a major shift by the state's largest health insurer that could lead to sweeping industrywide changes.

May 7, 2007

INSURANCE

Halted health coverage suit may be far-reaching

A 2001 car accident that left Steven Hailey badly injured was the beginning of his continuing medical and financial calamity.

April 20, 2007

HEALTHCARE

Doctors, hospitals join Blue Cross suit

The largest organizations representing California physicians and hospitals joined a lawsuit against Blue Cross of California on Thursday, accusing the state's largest health plan of illegally and routinely refusing to pay them millions of dollars for medical care provided to enrollees whose policies were later canceled.

March 23, 2007

Blue Cross cancellations called illegal

Blue Cross of California "routinely" violated state law when it canceled individual health insurance coverage after policyholders got pregnant or sick, making no attempt to determine whether they did anything to merit such "harsh" treatment, according to a state investigation of practices that appear to be industrywide.

February 16, 2007

Blue Shield sued over revoked insurance

A college student who was dropped by Blue Shield of California after he was hospitalized sued the health plan Thursday, asking a Los Angeles judge to order it to stop canceling the policies of people who get sick and submit claims for treatment.

January 30, 2007

Health plan review may be intensified

The state's top HMO regulator said Monday that health plans should be required to get outside review before dropping a policyholder, a dramatic step up in oversight that probably would face stiff challenges from the industry.

January 3, 2007

Kaiser to push for standards on health plans

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. said Tuesday that it was working with state regulators to develop standards to protect its members from unfair cancellations of health insurance, a move that the state's largest HMO hopes could lead to industrywide reforms.

December 27, 2006

Doctors seek to sue Blue Cross

California's largest physician organization on Tuesday asked to join patients in a class-action lawsuit alleging that Blue Cross illegally dumps policyholders after authorizing expensive medical treatment and then refuses to pay the bills.

November 14, 2006

HMOs to face stricter rule

Under mounting pressure from consumer advocates, the state's HMO regulator plans to introduce a rule that would make it harder for health insurers to drop policyholders after they get sick.

October 19, 2006

Kaiser Told to Reinstate Coverage

State regulators for the first time have ordered a health plan to reinstate the insurance coverage of a patient whose policy was ruled to have been illegally canceled.

September 20, 2006

Blue Cross Moves to Quell Furor

Blue Cross of California said Tuesday that it would change some of its procedures for canceling individual health insurance policies, after allegations that it illegally dumped sick policyholders to avoid expensive claims.

May 9, 2006

Blue Cross Sued Over Claims Refusals

Five nonprofit Southern California hospitals alleged in a lawsuit Monday that Blue Cross routinely authorized surgery and other expensive treatment for its members and later refused to pay.

April 28, 2006

California and the West

Canceled Policies Prompt Lawsuits

In 13 lawsuits filed Thursday, former policyholders complained that two health plan operators systematically dumped members after receiving bills for their medical care.

March 30, 2006

Garamendi to Probe Blue Cross' Practices

California regulators said Wednesday that they would investigate accusations by 10 patients that Blue Cross has a system to retroactively cancel health coverage for members after they need expensive medical care.