Assembly Panel Put New Mandates on Hold

Jamie Court virtually accused the Assembly Health Committee of selling out to the insurance industry by refusing to pass a number of legislative proposals mandating new health benefits for health plan enrollees (Commentary, May 8). His accusation is both insulting to committee members and lacking in any understanding of the needs of working families.

What the committee recognized is that rising health-care costs are threatening the ability of many employers and individuals to afford insurance, and that the greatest public need right now is not new benefits but the ability to afford the benefits already in place. At a time when the economy is unsteady, when approximately 7 million Californians are without any insurance at all, when the state deficit is approaching $25 billion and when premium increases are already substantial, it is clear that the committee took a responsible step.

Walter A. Zelman

President, California Assn.

of Health Plans, Sacramento