Groups join alliance to monitor CA benefits exchange

The California Medical Association and the Food & Drug Council have joined a statewide alliance of business and labor leaders, health plans, providers and patient advocates monitoring developments in the California Health Benefit Exchange. The goal is to ensure the new health insurance program for individuals and small employers will lower costs, improve quality and expand access to health care for all Californians. The Healthcare Exchange Advocacy and Responsibility Team—known as HEART —supports a state exchange that harnesses competition between insurance plans to cut costs, enables informed consumer decisions and choice between plans that offer coordinated, team-based care.