Health Plan Rate Filings to Be Emailed to California Enrollees

In another effort to convince insurance companies not to impose premium increases lightly, Californians may now be notified by e-mail whenever their plan proposes a commercial plan rate hike.

"We want as many people as possible scouring these rate filings to ensure they are mistake-free," state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said in a statement. "The e-mail notification tool will expand access to these documents by informing the public of when there are new filings to peruse.

"This additional analysis, in conjunction with scrutiny by the Department of Insurance's in-house actuaries and independent actuaries retained by the Department, will help ensure that consumers are protected and insurers are spending 70% of premiums on medical benefits, as required by law."

California is the only state in the nation which posts health insurance rate filings for the individual market on its website.

The consumer notification program comes after the Anthem Blue Cross attempt in April to raise premiums by 39%, an effort that came under fire, especially after an actuarial audit discovered the plan had made substantial errors in math.