The state agency that oversees HMOs says it's still not ready to issue new regulations that address insurers' practice of retroactively canceling policies. State officials had promised to come up with the new rules last spring. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
Consumer advocates say it happens all too often in California: a person files a claim with a health insurer, and their policy gets terminated.
The California Department of Managed Health Care held a public hearing on the matter in January. The agency pledged to issue new rules aimed at curbing illegal cancellations.
Bryan Liang is with San Diego's California Western School of Law.
Liang : It's a bigger problem than they thought, and I think they kind of bit off too much when they promised six months, and now they're paying for it. So I think that's why the problem is occurring, and why the regulations haven't come out.
State officials say they need more time to investigate the practices of health insurers in California. Regulators have already fined Blue Cross $1 million for illegally cancelling policies.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
