Proposition 45: The dollars speak to the issue

Editor, Index-Tribune:

We have been Kaiser Health Plan members for over 30 years. We are pleased with their healthcare, but extremely displeased with their premium increases. Letters to the company and CEO proved futile. We‘ve “downsized” the plan several times to make it “more affordable” with higher co-pays and deductibles, finally taking the most minimum plan offered.

From 2003 through 2013, premiums rose an average of over 11 percent every single year! This is unlike most anything else in our economy.

Then, in 2014, Kaiser’s premium went up 107 percent, over double, as they discontinued and then replaced our policy with even less usable coverage and more co-pay! Their answer to my concern, “You need to check with Covered California.”

The problem at hand is, unlike the 36 states whose insurance commissioners have the authority to find legitimate need to justify and approve rate increases, California’s insurance commissioner currently has no authority to control rates. He needs it!

We, the people, elect the Insurance Commissioner, and the people started a “grass roots” initiative to put Proposition 45 on the ballot. Additionally for the record, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones does not accept special interest contributions from insurance companies, their boards, employees, or insurance brokers or agents.

Why will Proposition 45 work when passed? Consider this: California’s auto and home insurance rates have been under the “approval” requirement of our Insurance Commissioner since Californian’s passed proposition 103.

So, out of curiosity, I looked through my files and found an old auto premium notice from 2003 and compared it to my latest one in 2014. Although the dollar amount changes slightly for every six-month period (both up and down), the same company, identical coverage, is currently just over 30 percent less now than it was in 2003.

Finally, Kaiser Permanente alone has made political contributions of over $14 million to help defeat this measure, along with Wellpoint ($12.5 million), Blue Shield ($9.5 million), Healthnet ($4.9 million) and more.

Using our insurance premiums to make expenditures like this instead of on healthcare is just one additional reason why we need to vote yes on Proposition 45!

Gary Germano

Sonoma