4 out of 5 CA Voters Demand Health Insurer "Code of Co...( AfPA; HAAF Urge State Leaders to Supp...),Health

AfPA; HAAF Urge State Leaders to Support Principles to Govern Health Insurer Behavior

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly nine out of ten voters (88%) believe that health insurance companies have too much influence over how doctors care for their patients and four out of five (80%) voters support the concept of a "Health Insurer Code of Conduct" that would provide a series of guiding principles for health insurance companies with respect to how they deal with patients, doctors, and businesses. These were among the key findings in a survey of 606 registered voters in California released today by the Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA) and Healthy African-American Families (HAAF).

"California voters think the state of healthcare in California is bad and getting worse," said Dr. Jack Schim, Chairman of the California Alliance for Patient Access. "This survey tells us that Californians demand the health insurance industry keep financial concerns from affecting decisions about patient care. That's why they, like the AfPA, support a Health Insurer Code of Conduct."

AfPA and HAAF also released a joint letter they sent to all California Legislators, statewide officeholders, and candidates for statewide office, urging them to join Californians in publicly supporting a California Health Insurer Code of Conduct.

"President Obama and others are in the middle of a National Health Care debate," said Loretta Jones, Executive Director of the Los Angeles-based Healthy African-American Families. "But what often gets lost in the debate is the role of health insurers in making a bad situation that much worse. Health insurance bureaucrats, red tape, denial of care, rescissions, and price-gouging are among the reasons 93 percent of voters are deeply concerned about the rising costs of health care and why nearly a third put off doctor visits or skip medication to save money."