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Publication Date: March 2004
Publisher: California HealthCare Foundation
Author(s): Dana P. Goldman; Abby Alpert; Neeraj Sood; Mary E. Vaiana
Research Area: Health
Type: Brief
Coverage: California
Abstract:
In response to several years of double-digit health insurance premium inflation, California Senate Bill 26 (SB 26) was introduced in 2003 to curtail insurance premium growth. Although SB 26 did not become law, the idea of premium regulation will likely persist as health care costs and premiums continue to rise. This issue brief evaluates why health insurance premiums are rising and examines the potential long-term consequences of regulating premium costs, using examples from other insurance products such as automobile coverage and workers compensation. The findings underscore that if health care costs continue to rise while premiums are frozen, stringent rate regulation could lead to undesired consequences.