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The Healthcare Transparency Bill that has Big Insurance Reeling

There is a crisis in the healthcare industry harming workers and their bosses. Premiums for employer health insurance plans have risen 185% since 2002, more than five times the increase in the state’s overall inflation. As a result we’re seeing many workers giving up raises to pay for health care while also paying more and more out-of-pocket. Discussions about raising wages at the bargaining table are getting shelved as even more cash goes to the pockets of giant corporate health plans. These skyrocketing healthcare premiums and costs are clearly taking a toll on workers and employers.

This situation is not sustainable. Health care will never be accessible if it’s not affordable.

SB 546 (Leno) helps to address the problem by bringing more transparency to how health plans set the rates they charge us. It requires health plans to provide public information on their rates, products and other data so that we can better negotiate and identify how to contain costs. It also requires an annual public meeting for workers to voice how high health care prices hurt them and their families.

This bill would protect workers and employers from health coverage rate increase by bringing more transparency to how health plans set rates. It’s a no brainer.

But as you can imagine, the CEOs who continue to benefit from the status quo are throwing their political might behind killing this bill. We have to stand together and fight back today. Take a minute to send a letter to your Assemblymember and urge them to vote YES on SB 546.

Send a message today to protect workers from skyrocketing health care costs! Click here to write your Assemblymember today: laborfed.ca/1JPCrOL