CA Secretary of State - Vote96 - Rebuttal to Argument Against Proposition 214

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Rebuttal to Argument Against Proposition 214

Arguments on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.

Let's be clear. Who opposes 214? The California Association of HMOs and the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies. HMOs and insurers plan to spend millions of your insurance premium dollars to defeat 214.

The opponents call 214's patient protections ''bogus". Read Proposition 214. Then ask yourself, are its protections ''bogus" or are they genuine protections patients need?

Is it ''bogus" to protect freedom of speech between patients and doctors?

Is it ''bogus" to make sure medical decisions are made by patients and doctors, not by HMO and insurance company bureaucrats?

Is it ''bogus" to prevent HMOs and insurers from using gag rules, intimidation, or financial incentives to discourage doctors from providing needed care?

Is it ''bogus" to require HMOs and insurers to tell consumers if their insurance premiums are being spent on actual patient care or bureaucratic overhead and executive salaries?

Opponents make wildly exaggerated claims about costs, based on an ''economic study" paid for by their own campaign. An independent analysis states that 214's patient protections would increase overall costs by less than 1%.

Opponents try to confuse 214 with Proposition 216. But Propositions 214 and 216 are NOT ''two peas in a pod:"

214 is a simple, effective measure that relies on existing agencies to implement its patient protections, minimizing enforcement costs. 214 CONTAINS NO NEW TAXES.
216 lacks some of 214's key patient protections and 216 includes billions of dollars in new taxes.

Please, help protect patient rights. VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 214.

ROBYN WAGNER HOLTZ
President, Orange County Chapter,
THE Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

W. E. (GENE) GIBERSON
President, Alzheimers Association, California Council

JONATHAN SHESTACK
Vice President, Cure Autism Now

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