Emergency Health Insurance Regulation Issued

The California Department of Insurance issued an emergency regulation Monday intended to assure improved healthcare access to Californians. 

Commissioner Dave Jones says the regulation will require insurance companies to provide adequate numbers of doctors, clinics and hospitals to patients within a specific service areas.

"We've received complaints from consumers across the state about long waiting times, about inaccurate directories of providers, about being charged out-of-network costs when there isn't an in-network provider. The list goes on and on and on."

The regulation also requires an accurate list of in-network healthcare providers be made available to patients.

Jones says if an insurance company does not comply with the new regulations, he can deny them the ability to sell insurance next year.

At least 9,600 northern Californians live near the state line and under Covered California rules do not have coverage for routine healthcare if it is performed in another state.