Media Coverage
Source: Law360
Media Coverage
03.18.13
Allen Briskin, counsel in Pillsbury’s health care practice in San Francisco, was quoted in an article examining how the federal government’s demand for information on every premium increase will affect health insurance companies.
Briskin said the disclosure helps set the stage for a “public dialogue to take place about rate increases.” It underscores the belief “that disclosure will really help people” and that “people will be empowered.”
While he agreed that greater awareness of premium increases will put pressure on insurers, Briskin argued that consumer frustration has its limits. “We all complain about energy costs, but that doesn’t force costs back down.”
Discussing the creation of a standardized form insurers would have to file, Briskin said the form has win-win potential for all parties, helping consumers avoid “inconsistent terms” that arise when insurers use different submissions, giving regulators a uniform set of information and perhaps even easing administrative headaches for insurance firms.
“If anything, you could argue that this could simplify the process, not by reducing the amount of information an insurer has to provide, but by reducing the number of data sets that insurers have to provide,” he added.