Consumer, civil advocates to join Sen. Ted W. Lieu in announcing bill to prevent deceptive marketing in new health care programs
Los Angeles event to begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 21
LOS ANGELES – Flanked by consumer groups and community members, Sen. Ted W. Lieu of Torrance on Wednesday will outline legislation to protect the millions of Californians newly eligible for health care programs from potential fraud and deceptive marketing.
Lieu’s measure, coming on the second anniversary of the passage of the landmark federal Affordable Care Act, seeks to boost consumer confidence and trust in the health care reform by strengthening consumer protections and closing gaps in state law.
The ACA promises to provide first-ever health care coverage to millions of California residents and, Lieu said, past experience has shown that dishonest people try to take advantage of consumers’ lack of knowledge about new requirements and eligibility rules. Particularly affected are many ethnic communities and limited-English speakers who may not have had past health care coverage.
• WHO: Sen. Ted W. Lieu and co-sponsors from the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Immigrant Policy Center, Consumers Union and community members.
• WHAT: A presentation on the impact the ACA will have on millions of Californians expected to have the opportunity to obtain health care coverage, often for the first time.
• WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
• WHERE: Asian Pacific American Legal Center, 1st floor, 1145 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
• WHY: To review the potential for fraud and abuse by deceptive marketers.
VISUAL POSSIBILITIES: Charts showing the number of newly eligible residents by minority group.
ALSO ON HAND will be community members from the Korean Resource Center, Maternal and Child Health Access, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and other community organizations. They will be available to discuss the history of abuse of immigrant consumers by unscrupulous vendors and the need for this legislation. In addition, Korean and Spanish speaking community representatives will be available after the press conference for additional comments to media outlets in languages other than English.
NOTE: FREE parking will be available to media members at the Good Samaritan Hospital parking lot adjacent to the APALC building by obtaining a sticker from Anai Ibarra before leaving the press conference.
For more, visit Lieu’s Web site at the address below.
Ted W. Lieu represents nearly 1 million residents of Senate District 28, which includes the cities of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance, as well as portions of Long Beach, and the Los Angeles communities of Wilmington and San Pedro. For more, visit www.senate.ca.gov/lieu
CONTACT:
Ray Sotero, Communications Director
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Cell (916) 834-1128