In the News

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A state lawmaker on Wednesday unveiled plans to help protect unwitting Californians with poor English skills from being taken advantage of when buying health insurance for the first time.

KNX 1070′s John Brooks reports 7 million Californians will soon have health insurance thanks to “ObamaCare” — unless the crooks get to them first.

The Affordable Care Act will make an estimated 32 percent of previously-ineligible Californians now eligible for insurance subsidies, many of whom speak English poorly or not at all.

By Art Marroquin

South Bay state Sen. Ted Lieu on Wednesday introduced a measure aimed at protecting consumers from deceptive marketing practices related to the health care industry.

The move comes as California prepares to implement the federal Affordable Care Act, which allows legal immigrants to apply for subsidies to purchase health insurance benefits.

Lieu's Senate Bill 1313 would prohibit health insurance companies from misrepresenting the requirements of ACA.

As consumer advocates celebrate the early benefits of the federal healthcare law near its two-year anniversary, they are also warning about the need to crack down on the potential for deceptive marketing related to reform.

State Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) said he is seeking legislation to strengthen consumer protections on health plan marketing and to close gaps that exist in state law on the review of marketing materials.

A couple of months ago, it looked as if the California State University trustees' remedial lessons in public relations were paying off. Now, it's obvious they still don't get it.

Responding to the outcry over the San Diego State president's huge raise, the public university system's board of trustees approved a policy in January that limits executives' base pay to 10 percent more than their predecessors' salaries.