Health Insurance

Patient advocates called on state regulators Tuesday to force health insurers to cover certain autism treatments. Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica sent a letter to Cindy Ehnes, executive director of the state Department of Managed Health Care, and her boss, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, expressing concern about delays in resolving coverage complaints from parents of autistic children. The parents say insurers are refusing to cover needed behavioral therapy for their children.

Prescription prices are putting the bite on household budgets. The recession is amplifying the pain as workers lose health coverage and employers cut back on drug benefits. More Americans are being forced to choose between buying food and buying medicine. Still, there are plenty of ways to save money if you're willing to expend some effort. You'll need to be honest about your finances.

An Obama administration proposal to bill veterans' private insurance companies for combat-related injuries has prompted veterans groups to condemn the plan as unethical, and powerful lawmakers on Capitol Hill have promised to oppose it. Nevertheless, the White House confirmed Tuesday that the idea remained under consideration, and a meeting to discuss it further is scheduled for Thursday between Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and leaders of veterans groups.

As the federal stimulus package pumps billions of dollars into construction projects, a new study released this week found that construction workers in California, more than any other profession in the state, remain chronically uninsured when it comes to healthcare. The snapshot, taken at a time when the construction industry was in full swing, found that even then more than a quarter of construction workers lacked insurance for an entire year.

The country's leading health insurers Tuesday offered to end their long-standing practice of charging sick customers higher premiums, a significant concession in the face of mounting criticism of the industry in Washington. The offer from America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Assn., whose member companies cover more than 200 million people, comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill debate a proposal to create a government-run insurance program.

Faced with mounting budget deficits and the enormous cost of overhauling the nation's healthcare system, Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are expressing increasing openness to an idea that once seemed unthinkable: putting taxes on some healthcare benefits. The idea of taxing medical insurance benefits has long worried many lawmakers, who are concerned that new taxes could jeopardize the employer-based health system most Americans rely on.

Those looking for good news last week were not drawn to the subject of healthcare. The Los Angeles County public health system reported that it was facing enormous budget deficits that are expected to balloon to $1.2 billion annually by 2011. Additional reporting in The Times showed that patients, having lost health insurance or under other financial threat, are putting off doctor visits meant to keep medical conditions from spiraling out of control.

Civilian workers who suffered devastating injuries while supporting the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan have come home to a grinding battle for basic medical care, artificial limbs, psychological counseling and other services. The insurance companies responsible for their treatment under taxpayer-funded policies have routinely denied the most serious medical claims.

A senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wants his panel to investigate whether insurance giant American International Group Inc. and other providers have unnecessarily denied and delayed costly medical treatment for civilian contractors injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) also called for an investigation into the Labor Department's role in overseeing the federally financed insurance system for civilians working overseas.

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday launched an effort to provide health insurance for about 5,000 low-income workers at Los Angeles International Airport by increasing the hourly wage required under the city's "living-wage" ordinance. In a unanimous vote, the council directed the city attorney to draft a revision for the law that could boost the hourly wage of airport workers from $11.25 to between $13 and $14.