California Insurance Quality Ratings Dropped From Consumer Material

California state officials have abandoned plans to post star quality ratings for health plans in the state's online health exchange enrollment system, Covered California, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

Covered California said that the reversal is because quality data dates back to 2011 and doesn’t cover new provider networks offering coverage for the first time.

Consumer groups and some insurance companies, such as Kaiser Permanente, say that that the lack of quality information could leave consumers at an informational disadvantage in the exchanges, according to the report.

Covered California's board will meet Aug. 22, at which time critics will ask the organization to reconsider its decision on quality rankings. 

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