Support for Lindalee’s Law (AB 1770) Grows As Bill Heads to Senate Floor
AB 1770 Protects Patients Forced Into Healthcare Arbitration After HMOs Make Serious Errors; Supporters Include Public Health and Consumer Advocates, Labor, and Community Organizations
Sacramento – The Patient Equity Coalition today unveiled a growing list of supporters in the fight to pass Lindalee’s Law (AB 1770) authored by Assemblymember Robert Garcia (D-Rancho Cucamonga). AB 1770 protects patients forced into healthcare arbitration after a doctor or HMO makes a serious error. The bill will next be heard on the Senate floor.
“The wide group of supporters that Lindalee’s Law has generated is a testament that this is a fight worth having and it gives us wind at our backs as we advocate for the bill in the state Senate,” said Steve Martinez of the Patient Equity Coalition. “If Lindalee were alive today, I know she would be touched by the support from around California that this bill has attracted. Lindalee and I didn’t have an advocate in our corner when we were forced into a horrible arbitration process and AB 1770 would change that for future patients and healthcare consumers.”
Currently, health consumers who have disputes with large health care plans are forced into an arbitration system where arbitrators are often financially dependent on repeat business from the very health care plans they are meant to be impartially judging. This tilts the scales in favor of the private health plans. Families who have experienced medical harm often endure multi-year delays and unethical tactics with no real advocate to turn to.
Lindalee’s Law (AB 1770) mandates that the Attorney General oversee health care service plans to ensure the comply with the California Arbitration Act and requires that all arbitration claims be conducted pursuant to the code of Civil Procedure, which closes loopholes that allow plans to bypass standard safeguards. By empowering the DOJ, the bill specifically targets financial bias and unethical practices to restore neutrality in the medical arbitration process.
The list of supporters for AB 1770 includes:
AARP California
Alameda County Democratic Party
Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy, and Leadership
Asian Perinatal Advocate Family Support ServicesConsumer Attorneys of California
Black Women for Wellness
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform
California Alliance
California Federation of Teachers
California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association
California Low-Income Consumer Coalition
California Women’s Law Center
Communications Workers of America, District 9
Consumer Attorneys of California
Consumer Watchdog
Courage Campaign California
Friends Committee on Legislation of California
Healthy Black Families Inc.
Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Inland Empire Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Khmer Girls In Action
Multicultural Institute
Prevention Institute
Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
Social Justice Learning Institute
AB 1770 cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee and will next head to the Senate floor.
For more information on Lindalee’s Law: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1770
# # #
For more information on the Patient Equity Coalition visit: https://www.patientequitycoalition.org
