There were some tough questions at the Capitol Monday over Governor Bobby Jindal’s plan to cut spending. Governor Jindal says he believes a private industry should run the state’s health insurance arm.

Since 1988, the California insurance commissioner has had the authority to conduct an independent review of every rate increase sought by auto and property-casualty insurance companies and determine whether the proposed rate is justified.

The California Assembly Health Committee held a hearing today on proposed legislation that would allow the state to regulate health insurance rates before the bill passed out of committee with 12 votes. AB52, authored by Michael Feuer, D-Los Angeles, would let regulators reject proposed rate increases deemed excessive or unfairly discriminatory.

(AP:COLUMBIA, S.C.) South Carolina public employees who shape up could get a break in their health insurance premiums under an idea given tentative approval Tuesday.

Most people would agree that donating an organ to someone in need is a selfless act. There’s no medical upside in giving up one of your kidneys or part of your liver, lung or pancreas. It’s a risk people take so that someone else — often but not always a loved one in desperate need — may live a better, longer life.

Manson Insurance’s former CEO has pled guilty to federal fraud charges.

David Scholfield admitted that he drafted $3.7 million in financial notes for customers who didn’t ask for them, forged customers’ signatures, then sold the notes to River Valley Bank. The bank lost nearly $2 million, according to court documents.

The Oklahoma House approved a bill on Wednesday that prohibits health insurance companies from offering coverage of elective abortions in standard policies sold in the state.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are behind an idea that would look into using a sales tax to fund universal healthcare in Oregon.

Democrats took pains to describe the concept as a single-funding proposal rather than a single-payer initiative because it would maintain commercial health insurers similar to managed care organizations operating under a global budget.

Americans’ frustrations are increasing. While we were promised that the cost of health care would soon stop its upward trajectory, we have yet to see any evidence of anything of the sort. My individual premium is going up every year while my co-pays go up.

Building on the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts to control rising health care costs, Governor Deval Patrick and members of his Administration today led a forum to discuss the cost challenges facing Massachusetts and the initiatives already underway to help address these issues.