CALIFORNIA: The Accountability and Administrative Review Committee chaired by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre is holding a hearing this week to examine the activities of the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance. The hearing will focus on how each handled issues surrounding the rescission of policies in the individual market, including settlements reached with health plans. No health plans or insurers were asked to testify, since the hearing is intended to focus solely on the actions of the regulators. Assemblyman De La Torre is running for state Insurance Commissioner, and he is expected to criticize the two regulatory agencies for being soft on health plans and insurers that have rescinded policies in the state. While Aetna has had few rescissions in California, we will monitor the hearing and keep interested parties informed of any downstream impact the hearing may have.