Enables a personal injury lawyer to inflate the amount of non-economic damages in a lawsuit by using base medical costs a hospital's full retail rate instead of the medical rate actually charged by the health care provider and reimbursed by Medi-CAL. The bill allows a plaintiff's lawyer to reduce the amount that a health care provider may ultimately receive by authorizing the lawyer to allocate what portion of an overall settlement is to be subject to the medical lien.

• SB 494: Bill Text (08/25/04) 
• SB 494: Governor Vetos (09/21/04) 
• SB 494: Veto Letter to Governor (09/01/04) 

Sponsored by the California Medical Association, provides that an aggrieved physician may bring a civil action against a health care service plan that violates almost any provision of the Knox-Keene Act relating to claims processing or payment. The physician may recover contract damages, statutory interest, penalties, and injuctive relief.

• SB 1569: Bill Text (08/26/04) 
• SB 1569: Governor Vetos (09/21/04) 
• SB 1569: Veto Letter to Governor (09/01/04)