Yesenia Amaro

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing The Aliera Companies that offered sham health insurance plans and collected millions of dollars from Californians only to leave consumers with mounting debt after declining to cover their medical costs.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert warning state residents about “sham health insurance plans offered by some healthcare sharing ministries,” following complaints received by his office.

A California couple said they were saddled with thousands of dollars in medical expenses when Aliera Healthcare Inc. misled them into purchasing what one attorney described as “fake insurance plans.”

The California Department of Insurance has ordered health care cost sharing ministry Aliera Healthcare, Inc. and its subsidiary to stop doing business in the state, after consumer complaints of claim delays and denials of care.

Officials are hopeful funding will continue for an innovative treatment program as the state tackles the opioid crisis.

Thousands of Californians have turned to health care cost-sharing ministries to meet their medical needs, but experts warn they are not a replacement for comprehensive insurance 

Ineligible for Medi-Cal but unable to afford private insurance, Judit Garcia has made lifestyle changes to manage prediabetes. But it's no substitute for ongoing medical care. 

Sylvia Valenzuela was in bed and violently ill during the middle of a difficult pregnancy when she was told by Medi-Cal that it was dropping her coverage. Months later, she got a call from the agency saying it had made a mistake.

Infant mortality rates remain stubbornly high for Native Americans despite federal programs created specifically to provide health services to the indigenous population.