Congressman Lowenthal's emailed reply follows in full:

[Congressman Lowenthal email text] The Edie Littlefield Sundby case highlights the fact that some insurance companies are trying to get around the Affordable Care Act by cancelling policies and raising rates. Momentum has already started in California to mitigate that issue. Other states should follow suit by empowering their insurance commissioners to address the issue, too.

I support the initiative that California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has been advocating for, the "Health Insurance Rate Justification and Accountability Act." The Act requires health insurance rate changes to be approved by the Insurance Commissioner. The Act also includes stronger consumer protections for those who are buying new policies either inside or outside of the health insurance marketplace.

Here in Congress, I have cosponsored a similar piece of legislation, the Health Insurance Rate Review Act. If passed, it will empower the Secretary of Health and Human Services and state insurance commissioners to review unreasonable premium increases and take corrective actions as needed.

Losing insurance coverage is a terrible place to be, and I believe that the role of the state and state insurance commissioners is absolutely critical in finding a solution for Californians who share a similar set of circumstances.

In February 2013, Ms. Littlefield Sundby put up a Facebook page, documenting a 793 mile walk she undertook along the old El Camino Real mission trail from San Diego to Sonoma - 55 days, avg. 14 ½ miles a day "to celebrate life and God's Grace." It's at www.facebook.com/EdiesMissionWalk.