HEALTH CARE

Insurance Industry Group Opens Ballot Measure Debate: An industry group opposed to two upcoming ballot measures that would tighten regulation of HMOs contended that they would cost California between 27,000 and 60,000 jobs and lead to sharply higher medical insurance premiums. The business-insurance group, which has dubbed itself Taxpayers Against Higher Health Costs, said the two ballot initiatives would raise medical premiums as much as 14.5% and cost California employers between $1.3 billion and $2.7 billion in 1997. Backers of the initiatives denounced the study as flawed. “It’s the same old story of the powerful HMOs and insurance companies trying to distract voters . . . with a phony study concocted by industry hacks and pseudo economists,” said Harvey Rosenfield, an author of Proposition 216.