Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, released the following statement Thursday regarding Covered California’s decision to reject President Barack Obama’s request that the state allow insurance companies to continue selling policies that were in effect as of Jan. 1 to their current customers in 2014:

“I am disappointed state leaders have decided to ignore the concerns of thousands of Californians and reject the opportunity to allow consumers to stay on their current health insurance plans. Giving consumers the option to stay on their health plans through 2014 would have made a huge difference to many Central Coast residents.

“While we continue to improve the Affordable Care Act, which is helping millions of Americans obtain quality health insurance for the first time, we must address the problems many people are currently facing. That is why I led a letter from 24 members of the California congressional delegation in support of allowing Californians to keep their plans and why I will continue to push for this and other commonsense solutions.”

Last week, Capps, in response to the thousands of people being dropped from their insurance, authored a letter with California Rep. Zoe Lofgren and members of the California congressional delegation to California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley and Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee urging them to adopt President Obama’s proposal quickly, giving consumers the option to renew their 2013 health plans in 2014, without change.

— C.J. Young is a press assistant for Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara.