News Releases

First-in-Nation Bill To End Secrecy Around Doctor Sexual Assault and Other Patient Harm Passes CA Legislature

August 31, 2018  ·  Carmen Balber

Sacramento, CA – California would be the first state in the nation to mandate doctors tell their patients when they are disciplined for sexual assault or...

Hall of Famers RoseAnn DeMoro and Tammy Smick Join Consumer Watchdog’s Board of Directors

August 21, 2018  ·  Jamie Court

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two of America’s most effective advocates for better healthcare, patient rights and social justice, RoseAnn DeMoro and Tammy Smick, have joined...

CURES Database Will Be Vital in Preventing Opioid Deaths but Faces Powerful Special Interest Opposition

May 1, 2018  ·  Carmen Balber

Every doctor in California will soon be required to use the most powerful tool we have to identify and prevent opioid abuse: the state prescription...

​​​​​​​Lawmakers Vote to Lift Veil of Secrecy About Physician Sexual Assault & Other Doctor Misconduct Causing Patient Harm

April 24, 2018  ·  Carmen Balber

Sacramento, CA — Doctors on probation for sexually assaulting their patients and for other serious misconduct causing patient harm would be required to disclose this...

Atty Gen Falls Behind In Prioritizing Opioid Tracking Tool

February 6, 2018  ·  Carmen Balber

Santa Monica, CA — The California Department of Justice told the legislature today that it will delay implementation of a key technological tool for stemming...

Can Amazon, Chase and Berkshire Fix American Health Care?

January 30, 2018  ·  Jamie Court

My dry cleaner assaulted me last weekend furious about a thirty percent increase in his health insurance premiums.  Yesterday, a California Anthem policyholder, Josh Libresco, emailed me...

Trump’s Health Plan Order Could Bring Back Days of Junk Insurance

October 12, 2017  ·  Jamie Court

Santa Monica, CA — The White House’s executive order today seeking to allow for more “Association Health Plans” could turn the clock back to days...

Outrageous 35% Anthem Rate Hike Could Have Been Prevented

September 26, 2017  ·  Liza Tucker

Santa Monica, CA—Anthem is raising rates on 135,000 California consumers who buy individual polices 35 percent because California is one of the few states without...

TGIF in America Again?

September 25, 2017  ·  Jamie Court

Sharing the midday, San Francisco sunlight with Bernie Sanders Friday, I had a rare feeling these days, that everything is going to be all right....

Single Payer Takes A Step Forward

April 28, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Health Committee voted decisively to move S.B. 562 to the floor of the Senate. The Healthy California Act would establish...

Bill to Reverse Opioid Overdose Epidemic Moves Forward in California Assembly

June 14, 2016  ·  Carmen Balber

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-20867" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/images_cures.jpg" style="width: 160px; height: 106px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="160" height="106" />Sacramento, CA – A California Assembly committee approved a bill today to begin reversing the opioid overdose epidemic and save lives. More people are lost in California to drug overdoses than any other state, and many of those family members testified to their loss today.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Campaign: California Nurses Rally Against Kaiser’s $21.7 Billion In Excess Reserve And Endorse Health Insurance Rate Regulation Initiative To Return Billions Of Dollars To Patients

May 6, 2014  ·  Jamie Court

At a rally and press conference today, Kaiser nurses and consumer advocates exposed the fact that Kaiser Permanente has accumulated a reserve that is $21.7 billion – 1626 percent