Healthcare

Health plan shield proposed;

October 24, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>State agencies lay out regulations to halt cancellation of policies retroactively.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>But one group criticized the proposal, saying the plan falls short of protecting consumers. "The rules will result in more litigation because patients will be forced to go to court when regulators fail to prevent illegal cancellations of coverage," Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said in a statement.</p>

WellPoint Doctors To Get Zagat Ratings

October 22, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> While customer satisfaction is a factor in picking a doctor, some consumer advocates say it falls short. "The fact that a doctor might have a friendly administrator at the front desk is meaningless if they have a high medical-error rate," says Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights. </p>

State HMOs treaded water in improving care, study says

October 19, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>One consumer group criticized the report, calling it shallow and incomplete. Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said the $500,000 report -- funded by state assessments collected from HMOs -- omits information about costs, specific consumer complaints and regulatory action against health plans. "The information in these things are vague. They provide no real help to consumers," Flanagan said. "They have gone out of their way to leave out the worst practices."</p>

State report card: HMOs need to help more with diabetes, obesity

October 19, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, health advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, was astounded that the report card made no mention of recent problems involving health plans. Several insurers, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, have come under fire for retroactively revoking coverage after patients made claims. Kaiser's Northern California kidney transplant program was dismantled for patient safety concerns, and the HMO was hit this summer with a state fine for mishandling complaints. "It's easy to get a good grade when the teachers aren't looking at your bad behavior," he said.</p>

HMOs rate poorly on prevention;

October 19, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Many Californians in the plans are not getting adequate screening to detect diseases such as cancer, state report says.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, a patient advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the report let health plans off too easily by failing to take them to task for what he called their "worst behavior." For instance, he said, the report didn't make note of the cancellation of sick patients' coverage, for which Blue Cross and Kaiser have been sanctioned, or the troubled kidney transplant program at Kaiser. "This vague and incomplete analysis gives consumers a false sense of security about the quality of HMOs," Flanagan said.</p>

Job of Núñez’s wife at issue;

October 16, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Link to hospitals with stake in health reform criticized.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said bankrolling a job for the wife of a legislative leader can do more for a special interest than a campaign contribution would. "This is lifestyle protection," he said. "It's a way to provide personal financial benefits to a politician whose votes you depend on."</p>

Gov tweaks health reform plan to ease cost to business, doctors

October 9, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Business Journal (California)</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights immediately blasted the bill for shoving the cost of healthcare onto workers and individuals while greatly reducing an employer's share and rewarding insurance companies.</p>

CIRM’s search for a president goes on;

September 13, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>California's stem-cell institute may be hunting big fish for a small tank</h3><p class="source">Nature Journal (nature.com)</p> <p>And then there's the issue of how the institute is led. "Proposition 71 [the legislation that led to CIRM] creates a two-headed monster where it's not clear who's really in charge," says John Simpson, stem-cell project director for the California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumers Rights, who describes himself as a constructive critic of the agency.</p>

Hospitals won’t be repaid for mistakes;

August 26, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>New Medicare rules too harsh, some say</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>"This is clearly a carrot-and-stick approach to make sure hospitals either get rewarded or get dinged when they have negative outcomes," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Blue Cross cuts could mean less doctor time for patients

August 13, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">North County Times (San Diego, CA)</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, health care policy director with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, testified that Blue Cross had shipped $6.5 billion out of the state between 2004 and 2006. Flanagan said that Blue Cross had been hiding other payments by shipping them to sister companies under the guise of doing work for Blue Cross. "I've sent them my analysis," Flanagan said. "They just don't want to talk about it."</p>

Blue Cross Undergoes Examination

August 8, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The health plan comes under fire during a state regulatory hearing. The company says members are well served.</h3> <p> The Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights said it conducted an analysis of money Blue Cross has sent out of state to WellPoint and its affiliated companies since the acquisition, and the latest dividend was only the tip of the iceberg. The Santa Monica-based group, a frequent critic of the insurance industry, urged regulators to investigate as much as $6.5 billion in transfers from Blue Cross to WellPoint and its affiliates out of state. </p>

Critics rip Blue Cross at hearing;

August 8, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3> Insurer criticized for rates, sending funds out of state</h3><p class="source">Ventura County Star (California)</p> <p>The panel also was criticized for allowing Blue Cross President Brian Sassi to speak before the public did. Drawing applause, Jerry Flanagan, a patient advocate with the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights, said Blue Cross should hear and respond to everyone, not just the department. "When you have a public meeting," he said, "it's important that the public speaks first."</p>