Healthcare

Stem cell institute maps out strategy;

April 7, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Plan will determine how $3 billion spent</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>Taxpayer advocates agreed. "This is the most important thing they are doing right now and since the public is paying the bill, it should be hammered out in public," said John Simpson, of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Get the Pork Out of Health Insurance

March 22, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <a href="/healthcare/PigPeople"> <img src="http://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/images_ppo_anim_click.gif" border="0" hspace="3" vspace="3" width="150" height="112" align="right"/></a> </p> <p> Health insurance premiums are increasing 250% faster than hospital and...</p>

Junk Health Insurance

March 22, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> California and 41 states passed tough HMO Patients' Bill of Rights laws because Congress refused to act. Now, a President Bush-backed plan would take those protections away and allow HMOs and insurers to replace real coverage with junk policies. </p> <p>   </p>

Health Care Town Halls

March 22, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p>Patients, employers, nurses, doctors, and hospital administrators have the most significant opportunity in decades to unite and build a universal health care system for all Californians. Watch a series of statewide town hall meetings...</p>

Cal Medicare and Universal Health Care

March 18, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h2>Play a Video Game, Win Universal Health Care</h2>

Commerce Clause and Health

March 14, 2006  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Marketplace Radio Program (NPR)</p> <p>Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation stopping states from having food-warning labels that are tougher than federal standards. This Wednesday, a Senate committee will vote on a bill that allows health insurers to ignore state benefit requirements. Commentator and consumer advocate Jamie Court says more at stake here than states' rights. </p>

Commerce Clause and Health

March 14, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Marketplace Radio Program (NPR)</p> <p>Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation stopping states from having food-warning labels that are tougher than federal standards. This Wednesday, a Senate committee will vote on a bill that allows health insurers to ignore state benefit requirements. Commentator and consumer advocate Jamie Court says more at stake here than states' rights. </p>

HEALTH ACCOUNTS ON RISE;

March 12, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>BUT SAVINGS PROGRAM COULD BACKFIRE, EXPERTS SAY </h3><p class="source">The Daily News of Los Angeles</p> <p>"They (HSAs) are sold as Band-Aids, but in essence they put salt in wounds," said Jerry Flanagan, consumer advocate at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "That's why I look at HSAs as a cost-management issue that keeps people from using care."</p>

Broken contract talks not new for Blue Cross

March 4, 2006  ·  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, blamed "greedy" Blue Cross, saying the company has a history of hiding rapidly increasing profits as unneeded reserves and spending a smaller percentage of the health insurance premiums it collects on treating patients and health care than other insurers.</p>

Consumer-Driven Health Savings Accounts Prompt Divergent Opinions

February 25, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

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HSA’s: Panacea or Bad Medicine?

February 21, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Consumer-Driven Health Savings Accounts Prompt Divergent Opinions</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Business Journal</p>

State’s stem cell institute adopts 2 ethics policies

February 11, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Diego Union Tribune</p> <p>"The devil is in the details; that's why people's eyes glaze over when they hear the term intellectual property," said John Simpson, a spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "This is really about who has access to cures. Ultimately, these rules could determine whether a person can afford cures or not."</p>