Insurance

Santa Monica: Councilman Requests Disclosure of Financial Contributions to Lawmakers from Entities Seeking Public Benefits

January 13, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="content"> Responding to a recent outcry over the perception that developers who help finance city lawmakers have an inside track to having their projects approved, Santa Monica City Councilman Kevin McKeown recently asked for the consideration of a policy that will make public any campaign contributions by anyone who wishes to build in the city.<br /> <br /> McKeown's request came at the Jan. 11 council meeting, where a number of neighborhood and public interest groups also backed his policy recommendation. The motion was rejected by a 4-2 vote.</p>

Allstate Withdraws ‘Deceptive’ Auto Insurance from California

January 12, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Allstate Insurance agreed to stop selling its Your Choice Auto (YCA) insurance program in California after Consumer Watchdog said the insurance was “deceptive and overpriced,” according to the nonprofit.<br /> <br /> Allstate won’t issue new YCA policies and will phase out the 150,000 existing policies in California by November 2011, the nonprofit reported. The company will continue selling YCA policies in other states, according to Consumer Watchdog.<br /> <br />

Allstate Halts California Your Choice Auto Sales After Consumer Complaints

January 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Allstate Corp., the largest publicly traded U.S. home and auto insurer, halted sales of its Your Choice Auto product in California after a consumer group said drivers were cheated.</p> <p> Allstate will no longer issue new Your Choice Auto policies in the state and will phase out the coverage by November, according to a statement yesterday from the Consumer Watchdog group. Northbrook, Illinois-based Allstate agreed to the wind- down under a deal with the group and the state regulator.</p>

Insurance Chief Jones Urges Blue Shield to Delay Big Rate Hike

January 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Only days into the job, state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones faced off with the health insurance industry Thursday, calling on Blue Shield of California to delay plans to raise premiums by as much as 59 percent on nearly 200,000 Californians who buy health coverage on their own.</p> <div class="lingo_region entry-content" id="articlebody"> <p> Jones, a Sacramento Democrat who was sworn in Monday, also renewed his push to give his agency the authority to reject "excessive rate increases."</p>

Blue Shield Urged to Hold Off on Rate Increases

January 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> State health regulators called on Blue Shield of California on Thursday to hold off raising its health insurance premiums for 60 days to thousands of individual policyholders, some of whom were hit with hikes as high as 59 percent.</p>

Health insurance Rates Soar in California

January 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> While the House of Representatives is moving towards repealing the national healthcare reform law passed last year, residents of the nation's largest state are facing another round of health insurance rate hikes.</p> <p> Blue Shield of California, which raised rates twice in the last quarter of 2010, plans another rate hike for March 1, 2011 for its 193,000 policyholders. The increases would average between 30 and 35 percent, and the three rate hikes in six months mean an increase in the cost of health insurance by as much as 59 percent.</p>

Calif. Officials Seek Control Over Insurance Premiums

January 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132743606/california-officials-seek-control-over-insurance-premiums">Click here</a> to listen to the audio clip of this broadcast.</p>

Californians Brace for 59% Premium Hike

January 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> One of California's largest health insurers - Blue Shield - announced plans to hike its premiums by as much as 59%.<br /> <br /> The jacked up premium rates are set to take effect on March 1, pending review from state insurance regulators. The move impacts 193,000 individual Blue Shield policy holders.<br /> <br />

Calif. Blue Shield Seeks Another Round Of Rate Hikes

January 6, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <img alt="(AP/FILE)" class="attachment-single wp-post-image" height="315" src="http://cbsla.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/760500.jpg?w=420" title="Nurses And Hospital Workers In Emergency Room" width="420" /></p> <div class="wp-caption"> <p> (AP/FILE)</p> </div> <div class="reporting"> <p>  </p> </div> <p> <strong>LOS ANGELES (AP) —</strong> Blue Shield of California is seeking another round of rate hikes that would mean a cumulative increase averaging over 30 percent over a five-month span for nearly 200,000 policy holders, reports Wednesday said.</p>

Fed, Calif Officials Vow to Fight Blue Shield Hike

January 6, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> LOS ANGELES (AP) -- U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones are vowing to push back against massive health insurance rate hikes proposed by Blue Shield of California.</p> <p> <span id="articlebody">Blue Shield has implemented two rate hikes since Oct. 1 and plans another for March 1. Some policyholders would pay 59 percent more in premiums cumulatively over the three increases.</span></p>

Dave Jones Sworn In As California Insurance Commissioner

January 4, 2011  ·  Doug Heller

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-1910" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/images_jones_inaug.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 188px;" width="640" height="480" />After a $5 million campaign by insurance companies to defeat him, Dave Jones has been sworn in as California's fourth elected Insurance Commissioner.  I was at the inauguration in Sacramento and these are my notes...<br /> <br /> Interestingly, if not surprisingly, the insurance industry that spent all that money attacking Jones is here in full force. (Well, it's an open event...)<br /> <br />

BP Spill Claims: Secrecy Raises New Suspicion

January 4, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

<p> <a href="http://www.oilwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Cantfeedmyfamilysign.png" rel="lightbox" title="BP Spill Claims: Secrecy Raises New Suspicion"><img alt="BP Spill Claims: Secrecy Raises New Suspicion" class="right" src="http://www.oilwatchdog.org/wp-content/themes/freshnews/thumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Cantfeedmyfamilysign.png&w=300&h=214&zc=1&q=90" style="width: 300px; height: 214px; " /></a></p>