Insurance

Insurance Chief Jones Urges Blue Shield to Delay Big Rate Hike

January 7, 2011 · Mark Reback

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. <div class="lingo_region entry-content" id="articlebody"> Jones, a Sacramento Democrat who was sworn in Monday, also renewed his push to give his agency the authority to reject "excessive rate increases."

Fed, Calif Officials Vow to Fight Blue Shield Hike

January 6, 2011 · Mark Reback

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. 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.

Calif. Blue Shield Seeks Another Round Of Rate Hikes

January 6, 2011 · Mark Reback

<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" /> <div class="wp-caption"> (AP/FILE) </div> <div class="reporting"> </div> LOS ANGELES (AP) — 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.

Dave Jones Sworn In As California Insurance Commissioner

January 4, 2011 · Doug Heller

<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... 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...)

BP Spill Claims: Secrecy Raises New Suspicion

January 4, 2011 · Judy Dugan

Mercury Auto Insurance Cuts Insurance Premium Hike After Challenge

December 31, 2010 · Mark Reback

Former Google Lobbyist Resigns from White House

December 28, 2010 · Mark Reback

Brown Plans Low-Key, Low-Budget Inaugural

December 23, 2010 · Mark Reback

It'll be a little more upscale than the impromptu dinner at a Chinese restaurant where <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/jerry-brown-PEPLT007547.topic" id="PEPLT007547" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-decoration: none; " title="Jerry Brown">Jerry Brown</a> celebrated his first swearing-in as California governor three decades ago — but maybe not by much.

Is AHIP Having a Bernie Madoff Moment?

December 22, 2010 · Judy Dugan

Massachusetts has the highest or near-highest health insurance premiums of any state in the nation and it's the only state that mandates the purchase of health insurance by every resident. Yet the health insurance industry, in hunting for ways to sell the mandate to Americans who hate the idea, has concocted a ruse that a lot of people are actually buying.

Obama Wants Health Insurers to Defend Large Hikes

December 22, 2010 · Mark Reback

Plan would make insurers justify hikes above 10% Health insurance companies that increase premiums by more than 10 percent would be required to justify those higher rates publicly, according to new rules proposed Tuesday by the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/barack-obama/">Obama</a> administration. Under the proposal, premium increases of more than 10 percent in 2011 for individuals and small businesses would set off a review by states or the federal government to determine whether those rates are unreasonable.

Consumer Advocacy Group Urges Tougher Insurance Rate Review

December 21, 2010 · Mark Reback

A California-based consumer advocacy group said Tuesday that federal regulations on health insurance rates should be "strengthened" to "prevent insurers from imposing unreasonable premium increases on consumers."

Insurers Likely to Face New Reviews

December 21, 2010 · Mark Reback

Rate review could get tougher for health insurers. Premium increases of more than 10% will be automatically reviewed by states starting in July, according to new preliminary guidelines from the Obama Administration detailed in <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703581204576033640288222736.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection">this WSJ story</a>.

Prop 103 California Insurance Reform

New Bill Requires Insurance Companies to Offer and Renew Insurance Coverage for Fire-Safe Homes

Homeowners Dropped by Insurers