Insurance

Auto Insurer’s Prop. 17 Motives Are Questioned

May 26, 2010  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p> <strong>Critics: Some Drivers May Face Surcharge</strong> </p> <p> The insurance company that placed Proposition 17 on the June ballot says it did so to save money for most policyholders. The consumer-advocacy groups opposing it say that’s merely a smoke screen. What the company, Mercury Insurance, really wants is to undermine a provision of a voter-approved insurance initiative passed in 1988, said Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the Santa Monica-based group Consumer Watchdog. That would allow it to assess a surcharge on drivers who seek to restart auto insurance coverage after dropping it temporarily. </p>

Worry about health reform loopholes goes mainstream

May 24, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Consumer Watchdog has been warning for weeks that the <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=33875">health reform law will be riddled with costly loopholes </a>if insurers get their way in implementing the regulations that control big expansions in health coverage. It's a hard slog, especially when you're talking about technical, math-laden stuff like "medical loss ratio" and "rate and premium review." Now our concerns are hitting the mainstream, with a boost from the editorial boards of the New York Times and the L.A. Times. </p>

Will Prop. 17 Save Or Cost Californians Money?

May 24, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Prop. 17 Among Propositions On June 8 Ballot</strong> <p> Harvey Rosenfeld, of the group Consumer Watchdog, has been fighting insurance companies, including Mercury, for decades. He sees it differently. “It’s a fraud on the voters to describe Prop. 17 as saving everybody money,” he said. “It will actually cost people money.” Rosenfeld said Mercury has spent close to $10 million to get Prop. 17 passed. “When was the last time an insurance company spent millions of dollars to save you money,” he asked. “Answer — never.” </p>

Vote ‘No’ On This Tricky Measure

May 23, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Frankly, there's little credibility in a major insurance company spending beaucoup bucks on a ballot measure just so it can offer motorists a discount. But that is what Mercury Insurance wants you to swallow. We can't trust Mercury Insurance or any big, special interest that goes out and buys a ballot proposition. Vote "no" on Proposition 17.

Legal Challenge Between Palo Alto Company, Orange County Hospital Halts Stem Cell Research

May 23, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

John Simpson of the Los Angeles-based Consumer Watchdog, who is closely watching the case, called it "an egregious assertion of overreaching patent rights. Even if StemCells Inc. can technically assert the patent, I think it is wrongheaded for them to do it. You don't want to freeze that sort of research."

The Buzz: ‘Cougar’ Growls Over Auto Insurance Measure

May 21, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Opponents of Proposition 17 have leveled yet another charge of discrimination against Mercury Insurance, the auto insurer bankrolling the June 8 ballot measure to allow companies to use coverage history in determining insurance rates. The latest alleged victims? Cougars.

Prop. 17 Promises Insurance Discounts

May 21, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Opponents Doubt Many Drivers Would Benefit</strong> <p> Doug Heller, spokesman for Consumer Watchdog, argues that there are many legitimate reasons some people may have chosen to go without insurance for a period of time — a prolonged recovery from surgery, a loss of employment that resulted in having to sell a vehicle, a period of time living on a college campus or in an area well-served by public transit. </p>

Should Insurance Discount Be Transferrable? No: It Can Mean Higher Rates if a Policy Lapses

May 19, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Op-Ed Special to The Desert Sun</strong> </p> <p> The last thing California families can afford right now is an initiative that makes insurance companies less accountable for their actions, leads to more uninsured motorists and skyrocketing auto insurance premiums. That’s why Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, veterans groups and seniors all agree: Vote no on Proposition 17. </p>

Insurance companies’ ‘kitchen sink’ strategy to torpedo health reform

May 17, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> I was on a conference call about health reform today, and all the major insurance companies were on it as well. Here's one signature moment that defines how insurers are aiming to neuter health reform by making outrageous demands,...</p>

Condo Owners On Shaky Ground

May 16, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Deciding whether or not to buy earthquake insurance is a dilemma for California homeowners, but it's doubly difficult for condominium and town home owners. Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, says the government and groups such as his focus on single-family homes and that "condo owners have been the neglected community when it comes to earthquake insurance." </p>

California’s Prop. 17 Aims to Alter Auto Insurance

May 16, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Opponents, led by Proposition 103 author Harvey Rosenfield, say the new initiative is a cynical ploy that would actually result in higher premiums for a certain class of motorists – namely, those who haven’t been previously insured or who let their coverage lapse. “It’s a rate increase for a lot of people,” said Rosenfield, founder of Santa Monica advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. </p>

Health Insurance Companies Try to Shape Rules

May 15, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Health insurance companies are lobbying federal and state officials in an effort to ward off strict regulation of premiums and profits under the new health care law. Some consumer advocates, like Carmen L. Balber of Consumer Watchdog, favor a strict, narrow definition of quality improvement activities, limited to those that produce measurable benefits to individual patients.