Insurance

Senate’s choice between the public and the banks

March 23, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Last night, in a surreal process that from gavel to gavel took less than 25 minutes, the Senate Banking committee <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/22/wall-street-reform-flies_n_509009.html">approved Chairman Dodd’s financial reform legislation</a> on a party-line vote. But opponents of Wall Street reform can’t be allowed to avoid public debate entirely by cutting deals behind closed doors before a bill reaches the Senate floor...

State Wants Price Controls For Health Premiums

March 23, 2010  ·  Jerry Flanagan

Even before the historic national health care reform bill takes effect, there's concern some provisions could hurt California consumers.  Consumer advocates worry about the requirement in the new healthcare overhaul that everyone has insurance, even if they have to buy it on their own. "Nothing in the bill, shockingly, constrains what an insurance company can charge for the coverage," said Jerry Flanagan, lead advocate for health care reform for Consumer Watchdog.

Mercury Insurance Chair Refuses to Defend His Initiative, Prop 17

March 23, 2010  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

This Wednesday morning, two legislative committees will hold a joint hearing on Proposition 17, funded by Mercury Insurance. But it looks like Mercury’s Chairman George Joseph is not going to bother showing up for it.

Health reform redux

March 22, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> For someone who has been talking for two decades about the need for universal health care, few words come to me easily about the health care reform passed by the House of Representatives and headed to the President's desk. The legislation unquestionably helps, by 2014, with subsidies for low income people to get health insurance and, by the same year, erases some of the insurance industry's most pernicious practices. These include denials of coverage based on pre-existing condition, pricing based on medical condition, and cancellation of benefits for innocent omissions on an enrollment application.  </p>

Consumer Protection Agency Seeks Its First Home

March 19, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The question of where to house a proposed new consumer protection agency has garnered at least as much attention as whether there is a genuine need for such an agency. “The Fed has a dismal record on consumer protection,” said Carmen Balber, director of Consumer Watchdog's Washington, D.C., office. Consumer Watchdog supports a stand-alone consumer protection agency. “We have argued from the start that to be truly independent, a consumer protection agency needs to be a stand-alone entity.  Dodd’s bill attempts to insulate the proposed agency from undue influence within the Fed by allowing the president to appoint its leadership and by making its budget wholly separate from the Fed’s budget," said Balber.  There are other well-intentioned “firewalls” designed to curtail Fed influence, according to Balber.  “But it’s not enough,” she said. “At the end of the day it’s hard to see a bureau of the Federal Reserve that’s not influenced by Ben Bernanke.”

Group Seeks Documents From Anthem Blue Cross Inquiry

March 19, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Consumer Watchdog also asks California insurance chief Steve Poizner for public hearings on the healthcare firm's rate hike plan.</strong> </p> <p> Consumer Watchdog filed a public records request Thursday asking Poizner to release Anthem's rate filings, all actuarial data provided to his office and all correspondence with the company over the increases. Among the information sought by the group is the independent study of Anthem's spending practices by Axene Health Partners, a Southern California actuarial firm. The report is expected in mid-April. </p>

Prop 17 Discourages Going Car-Free

March 18, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

“Anyone who has used car sharing (or for that matter rental cars) as their means of transportation would almost certainly not be considered continuously insured and would face the Prop 17 surcharge if they had to go back to private insurance at some point,” Doug Heller, an insurance expert with Consumer Watchdog, told me.

Insurer’s new business plan for ‘after reform’: Kill traditional Medicare

March 18, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> America's largest health insurance and services conglomerate thinks a health reform bill is likely to pass. And it has a plan already for making maximum profit out of the change. United Health Group, in an internal document, sees replacing traditional Medicare as a big profit opportunity, and the two years of delay before most reforms go into effect as a chance to make the law more to its liking. </p>

Endgame on health reform: Bloody, with a touch of weird

March 16, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Who says legislative procedure is dull? The final machinations leading to a health care vote have me by the throat: What arcane rules will prevail? Which way will the bloody cage match over a few House swing votes go? And what the heck is the insurance industry up to with its weird new ad campaign? </p>

As Lawmakers Grapple With Financial Overhaul, They Call for More Studies

March 16, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Carmen Balber, Washington director for Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit education and advocacy group, also opposes some of the consumer provisions, but for the opposite reason, saying they do not go far enough. Some of those provisions are subject to study as well.

Editorial: Vote No On Deceptive Proposition 17

March 16, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Californians should have no trouble figuring out how to vote on Proposition 17, the auto insurance measure. All they have to do is ask themselves if Mercury Insurance Co., which spent $3.5 million to qualify and support the initiative, has consumers’ welfare or its own financial interests in mind. </p>

Buying Power: How PG&E and Mercury Insurance are spending millions to try to trick Californians into voting for corporate interests

March 16, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

California voters are about to be bombarded by more than $50 million in political advertising designed to convince them to approve a pair of measures desperately sought by two powerful corporations with a long history of lies and political corruption.