Insurance

Health insurance premium curbs are catching on

March 11, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Consumer Watchdog's <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=33144">calls for tough and open health insurance rate regulation </a>are being echoed and amplified. The latest instance is in Connecticut, the home state of insurance companies, where Attorney General Earl Blumenthal <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=33144">recently proposed major reforms </a>that would require the state to review and reject, modify or allow a rate change before it goes into effect. No more shrugging and letting it happen without a public review. </p>

California Group Urges National Freeze On Health Insurance Rates

March 10, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

President Obama should include a provision freezing health insurance rates in the package of revisions Democrats are drafting for the Senate-passed health care overhaul bill (HR 3590), a California-based consumer group said Wednesday. Other provisions that the Consumer Watchdog group wants to see included are a requirement that state regulators approve rate increases before they go into effect, and that federal grants be made available to states for developing these "prior approval" regulations. "Given the audacity of health insurance rate increases last year and this year, and with the economy in deep recession, only federal legislation can curb the spiral of unaffordability," said Carmen Balber, the Washington director for the group.

Put corporate political spending to a vote

March 10, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> When the US Supreme Court decided to allow corporations to spend money directly on campaign advertising, they opened the floodgates to excessive spending by companies to change the outcome of elections. The long-term solution is a... </p>

Calif. Regulators Defend Dropped Insurance Deals

March 10, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

LOS ANGELES, CA (AP) ― State insurance regulators on Wednesday defended their actions against health insurers after a report showed few consumers who complained that their coverage was canceled after they took ill actually benefited from state-negotiated settlements. The settlements may not have appealed to many consumers because they were "very stilted towards insurance companies," said Jerry Flanagan, a health advocate for Consumer Watchdog. Consumers weren't allowed to hire lawyers for arbitration, and had to prove all their past medical bills were "medically necessary, which is a hard legal standard to meet" without a lawyer's help. Additionally, the coverage that was offered through arbitration was usually a policy with a lower benefit than the wrongfully rescinded policy, said Flanagan.

Profiting From Collusion: Why Californians Can’t Afford Health Insurance

March 10, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

California's Consumer Watchdog group is suing Anthem Blue Cross after they raised health care insurance premiums 39 percent, but the company isn't budging. Meanwhile Goldman Sachs recommended buying health insurance company stock because competition is decreasing and prices are going up. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates that "the typical married couple at age 65 should expect to spend" a whopping $197,000 on uninsured medical expenses. Obama urges action on a watered-down health care bill, but the Republicans and conservative Democrats just say no and collect money from the private health care lobby. Will we continue to tolerate skyrocketing health care costs?

Slide show features companies Google calls competition

March 9, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

I recently <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/corporateering/articles/?storyId=33077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delved into Google's 10-K filing</a> covering 2009 with the <a href="http://sec.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Securities and Exchange...</a>

The no. 1 cure for Anthem Blue Cross greed: Here’s the plan, from the expert

March 9, 2010  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

Harvey Rosenfield, the founder of Consumer Watchdog and the author of California's landmark insurance regulation, is the original expert on making insurance companies friendlier to consumers. So when he outlines a plan to make health insurance more affordable--and combat price spikes like the recent 39% annual increase by Anthem Blue Cross--he's got 20 years in the trenches making insurance companies toe the line, to back him up.

Auto Insurer Revs Measure’s Motor

March 9, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Opponents, including Doug Heller, who works with Proposition 103 author Harvey Rosenfield at Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog, said the real aim of Mercury is to lift the ban on surcharges for drivers who need to reinstate coverage after letting their auto insurance policies lapse. “This would allow Mercury to jack up prices for customers they don’t really want,” said Heller, spokesman for Campaign for Consumer Rights, the main opposition group to Proposition 17.

Lawsuits Over California Ballot Question to Be Heard Together

March 8, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A judge will hear testimony on three related cases surrounding ballot language for Proposition 17, which backers say will allow discounts for more drivers and opponents claim will create back-door rate increases. The latest is Attorney General Jerry Brown's attempt to change the official title and summary to say the measure "will allow insurance companies to increase cost of insurance to drivers who do not have a history of continuous insurance coverage," according to the lawsuit. Due to what Brown's office argued is its error, the language submitted by the attorney general to the California Secretary of State reads, "may allow insurance companies to increase cost of insurance to drivers who do not qualify for discount."

Anthem’s Rate Hikes To Add To Burdens Of Jobless

March 6, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

There have been demands for explanations from state and federal lawmakers as well as the White House. Documents of financial records have been subpoenaed. Last week, Consumer Watchdog filed a lawsuit in Ventura County Superior Court alleging the insurer doesn’t offer adequate alternatives when it closes a policy.

President Obama’s best ally–Anthem Blue Cross

March 3, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> President Obama's "get it done" <a href="http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/obama-give-my-health-care-proposal-an-up-or-down-vote-in-the-next-few-weeks.php?ref=fpa">speech on health reform</a> Wednesday may have been a day late, but I hope it's not a dollar short, as the old saying goes. At least he has one tremendous ally in his call for action by Congress: Anthem Blue Cross, and the continuing outrage at its huge rate increases. </p> <p>   </p>

Consumer Group Sues Anthem Blue Cross Over Rate Hike

March 3, 2010  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A consumer group has filed a class-action lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross of California, alleging the company's strategy in deploying an average 25% rate increase for individual plan customers violates state law. The lawsuit was filed by Consumer Watchdog on behalf of two Anthem policyholders who are covered under a program the insurer closed to new enrollees on Sept. 25, 2009. This triggers a "death spiral" as rate increases fall to "those remaining in the closed book of business until they can no longer afford coverage," the lawsuit stated.