Insurance

Uncertain Future For Low-Cost Auto Insurance Program

September 8, 2009  ·  Doug Heller

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering whether to extend the state’s low-cost auto insurance program, which offers bare-bones coverage to motorists who would otherwise drive without insurance — and break the law.  “It’s very important that this program be extended,” said Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that tracks insurance issues. “The last thing we want is for people to be uninsured.” The program will expire at the end of 2010 unless it is extended by lawmakers.

Obama needs to become our whistleblower-in-chief

September 8, 2009  ·  Jamie Court

<p> Wednesday's presidential address to Congress is the moment for President Obama to prove he is a real outsider, and the fate of genuine health care reform depends upon it. The President promised the public during the campaign he would be a Washington whistleblower. Obama said he would haul drug company executives before him on C-SPAN and demand greater savings. He said he opposed mandatory health insurance because Americans would buy insurance if they could afford it. He campaigned as a populist, not a beholden politician. </p>

Consumer Watchdog Sends Letter To CA Attorney General Asking For Investigation Into Health Insurers

September 4, 2009  ·  Jamie Court

Consumer Watchdog sent a letter to California Attorney General Jerry Brown asking his office to investigate United Health Care and another insurer, WellPoint, for allegedly violating California's Labor Code by pressuring employees to lobby against reform. The letter says in part, "While coercive communications with employees may be legal, if abhorrent, in most states, California's Labor Code appears to directly prohibit them."

Billboard Blasting Mercury Insurance Is Removed

September 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

LOS ANGELES, CA -- California-based Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, said Mercury Insurance has threatened to sue the owners of a billboard the group used to display a statement that reads, "Consumer Watchdog says: You can't trust Mercury Insurance."

CA Attorney General To Investigate The Nation’s Two Biggest Health Insurance Companies

September 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST (voice-over):  Good evening from New York. In health news today, the group Consumer Watchdog has asked California Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate whether the nation's two biggest health insurance companies, included United Health Group, which we've reported on here before, broke state law by pressuring employees to oppose health care reform. And in other health news today, California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced he's now investigating possible wrongful business practices by his state's five biggest health insurance companies, including one owned by the United Health Group. </p>

Head-scratching in Europe over U.S. health reform mess

September 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> I just got off the phone with a well-informed Dutch reporter based in Washington, D.C. His monumental assignment was, in part, to explain to a puzzled Dutch audience how such U.S. health reform became infected with so much fear, anger and distrust. And why, he asked, do fearmongers have so much power against serious analysts and policy makers? A hard question to answer. </p>

A Warning SIgn That Isn’t Ignored: L.A. Billboard Attacking Mercury Insurance Is Removed

September 4, 2009  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<div class="byline"> <span class="toolSet" style="width: 332px;"><strong>Consumer Watchdog's billboard catches the eye of target Mercury Insurance, which gets the ad taken down. </strong> </span></div> <div class="byline"> <span class="toolSet" style="width: 332px;">  </span></div> <div class="byline">

Answers On IOUs And Quake Insurance

September 4, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, says he is not worried about the CEA's ability to pay claims or its independence from the state's general fund. "What would concern me is how many of my neighbors don't have earthquake insurance," he says. "If I can afford to rebuild my house but four out of five neighbors can't, what will happen to the neighborhood?" Even if property values fall, Heller says it is worth buying insurance to have a place to live.

Nullifying Anti-Steering Law A “Hard Sell”

September 1, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer advocates are concerned about a bill that could ostensibly undo a current Calif. law preventing insurers from "steering" customers to auto body shops under contract with the insurer.  Calif. Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) is spearheading the proposal -- AB 1200 -- which would allow insurers to present reasons as to why customers should use "preferred" body shops at any time during the claim process.  This would represent an obvious departure from the anti-steering law enacted in 2003 (SB 551 -- Speier), which specifically prohibits insurance companies from dictating that customers get cars repaired at certain establishments.

Medicare private plan marketing’s a miracle–for insurer profits

September 1, 2009  ·  Judy Dugan

<p> I was surprised to find out recently that nearly one-fourth of Medicare patients are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans, which are offered by the big health insurance companies that we know and don't love. Enrollent is growing by the millions each year. But why, since these plans <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/11/insurer-profit-ma/">don't provide better health outcomes</a>, cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more than regular Medicare and can <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/August/31/Medicare-Advantage.aspx">restrict coverage</a> more tightly than regular Medicare? The answer came from my mailbox--a flood of costly, glossy, taxpayer-funded marketing by private insurers. </p>

Whoops! Mercury Insurance screwed up their own initiative

September 1, 2009  ·  Doug Heller

<p> According to word on the street, Mercury Insurance has had to throw away the signatures they've been paying for for the last week or so.  Apparently, they mixed up the initiative that the Attorney General reviewed for circulation...</p>

California Homeowners Facing Insurance Rate Hikes

September 1, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>In a state parched by a three-year drought, wildfires are at least partly to blame for the price increases, industry officials and even some consumer advocates agree. </strong> <p> The dramatic images of firestorms now sweeping through the San Gabriel Mountains produce fear and dread "but don't make for any actuarial implication," said Douglas Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica group. "We're talking about not even 1% of homes." </p>