Insurance

Senate’s ‘Potato-Chip Caucus’ takes ax to health reform

July 28, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Six small-state U.S. senators sitting around a table and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/us/politics/28baucus.html">munching chocolate-dipped potato chips</a> are <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20090728/NEWS15/90727094/Sources--Senate-group-omits-employer-health-care-mandate">about to chop off</a> the two pillars of health care reform that would most protect consumers. The three Republicans and three Democrats are leaking the news that they won't require employers to provide health insurance. And they won't allow Americans to choose a publicly run health insurance option. If this ploy succeeds, the 'potato-chip caucus' will need a Twinkie Defense. </p> <p>   </p>

How insurance companies fight recession: Jack up your premiums

July 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> When President Obama talked last night about the absolute need for a publicly run health care option for Americans, a competitor to private insurers, he obviously had the ...</p>

Obama Plugs Single-Payer… Sort Of

July 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Polls show most Americans don’t like the current system (56 percent want “major health care reform” this year, 62 percent want more government control over health care, etc.), although right-wing and insurance industry propaganda have made them scared of the change that is needed to realize the president’s goals of holding down costs, emphasizing preventive care, and ensuring universal access to quality and affordable care.

Heat is on Google, so it ups lobbying spending 30%

July 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> What do you do if you're a gargantuan Internet company that's come under increased scrutiny, despite your <a href="http://investor.google.com/conduct.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Don't-be-evil" mantra</a>?  Send in the...</p>

Consumer Group Criticizes California Auto Insurance Claim Bill

July 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer Watchdog said the proposal would undo a current California law prohibiting insurance companies from pushing, or "steering," customers to auto body shops under contract with the insurer. AB 1200 "effectively guts the prohibition on steering and now allows insurers to 'hard sell' a policyholder on the insurer-controlled repair shop, even after the policyholder chooses an independent repair shop," the group said.

Bitter Medicine: Health Care Reform Groups Fear The Cure May Be Worse Than The Disease

July 22, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

"We're digging through them now. We support a bill that has a true public option, and the House bill has that," said Consumer Watchdog's Jerry Flanagan. "But we really dislike the individual mandate [to purchase health insurance]. The insurance companies really don't want the public option, but they really want the mandate."

CA Insurance Officals Target “Use It And Lose It”

July 20, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Jerry Flanagan of with Consumer Watchdog said with the insurance companies, "What they've been doing is selling to everybody, then waiting until someone gets sick the wait and see approach and on those folks who get really, really sick its at that point they look at the application and make the determination that they should have never sold coverage in the first place."

FPPC should axe Arnold’s illegal budget ads

July 16, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> We sent a letter of complaint Wednesday to the FPPC alerting them that the gov has improperly used funds from his California "Dream Team" committee, which is set up to advocate for ballot measures, to pay for statewide TV ads touting his position on the budget crisis, and the ads have nothing to do with any ballot measure, past, present or future. </p>

(More) hard insurance lessons from Massachusetts

July 15, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Massachusetts is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/us/15insure.html?_r=1">dropping legal, green-carded immigrants</a> from its subsidies for health insurance and will probably make it harder for poor citizens to get coverage. Small businesses are being <a href="http://www.wbur.org/2009/07/15/health-cost">slammed with insurance premium increases over 20%.</a> Insurance companies say they can't help unless they're allowed to sell brutally bare-bones "cheap" policies that would actually be more profitable. Why isn't Washington paying more critical attention to Massachusetts? </p> <p>   </p>

California ‘Pay-As-You-Drive’ Regulations Approach the Starting Line

July 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Advocacy group Consumer Watchdog approves of the prohibition on location data, but staff advocate Carmen Balber said it does not go nearly far enough to protect consumers' privacy. She said the proposed regulations open the door to electronic devices that gather additional data on hours the vehicle is driven, how the vehicle is driven and more that California bars from being used in rate-making.

As GM owners, we need to look to our declaration

July 8, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> I never thought I would own GM, or even a piece of it, when I was an eight year old kid playing in my dad's parked, sky blue Oldsmobile Cutlass. But all of us Americans are inches from owning the new GM with a bankruptcy court ruling...</p>

Mercury General Using Guise Of Benevolence To Assault Prop. 103

July 2, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> ...one should wonder why Mercury, which is already one of the leading insurers in the state, would spend heavily to make its home market more competitive. I'm inclined to think the company has something else on its mind, and I'd bet that giving customers a break isn't it. Forewarned is forearmed: Hang on to your wallets. </p>