Insurance

Is Congress deaf? Or does insurers’ money just speak louder?

June 29, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Congress is taking a holiday week off, heading home to wave flags and eat hot dogs. Some listening is in order, too. The <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/19/opinion/polls/main5098517.shtml">latest national poll</a> tells us that a whopping 70-plus percent of Americans want a health reform choice that lets them snub the giant insurance conglomerates that miserably abuse their customers. </p>

‘Pay-As-You-Drive’ Auto Policies Could Become Option By Year’s End

June 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica advocacy group, complained that Poizner's proposal would give insurance companies too much leeway to decide whether or not to offer a pay-as-you-drive option to potential customers. He said he feared that the regulations would allow companies to offer smaller discounts than they should for people who cut their driving by only modest amounts.

Treasury, GM Close to Reaching Deal on Legal Claims — Accident Victims, Dealers at Issue

June 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> "It's hard for me to comprehend why, when taxpayers are funding so much of the transition, and we're making specific choices about who gets money, that there's no money for these accident victims," said Douglas Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. He expressed outrage that GM is requesting court approval to pay more than $100 million to its financial advisers, Evercore Partners, a New York boutique investment bank headed by former deputy Treasury secretary Roger Altman, and AlixPartners, a turnaround consultancy. </p>

My View: HB 1171 Is Simply A Gift To Insurers

June 25, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> This My View was co-signed by Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for Economic Justice; Douglas Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog; and Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders. </p> <p> In the strongest possible terms, we urge Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the home insurance deregulation bill, SB2036/HB1171. This bill is an invitation for insurers to game the Florida regulatory system and abuse consumers. </p>

CIGNA exec puts wind in health care reform sails

June 24, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Nebraska's Democratic United States Senator Ben Nelson is one of the holdouts on national health care reform. He had a hard time resisting the testimony of the former CIGNA executive who went to Congress today to tell of the industry's less than honest practices. </p>

More red flags flying on Mass. health care plan

June 24, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Massachusetts, where all citizens must prove they have health insurance or pay a $1,000 average fine, continues to scale back health coverage for the lowest-income residents who receive state subsidies for private insurance...

State Farm Florida: We Will Re-Examine Departure if ‘Consumer Choice’ Bill Signed

June 22, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Consumer groups have sent letters to Crist urging him to veto the measure. In addition, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has warned of the bill's potential adverse effects in the state's property insurance market, specifically Florida's domestic insurers that do not qualify to charge deregulated rates as outlined in the bill.  Most recently a joint letter was sent by the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Economic Justice, Consumer Watchdog, and United Policyholders.  The groups said the bill "is an invitation for insurers to game the Florida regulatory system and abuse consumers."<br />

25 Cal Republican Lawmakers Urge Supreme Court to Help Safeco Insurance

June 17, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> In a stunning show of fealty to insurance giant Safeco, 25 Republican lawmakers <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/RepublicanACinSupportofSafeco.pdf">have asked</a> the California Supreme Court to overturn an appellate ruling that Safeco Insurance has to disclose the names of policyholders it may have cheated... </p>

Health insurer rescinds policy because of chronic gravititis

June 15, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Is evil a pre-existing condition? </p>

Mandating Health Insurance Purchase is Not Reform

June 12, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

“Requiring Americans to buy insurance coverage from insurers who face no legal accountability will only lock them into the same problems plaguing consumers today,” Consumer Watchdog protested in a letter it recently sent to key members of Congress. Amen to that. According to the California-based non-profit organization, health insurers routinely stick it those who pay for their products in a variety of ways...

“Health insurance mafia” — Or is it pirates?

June 11, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Blogger and multimedia guy Bob Cesca doesn't pull his punches when he talks about how much he hates health insurance companies, especially the one that rhymes with "Screw Costs." If you like his story (below), you'll love this goofy Austin Lounge Lizards cartoon and song about health insurance pirates, titled <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk23AtoTzMM&feature=channel_page">"Go Ahead and Die."</a> It's a couple of years old, yet totally current. <p>   </p>

‘Blue Dogs’ stand in circle, pull ‘trigger’ over health care option

June 11, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The 50 or so moderate/conservative House Democrats called Blue Dogs <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=27780&topicId=9882">announced last week </a>that they all support the health insurance industry's proposal to essentially kill any option to private health insurance. The Blue Dog "plan" was little more a cut-and-paste of insurance industry desires. But the <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=27829&topicId=9882">backlash was fast</a>, and not-so-united Blue Dogs started backing way, way off from the group's position. </p>