Insurance

DC Dispatch: Health care debate is time to dial for HMO dollars

July 31, 2009  ·  Carmen Balber

<p> What with the future of health care reform being shaped in both the House and Senate this week one might be tempted to believe that members of Congress took a break from fundraising to focus on legislating... </p>

Former Health Insurance Exec Champions Reform

July 29, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Wendell Potter choked up a few times recalling the events that turned him from the chief spokesman for health insurer Cigna Corp. into a whistle-blower, denouncing the very practices he used to defend. Potter garnered national attention on June 24 as a star witness before the Senate Commerce Committee, detailing such industry practices as purging, the dumping of small businesses when their employees make medical claims that exceed expectations, and sending explanation-of-benefits documents that are so incomprehensible that policyholders can't tell what services they're getting.

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

July 28, 2009  ·  Judy Dugan

<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  ·  Judy Dugan

<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  ·  John M. Simpson

<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  ·  Mark Reback

<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  ·  Judy Dugan

<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.