Insurance

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Insurers Eye New Regulator

April 22, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

WASHINGTON, DC — Not many financial companies saw an opportunity in the economic meltdown. But large insurers did, and now they're using it to lobby for a lucrative change they've sought unsuccessfully for years, which would give insurance companies the option of escaping state regulators by setting up a new federal agency and letting them choose whose rules to obey — a proposal consumer advocates view with horror. Consumer advocates argue that such a system would let insurance companies shop around for the weakest rules and lead to the same kinds of abuses and reckless risk-taking that brought other financial services firms to their knees.

Health-Care Dialogue Alarms Obama’s Allies

April 21, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> As Congress returns to begin an intense debate over reshaping the nation's $2.2 trillion health-care system, prominent left-leaning organizations and liberal House members are issuing a warning to their Democratic allies: Don't cave on us. To date, the health reform debate has been cordial, with a wide spectrum of interests talking up a willingness to compromise. The amiable tone stands in marked contrast to the vitriol of 1993 that quickly buried a reform effort by the Clintons. But that amiable tone is precisely what troubles liberal advocacy groups such as Consumer Watchdog. The California-based nonprofit, in unusually harsh rhetoric, is accusing the Obama administration and congressional Democrats of negotiating a deal with industry lobbyists at the expense of average Americans.<br /> </p>

Insurance Appointment Flap Sheds Light On Insider Politics

April 20, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

A consumer watchdog group is howling over a recent appointment by state Sen. Ron Calderon, but for the vast majority of California voters, trying to make sense of these types of inside-baseball appointments can be like trying to snorkel in the San Francisco Bay.<br />

AIG Agrees To Sell 21st Century

April 17, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>The sale to Farmers, for $1.9 billion, would create the state's biggest auto insurer.</strong><br /> <br /> Two of Southern California's biggest insurance companies are joining forces to create the state's largest auto insurer, at the same time throwing a financial lifeline to troubled insurance giant American International Group.  Consumer advocates largely agreed with the commissioner. "We don't have any concern," said Douglas Heller, executive director of Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog. "They'll jump to 14% or 15% of the market, but California is incredibly competitive." </p>

Fair claims payment? Not with a federal insurance regulator

April 17, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Here's a small but important example of the kind of state consumer protection that the insurance industry and its allies want to escape by <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/articles/?storyId=26070">taking insurance r</a><a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/articles/?storyId=26070">egulation away</a> from the states... </p>

Former Insurance Lawyer’s Legislative Appointment Sparks Debate

April 15, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The appointment of a former State Farm lawyer to a California legislative panel has drawn criticism from one of the state's leading consumer groups, while one industry leader has urged critics to reserve judgment.

California Senate Insurance Panel Hires Former State Farm Lawyer

April 11, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Consumer activists criticize close links between government and industry. Sen. Ron Calderon defends his appointment.</strong> </p> <p> Cooley's appointment has drawn opposition from activists, including Doug Heller, executive director of the group Consumer Watchdog, and Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders in San Francisco. "The revolving door between the Capitol and the insurance industry is in constant motion, because the insurance industry knows how valuable it is to have their people on the inside," Heller said. "And consumers pay for it when the official analyses of legislative proposals have an industry bias." </p>

Overheard: CA Insurers to intro legislation attacking Prop 103; which lawmaker will carry their water?

April 11, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> I've been hearing dribs and drabs about this for awhile now.  The insurance industry in California has apparently suckered some lawmaker into carrying a bill aimed at weakening Prop 103's consumer protections... </p>

California’s Low Cost Auto Insurance Program

April 10, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

In an effort to stem the tide of uninsured drivers in California and offer a low priced insurance policy for the poor, state legislators created the California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program.

Arnold’s unpaid furloughs cost California $10 million

April 3, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The San Jose Mercury News <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12048911?">reported this week</a> that when Gov. Schwarzenegger recently began sending state workers home on unpaid leave one day a month to save California money, in one instance, the furloughs are actually costing California millions of dollars.

“Choice” of regulator would deregulate insurance industry

April 3, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> If there’s one thing the AIG debacle <em>shouldn’t</em> teach us, it’s to let companies choose their own regulator.  But that’s the plan that’s been tossed out by the insurance industry and its allies....</p>

Kudos to Stanford; stem cell agency should take heed

April 1, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<a href="http://med.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stanford University's School of Medicine</a> has just taken a <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2009/april/disclosure.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">huge step to build trust </a>in its 1,200...