Insurance

Mandatory health insurance? No sale

September 25, 2007  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Forcing citizens to buy an expensive, unregulated private product is nothing less than taxation without representation. If California were to follow the Massachusetts model for mandatory private insurance purchase (the only one in the United States), Californians would have to prove on their tax returns that they were insured or face tax penalties.</p>

Schwarzenegger, Democratic leaders close to deal on health care reform

September 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California)</p> <p>Health care companies and trade groups are also big spenders. Since 2003, the health care industry has spent $110 million on lobbying at the Capitol, according to the secretary of state. A recent analysis by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights found that six of the state's largest insurers and two health insurance trade groups gave more than $4 million to state officeholders since 2001.</p>

Touring on whose dime?

September 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California)</p> <p>If the trips benefit the state's official interests, then the state should pay, said Doug Heller of the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "If California politicians need to leave the state to do their work, then the state taxpayers should pay for it," Heller said. "If politicians can't convince the public of the value of a trip, then they shouldn't be going on it." Heller said legislators also shouldn't be able to pay for overseas trips with campaign funds because it gives special interests another avenue to influence lawmakers. His group favors public financing of campaigns.</p>

Bush, Schwarzenegger differ on global-warming approach

September 20, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Copley News Service</p> <p>Some consumer watchdogs also criticized Linda Adams, the governor's top environmental adviser, and others for taking a spring trip to Europe financed by the California Climate Action Registry, which receives funding from regulated industries. Some business leaders also joined the trip, giving them access to decision-makers. "Big-business opponents of greenhouse gas reductions bought high-quality face time," said Carmen Balber of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Mandatory health care won’t curb costs

September 18, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Marketplace Morning Report - NPR Radio (American Public Media)</p> <p>Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton laid out her plan for health care yesterday, which includes mandatory health insurance. But commentator Jamie Court says demanding more cost-effective coverage would be a better solution.</p>

Mandatory health care won’t curb costs

September 18, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Marketplace Morning Report - NPR Radio (American Public Media)</p> <p>Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton laid out her plan for health care yesterday, which includes mandatory health insurance. But commentator Jamie Court says demanding more cost-effective coverage would be a better solution.</p>

Senator Hillary Clinton has new health care plan;

September 18, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">TODAY SHOW - NBC-TV News (7AM EST)</p> <p>AUER: Let me read you something: Jamie Court, who's the president for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, told Newsweek magazine. He said, quote, "There's nobody in this race with her knowledge to make health care available to every American at a cheaper cost, but it would take going after the insurance industry that's funding her candidacy." In fact, some of your competitors have said you've taken more money from the insurance industry than any other candidate. So the question is, is there a conflict looming on the horizon? Are you losing some leverage in asking these insurance companies to get on board and make tough choices?</p>

Hillary Clinton Announces Health Care Plan

September 18, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">CNN-TV AMERICAN MORNING (7AM EST)</p> <p>ROBERTS: There are some people who are critical still of this idea of mandating this individual mandate. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, for example, has declared it a war on the middle class. </p>

How Hillary Won Over the Health-Care Industry

September 17, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>She was persona-non-grata in the early 1990s, when the then-first lady's dramatic health-care reform package went down. These days Hillary Clinton is winning raves among health-care-industry groups -- and attracting their campaign dollars.</h3><p class="source">Newsweek</p> <p>"There's nobody in this race with her knowledge to make health care available to every American at a cheaper cost, but it would take going after the insurance industry that's funding her candidacy," say Jamie Court, president of ConsumerWatchdog.org. "I don't know if there was a smoky back room, but her positions are certainly not threatening her cash stream, and their cash stream is helping her maintain her position as a front runner. In politics there aren't too many coincidences."</p>

Sen. Clinton’s health-care plan would require all to buy coverage

September 17, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">CBS MarketWatch.com</p> <p>Clinton's plan doesn't go far enough in reining in insurers' power, said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocacy group in Santa Monica, California. "Sen. Clinton's plan is a declaration of war on middle-class families who cannot afford $12,000 a year for a health insurance policy because the Clinton plan doesn't cap premiums or regulate them," Court said in a statement. "The only reason to force Americans to buy health insurance is to bail out an industry that's failed to make its products attractive enough to the market."</p>

California Stem Cell Agency Swipes Key Australian Researcher as New President

September 17, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">WIRED Blog</p> <p>John M. Simpson, a sometime critic of CIRM and longtime observer of the agency, said in an interview that he had the "highest regard" for Trounson. The Australian can "make a major contribution to CIRM, California and stem cell research in general as president, so long as he never forgets his responsibility and accountability as a public official to the citizens of California," Simpson said.</p>

FTC official apologizes for hot fuel miscalculation

September 12, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Kansas City Star (Missouri)</p> <p>Although the FTC has promised to take another look at the hot fuel issue, some consumer groups would prefer that it now recuse itself. Judy Dugan, research director for The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, said the initial letter sent by FTC was so blatantly political that the federal agency has lost its credibility, especially since it made such a serious error about hot fuel's impact. "This should remove the FTC from any authority to comment on the hot-fuel issue," Dugan said.</p>