Insurance

Health plan review may be intensified;

January 30, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The state's top HMO regulator calls for outside oversight of insurers' attempts to drop policyholders.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Ehnes called Monday's meeting after the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights petitioned the department to issue regulations clarifying the issue. The Santa Monica group was instrumental in the adoption of auto insurance rate reforms and enhanced patient protections against treatment denials by health maintenance organizations. Jerry Flanagan, a consumer advocate with the group, said he believed the complaints that had come to light so far were the "tip of the iceberg" because many people thought they had no recourse when an insurer accused them of lying on an application.</p>

How freshmen get top Assembly posts;

January 30, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The large amounts of money they contribute to Democratic causes correlates to the leadership positions they receive.</h3><p class="source">The Orange County Register (California)</p> <p>A rookie legislator, Solorio lacks the sort of background you might expect of the law enforcement chairman. He ran this fall on an education platform, touting his public policy degree from Harvard and encouraging Latinos to learn English. His slogan was "The Education Candidate." "The only qualification that I see is that he had a lot of money to spread around," said political watchdog Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

People left holding bag when policies revoked;

January 29, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Make a mistake on your application? You may pay for that surgery yourself</h3><p class="source">USA TODAY</p> <p>Critics of the industry say the practice is overused. "The newest tool insurers have found is to check into every sick person who files an expensive claim to see if there's an argument that they lied on their enrollment application," says Jamie Court of the Los Angeles-based advocacy group Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights.</p>

‘Gold-plated’ is in the eyes of the beholder

January 26, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Marketplace Radio Program (American Public Media)</p> <p>Consumer advocate Jamie Court says President Bush's proposal to tax healthcare spending above what the government thinks is too much is a raw deal for consumers who have no control over their insurance bills.</p>

‘Gold-plated’ is in the eyes of the beholder

January 26, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Marketplace Radio Program (American Public Media)</p> <p>Consumer advocate Jamie Court says President Bush's proposal to tax healthcare spending above what the government thinks is too much is a raw deal for consumers who have no control over their insurance bills.</p>

Stem cells untethered?

January 25, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Research should not be docked to the WARF</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>Credit goes to John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica non-profit. In July, Simpson and his group filed an official challenge to three WARF patents, with support from Jeanne Loring, a researcher at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla. They make a strong case that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office should never have issued the patents.</p>

Watchdogs voice worries about insurance appointee;

January 25, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>HE LACKS EXPERIENCE, EXCELS AT FUNDRAISING</h3><p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>Watchdog groups critical of the appointment suggest that one of the biggest priorities for the insurance committee chair has become raising gobs of money for Democratic causes from the insurance industry. Coto is a former schools superintendent who hadn't previously served on the committee nor carried insurance legislation, but he has a solid track record for fundraising and shifting donations to the party -- facts that further the skepticism of critics.</p>

U. Wisconsin loosens grip on stem cell holdings

January 24, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Daily Cardinal - University Wire (Wisconsin)</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based consumer watchdog organization, challenged three WARF patents on July 17, 2006, resulting in a reexamination of the patents by the Public Patent Foundation that is still in process. FTCR Stem Cell Project Director John Simpson said he thinks WARF patent rights should be revoked and that current policy changes are not enough.</p>

Wisconsin group waives fees to encourage stem cell research

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>John Simpson, an official with the consumer group, said public attention as a result of the challenge pressured WARF to make the changes. "It demonstrates that their previous policies clearly were detrimental to research," he said. "We're glad they've taken the step."</p>

Stem cell patents loosened;

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>WARF lifts some licensing restrictions on industry and academic research, but critics vow to continue challenging the patents</h3><p class="source">The Scientist Magazine</p> <p>John Simpson, stem cell project director for the California Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, who joined Loring to challenge the WARF patents last year, told The Scientist he has no plans to withdraw the challenge, and hopes the patents eventually disappear. "We think what WARF did validates what we've said," he noted -- namely, that the patents are limiting research. "What [WARF] has done is very good. I just don't think they've gone far enough." </p>

Stem cell scientists shout out hallelujah;

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Rule changes expected to improve research</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>Despite the policy changes, the patent challenge will not be dropped, said Loring and John Simpson, of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer rights, one of the groups challenging the patents. "A change in licensing policy of the human ES cell patents doesn't solve the fundamental problem that the patents should not have been issued in the first place," Simpson said. "The right thing for WARF to do is admit that it doesn't deserve the patents and abandon them in their entirety."</p>

License retreat on stem cells;

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Wisconsin patent holder says it won't require pacts on research.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>John Simpson, spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, applauded Monday's announcement but said that his group would continue to pursue a challenge to the patents filed in July with the U.S. Patent Office. Simpson's group maintains the Wisconsin patents are overreaching and should be thrown out.</p>