Insurance

Stem cell institute clears a hurdle;

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>University of Wisconsin group says it will not seek licensing fees on researchers' discoveries.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights declared partial victory. "While I welcome this step forward, the best thing would be for [the Wisconsin foundation] to abandon its claims to these overreaching patents that are recognized nowhere else in the world," he said.</p>

FACING CRITICISM, BOARD AGREES TO CONTINUE WORK ON KEY INSURANCE GUIDELINES

January 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE (Boston, MA)</p> <p>Carmen Balber, a consumer advocate from the California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, called the $380 month premiums "totally unacceptable." She said that the solution in striking the right balance between affordability and descent health coverage is by having the insurers absorb some of the cost by lowering their profit margins.</p>

WARF will ease stem cell licensing restrictions;

January 22, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>UW licensing arm rejects call to abandon stem cell patents</h3><p class="source">Wisconsin Technology Network</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California consumer watchdog organization, says policy changes that ease licensing requirements on human embryonic stem cell patents held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation are a step in the right direction, but don't go far enough to relinquish WARF's claims on embryonic stem cells.</p>

NATIONAL GROUP CAUTIONS AGAINST “JUNK INSURANCE” UNDER BAY STATE’S NEW LAW

January 19, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE (Boston, MA)</p> <p>A California-based national consumer group chimed in on the state's new health insurance law, calling on decision makers here to establish insurance policies that cap out-of-pocket expenses at $7,500 per individual and $10,000 per family. The non-profit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), in a letter to the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority, also urged the board to ban limits on what insurers will pay per treatment or illness and include "affordable" prescription drug coverage.</p>

Insurance Discount Tied to Auto Data

January 17, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Consumer advocates said they had little problem with collecting only mileage. Their suspicion is the other data could be use to justify rate increases or be sold to marketers. "I don't like the creeping invasion of these devices that collect a whole lot of data the insurance company tries to comfort us into believing it won't use," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights in California. "The insurance company is trying to get their hooks in on what should remain private information." </p>

Claims Under Fire;

January 15, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The future of embryonic stem cell research in the U.S. may hinge on the current review of key patents</h3><p class="source">Chemical & Engineering News</p> <p>The California initiative is also what led Santa Monica-based FTCR to get involved. John M. Simpson, director of the Stem Cell Project at FTCR, learned about the WARF patents while preparing a policy report on what intellectual property rules California should put in place to protect the state' s interests in research resulting from initiative grants.</p>

Bricks Fly At Schwarzenegger’s Universal Health Proposals

January 15, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">National Underwriter - Life & Health/Financial Services Edition</p> <p>In addition to letting insurers raise rates at will, the Schwarzenegger proposal would set no limits on doctors' and hospitals' charges, according to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, Santa Monica, Calif.</p>

Schwarzenegger’s Homeowners Insurance Tax- A Dumb Idea

January 12, 2007  ·  Doug Heller

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Concerns on governor’s health care plan;

January 11, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Some advocates fear rising costs could be shifted to consumers</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"Consumers don't want to be forced to buy something that doesn't give them something worth having," said Jerry Flanagan, health policy advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "If consumers felt they would really get an affordable product that would provide some real coverage, they would be willing to support a mandate that stabilizes the system."</p>

States take lead in pressing for health policies for all residents

January 10, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Iowa)</p> <p>Occupations also could prompt rejection. Some insurers reject police officers and firefighters, making it difficult to recruit self-employed police reservists or volunteer firefighters. "This isn't cherry picking; this is ignoring whole orchards of people," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights.</p>

Plan to ensure health coverage could raise costs;

January 9, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Guaranteeing insurance for even the sickest individuals could raise premiums for everyone.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Consumer advocates said they would push for guaranteed access even if the whole package got bogged down. They said requiring insurers to spend a certain ratio on medical care was not an effective way to control premiums, and without consumer price protection, they would not support an individual mandate. "It's far more reasonable to make health insurance more available to more people at a reasonable price than to force them to buy it at any price," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Perata appointments draw criticism

January 9, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Contra Costa Times (California)</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the appointments were "a political gift, given to maintain the political machine Perata has operating out of Oakland. Is this going to break the budget? No," he said. "But is this a symbol of how public money is spent and the priorities? Yes."</p>