Insurance

Stem cell grantees may be required to share profits

December 4, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">East Bay Business Times (California)</p> <p>John Simpson, the stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights who is an outspoken advocate for a direct financial payback to the state, said he was happy to see the rules. "When this all started, there were serious proposals that there would be no payback to the state at all and that the only payback would be in terms of the jobs created and perhaps the taxes," he said. "I'm happy to see they put the payback in and it's a reasonable rate." But Simpson expressed concern over issues of assuring access to therapies that result from work financed by the institute.</p>

Open to new health plans;

December 3, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Aides say governor may ask employers to shoulder worker coverage, but is seeking other ideas.</h3><p class="source">The Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>Consumer advocates just as adamantly object to the idea of requiring individuals to buy health insurance, just as motorists must have auto insurance. "The problem is there are no checks on the profits or the huge overhead of the insurance companies who would be guaranteed a new consumer base under this plan," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

HEALTH CARE REFORMS ARE TOP PRIORITY

December 3, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Daily News of Los Angeles</p> <p>Santa Monica-based activist group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights suggests the government regulate the health insurance industry the same way it regulates auto insurance. Under such a plan, any increases in premiums would have to be approved by the state insurance commissioner. "We need to treat health care like we used to treat energy and we currently treat garbage disposal and cable television, we need to regulate it like a utility," said Jerry Flanagan, an advocate with the foundation.</p>

Pro-business Senate Dems could tilt Legislature

December 2, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>If pro-business Democrats stand in the way of pro-consumer legislation, Democrats won't be distinguishable from Republicans, said consumer advocate Jamie Court. "There will be a tug of war for the heart and soul of the Senate,'' Court said, "and it's going to be up to the leadership to make sure the Democratic Party stands for their traditional values of consumer and environmental protection, and not just helping their biggest donors.''</p>

Report on Corporate Rules Is Assailed;

December 1, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Panel's Business Ties Spark Outcry</h3><p class="source">The Washington Post</p> <p>Consumer advocates seized on the issue to question the study's conclusions and the motives of the panel's members, who include top executives from some of the nation's largest accounting and investment firms as well as people with close ties to the Bush administration.</p>

Healthcare premiums to soar for entertainers

November 23, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Insurers are increasingly adopting a "take-it-or-leave-it strategy," said Jerry Flanagan, an advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "The market has collapsed so much that insurers left in the game don't have to offer good rates to big groups."</p>

Stem-cell overseers face built-in conflict

November 22, 2006  ·  John M. Simpson

<p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>The stem-cell oversight committee is going to have to decide. Though the committee has the word "independent'' in its official title, it's highly unlikely that the 13 institutional representatives will act in any way that is independent of the interests of their employers. And, as has been repeatedly demonstrated, what is best for the state's universities and research institutions is by no means necessarily what's best for all Californians.</p>

Stem-cell overseers face built-in conflict

November 22, 2006  ·  John M. Simpson

<p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>The stem-cell oversight committee is going to have to decide. Though the committee has the word "independent'' in its official title, it's highly unlikely that the 13 institutional representatives will act in any way that is independent of the interests of their employers. And, as has been repeatedly demonstrated, what is best for the state's universities and research institutions is by no means necessarily what's best for all Californians. Those representing the institutions that want the money ought not set the rules for how they get it. Unfortunately, that's not what Proposition 71 provides.</p>

We’ve been here before…

November 18, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

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HMOs to face stricter rule;

November 14, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A state agency plans a move that would make it harder for insurers to drop sick policyholders.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Randolph disclosed Ehnes' plans in response to a petition the department received Monday from consumer advocates. The petition demanded that the agency move to stop the industrywide practice of canceling policies over misinformation in applications, whether or not the policyholder intended to lie. The petition was filed by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which says a 1993 state law clearly prohibits the cancellation of health insurance unless a company can prove "willful misrepresentation."</p>

Glitches hit cable switch

November 11, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Time Warner, swamped with complaints, tries to mollify former Adelphia and Comcast customers.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Time Warner Cable has been so inundated with complaints as it has taken over neighborhoods formerly served by Comcast and Adelphia that the company is slowing its rollout and offering discounts and freebies to mollify customers.</p>

Measures opposed by special interest defeated;

November 9, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>"This makes the case for why we need curbs on initiative spending,'' said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Every initiative with money against it went down. It was the money that spoke. Right now, it's a process unusable for anyone except people that have money. That's not democracy, that's a market.''</p>