Insurance

Payment Due — Healthcare Headaches in America;

May 5, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Transcript of Show on Junk Health Insurance Plans Bill (S. 1955 - Enzi-R-WY)</h3><p class="source">PBS-TV: NOW Program</p> <p>The numbers are staggering -- 45 million Americans have no health insurance coverage. Most of those folks are working but their employers either don't offer health insurance or what they offer is too expensive. So some families grasp at straws -- cheaper policies that appear to offer the coverage they need, but don't. You're about to meet some people who learned in hardest possible way what can go wrong when an insurance policy and an illness don't line up. This at a time when there's new legislation in Congress that, if passed, would be the biggest reorganization of health insurance in decades. Consumer groups are worried it could make things worse. </p>

Trade associations see potential boon from AHP legislation

May 4, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Hill</p> <p>Trade associations will find a way to benefit from the plans financially, insists Carmen Balber of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "There's nothing in the bill that prevents associations from making money off these plans," she said. What constitutes "reasonable expenses" is not clearly defined, she said.</p>

Author throws punch at Allstate: Tough tactics alleged if payouts resisted

May 3, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Chicago Tribune</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the watchdog group Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, agrees with Berardinelli, saying that it is counterintuitive for an insurance company to treat its claims division as a profit center. "Insurance companies are supposed to make money by building a customer base, investing the premiums safely and doing a good job of underwriting so they have enough money to pay claims and maintain profits," Heller said.</p>

Stem cell institute gearing up to distribute research funds

May 2, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Examiner</p> <p>John Simpson, stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said he approves of the way the institute is formulating its spending plan. "It is tremendously encouraging to see that it was done in public," he said.</p>

Insurance Bill Would Affect State’s Small Firms

May 1, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Diego Business Journal</p> <p>"California has a lot of strong patient protections -- more than a lot of other states," said Carmen Balber; of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group based in Santa Monica. Balber said the bill would allow insurance companies to widely vary individuals' rates. She said under SB 1955, trade group plans could deviate from a formula by as much as 25 percent, whereas currently, health plans that operate here can only go about 10 percent beyond the standard for premiums.</p>

Auto insurance rate hikes on your horizon? Maybe not;

April 30, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California)</p> <p>"This issue has been studied to death," said Doug Heller, a lobbyist for The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, an independent advocacy group. "The purpose of this bill is to throw up another wall (to implementing Prop. 103)."</p>

Canceled Policies Prompt Lawsuits

April 28, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Customers of Blue Cross and Blue Shield say they were dumped after incurring medical costs.</h3> <p> The lawsuits allege that once individual policyholders incurred medical expenses, the companies looked for ways to drop them to boost their bottom lines. The several former policyholders allege that they were dropped for trivial or inadvertent omissions on their applications. </p>

Claims WellPoint subsidiary Blue Cross of California canceling health insurance illegally

April 27, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">CBS-TV Evening News</p> <p>Mr. JERRY FLANAGAN (Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights): The law is very clear. The only way an insurance company can revoke coverage after the fact is if the individual on purpose hid a past medical condition.</p>

Assembly panel approves bill for universal health care coverage

April 26, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>"Requiring something people cannot afford is not a solution to solving the health care crisis," said Jerry Flanagan, health care advocate at The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

States may lose health mandates;

April 24, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Congress looks to make health insurance more affordable, but some fear legislation might cost consumer protections.</h3><p class="source">Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said the move by Congress, "under the guise of making health care affordable," would encourage health insurers to sell coverage that provides no benefit guarantees. The American Diabetes Association said the nation "simply cannot afford to eliminate the diabetes health coverage guarantees that 46 states and the District of Columbia have wisely taken the initiative to provide."</p>

Judge OKs stem cell program;

April 22, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Scientists celebrate as agency is ruled constitutional, but opposition groups promise to appeal decision</h3><p class="source">Contra Costa Times (California)</p> <p>While the court battle plays out, the stem cell agency should establish strong intellectual property policies, said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "The stem cell committee must use that time to implement rules governing ownership of research discoveries to ensure the full... promises of Proposition 71 are met," he said.</p>

Mergers of Medical Insurers Faulted

April 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>In the last five years, health insurance premiums in the state have gone up more than 70%, the Kaiser Family Foundation said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a handful of insurance companies with a stranglehold on the market can raise rates," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>