Insurance

ADDING TO GRIEF, MOST LACK FLOOD INSURANCE

September 12, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Daily News (New York)</p> <p>Homeowner advocates such as Douglas Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights accused the insurance companies of "trying to wiggle out of their responsibility to their customers. Katrina survivors have paid premiums all these years in preparation for this disaster, only to find their insurance companies playing language games about whether or not to blame Katrina for the damage," Heller said.</p>

XXXtortion

September 12, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">f someone had bought Monica Lewinsky's blue dress before Ken Starr got hold of it, how much leverage would they have had over the President of the United States? Would the GOP have issued...</font>

Woeful lack of insurance

September 11, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, says, "I'm not worried about the solvency of CEA. I'm much more worried about the lack of" homeowners with quake insurance.</p>

Will Homeowner’s Insurance Pay for Katrina Damage?

September 11, 2005  ·  Doug Heller

<h3>A consumer advocate warns that insurance companies may try to opt out of paying for Katrina damage.</h3><p class="source">CNN-TV "AMERICAN MORNING" SHOW</p> <p>DOUG HELLER (FTCR): Unfortunately, we're already hearing from many Katrina survivors who are being told that they're not going to have insurance coverage because, well, they didn't have the flood insurance. And they're all asking the same question: If I bought hurricane insurance, and in many cases paid thousands of dollars a year for it, and then Katrina ripped through my neighborhood and destroyed my home, why is my insurance company telling me they're going to deny my claim?</p>

Many Katrina flooded homes had no insurance

September 9, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">National Public Radio (NPR) - Morning Edition</p> <p>Mr. DOUGLAS HELLER (Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights): The insurance industry is going to bring out all kinds of engineers that say, 'Well, did the damage come from the top down or from the side?' and try to come up with the explanations of why this was the flood.</p>

Tens of thousands in Gulf Coast may be without flood insurance

September 4, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Knight Ridder Washington Bureau</p> <p>"It's truly outrageous that these companies would try to draw the line that way. The bean counters in the insurance industry should not be allowed to prevail," said Douglas Heller, the executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Los Angeles-based advocacy group that clashes frequently with the insurance industry.</p>

Fears of Economic Slowdown Grow

September 3, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Experts say further fuel price hikes could ignite inflation. Greenspan, under pressure to delay raising interest rates, meets with Bush.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer advocacy group, urged Bush and Congress to impose price controls on oil and gas until the gulf crisis eases. Another group, the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, called on Bush "to warn oil companies against profiteering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."</p>

Allstate to Settle Overtime Claims;

September 2, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Insurer, which admits no wrongdoing, will pay as much as $120 million to California adjusters.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Allstate Corp. said Thursday that it would pay as much as $120 million to settle claims that some of its white-collar employees in California were routinely required to work long hours without overtime pay. The case is the latest in a series of class-action lawsuits putting pressure on California employers to revamp their white-collar pay policies. Previous settlements by RadioShack Corp., Bank of America Corp., Starbucks Corp. and Rite Aid Corp. highlighted the practice of classifying workers as managers or administrators to avoid paying overtime.</p>

State needs to back plan to shake up earthquake insurance rates

September 1, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Cutting premiums would benefit all sides</h3><p class="source">The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California)</p> <p>The state consumer group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights endorsed the reduction last week. In the long run, more homeowners in the pool could mean rate reductions for valley residents. More homeowners Mean more potential claims so the state has to balance the actuarials.</p>

No-Fault Auto: Heading for a Sunrise or Sunset?

September 1, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Florida Underwriters</p> <p>No-fault has failed to live up to insurers promises of lower insurance rates. Lower premiums can be achieved by repealing failed no-fault laws and instituting strict rate regulation, said Harvey Rosenfield, of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. He is also advocating doing away with the no-fault law in Massachusetts.</p>

Medical insurance left them hanging

August 29, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Penn Valley couple shocked by big bills</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>"No other policy sells patients health care coverage that promises so much yet delivers so little," spokeswoman Carmen Balber said.</p>

Seismic insurance shift;

August 26, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>State earthquake authority votes to reduce coverage rates 22.1 percent. Review is in works.</h3><p class="source">The Orange County Register (California)</p> <p>Doug Heller, an insurance industry watchdog, does not have earthquake insurance on his Los Angeles home, but would reconsider if rates came down. "As the rates come down, it will be much more accessible,'' said Heller, executive director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "It's far more efficient to be insured before an earthquake than wait for government assistance afterward.''</p>