Insurance

Blue Cross premiums probed;

May 15, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Anthem merger costs at issue</h3><p class="source">Stockton Record</p> <p>Consumer advocate Jerry Flanagan said Blue Cross broke its promise not to raise rates to pay for the costs associated with the merger, including $265 million in cash bonuses paid to company executives.</p>

Regulators Accelerate Probe of Hikes in Blue Cross Premiums;

May 15, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Consumer activists tell of boosts as high as 40% after a takeover of the insurer's parent. The company calls the increases reasonable.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Consumer activists, citing anecdotal evidence gathered from policyholders, testified that some Blue Cross customers were being hit with rate increases of 20% to 40% on individual and family coverage.</p>

California regulators step up investigation of Blue Cross hikes

May 15, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Consumer advocates raised concerns last year about the November merger between Thousand Oaks-based WellPoint Health Networks, the parent company of Blue Cross, and Anthem Inc. of Indianapolis. They have since pushed for the inquiries about the $21 million deal.</p>

Insurance, credit scores don’t mix

May 13, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Gabriel Valley Tribune</p> <p>Assemblyman Ron Calderon's bill allowing insurance companies to use consumer credit ratings to determine eligibility for homeowner policies is bad for consumers and could slow a booming housing market.</p>

Million Dollar Baby

May 13, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">California law limits the campaign contributions a Governor may accept to $22,300 from any single donor. A recent court ruling, however, said that Arnold can blow through those limits as long as...</font>

Consumer Watchdog’s Legal Project Principles

May 13, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<!-- excerpt --> <ol> <li>The judicial branch is the only branch of government free of the powerful influence of special interests. Consumer Watchdog strongly supports the historic right of Americans to their day in court, to seek redress of injustice and to receive full compensation for their injuries.</li> <li>Consumer Watchdog Legal Project attorneys seek to bring cases in which the threat to consumers or taxpayers is significant, the impact of the litigation will benefit many people, and the courts or regulatory agencies are an appropriate forum to resolve the dispute.</li>

Blue Cross says overcharges fixed

May 6, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Daily News of Los Angeles</p> <p>More than 46,000 Blue Cross of California members were accidentally overcharged for their monthly premiums in April, but the health care company said Monday that it has refunded most of the miscollected money. The California Department of Managed Health Care is looking into the mistake to prevent it from happening again.</p>

LA Tentatively Approves Drug Discount Program

May 6, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Los Angeles would become the first city in the nation to create a prescription drug discount program for its residents under a plan tentatively approved by the City Council.</p>

State bill would alter insurance rate policy

May 5, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>If approved, AB 1454 would overturn regulations imposed by Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi. But some consumer groups, such as the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, complained that using credit scores would hurt low-income and minority customers, who often have worse credit, and is irrelevant to homeowners insurance.</p>

Committee OKs Calderon home insurance bill;

May 4, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Credit scores would be factor in sale</h3><p class="source">Whittier Daily News</p> <p>"It's ridiculous to base somebody's insurance premium on whether they have paid off their Visa card. Whether or not you pay your Visa bill on time every month has nothing to do with whether or not a windstorm is going to blow shingles off your roof," said Doug Heller with FTCR.</p>

Panel kills universal health insurance;

April 27, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The Assembly action comes as the Senate looks at a state-run plan to replace private coverage.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>Opponents countered that AB 1670 might prompt employers to drop their existing health insurance policies, and that many Californians could not afford the $5,000 deductible in basic policies.</p>

Insurers warn they would be unable to handle massive California disaster

April 27, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Daily News of Los Angeles</p> <p>Douglas Heller, executive director of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, wasn't so sure that bringing other states into the picture would work for anyone, however. The frequent industry critic said that the varying issues that confront each state make it too difficult to craft a national policy, suggesting instead that insurers lower premiums to encourage more people to join the risk pool.</p>