Insurance

Governor fills long-vacant post of managed care director

March 29, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Business Journal</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, a health care specialist with the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, said he talked to Ehnes recently and was heartened to hear she was open to some sort of regulation of health care premiums, a priority for the group.</p>

Governor creates private corporation to oversee fund-raising

March 26, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Political watchdogs say that even if the governor fulfills his disclosure promises, the nonprofit corporation adds a powerful new weapon in his arsenal while also raising a variety of legal and ethical questions.</p>

Governor considers proposal

March 26, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Insurance industry suggestion could cut workers' compensation costs</h3><p class="source">The Daily News of Los Angeles</p> <p>"The commissioner has to have the authority to enforce rate limits. Anything short of that will allow insurers to gouge businesses and reap their own financial rewards," said Jerry Flanagan, a spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Right</p>

Governor willing to consider rate regulation to ensure savings

March 25, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>"There's alot of pitfalls that can make regulation a sham," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "We do not want insurance companies to be able to pull wool over our eyes and end up with no savings."</p>

Governor shifts stance on workers’ comp debate;

March 25, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Schwarzenegger open to insurance rate regulation</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>Doug Heller, an advocate from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said 25 states regulate workers' compensation rates, including some that have avoided a crisis.</p>

Editorial: Same old same old

March 25, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Schwarzenegger, too, likes closed doors</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>Some of the people who voted for him might actually still be expecting him to live up to his promise to be a different kind of governor. The least he can do is to let them know he didn't really mean it.</p>

Rate regulation key hurdle in workers’ comp pact

March 24, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights today plans to propose regulations similar to those under the groundbreaking Proposition 103, a measure approved by voters in 1988 that slashed property and auto insurance rates.</p>

Author of measure to discuss regulation

March 24, 2004  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p class="source">Belleville News-Democrat</p> <p>Rosenfield said California's malpractice insurance premiums dropped 20 percent after passage of Proposition 103, but opponents claimed it was a coincidence.</p>

Can Arnold Say 103?

March 24, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">California's Gov is no friend of regulation, but it looks like Proposition 103-style insurance premium regulation may be the answer to legislative gridlock over workers' compensation reform. In...</font>

Governor’s team for workers’ comp drive is battle-tested;

March 22, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Insiders who marshaled Props. 57-58 support are ready if issue goes to ballot.</h3><p class="source">The Orange County Register (California)</p> <p>Critics, such as Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, say Schwarzenegger's campaign apparatus is a "hide-the-contributor" shell game that opens the door for special-interest money.</p>

Governor stops insurers’ donations

March 20, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>The Santa Monica-based FTCR said Schwarzenegger's hiatus from accepting workers' compensation insurance contributions only pays lip service to his campaign pledge that he'd be different from other politicians and not beholden to special-interests</p>

Getting insurance a new buying barrier

March 19, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Washington Times</p> <p>Critics and watchdog groups, including the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, claim that the losses are compounded by financial missteps by the industry, which invested heavily in stock losers such as Enron and WorldCom.</p>