Insurance

Health care law may go to voters

October 11, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WANTS TO REPEAL MANDATE</h3><p class="source">San Jose Mercury News</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, a consumer advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, called on the chamber "to stop fighting a bill" that Californians want and need.</p>

Groping in the dark in sunny California

October 10, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio)</p> <p>"From the California perspective, people had lost any capacity to do the tailwork. Unless Schwarzenegger had been groping Ken Lay in that hotel room, there wasn't going to be much interest," said Doug Heller with FTCR.</p>

TURN director leaves for new post

October 9, 2003  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p class="source">Contra Costa Times (California)</p> <p>Nettie Hoge, consumer advocate who fought for the rights of ratepayers during California's energy "crisis", announced that she is resigning as executive director of TURN and will become deputy commissioner at the California Dept. of Insurance.</p>

Speaker blames drug companies;

October 9, 2003  ·  Jamie Court

<h3>Says consumers need to 'fight back'</h3><p class="source">Orange County Register (California)</p> <p>In a Sept. 17 address to a People for a National Health Program, keynote speaker Jamie Court claimed that the most profitable industry in the nation is the pharmaceutical industry "at a time when many consumers are unable to afford its products."</p>

Business group seeks referendum on bill mandating health coverage

October 9, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>"Clearly, Californians need and want health care, and the chamber should accept that and join with us to make it more affordable by supporting cost controls such as insurance rate regulation, hospital and physician rate caps," Jerry Flanagan of FTCR.</p>

Cingular Wireless in Cal. faces a class action consumer lawsuit

October 7, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Communications Daily</p> <p>Cingular Wireless in Cal. faces a class action consumer lawsuit alleging unlawful business tactics even as it said it would appeal a Cal. PUC decision to fine it for the same alleged practices.</p>

Beware of dog when seeking insurance;

October 7, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Some firms have 'bad breed' lists</h3><p class="source">Philadelphia Daily News</p> <p>Doug Heller, of FTCR, said insurance companies appear to have gotten more discriminating in the past year and a half. He calls breed exclusion a case of "laziness and greed", and argues that insuring dog owners should be done on a case-by-case basis.</p>

CALIFORNIA’S DAVIS SIGNS ‘PAY OR PLAY’ HEALTH BILL

October 6, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">BestWire</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights says Hawaii's 30-year experience with a similar "pay or play" system indicates the state's next step ought to be enacting cost-control legislation for the health-care market.</p>

Worker’s Health Insurance Bill Benefits Argued

October 1, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">KPBS Radio - SAN DIEGO, CA</p> <p>Jamie Court directs the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. He thinks the measure is a good idea. But Court says it's missing an important element. Controlling costs of coverage...</p>

Governor Expected to Sign Health Bill;

October 1, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Measure would require more employers to provide insurance.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The nonprofit FTCR, which supports the bill but has been highly critical of its failure to include direct cost controls, urged Davis on Tuesday to sign the measure, but also asked him to "commit" to find ways to limit prices paid to doctors and hospitals</p>

Insurer to Drop Medical Policies;

September 27, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Farmers Insurance says the malpractice business for doctors and hospital groups isn't profitable. It cites unlimited payouts for damages.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>FTCR issued a statement asserting that Farmers' departure from the business does not make the case for payout limits. The organization argues that limits are unfair to victims and to the trial lawyers who represent them.</p>

Fighting corporate branding by counterbranding

September 25, 2003  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Minnesota Public Radio - Marketplace (6:30PM ET)</p> <p>Remember when HMOs threw moms out of hospitals eight hours after giving birth? We counterbranded that practice of premature patient discharges and named them drive-thru deliveries.</p>