Insurance

Corporate Profit vs. City Freedom

July 21, 2003  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">ABC-TV7 - San Francisco Bay Area</p> <p>FTCR announced this week that San Francisco tops the list of the six cities it examined in its "Corporateering Quotient" for curbing corporate cultural power.</p>

You Revealed; CLUE reports give insurance companies insight into your claim history

July 19, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)</p> <p>"ChoicePoint is basically becoming the private version of Big Brother. The information they keep on you is very personal and detailed -- about your credit history, auto claims and accidents, homeowner claims, including thefts." said Doug Heller, consumer</p>

Assembly vote avoidance helps kill consumer-protection bills

July 19, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Consumer-protection bills are dying in the Assembly, not from votes against them but because many members in key committees aren't voting at all. Because an abstention is the same as a no vote, the bill is defeated without legislators having to take a sta</p>

Insurance discount bill sent to Davis

July 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The firm backing the plan is a big donor to state leaders.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>"This is the juice bill of the year, the most blatant cash-for-influence legislation," said Jamie Court, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

California dreamin’;

July 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Proponents of malpractice caps ignore another state's experience</h3><p class="source">Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida)</p> <p>What the California experience really proves, though, is that insurance regulation is the key to lowering premiums.</p>

AUTO INSURANCE DISCOUNT BILL GOES TO GOVERNOR IN CALIFORNIA

July 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">BestWire</p> <p>"You can't counter a proposition passed by the people of the state with legislation passed by the Legislature. That's part of California constitution - if you want to counter a proposition, you have to do it by passing another proposition." said Doug Hel</p>

Assembly passes bill to give loyal insurance customers discounts

July 17, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>The Assembly approved auto insurance legislation Thursday that would let insurers offer discounts for longtime customers, despite arguments that it would hurt many low-income drivers and invite a lawsuit.</p>

INSURER: NO NEED FOR RATE REFORM

July 15, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>DURING A DAY OF TESTY TALK ON MALPRACTICE INSURANCE, AN EXECUTIVE SAID HIS FIRM STILL WOULD MAKE MONEY.</h3><p class="source">Orlando Sentinel</p> <p>The head of the state's largest insurer for physicians defended sharp increases in medical-malpractice insurance rates and told a Senate committee Monday that his company doesn't need legislative reforms to remain profitable.</p>

A For-the-People Activist

July 12, 2003  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Re: "Lobbyist's Guerrilla Tactics Get Attention," July 7: Isn't it time that consumers got as angry as Jamie Court? Isn't it time that we citizens held our politicians accountable for selling out our interests to corporate high bidders?</p>

Insurance Industry Wins on 2 Bills;

July 10, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Assembly panel rejects measures sought by consumer activists on the use of credit scores, renewal policies for homeowners coverage.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The bills by Democratic Sens. Martha Escutia of Whittier and Jackie Speier of Hillsborough were top-priority issues for a coalition of consumer advocates, who said insurers in California were deliberately discriminating against poor and minority homeowner</p>

CALIF. ASSEMBLY PANEL DEFEATS INSURANCE SCORING, UNDERWRITING BILLS

July 10, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">BestWire</p> <p>Bills that would have banned the use of credit-based insurance scoring by insurers and granted the California Department of Insurance broad authority to regulate underwriting and pricing both failed to pass the state Assembly's Insurance Committee.</p>

Careless or Less Care?

July 7, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Kaiser's high profits give strong warning yet regulators appear to stand fast</h3><p class="source">Axcess Business News</p> <p>Not only is Kaiser under public scrutiny for reporting high profits while raising costs to its members, but the HMO is also the focus of a number of ethical issues regarding treatment of their patients by placing profit over necessary health care.</p>