Insurance

Kaiser sees rise in net income; HMO says premiums could rise next year

August 2, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Alameda Times-Star (Alameda, CA)</p> <p>"It's the height of hypocrisy that Kaiser is a nonprofit but recording record revenue while premiums to consumers increase 20 to 30 percent.", said Jerry Flanagan, spokesman for FTCR</p>

GAO FINDS NO SINGLE CAUSE FOR HIGHER MEDICAL-LIABILITY PREMIUMS

July 29, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">BestWire</p> <p>The California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, however, said the GAO report called for no such cap and called on the insurance industry to open up its books to public scrutiny.</p>

Safeco Seeks Nearly 20% Rate Hike to Resume Selling Home Insurance;

July 26, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The request for a fourth increase in three years comes just days after the company said it would halt sales because of a new state regulation.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>"This is exactly what Enron did during the energy crisis, when power companies refused to make electricity available if we refused to pay exorbitant prices," said Doug Heller, a spokesman for FTCR.</p>

US homeowners’ cover confusion in two states

July 25, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Insurance Day</p> <p>Safeco had tried to push rates up by an average of $132 a year, but its plans were foiled by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which appealed to the California Department of Insurance under Proposition 103,</p>

Car-insurance bill called unfair to poor;

July 25, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>PROPOSAL FAVORS 'LOYALTY DISCOUNT'</h3><p class="source">San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>Critics say the law would result in a surcharge for customers who have not had insurance before, or whose car-insurance policies are discontinued for 90 days or more. And such customers tend to be lower-income or those who've had recent financial hardship</p>

ASSEMBLY: Lack of experience worsens impasse

July 25, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"They don't have much experience; all they have are political futures," consumer activist Heller said. "Donors are more important than constituents."</p>

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>

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>

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>