Insurance

State bill would ban credit scoring to set premiums

May 25, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has cracked down on the use of credit scoring by one insurance company that writes homeowner policies in the state.</p>

West Coast answer is seen as model malpractice system

May 22, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Philadelphia Inquirer</p> <p>Consumer advocates and trial lawyers say MICRA is less effective than insurance changes passed in 1988 under Proposition 103, a ballot initiative that requires insurers to justify premium increases.</p>

Mercury Insurance: “Pay to Win” Politics

May 21, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<!-- excerpt --><p>After losing legal and regulatory battles, Mercury has responded as it best knows how: by throwing money at politicians.</p>

Too many claims may cause insurance cancellation

May 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Doug Heller, with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica, California-based advocacy group, said a central insurance database codes inquiries as damage claims.</p>

Storm insurance claims could threaten coverage

May 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)</p> <p>"In this moment, consumers must be protected and must be allowed to use their insurance policy without fear of losing it," said Doug Heller, a senior consumer advocate at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Insurance limit advances;

May 16, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>MEASURE BANS HOME POLICY BASED ON CREDIT HISTORY</h3><p class="source">San Jose Mercury News</p> <p>Consumer advocates supported the bill, arguing that insurers should not be able to tie homeowners' financial histories to their insurance risk. They said using credit reports to help write policies is especially harmful to poor and minority homeowners</p>

Health Care as a Winner

May 16, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The Democratic presidential candidates have figured out that universal health care is now a winning hand. They just have to figure out how to play it.</p>

TO SOLVE MALPRACTICE-INSURANCE CRISIS, ROLL BACK RATES, NOT RIGHTS

May 14, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Orlando Sentinel (Florida)</p> <p>Backers, including Gov. Jeb Bush, insist caps will lower insurance premiums. But the experience in California shows that the only way to cut premiums is to regulate insurance company profits and expenses.</p>

Plan to require state approval for increases in trouble

May 13, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>"This bill is really designed for the self-employed people, small business employers and retirees who don't have health benefits. They don't have the same huge market leverage that really large employers do," said Jerry Flanagan with FTCR.</p>

Battling Corporate Greed

May 12, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, and the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights no doubt are hoping that newspaper opinion pages support their "Corporate Three Strikes Act."</p>

Corporate Three Strikes Bill in California

May 11, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">CNN - IN THE MONEY</p> <p>You can't put a corporation in prison and that's usually the ultimate punishment for individual crime. We need a corollary in corporate crime, and this three strikes you're out law here in California will be exactly that.</p>

Cashing In at the Capitol

May 9, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>In fact, now Sacramento insiders say lawmakers seem to base their votes more than ever on political factors and the sources of campaign funds.</p>