Insurance

On shaky ground;

May 4, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Costly earthquake insurance leaves many homeowners in a quandary, facing high deductibles and no coverage for garages, pools and other structures.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Consumer groups believe current earthquake policies, with their high deductibles, limited coverage for household contents and lack of coverage for detached garages, swimming pools and other peripheral structures, offer little value to homeowners.</p>

SB 841: Surcharging the Poor

May 1, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Insurance Proposal Violates Consumer Protection Law</h3> <p>SB 841 will add a surcharge to consumers who cannot afford to maintain continuous auto insurance coverage.</p>

3 strikes law, good business

May 1, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Daily Forty-Niner (CSU Long Beach, CA)</p> <p>The Enron scandal has taught us that we need to keep a closer watch on how corporations are doing business. Money and power are the two most influential corrupters in our society. Corporations are in the business of increasing both. It is only logical tha</p>

Senator Proposes ‘Three Strikes and Out of Business’ State Law;

April 30, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A company's third felony conviction would bring a ban on operating in California.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The strikes would apply to virtually any type of felony, ranging from violations of the tax and consumer protection codes to offenses involving civil rights, antitrust and environmental protection, among others.</p>

Health Plan Pushes Universal Care

April 28, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Managed Care Week</p> <p>Calls for universal coverage intensified last week, with proposals outlined by a nonprofit insurer, a presidential candidate and a health policy research group.</p>

HMOs eye universal care

April 25, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Blue Cross, Kaiser propose statewide plan</h3><p class="source">LA Daily News</p> <p>A proposal that insures the 6.6 million Californians who lack medical coverage would increase the cost of health care by $7.8 billion for businesses, individuals and the state, according to a study commissioned by Blue Shield of California.</p>

Letters on Regulating Health Care

April 23, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>Those who pay skyrocketing HMO premiums cannot afford to be as incurious as Weintraub was in his column, in which he condemned legislators and consumer groups for sponsoring legislation that would require the HMOs to make their case to someone</p>

Consumer Groups Try To Push Big Brother Insurer Out Of Passenger Seat

April 21, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">National Underwriter</p> <p>"When you start installing these tracking devices in cars, you end up moving too close to a person's privacy for customers to feel satisfied. They would feel, instead, nervous or threatened by the technology," Mr. Heller said.</p>

Malpractice Award Cap Seems Doomed

April 13, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Hartford Courant (Connecticut)</p> <p>"People in Connecticut keep saying an award cap implemented in California resulted in lower rates, but that's not the case," said Doug Heller of the California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

CONSUMERS WANT HEALTH INSURERS TO GET RATE INCREASES APPROVED

April 11, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">BestWire</p> <p>Citing what they called "excessive and unfair health-care premiums" and high rates of uninsureds, consumer advocates are sponsoring a bill in the California Senate that would place health insurers into a prior-rate approval system.</p>

Briefs from the state Capitol – Med-Mal Caps

April 11, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Douglas Heller, a consumer advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in California, told lawmakers that insurance reform, not caps, ultimately lowered rates in his state.</p>

Krumme v. Mercury Insurance

April 11, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Insurer Must Stop Misleading Advertising</h3> <p>In Krumme v. Mercury Insurance, SF Sup. Court Judge Robert Dondero ruled that Mercury Insurance agents were charging consumers illegal broker fees and that Mercury Insurance was improperly advertising rates which were lower than consumers would actually p</p>