Consumer Watchdog

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Consumer Watchdog

Insurance

Insurance news, investigations, and reform — auto, home, and health insurance rates, claims denials, and industry accountability.
Critics say bill won’t lower premiums

Critics say bill won’t lower premiums

<h3>MALPRACTICE: Texas State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, and Rep. Joe Nixon, R-Houston, offer legislation to end "lawsuit lottery" by capping damages.</h3><p class="source">Fort Worth Star Telegram</p> <p>Harvey Rosenfield of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights told a House panel that limiting damages to $250,000 would probably not solve the insurance crisis that Texas physicians want lawmakers to address.</p>
Malpractice insurance: no simple solutions

Malpractice insurance: no simple solutions

<p class="source">Miami Herald</p> <p>California's malpractice insurance rates continued to increase despite the 1975 limit and didn't drop until voters passed a 1988 ballot initiative that mandated rollbacks on premiums.</p>
California Experience

California Experience

<p class="source">Kansas City Star</p> <p>There is an equal argument to be made that premiums in California actually didn't decline until 1988, when voters passed Proposition 103, which gave the state and voters new tools to investigate and limit the insurance industry's rates and practices.</p>
Ballot budgeting considered

Ballot budgeting considered

<h3>Democrats say voters may be needed to do what lawmakers won't.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>California's Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights wants to band together with other groups to change commercial property tax rules, particularly to spare health care programs targeted for deep cuts in the Davis budget.</p>
Place No Cap On Reform

Place No Cap On Reform

<p class="source">Palm Beach Post</p> <p>California's "successful experience," however, also included a voter-approved rollback of malpractice premiums. The Florida task force recommends nothing like that.</p>
Solving the Medical Malpractice Crisis

Solving the Medical Malpractice Crisis

<h3>Congressional Testimony of Harvey Rosenfield (February 10, 2003)</h3> <p>Harvey Rosenfield's testimony concerning the impact of liability caps compared with insurance regulation on medical malpractice insurance rates before the the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, in Langhorne,</p>