Insurance

Proposed Anthem-Cigna Merger Under Fire from CA Consumers

April 5, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="field field-name-body"> <h2>The merger "would create the nation's largest insurer, which could have a significant impact on California's consumers, businesses, and the healthcare marketplace," says on consumer advocate. But few studies show "higher insurer market concentration leads to lower health insurance premiums," according to health economist.</h2>

California Insurance Commissioner Probes Anthem-Cigna Merger

March 29, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p style=""><span class="dateline">SAN FRANCISCO</span>, CA -- California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says he has "some significant skepticism" about the benefits of Anthem Inc.'s proposed acquisition of rival insurer Cigna Corp.</p> <div class="clearfix" id="story-target"> <div id="content-body-16194260-68891477"> <p style="">Jones spoke at a public hearing on the proposed $54 billion merger Tuesday in San Francisco.</p>

Obama Headlining Summit To Fight Rx & Heroin Abuse Epidemic

March 28, 2016  ·  Carmen Balber

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-20753" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/images_drugs.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 170px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="200" height="170" />Santa Monica, CA – President Obama will give the keynote address at the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit tomorrow where prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are being highlighted as essential tools to reduce prescription abuse.</p>

Rising Life Insurance Premiums Challenged In Court

March 23, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Insurance companies have the same problem everyone else does -- poor return on their investments. With their investment portfolios lagging, insurers are jacking up premiums, a tactic that is not going down well with consumers.</p>

NHTSA’s Voluntary Automatic Emergency Braking Deal Undercuts Auto Safety

March 22, 2016  ·  John M. Simpson

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2920" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/nhtsa-logo-large.png" style="width: 250px; height: 156px; float: right;" width="1200" height="750" />The  <a href="http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa-iihs-commitment-on-aeb-03172016">unprecedented deal between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration </a>(NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and 20 automakers to voluntarily make automatic emergency braking systems standard on their cars by 2022 actually undercuts auto safety.</p>

Brown Aide Accused Of Influencing PUC Appointments To Bolster PG&E Stock

March 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>SAN BRUNO, CA -- Gov. Jerry Brown's top aide - a former PG&E executive - influenced the governor's decisions for appointments to the powerful and tarnished state Public Utilities Commission to prop up PG&E's stock, a consumer group claimed on Monday.</p> <p><br /> "The governor needs to take this seriously," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "This is all about corruption on his doorstep."</p>

NHTSA Announces New Safety Initiatives, Including a Push for Driverless Cars

March 3, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="entry entry-content"> <p>At the January 12, 2016 World Congress meeting in Detroit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Administrator, Mark Rosekind, indicated that “history making” announcements would be forthcoming regarding future steps the administration and the auto industry plan to take to increase <a href="http://www.chaffinluhana.com/" target="_blank" title="vehicle safety" rel="noopener">vehicle safety</a>.</p>

Santa Monica Consumers’ Group Claims Win For Allstate Customers

February 23, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Following challenges Consumer Watchdog filed under a California's voter-approved insurance reform law, Allstate customers with homeowners' insurance policies will get an overall 12.6 percent rate reduction, effective this month, the Santa Monica-based nonprofit announced.</p> <p>As a result of the group's challenges to the insurer's “excessive” rates, policy holders will save nearly $72.5 million, amounting to an average annual savings estimated at $230 per policy, said Carmen Balber, Consumer Watchdog executive director.</p>

Watchdog Groups Call Out Ky. Insurance Commissioner’s Approval Of Aetna-Humana Merger

February 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Watchdog groups are speaking out after Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Brian Maynard <a href="http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/payer-issues/ky-insurance-commissioner-grants-humana-aetna-approval-without-public-hearing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> the Aetna-Humana merger without a formal public hearing, according to <em><a href="http://insiderlouisville.com/business/watchdog-groups-criticize-state-official-over-aetna-humana-decision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Louisville</a></em>.</p>

Citizens Oversight Files Petition With CPUC Calling for Investigation Into Aliso Canyon Gas Leak

January 31, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">January 31, 2016 (San Diego) — “The worst environmental disaster in California history is continuing to occur without any investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC),” says Raymond Lutz, founder of Citizens Oversight in El Cajon.  Now, Citizens Oversight has filed a petition along with Consumer Watchdog and Paul E. Hunt, calling on the CPUC to hold an open investigation into the Aliso Canyon/Porter Ranch methane gas leak north of Los Angeles.</span></p>

Lawmakers Consider Flood Insurance Rules

January 13, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="ui-tabs-panel ui-widget-content ui-corner-bottom" id="story-content"> <div class="field field-name-field-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden multi-value-field"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item first even"> <div> <p class="x_MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/marketplace-morning-report-wednesday-january-13-2016">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment</a>.</p>

California Regulators Are Urged To Scrutinize Health Insurance Mega-Mergers

January 11, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>California is becoming a battleground state in the fight over health insurance mega-mergers.</p> <p>Consumer advocates are putting pressure on regulators in California and a dozen other key states to scrutinize the deals amid concerns that consumers will be left with fewer choices and higher costs.</p> <p>There's a lot at stake for families and employers if the deals go through and leave three health insurers in control of nearly half of the U.S. commercial insurance market.</p>