Insurance

Old Battle Over Medical-Malpractice Damages Flares Again

March 25, 2014 · Mark Reback

The first serious kerfuffle to confront a newly inaugurated Gov. Jerry Brown in 1975 was a crisis – whether real or contrived is still being debated – over medical <a class="lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/malpractice+insurance/" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;">malpractice insurance.</a>

Why Are Health Insurance Rates on the Increase?

March 24, 2014 · Mark Reback

<a href="http://www.kcrw.com/media-player/mediaPlayer2.html?type=audio&id=ww140324why_are_health_insur">Click here to listen to the audio</a> of this radio broadcast segment.

UC-Corporate Links Produce Trove Of Patents, Study Finds

March 20, 2014 · Mark Reback

<div id="text-pages"> <div class="page" style="display: block;"> Corporations often attract criticism for funding university research, but a study published Thursday argues these sometimes controversial deals produce more innovations than those subsidized with taxpayer money.

Toothless Watchdog? FTC and Football Concussions

March 20, 2014 · Mark Reback

From the Monday night gridiron to the Friday night bleachers, players and parents are buzzing with concern over football concussions and the safety equipment that’s meant to prevent them. On March 13, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/205241/140313sportssafetyhouse.pdf">testified</a> before Congress that it is on the job, ensuring that concussion protection claims made for sports equipment are truthful and not supported by junk science.

California Car Data Bill Has Manufacturers, Insurers Butting Heads

March 18, 2014 · Mark Reback

Foreshadowing a clash between carmakers and a prominent auto insurance company, Sen. Bill Monning on Tuesday unveiled a bill to loosen car manufacturers’ grip on data generated by vehicles. Framed by a computer-equipped car parked on the steps of the state Capitol, the Carmel Democrat said his Senate Bill 994 would allow consumers to see what data their car emits and decide with whom they want to share the information. The measure is sponsored by AAA Northern California and its south state counterpart, the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Rep. Jackie Speier Doesn’t Mince Words

March 17, 2014 · Mark Reback

A California Democrat who uses public anger as a tool, Speier has played a major role in raising the visibility of sexual assault in the military. <div id="story-body-text"> WASHINGTON — Uneasiness filled the room at an otherwise routine congressional budget hearing last week as Rep. <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/jackie-speier-PEPLT006244.topic" id="PEPLT006244" title="Jackie Speier">Jackie Speier</a> took the microphone and lit into the nation's top military commanders about a crude chain of emails.

In California, Middle Class Feels Health Insurance Squeeze

March 8, 2014 · Mark Reback

Dawn and Nick LaPolla of <a class="lingo_link lingo_link_hidden" href="http://topics.sacbee.com/Fair+Oaks/" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;">Fair Oaks</a> are solidly middle class, and they aren’t uninsured.

Albertsons Parent Cerberus Is Buying Safeway For More Than $9 Billion

March 6, 2014 · Mark Reback

Albertsons is making a play for the top spot in the U.S. grocery industry with the purchase of rival Safeway for more than $9 billion in cash and stock. Safeway, now the second-largest chain behind Kroger Co., owns the Vons and Pavilions brands in Southern California. With the purchase, Albertsons would operate more than 2,400 stores, compared with Kroger's 2,640.

Insurance Groups Eye Calif. Bills Reforming Prop 103, Reaching Medical Mal Cap, and Urging TRIPRA Renewal

February 27, 2014 · Mark Reback

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California lawmakers are considering bills that would limit or end participation of intervenors in automobile insurance rate filings, urge Congress and the president to renew funding for the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act and call on interested parties to solve difficulties with medical malpractice compensation cap.

Prop 103 Consumer Benefits Debate Serves as Focal Point for Calif. Ballot Initiative Expanding Law to Health

February 19, 2014 · Mark Reback

WASHINGTON -- Advocates and opponents of California's Proposition 103 are debating whether it has helped consumers 25 years after its passage. Some say the debate is being used to sway voters who will determine whether measures similar to Proposition 103 should be applied to health insurance in the state this fall.

AAA Gets an “F” For Dumping Agents, Leaving Customers in the Lurch

February 16, 2014 · Judy Dugan

<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2732" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/images_aaa_0.jpg" style="width: 214px; height: 164px; float: right; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" width="214" height="164" />Triple-A has been American drivers’ friend almost since U.S. roads linked the nation together. It has rescued families from flat tires and worse. It has planned millions of family vacations and sold well-regarded auto insurance. It has always skewed toward older drivers and welcomed their devoted renewal of memberships. Its employees got good benefits and stayed with the organization.

Massive Cable Deal Would Make Comcast Too Powerful For Some

February 13, 2014 · Mark Reback

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer advocates and U.S. lawmakers are worried that Comcast Corp's proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable Inc will create a company with too much power to decide what Americans can watch on television and do online, and they expect intense regulatory scrutiny of the deal.

Prop 103 California Insurance Reform

New Bill Requires Insurance Companies to Offer and Renew Insurance Coverage for Fire-Safe Homes

Homeowners Dropped by Insurers