Insurance

For 3 Million, ‘Affordable’ Health Care Might Not Be

February 8, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>For millions, subsidies don't kick in until up to 9.5% of their income goes to premiums.</b></p> <p>The lure used to get uninsured Americans to sign up for health law coverage was the promise of generous premium subsidies.</p>

Iron Kay — Insurance Companies Pick Fight With Wrong Family

February 7, 2014  ·  Judy Dugan

<p><strong><a href="http://insurancebadbehavior.org"><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2730" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/images_ironlady.jpg" style="width: 299px; height: 189px; float: right; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" width="450" height="284" /></a>March 2014 update:</strong></p> <p><em>Victory! The insurers have settled with Aunt Kay, thanks to the campaign mounted by her nephew Dan Shea. If only every person stuck in insurance company hell had Dan's smarts, tenacity and resources! Or better yet, if only insurance companies weren't allowed to put claimants through the torment that Kay suffered.</em></p>

WellPoint, Insurers Spend Millions To Stop Rate Hike Justification

February 3, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Health insurance companies in California spent $13.8 million to defeat a state ballot initiative that would require them to get approval for rate hikes, <a href="http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/press-releases/anthem-increases-rates-25-it-spends-129-million-parent-company-wellpoint-de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the non-profit Consumer Watchdog Campaign.</p>

Anthem To Raise Some Premiums As Much As 25%

January 31, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Up to 306,000 Californians with older, individual Anthem health insurance policies — unchanged by Obamacare — are subject to the rate increases.</b></p> <p>Thousands of Anthem Blue Cross individual customers with older insurance policies untouched by Obamacare are getting some jarring news: Their premiums are going up as much as 25%.</p> <p>These increases, 16% on average, are slated to go into effect April 1 for up to 306,000 people — unless California regulators persuade the state's largest for-profit health insurer to back down.</p>

Should You Pay More For Auto Insurance Because Of Your College Degree (Or Lack Of One)?

January 30, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Insurance companies are all about managing risk -- especially the risk to their bottom line. We understand why insurers charge higher premiums to smokers than non-smokers, or why they charge more to cover amusement parks than accounting firms: they know that the likelihood of issuing out a payout is much higher for the former.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Clashes With Dave Jones Over Auto Insurance

January 29, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="asset-content entry-content lingo_region"> <div class="asset-body"> <p><a href="http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/davejones.JPG"><img alt="davejones.JPG" class="mt-image-right" height="217" src="http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/assets_c/2014/01/davejones-thumb-280x217-83401.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 20px 20px;" width="280" /></a>Automobile insurance companies would be banned from using motorists' occupation and education levels in establishing customer premiums under a rule change sought by consumer advocates Wednesday.</p>

Citizen Groups Petition Insurance Commissioner Jones to Stop Auto Insurance Surcharges Based on Occupation and Education Level

January 29, 2014  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-20498" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/images_prop103newsconf.jpg" style="width: 211px; height: 158px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="1200" height="900" />Santa Monica, CA - Fourteen non-profit citizen, consumer and low income advocacy organizations today formally petitioned Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones to bar auto insurance companies from discriminating against California drivers based on their occupation or education level.  <br /> <br />

Guest Commentary: California Health Insurance Rates Need Regulation

January 29, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<p>In my 20 years as a practicing oncologist, I have seen way too many of my vulnerable patients fall victim to our current health care system, which has become quite deleterious and very mischievous.</p> <p>In 2011, there were close to 2.5 million medical-related bankruptcies in the United States. Shockingly, 75 percent of these involved patients who actually had insurance.</p>

Consumer Advocacy Group Wants Auto Insurance Companies To Stop Granting Professional Discounts

January 29, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

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Answering Questions on Target, Health Coverage and Top 1%

January 17, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<div id="text-pages"> <div class="page" style="display: block;"> <p>Today I have answers to questions on the Target data breach, whether Covered California policies cover you while traveling outside the United States and the top 1 percent in California.</p>

State Tells Cigna To Stop Using Covered California Exchange Name

January 13, 2014  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="mod-latarticlesarticletext mod-articletext" id="mod-a-body-first-para"> <p>California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris told insurance giant Cigna Corp. to stop selling health plans bearing the name of California's health exchange because it was deceptive.</p> <p>Cigna opted out of participating in the Covered California exchange when it launched last year. But the company continued selling policies outside the exchange and labeled some of them "Covered California" plans.</p>

California’s Insurance Commissioner Seeks Re-Election, More Power

December 22, 2013  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p>He was an early supporter, but that hasn’t prevented Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones from finding plenty of fault with President Barack Obama’s new health care program and its rollout in California.</p>