Insurance

Insurers Keen On Retaining Power Over Premiums

March 27, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>While most of us face uncertainty with the rollout of healthcare reform, some insurance companies in California have been feeling their oats lately. Here's how they're responding to Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones' warnings that their latest rate increases are unreasonable: Stuff it, Dave.<br /> <br />

Big Week for Insurance Consumers

March 25, 2013  ·  Pam Pressley

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2621" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/images_justicescale_0.jpg" style="width: 163px; height: 120px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="163" height="120" />Our Legal Team had a busy week last week, with two big auto insurance rate victories and significant steps forward in our legal cases against insurance company abuses.  Here are some highlights of our accomplishments <strong>just this past week</strong>:</p> <p>1) Slashed Farmers' requested auto rate increase in half from 6.9% to 3.5%  </p> <p>2) Lowered So Cal Auto Club auto insurance rates by -4.1%</p>

Gas Prices Going Up, Up, Up

March 24, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Are you ready for $6-per-gallon gasoline? Then $7 a little later?</p> <p>Premium grades of gasoline already go for more than $5 per gallon in some parts of California; regular skyrocketed to above $4.50 for a month at hundreds of service stations.</p> <p>There is no promise these near-record price levels will drop anytime soon, especially with summer approaching and refiners making more expensive California-specific blends for the next few months.</p>

Just Say ‘No’ To Rate Hikes

March 24, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>"There you go again." That famous phrase was uttered in a debate by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan in response to his perceptions of incumbent Jimmy Carter's mischaracterizations. More than 30 years later, it can just as easily be applied to the latest round of health insurance increases by California companies.</p>

DTSC Director Issues Response To Scathing Report On Agency Managers

March 22, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Toxics department director Debbie Raphael this week issued a statement on the agency's website defending its top managers and policies against a recent, scathing report by a non-profit environmental watchdog group alleging that the agency has a history of mismanaging hazardous waste and lax enforcement that puts many low-income communities at risk.<br /> <br />

Insure.com study on auto insurance rates: misleading and unreliable

March 20, 2013  ·  Doug Heller

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2618" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/images_insurance-foto-300x200.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 200px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="300" height="200" />Yesterday, the insurance sales website Insure.comreleased a poorly constructed and remarkably misleading study on auto insurance rates.  (More surprising, perhaps, is the fact that some journalists uncritically posted the study as news.)</p>

Blue Cross ‘Bait And Switch’ Class Actions Move Forward

March 7, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Law360, Los Angeles -- A California judge on Wednesday tentatively trimmed two putative class actions accusing Blue Cross of California of using “bait and switch” strategies to unilaterally increase annual deductibles and premiums midyear, ruling in part that the Consumer Legal Remedies Act doesn't apply to buying health insurance.<br /> <br />

Health Premium Increases Meet Resistance

March 7, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Hundreds of thousands of Californians covered by the state's largest health insurers are facing double-digit premium hikes, and regulators and consumers are pushing back.</p> <p>On Thursday, the state insurance commissioner said <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=health&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Blue+Shield+of+California%22">Blue Shield of California</a>'s proposed health premium increases - averaging 11.7 percent for most policyholders, but nearing 20 percent for some - were unreasonable.</p>

Anthem Blue Cross Customers Pursue Case Over Changing Deductibles

March 6, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Some Anthem Blue Cross policyholders are pressing a court fight over the company's midyear changes in annual deductibles and other limits on out-of-pocket medical costs.<br /> <br /> Dave Jacobson, a film production supervisor in Santa Monica, is one of the plaintiffs who filed suit against Anthem over the changes in 2011. Jacobson, who bought his Anthem policy in 2000, said the company increased his annual deductible from $500 to $550. Meantime, he said, his premiums have doubled in the past five years.<br /> <br />

Lawmakers Eye Bill, Investigation Of DTSC Following Scathing Report

March 6, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Sources say state lawmakers are scheduled to meet with toxics department director Debbie Raphael and other agency officials March 4 to discuss a scathing report recently released by a non-profit group that claims the department has a history of mismanaging hazardous waste and lax enforcement of regulations that puts many low-income communities at risk.</p> <p><br /> But the department is disputing many accusations in the report, and says it has already launched its own investigation into department matters that will be headed by an external agency.</p>

Mercury, Calif. Department, Consumer Group Spar over Insurer’s Homeowners Rates

March 6, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The California insurance commissioner Tuesday said he would defend in court his decision to require Mercury Insurance Co., to reduce its homeowners-insurance rates in the state effective in June.</p> <p>The suit is the latest in a string of enforcement actions, voter initiatives, and court challenges pitting Mercury General and its chairman, George Joseph, against Consumer Watchdog and its head, Harvey Rosenfeld.</p> <p>The most recent statement by Dave Jones, California’s insurance commissioner, was prompted a suit filed March 1 by Mercury in state Superior Court in Sacramento.</p>

Officials Reviewing Conflict-Of-Interest Charges Against 2 Regulators

March 6, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>SACRAMENTO -- Ethics officials are reviewing allegations that two of state's top environmental regulators violated conflict-of-interest rules by regulating companies in which they own stock.</p>