Insurance

Health Insurers Raise Some Rates By Double Digits

January 6, 2013  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administration's health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers.<br /> <br /> Particularly vulnerable to the high rates are small businesses and people who do not have employer-provided insurance and must buy it on their own.<br /> <br />

Our New Year Resolutions

January 4, 2013  ·  Carmen Balber

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2567" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/images_carmenbalber.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 299px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="804" height="1200" />What an inspiring 2012! <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/blog/what-unbelievable-year">Together, we</a> exposed and stopped false MPG claims by automakers, shamed health insurance companies into lowering outrageous rate hikes and moved closer to the day when technology companies can’t collect and sell our private information online and on our phones without consent. This year we’ll continue these fights, and more.</p>

California Insurance Reform Law Saves Homeowners $12 Million On Earthquake Insurance

January 2, 2013  ·  Doug Heller

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2569" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/images_shaking_18x23.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 377px; float: right;" width="1705" height="2144" />As Californian's look at their finances for 2013, several thousand homeowners will see savings on their earthquake insurance premiums.  As a result of California's insurance reform law – <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/focusarea/prop-103-california-insurance-reform">Proposition 103</a> – Californian's who purchase earthquake insurance from Chubb or Chartis will be saving a collective $12 million in 2013 after these insurance companies wer

Justice for Consumers in 2013

December 28, 2012  ·  Carmen Balber

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2563" alt="" height="268" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/images_donationcount-05_0k.gif" style="float: right;" width="182" />Did you see Jamie's <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/blog/what-unbelievable-year">blog</a>? He's right, we've had an amazing 2012. We couldn't have done any of it without your support, and <strong><a href="http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6563/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=4651">your tax-deductible contribution now will help us reach our year-end goal to cover next year's expenses</a></strong>.<br /> <br />

What an unbelievable year!

December 26, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

<p><a href="http://issuu.com/news_review/docs/snr_cwd_121312.pdf?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed"><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2559" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/images_nr_cover_v3.jpg" style="float: right; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; width: 203px; height: 234px;" width="300" height="345" /></a>Can you remember another year when consumers' voices have been heard so loudly?<br /> <br />

A Letter Can Change An Industry

December 17, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

<p><a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/case/hyundai-false-advertising-miles-gallon-mpg"><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2554" alt="" height="91" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/images_hyundai-40mpg-cars.jpg" style="float: right;" width="295" /></a>If you doubt that writing Washington can make a difference, look at the letter we wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency one year ago. We asked that it audit Hyundai’s self-tested “Miles Per Gallon” claims.

Ford’s Fusion and C-Max “47 MPG” Claims Under Scrutiny

December 13, 2012  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p><a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/get-involved/complaints"><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2552" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/images_ford.png" style="width: 299px; height: 199px; float: right;" width="900" height="598" /></a>If your 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid or C-Max Hybrid is not getting gas mileage anywhere near Ford’s advertised 47 MPG, you probably are not alone.<br /> <br /> <strong><a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/get-involved/complaints">And Consumer Watchdog would like to hear from you.â۬ </a></strong><br /> <br />

Go To The Mattresses

December 11, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

<p><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/masters-of-disaster-christopher-lehane/1111306063?ean=9780230341807"><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2546" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/images_lehane9780230341807_big.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 304px; float: right; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="789" height="1200" /></a>If you're a fan of the Godfather, you have to love any book that says all you have to know about managing a crisis you already learned from Vito Corleone.<br /> <br />

Health Law Doesn’t Protect Californians From Rate Increases

December 7, 2012  ·  Carmen Balber

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2544" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/images_money1.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 167px; float: right; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px;" width="1024" height="683" />Reporters largely missed the point of a <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/new-study-finds-rate-regulation-needed-make-health-insurers-pass-consumers-administrativ">Commonwealth Fund study released this week</a>, that looked at consumer savings under Obamacare's 80-20 rule, the rule making insurance companies spend at least 80% of your premiums on health care, not overhead. </p>

Calif. Stem Cell Program Rife With Conflicts: NAS Report

December 6, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Agency should split operations from policy, add more oversight committee members without conflicts</b></p> <p>California's $3 billion stem cell agency should reduce its built-in conflicts of interests or risk losing effectiveness, according to <a href="http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/The-California-Institute-for-Regenerative-Medicine-Science-Governance-and-the-Pursuit-of-Cures.aspx">a report released today</a> from the prestigious <a href="http://www.nasonline.org/">National Academy of Sciences</a>.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Campaign Consumer Alert: Help Us Stop Unjust Health Insurer Rate Hikes!!

December 5, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

<p>Health insurance companies are raising rates by double digits AGAIN. The difference this time is that we can make them pay us back with a refund!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6563/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=7519"><strong>Please watch this one minute video and join us in getting a refund of our excessive premium dollars</strong></a>.<br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bxhSEdLyUR4?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />

Health Insurance Rates Could Shoot Up

November 29, 2012  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p>California health insurers are proposing double-digit rate increases for hundreds of thousands of policyholders, drawing criticism that health insurers are padding their profits as the nation prepares to carry out the federal health care law.<br /> <br /> Anthem Blue Cross, the state's largest for-profit health insurer, wants to raise rates an average of 17.5 percent for 744,000 members in February, with some Anthem policyholders seeing increases as high as 25 percent.<br /> <br />