Insurance

Shareholders Urge WellPoint To Oust Its CEO Angela Braly

August 28, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Complaints about WellPoint chief Angela Braly have intensified since last month's disappointing earnings news. The health insurer says recent deals Braly orchestrated put it on track for growth.</b></p>

New Attempt at Rate Regulation on Ballot

August 27, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Let the battle begin, again.</p> <p>One of the most contentious health-related bills before the Legislature in the past two years was a proposal to regulate health insurance rates, AB 52 by Assembly member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles). After it failed to clear the Legislature in September last year, a consumer rights organization decided to take the baton and make it a state initiative.</p>

Consumer Group Files Motion To Oppose Google, FTC Settlement

August 24, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The settlement agreement between the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Google, which cost the <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/ftc-google-settles-for-22-5m-in-safari-tracking-row-7000002401/">search giant $22.5 million in penalty charges</a>, is being challenged in court.</p>

Health Insurance Rate Regulation Measure Qualifies For California’s November 2014 Ballot

August 24, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>An initiative that would bring health insurance rate regulation to California has qualified for the November 2014 ballot, setting the stage for a vigorous and costly battle between insurers and consumer groups.<br /> <br /> The measure, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, would give the state insurance commissioner the power to deny certain premium increases if they are deemed excessive.<br /> <br /> The insurance commissioner has little control over such rate hikes now.<br /> <br />

California Health Rates Initiative Qualifies for 2014 Ballot

August 24, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The California Secretary of State announced on Thursday that a ballot initiative to require health insurance companies to publicly justify and get approval for rate increases before they take effect has qualified for the 2014 ballot.</p> <p>Santa Monica, Calif.-based-Consumer Watchdog’s Insurance Rate Public Justification and Accountability Act made the ballot after county registrars of voters certified that more than 549,380 valid signatures from California voters were submitted by the campaign.</p>

Health insurance rate regulation gains support in Congress

August 21, 2012  ·  Carmen Balber

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2215" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/images_carmenbdrawingname.gif" style="width: 133px; height: 200px; float: right; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px;" width="133" height="200" />Senator Jon Tester <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/244499-tester-promotes-bill-allowing-states-to-block-increased-health-insurance-rates">announced his support</a> for legislation to give state insurance commissioners the authority to say no when insurance companies propose excessive and unjustified premium increases.</p>

Calif. Prop. 33 Language Stands

August 13, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The language for an automobile persistency initiative will stand after the California Third District Court of Appeal on Monday denied an appeal filed by the backers of the Proposition 33 campaign seeking to strike part of the ballot language, including the label and title and summary.</p> <p>The label and summary were prepared by California’s Attorney General, and opposing langue was drafted by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Consumer Watchdog.</p>

Judge Upholds Ballot Title, Summary for Calif. Insurance Initiative

August 13, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>A California Superior Court judge rejected a bid to dismiss the official ballot label for a statewide automobile insurance initiative, handing a defeat to backers of Proposition 33.<br /> <br /> Proponents of the measure to allow insured drivers to take continuous coverage discounts with them from when they change insurance companies had filed a lawsuit against state Attorney General Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Debra Bowen and leaders of Consumer Watchdog, the lead opponent of the proposition.</p>

You Really Can’t Trust Mercury

August 11, 2012  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2476" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/images_harveydrawingname_1.gif" style="width: 133px; height: 200px; float: right;" width="133" height="200" />The Mercury Insurance initiative’s lawsuit to stop the Attorney General and us opponents from telling the truth about Proposition 33 – how it will raise auto insurance rates – got tossed out of Sacramento Superior Court last Thursday.

Foes Win Ruling Over Prop. 33 Ballot Words

August 10, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Opponents of Proposition 33, which would rewrite California law on auto insurance rates, won a preliminary court skirmish Thursday over ballot language.</p> <p>A Sacramento judge refused to tinker with ballot language filed by state officials and voter-pamphlet arguments submitted by the proposition's opponents, advocacy group Consumer Watchdog.</p> <p>The proposition's supporters had sued to remove language they said would "prejudice voters" against the proposal.</p>

Auto Insurance Initiative Ballot Statements Are Upheld By Judge

August 10, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p>An attempt by backers of an automobile insurance initiative to rewrite the title, summary and opponents' arguments on the November ballot has failed.</p> <p>Late Thursday, a Sacramento Superior Court judge denied a request from the campaign for Proposition 33, alleging the description of the measure for the ballot pamphlet written by the attorney general's office is "prejudicial."</p>

Tax-Dodger CEOS Race to Cheat Californians–Watch It Now!

August 8, 2012  ·  Judy Dugan

<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2206" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/images_judydrawingname.gif" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right; width: 133px; height: 200px; " width="133" height="200" />Consumer Watchdog has been growling for a while about global corporations that <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/out-state-corporations-fighting-keep-tax-loophole-are-top-us-tax-dodgers-says-consumer-w">use a tax loophole</a> to pay less in California corporate taxes than in-state companies.