Insurance

Blue Shield Sued Over Policy Switches

June 12, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span id="articlebody">San Francisco, CA -- When Blue Shield of California raised the rates for Robert Jeffrey Martin's family insurance policy by 23 percent, the health insurer offered him two options: Stay in his expensive old plan or switch to a new policy that offered his family skimpier benefits with a higher deductible.</span></p> <p><span id="articlebody">Martin, 59, knew finding a new insurer would be tough and felt like he had no choice. The Gilroy farmer, who grows olives trees and bottles his own olive oil, switched to the new policy. </span></p>

A Victory For Sunlight And Accountability At The Energy Commission

June 11, 2012  ·  Jamie Court

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Insurers Owe Rebates To Many Californians

June 2, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Anthem Blue Cross owes some California policyholders nearly $40 million in rebates and nonprofit rival Blue Shield of California owes about $11 million under a requirement of the federal healthcare law.<br /> <br /> Nationwide, insurers had to notify federal and state officials by Friday of how much they owe customers if the companies failed to spend a minimum amount of customers' premiums on medical care last year. Insurers must pay these rebates by Aug. 1.<br /> <br />

Tama Greenberg – San Francisco, CA

June 1, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2439" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/images_tama_for_web.jpg" style="width: 144px; height: 144px;" width="144" height="144" />I’ve been self-employed for 20 years, but went back to school about five years ago and switched from marketing to interior design. I also sell my own art. The recession clobbered me just as I was getting started. If I hadn’t been frugal when times were better and saved a pretty good nest egg, I wouldn’t be able to pay for my health insurance now.</p>

Health Insurance: Rebates Are a Drop In the Bucket, but Justifying Rates Means Real Savings

May 31, 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" />Thursday's <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-health-rebates-20120531,0,1280810.story">reports</a> that some Californians will get rebates on their health insurance premiums are a little bit of good news--but not nearly as good as it could be.<br /> <br />

Financial Planning Before The Wedding

May 27, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="story-byline"> As part of his full-service approach to wedding planning, Sanford Marshall says he refers clients to florists, photographers and financial planners.<br /> <br /> Planning a wedding "is the first telltale sign of how the couple views money and the first scenario for there to be conflict," says Marshall, owner of the Wedding Coach in San Francisco.<br /> <br />

HMO Profits Remain Small As Health Costs Soar

May 25, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>Frequent Rate Hikes Help Revenue Keep Up With Increasing Expenses</strong><br /> <br /> Though health care costs continue to rise, profits at the seven big health plans that serve the Sacramento region remain slim, new state figures show.<br /> <br /> The companies together reported almost $86 billion in revenue from nearly 17 million Californians in 2011. But profit totaled just $3.2 billion.<br /> <br />

Blue Shield of Calif. CEO to Retire by 2013

May 24, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>Bruce Bodaken, the longtime head of the nonprofit, supported universal healthcare</strong><br /> <br /> Blue Shield of California's longtime chairman and chief executive, Bruce Bodaken, will retire at year's end, punctuating a career marked by praise for his early support of universal health coverage and criticism of his company's repeated rate hikes.<br /> <br />

Bye-Bye, Bruce–Consumers Glad to See You Go

May 23, 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" />Wow. People really don't like insurance companies or their overpaid CEOs.</p>

Blue Shield CEO Surrenders

May 23, 2012  ·  Daniel Palay

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2418" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/blueshieldsnakewht.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 225px; float: right;" width="199" height="225" />The long time CEO of Blue Shield Bruce Bodaken resigned today after a multi-year battle with us over disclosure of his $4.6 million annual salary and unreasonable premium hikes.<br /> <br /> During his tenure, Bodaken oversaw a health insurance company that has raised rates by tens of millions of dollars while stockpiling $3.2 billion more in “reserves” than the state requires.<br /> <br />

Critics Remain Skeptical That Health Care Ballot Initiative Benefits California

May 22, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <a href="http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/05/22/32524/critics-say-health-care-ballot-initiative-isnt-goo/">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast</a>.</p> <p> <span id="audio-options">As consumer advocates celebrate their successful signature gathering effort to place on the November ballot a measure intended to regulate medical insurance rates in California, others are warning voters against the Consumer Watchdog-sponsored initiative.</span></p>

Ever heard of California’s Low Cost Auto Insurance Program?

May 22, 2012  ·  Laura Antonini

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2416" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/insurance-foto-300x200.jpg" style="float: right; width: 300px; height: 200px; " width="300" height="200" />California drivers: have you heard of the Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program? If you have a minimum liability auto insurance policy (15/30/15) and this doesn’t sound familiar, then your insurance agent or broker may have violated the law.</p> <p> California's Low Cost Auto Insurance Program gives low-income motorists with good driving records access to affordable, minimum liability auto insurance policies.</p>