Insurance

Initiative To Regulate Health Insurance Hikes Sparks Big Debate

April 14, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Initiative would regulate health care</b></p> <p> To the woman who spends as much as $1,000 in a month on medical care and argues she saves money by not having insurance, the proposal makes sense.</p> <p> Force health insurance companies to gain government approval before they impose rate hikes on individuals or employers.</p>

Insurance Commissioner: State In Position For Its Own Health Care Overhaul

April 13, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said he's optimistic the U.S. Supreme Court won't strike down the federal health reform law.</p> <p> The law will likely survive, he said, because it's based on solid precedent that the court's conservative wing holds dear.</p> <p> "They keep telling us that they don't believe in judicial activism, so I'm going to take them at their word," Jones said on Thursday before a town hall meeting in Marina with Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel.</p>

Official Slams Aetna Increase

April 6, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <strong>California insurance commissioner calls the rate hike for small businesses 'excessive.'</strong><br /> <br /> SACRAMENTO, CA -- Aetna, the state's third-largest health insurance company, is raising rates for thousands of small-business customers to a level that state insurance regulators call "excessive."<br /> <br />

Aetna Proceeds with Health Insurance Hike for Small Businesses

April 6, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Despite criticism from the state insurance commissioner and several statewide consumer groups, Aetna said Thursday it's going ahead with a recent hike in health care premiums for small businesses.<br /> <br /> Aetna's new increases, which average 8 percent annually and took effect April 1, were deemed "unreasonable" this week by state Department of Insurance Commissioner David Jones.<br /> <br /> He said it's the first time a California health insurer has proceeded with an increase after it's been labeled as excessive by the department.<br /> <br />

California Regulator Criticizes Aetna Rate Increase As ‘Unreasonable’

April 5, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A California insurance regulator ruled that an Aetna Inc. health-insurance rate increase was “unreasonable,” in the latest salvo of a long-running debate in the state over the cost of coverage.</p> <p> The announcement by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones focused on a boost that affects small-group plans and became effective April 1. It was the first time the department has officially used a new ability, granted under a state law that took effect at the beginning of 2011, to call out rates as unreasonable.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Video Wins a “Pollie”

April 3, 2012  ·  John M. Simpson

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2394" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/images_pollieaward_0.jpg" style="width: 109px; height: 160px;" width="109" height="160" />Consumer Watchdog's animated satirical <a href="http://youtu.be/TtLP5fFARaM">video, "Supercharge"</a> has just won a prestigious "Pollie" award from the <a href="http://www.theaapc.org/">American Association of Political Consultants.</a><br /> <br />

Health Insurance Premiums To Rise Soon For Many

March 31, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> More than a million California small-business owners and individual policyholders face a wave of health insurance premium increases in the coming months that range from single digits to as high as 20 percent.<br /> <br /> Starting Sunday, about 101,000 Anthem Blue Cross small-group customers will see their premiums go up an average of 13.8 percent but as high as 20.5 percent. At the same time, more than 16,000 small businesses covered by Aetna will receive hikes averaging 3.7 percent. While a few will see decreases, others will get hit with increases of more than 20 percent.<br />

As High Court Takes Up Health Care, Calif. Insurers Raise Rates

March 23, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Health insurance premiums for many Californians are set to increase as much as 20 percent in the coming weeks, according to insurance company reports to federal and state agencies.</p>

Anthem Blue Cross to cut rate hikes for some California customers

March 22, 2012  ·  Carmen Balber

<p> <strong>The state's largest for-profit health insurer will raise rates 8.2% on average, down from its earlier request of 10.4%, in response to pressure from state officials.</strong></p> <p> Anthem Blue Cross agreed to trim its rate increases for nearly 600,000 customers in California in response to pressure from state officials, but many families still could see premiums rise 20% starting in May.</p>

Schwarzenegger fined $30K by FPPC for misuse of campaign funds after Consumer Watchdog complaint

March 16, 2012  ·  Carmen Balber

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2387" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/images_greedinator_0.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 226px;" width="238" height="269" />In case you missed it --<br /> <br /> Former governor Schwarzenegger was just fined $30,000 by the FPPC for illegally funding advertising for a budget fight with money he raised in unlimited amounts from corporate donors to his California Dream Team ballot measure committee. Consumer Watchdog sent a letter of complaint to the FPPC in July of 2009 about Schwarzenegger's improper use of campaign funds. The Democratic Party also submitted a complaint.<br /> <br />

Health Care Industry Top Lobbyists In California

March 13, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Health care firms spent more than $35 million on lobbying in California in 2011.</b></p> <p> <a href="http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/mar/13/health-care-industry-top-lobbyists-california/">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio news broadcast</a>.</p> <p> California -- The <a href="http://www.sos.ca.gov/">California secretary of state</a> says health care lobbyists spent more than $35 million last year. The biggest health care player was <a href="https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/html/kaiser/index.shtml">Kaiser Permanente</a>.</p>

Coalition Opposes Health Insurance Rate Regulation Initiative

March 12, 2012  ·  Mark Reback

<p> An impressive array of trade groups representing business owners, doctors, hospitals, health plans and health insurers launched a campaign Monday to oppose a health insurance rate regulation initiative proposed for the November ballot.</p> <p> Major funding for the effort comes from the four largest health insurers in the state: <strong>Anthem Blue Cross</strong>, <strong>Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.</strong>, <strong>Health Net Inc.</strong> and <strong>Blue Shield of California</strong>, according to a news release from the group.</p>