Feds to Health Insurer: Rate Hikes Unreasonable? Carry On.
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Insurance
Insurance news, investigations, and reform — auto, home, and health insurance rates, claims denials, and industry accountability.
HHS Calls Trustmark’s Health Insurance Increases In Five States “Unreasonable”
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WASHINGTON – The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that an independent review of proposed health insurance rate increases by Trustmark Life Insurance Company affecting members in five states are “unreasonable.”</p>
Patrick Killelea – Menlo Park, CA
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<img class=" size-full wp-image-2353" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/images_killelea.jpg" style="width: 180px; height: 212px;" width="180" height="212" />Blue Shield raised our rates 73% in one year—check out the chart below. We have a very high deductible plan because I'm trying to be self-employed and that's all I could afford on my own. Our deductible is $8000 per person so it covers basically nothing but catastrophic care. The premium was $447 per month a year ago. Now it’s $777 per month. This is utterly insane. 73% in one year!</p>
Is The New “Car of the Year” Hiding Something?
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<strong>The newly crowned car has lots of complaints about one of its most heavily advertised features</strong><br />
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It has no doubt been a banner week for Hyundai Motors at the Detroit Auto Show, hauling in two big awards for "Car of The Year," and the brand with the highest customer loyalty. But it has its detractors too.<br />
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Allstate Promises To Satisfy Its Auto Insurance Claims Customers
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Looking for a competitive edge over other car insurance companies, Allstate is promising that if you buy a policy and are not satisfied with your claims service, you'll get a refund.<br />
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State Consumer Group Proposes New Approach To Health Insurance Rate Hikes
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<a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/?podcast_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.podtrac.com%2Fpts%2Fredirect.mp3%2Fnyc.podcast.play.it%2Fmedia%2Fd0%2Fd0%2Fd0%2FdZ%2FdK%2FdO%2Fd2%2FZKO2_4.MP3&podcast_name=State+Consumer+Group+Proposes+Fair+Health+Insurance+Rate+Hikes&podcast_artist=KCBS%E2%80%99+Rebecca+Corral&station_id=&audio_link=true&config_file=config.xml&dcid=CBS.SF">Click here to listen to the audio broadcast of this news segment</a>.</p>
Lies, Damned Lies and Fuel Economy Numbers
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<img alt="" height="232" id="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120104_heather_peters.jpg" src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120104_heather_peters.380;380;7;70.jpg" width="380" /></h1>
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Heather Peters with her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid.</p>
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Don’t Let Them Kill Us Too
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<img class=" size-full wp-image-2250" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/images_jamiepic-new1.jpg" style="width: 133px; height: 200px;" width="133" height="200" />Congress has shut down President Obama’s financial consumer watchdog agency by refusing to confirm its director. Our Consumer Watchdog has a lot of powerful enemies too and they are trying to put us out of business.</p>
Looking Back and Looking Forward
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<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2333" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/images_cwd-crewinblue.png" style="width: 272px; height: 131px; float: right; margin: 3px;" width="272" height="131" />At the beginning of this year the advocates, organizers and lawyers at Consumer Watchdog promised to take on insurance and healthcare companies, fight for online privacy and build a community of activists who could spread the word about our work for consumer protection and social change.<br />
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Here’s a quick look at some of Consumer Watchdog’s 2011 successes by the numbers:<br />
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Did South Carolina Insurance Chief Quit Over Fallout?
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<strong>Insurance chief's exit follows Haley grant controversy</strong></p>
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South Carolina officials remained tight-lipped Thursday about the abrupt resignation of the state's top insurance regulator less than a year after Gov. Nikki Haley appointed him.</p>
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But several Democrats and others who worked with the former director said he wants out of an administration embroiled in a controversy that entangles his agency.</p>
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David Black, director of the S.C. Department of Insurance, resigned Wednesday but hasn't said why.</p>