Insurance

Feds Say No to States Trying to Escape Health Law Consumer Protection

November 29, 2011  ·  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; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right;" width="133" height="200" />The Obama administration yesterday <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/195663-obama-administration-rejects-republican-states-health-waiver-requests">rejected efforts by Indiana and Louisiana</a> to evade the only rule in the federal health reform law that requires insurance companies to cut back on excessive waste, salaries and profits.</p>

What Does Our Health Insurance Rate Reform Really Do And How Can You Help?

November 26, 2011  ·  Jamie Court

<p> The <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure-rosenfield-20111126,0,382963.story">Los Angeles Times coverage</a> today of CW founder Harvey Rosenfield and our proposed ballot measure to make health insurance companies publicly justify their rates before raising them drew an angry response from the health insurance industry.</p> <p> What does the <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/blog/big-news-were-going-ballot">Insurance Rate Public Justification and Accountability Act</a> do and how can you help?</p>

Consumer Advocate Harvey Rosenfield Takes on Health Insurers

November 26, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Rosenfield, who used California's initiative process to regulate auto insurance rates more than two decades ago, is preparing a new initiative that would force health insurers to get state approval before they could raise premiums.</b></p>

Surely the White House won’t swallow the insurance lobby lies

November 24, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

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Regulators: Everence Insurance Charging Unreasonable Rate Increases

November 22, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> FRANKLIN COUNTY, Tuesday, Nov. 22 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that Everence Insurance of Pennsylvania is charging small businesses unreasonably high premium increases according to the first federal rate review under the Affordable Care Act.<br /> <br />

Criminal Probe Into Online Mortgage Scams Widens

November 21, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> SAN FRANCISCO, CA (AP) — A criminal investigation into mortgage swindlers has expanded beyond deceptive advertising on Google's Internet search engine to root out con artists who were luring their victims on Bing and Yahoo, too.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Faces Fierce Fight Over Rate Restriction Proposal

November 18, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> California advocacy group Consumer Watchdog is taking a new approach in the push for tighter regulation of the state's health insurance rates.<br /> <br />

When banks buy insurance for you….Watch out!

November 18, 2011  ·  Doug Heller

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2279" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/images_dougdrawingname.gif" style="width: 133px; height: 200px; float: right; margin: 4px;" width="133" height="200" />Does your bank charge you extra on your monthly car or mortgage loan payments for insurance that the bank bought? Do you even know if it’s happening?</p> <p> Most people insure their homes and cars, but banks sometimes buy an additional policy without asking the owner, adding the costs to the monthly car or home loan payment.</p>

Google Profited From Illegal Mortgage Ads

November 17, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The federal government has shut down 85 websites it says were preying on vulnerable homeowners by offering dodgy mortgage deals through ads on Google.</p> <p> The move comes just weeks after Google was<a href="http://%20http//www.tgdaily.com/business-and-law-features/58087-google-forfeits-500-million-for-running-illegal-pharmacy-ads" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> forced to pay out</a> $500 million to settle claims that it profited from Adwords ads for illegal Canadian pharmacies.</p>

Class Accuses Blue Cross of Bait and Switch

November 16, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p>LOS ANGELES, CA -- A Superior Court class action claims that Blue Cross of California uses "bait and switch tactics" to impose midyear hikes on its customers. The three lead plaintiffs all say that Blue Cross jacked up their deductible in February, "just two months into the deductible year."</p> <p>Named plaintiffs Janet Kassouf, Alison Heath and David Jacobson say they bought policies with the expectation that annual deductibles and out-of-pocket costs would be fixed for the calendar year, but saw abrupt changes to the terms and conditions of their plans.</p>

Watchdog Files Class Action Suit Against Insurance Provider

November 16, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong><span class="subtitle"><font color="black">Anthem poised to raise rates, lower benefits through new contract, lawsuit alleges</font></span></strong></p>

Government Closes Mortgage Scams Tied To Google

November 16, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The federal government has shut down dozens of Internet scam artists who had been paying Google to run ads making bogus promises to help desperate homeowners scrambling to avoid foreclosures.</p> <p> The crackdown announced Wednesday renews questions about the role that Google's massive advertising network plays in enabling online misconduct. It may also increase the pressure on the company to be more vigilant about screening the marketing pitches that appear alongside its Internet search results and other Web content.</p>