Insurance

Ballot Initiative Would Target Health Care Premiums

November 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Debate over the controversial issue of health care rate regulation came roaring back midweek.</p> <p> That’s when Consumer Watchdog, the Los Angeles advocacy group that makes health plans bristle, announced it has filed a proposed ballot initiative with the California Attorney General that would regulate health care premiums.</p> <p> The initiative goes further than Assembly Bill 52, a hotly contested rate regulation bill withdrawn by its author in the final days of the last legislative session.</p>

Initiative to Expand California Prop 103 Ignites Insurance Battle

November 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A ballot initiative to expand the scope of California’s Proposition 103 to include health insurance could also impact the auto insurance industry by challenging a long-sought-after initiative on auto insurance discounts for persistency, industry watchers say.</p>

Mitt Romney’s Medicare Plan: The Most Expensive Way to Fix Nothing

November 11, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

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Calif. Health Insurance Initiative Drive Started

November 10, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A consumer group started an effort this week to get an initiative on the ballot that would give the state insurance commissioner the power to accept or reject excessive health insurance rates.</p> <p> <span id="articlebody">By early January, Consumer Watchdog expects to be able to start collecting the more than 500,000 signatures it needs to get the proposed measure on the November 2012 ballot.</span></p>

Advocacy Group Pushes for More Robust Health Insurance Oversight

November 10, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Consumer Watchdog, a not-for-profit consumer advocacy organization, <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/blog/big-news-were-going-ballot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is pushing for a November 2012 ballot measure</a> that would grant authority to the state insurance commissioner to regulate health insurance rates, the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/10/BAL31LSV32.DTL" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i>San Francisco Chronicle</i></a> reports (Colliver, <i>San Francisco Chronicle</i>, 11/10).</p> <p class="subheading"> Details of the Measure</p>

Health Insurance Rate Regulation May Be On November Ballot

November 10, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The contentious issue of regulating California's health care insurance industry is back.</p> <p> After AB 52 by Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) was shelved at the end of the last legislative session, that looked like the final word on the prospect of regulating health insurance rates.</p> <p> Yesterday, Consumer Watchdog filed paperwork to take health insurance rate regulation to the voters.</p> <p> There are some differences between the proposed ballot measure and AB 52, according to Jamie Court of Consumer Watchdog.</p>

Big News – We’re Going To The Ballot!

November 9, 2011  ·  Jamie Court

<p> <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2250" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/images_jamiepic-new1.jpg" style="width: 100px; height: 150px; float: right;" width="133" height="200" />We just filed our ballot initiative to make health insurance companies open their books and publicly justify, under penalty of perjury, proposed rate changes before they take effect.</p> <p> If we collect 504,760 signatures to qualify the measure, California voters will have the opportunity to vote on <i>The Insurance Rate Public Justification And Accountability Act</i> on November 6, 2012.</p>

Consumer Advocates Ramp Up Pressure On Health Insurers

November 9, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Insurance companies are under assault on multiple fronts as consumer advocates demand that regulators deliver on the tougher oversight promised by the federal healthcare reform law.</p> <p> Consumers Union on Wednesday sent the White House a letter signed by more than 50 organizations demanding that the administration require simple, standardized health insurance forms starting next year, as called for in the law. The letter comes as insurers and some business groups are asking to exclude employer-sponsored coverage from the requirement along with a delay of up to two years.</p>

California Group Files Health Insurance Regulation Initiative

November 9, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> A leading consumer group has launched an initiative drive to give state regulators the power to reject health insurance rate increases.</p> <p> <strong>Consumer Watchdog</strong> has asked the state attorney general to prepare a title and summary for a <a href="http://ag.ca.gov/cms_attachments/initiatives/pdfs/i1013_11-0070_%28insurance_affordability%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed initiative</a> for the November 2012 ballot to require that proposed rate changes are submitted to the state insurance commissioner for approval before taking effect.</p>

Occupy D.C.’s Library: A Collection As Broad As The Movement Itself

November 9, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Two miles from the world’s largest library stands a tent reinforced with bamboo and duct tape. A single bulb — dark until the generator comes on at night — hangs from the center. On the metal lampshade someone has scrawled: “Let there be knowledge.”</p> <p> The Occupy D.C. Library in McPherson Square is just down the path from the Temple of Clothing and the Information Tent. It started out as a box of books. Then the rain came.</p>

Proposed Health Insurance Rate Regulation Initiative Submitted

November 9, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The consumer group that brought regulation of auto insurance rates to California now wants to do the same for healthcare coverage.</p> <p> On Wednesday, the Santa Monica advocacy group Consumer Watchdog submitted to the state attorney general's office a proposed initiative that would require insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and preferred-provider organizations to get prior approvals from the California Department of Insurance for proposed rate hikes.</p>

What Victory Sounds Like

November 7, 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" />Thank you to everyone who made a call and helped <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/blog/state-insurance-regulators-schedule-surprise-sunday-vote-gut-health-reform">block this sneak vote</a> pushed by health insurance companies and their salespeople to boost industry profits and broker salaries.</p>