Insurance

Watchdog Takes A Bite Out Of Insurance Industry

June 22, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2132" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/bluecrosssettlement.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 141px;" width="430" height="243" />SPREADING THE NEWS: Attorney Jerry Flanagan (center) describes a settlement agreement that will allow victims Donna and Randy Freed (left) to get affordable health coverage through Anthem Blue Cross on Tuesday. Consumer Watchdog founder Harvey Rosenfield looks on. photo by Ashley Archibald.<br /> <br />

Blue Cross Settlement: Here’s What You Need to Know

June 22, 2011  ·  Jerry Flanagan

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2132" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/bluecrosssettlement.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 141px;" width="430" height="243" />Today Consumer Watchdog <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/anthem-blue-cross-consumers-%E2%80%9Cdeath-spiral%E2%80%9D-will-have-options-change-coverage-benefit-rat">announced a settlement</a> in our class action lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross of California.</p>

Anthem Blue Cross Agrees To Settlement Of Class-Action Lawsuit

June 22, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> About 122,000 Californians covered by Anthem Blue Cross would get protection from dramatic rises in health insurance premiums or have a chance to join new plans despite pre-existing health conditions, according to a settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed last year in Ventura County Superior Court.</p> <p> Announced Tuesday, the settlement still must win final court approval. It would affect people in individual health insurance policies that were closed more than a year ago to new members, meaning costs were spread across a fixed or shrinking pool.</p>

Anthem Settles Suit Involving 120K Policyholders

June 21, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> LOS ANGELES—Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of manipulating policies and forcing California patients into higher deductible policies with fewer benefits.</p> <p> The case was brought by Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog and several law firms in 2010 after the state's largest for-profit insurer closed policies for about 122,000 policyholders in 2009.</p> <p> "It is important to note that this settlement admits no wrongdoing on behalf of Anthem," it said in a statement.</p>

Texas Revs Up Anti-California Campaign

June 21, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The years-long campaign against Californians by the state of Texas, its officials and industries has done anything but abate since the Lone Star State was revealed as having a worse budget crisis than California's, in addition to poverty and school dropout rates that far eclipse ours.<br /> <br />

Anthem Blue Cross Settles Policy Closure Action

June 21, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> New York -- Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to settle a class action in California state court from consumers who accused the insurer of closing certain coverage policies without providing them with legally required options and notices, a group representing policyholders announced Tuesday.<br /> <br />

Anthem Blue Cross Settles Lawsuit, Agrees To Limit Rate Hikes

June 21, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Under the settlement, 122,000 policyholders of California's largest for-profit health insurer whose plans were closed to new customers will see rate increases no more than the average for all closed plans. Affected policyholders can also choose new plans without further medical scrutiny.</b></p> <p> Settling a class-action lawsuit, California health insurer Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to limit rate increases for 122,000 policyholders whose plans have been closed to new customers.</p>

Should State Regulate Health Insurance Premiums?

June 20, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Twenty-three years ago, California voters decided the state should have more control over the insurance industry. Proposition 103, approved by a thin margin (51%) in 1988, increased the Department of Insurance's clout in a number of areas -- most notably automobile insurance -- and changed the status of the California insurance commissioner's job from being a governor appointee to an elected officer.</p> <p> Absent from that ballot initiative two decades ago was health insurance.</p>

Horror Tales From Insurance Land

June 15, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2126" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/insurance_0.jpg" style="width: 211px; height: 239px;" width="211" height="239" />I'm sure California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones knew what he was in for when he called together a few dozen consumer-focused organizations to talk about their issues with insurance--health, auto, home, long term care and more.</p> <p> The stories filled a day, and could have gone on for days more--of payment and care denied, policies that turn out not to be what was advertised.</p>

12.5 Million People Want to Know … What Up’s with the Fogel Settlement?

June 15, 2011  ·  Jerry Flanagan

<p> By the end of this week, 12.5 million current and former Farmers insurance customers across the country will <img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2039" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/farmerslogo_1.gif" style="width: 120px; height: 90px; float: right;" width="120" height="90" />get a notice in the mail about a pending class action settlement.  That notice provides consumers information about their rights under the settlement, which provides $455 million to consumers. Consumer Watchdog has intervened in the lawsuit to object to the settlement on the following grounds:</p>

Long Term Insurance Scams: Hung Out to Dry, Unable to Fight Back

June 14, 2011  ·  Laura Antonini

<p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-2121" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/longtermcarescams.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 179px;" width="361" height="259" />Everyone knows that insurance companies don’t like to pay claims when we get sick or injured, and long-term care insurance companies are no different. However, abuses including unjust denials of care are more disturbing when they harm the elderly and disabled.</p>

Private Insurance vs. Medicare: Truth in Numbers

June 13, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

<p> Sometimes it takes just a couple of numbers to clarify a huge, complex issue--In this case, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/opinion/13krugman.html?_r=1&hp">what to do about Medicare.</a> Medicare costs are up 400% since 1969--scary, right? But private health insurance premiums in the same period are up 700%--nearly twice as scary.<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2119" alt="" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/medicare_vs_private_insurance.png" style="margin: 10px; width: 546px; height: 424px; float: right;" width="543" height="422" /></p>