Insurance

Grocery Strike Possible: Food Fight Gets Messy Over Memo U.S. Health Care Aid Info Sent To Workers

June 11, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Vons employees, on the verge of striking, are outraged that the company has notified them about government programs that offer assistance paying for health care.<br /> <br /> Vons says it was required because of a new federal law.<br /> <br /> For 25 years, Arlene Romero has had health insurance while working as a cashier at the Vons on Telegraph Road at Victoria Avenue in Ventura. When she received the information in the mail, her mouth dropped open.</p>

Health Insurance Brokers Got 2800% Pay Increase In Last Decade–And Want More

June 9, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

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An Answer For Blue Shield: Limit Premiums, Not Profits

June 8, 2011  ·  Jamie Court

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Blue Shield of California To Cut Many Premiums 2.5% This Year

June 8, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>Health insurer Blue Shield says its initiative will result in $167 million in savings for nearly 2 million customers.</b></p> <p> Health insurer Blue Shield of California, under fire for a series of recent rate hikes and the pay of its chief executive, plans to cut this year's premiums by 2.5% for many of its 3.3 million policyholders as part of a new initiative to hold down costs.</p>

Limit Insurance Premiums, Not Profits

June 8, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> The following op-ed commentary by Consumer Watchdog's president Jamie Court, was <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/08/EDPE1JQTJJ.DTL">published Wednesday, June 8, 2011 in the San Francisco Chronicle</a>.</p> <p>  </p>

Blue Shield Says It’s Capping Profits

June 8, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> In what it called a "bold move" to cut health care costs, Blue Shield of California said Tuesday it will cap profits at 2 percent of revenue and pump any extra cash back into credits for customers, funding to care providers and grant awards to nonprofits that provide health care to poor Californians.</p> <p> "This doesn't solve the affordability problem, but it does represent a paradigm shift for a health plan," said Blue Shield Chief Executive Officer Bruce Bodaken, in prepared remarks ahead of a speech on the plan in San Francisco on Tuesday.</p>

Blue Shield of California pays back $180 million

June 7, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> Blue Shield of California, one of the largest insurers in the state, says it has enacted a new rule that will allow it to pay back  its customers $180 million in excess profit.<br /> <br /> The new rule limits its annual income to 2% of revenue and requires any profit in excess of that to be returned to customers and the community.<br /> <br /> The rule is being implemented retroactively to 2010 when the insurer earned $315 million in profit and $10 billion in revenue.<br /> <br />

Consumer Watchdog at 25: Adding Up Hard-Won Victories, Honoring Brave Allies

June 6, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

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Calif. Legislators: Choice Is Between Insurance Industry And Rest Of Us

June 1, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

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Health Insurers Use Scare Tactics to Block Regulation of Rate Increases

June 1, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <b>The companies cite bogus figures to fight a bill that would give California officials prior-approval authority over premium hikes. And they're trying to convince the public that the measure would actually cost people money.</b></p> <p> Here's how badly the state's health insurance companies want to kill a bill in the Legislature giving state officials the power to put the kibosh on excessive<b> </b>premium increases.</p>

Calif. Bill Considers Controlling Health Insurance Rates

June 1, 2011  ·  Mark Reback

<p> <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=8165654">Click here to view the video of this news broadcast</a>.</p> <p> In the past year, two of California's major health insurance companies have announced double-digit rate increases; both were scaled back under enormous public pressure. Now, there's a movement to allow state regulators to say no to unreasonable rate hikes.</p>

Clock Is Ticking: Bill To Curb Health Insurance Rates Squeaks Past Lobbyists In Key Vote

May 31, 2011  ·  Judy Dugan

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