Consumer Watchdog at 25: Adding Up Hard-Won Victories, Honoring Brave Allies
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Insurance
Insurance news, investigations, and reform — auto, home, and health insurance rates, claims denials, and industry accountability.
Health Insurers Use Scare Tactics to Block Regulation of Rate Increases
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<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>
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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
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<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>
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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>
Watching The Health Insurers
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Opponents of a bill that would allow state regulators to reject unreasonable increases in health insurance premiums are stepping up their attacks on the measure, contending that it would push premiums even higher and make healthcare less available. These arguments are a smokescreen, and lawmakers shouldn't lose sight of the need to give consumers of health insurance the same protection they have in auto and homeowners' policies.<br />
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ANALYSIS: Blue Shield Of California’s Refund Is Peanuts Compared To Its Profits
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As the head of communications for two of the country’s largest health insurers for almost 20 years, I recognize an orchestrated spin campaign when I see one. And boy oh boy did I see an award-winning one this week in San Francisco.</p>
Blue Shield CEO Bruce Bodaken Earned $4.6 Million Last Year
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<b>Blue Shield, California's largest nonprofit health insurer, releases the salary data in response to a new state law intended to keep healthcare insurance costs under control.</b></p>
Where Do Brokers Fit in New Health Insurance Picture?
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California's health insurance regulations -- aligned this year with federal guidelines -- include a requirement that insurers spend at least 80% of their premium revenue on direct patient care. However, efforts to change provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could have an effect on how California insurers balance their books -- and on how consumers pay for health coverage.</p>
Vermont Goes for Real Deal in Health Reform: Single Payer
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<img class=" size-full wp-image-2102" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bucolic_vermont.png" style="width: 120px; height: 90px;" width="120" height="90" />Can you hear Blue Cross screaming in the distance? Vermont is about to hit the road toward a real (if modified) <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2011/May/23/vermont-single-payer.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+khn+%28All+Kaiser+Health+News%29">single-payer health care</a>--Medicare, but for everyone. Cut out the middlemen, save some money, cover more people.</p>
Rate Review Standoff — Final Rule Irks Both Insurers, Consumer Advocates
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A final federal rule requiring health insurers to reveal and explain double-digit premium rate hikes managed to disappoint both the insurance industry and consumer advocates.<br />
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The regulation HHS released last week under the federal healthcare reform law makes health plans undergo rate reviews this year when they propose rate increases on individual and small group markets of 10% or more. This trigger means states will conduct a review of the rate to see if it's excessive. If states don't have the capacity to conduct these reviews, HHS will do them.<br />
Health Insurers Must Soon Justify 10%-Plus Premium Hikes
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<b>The new Obama administration rule taking effect in September doesn't allow state regulators to reject rate increases deemed unreasonable, but it requires insurers to explain the reasons for such hikes to the public.</b></p>