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California watchdog group calls for tougher insurance industry rules

May 3, 2019May 1, 2019 Nordstrom

A consumer advocacy group is now petitioning state legislators to reconsider a privacy bill. A California consumer watchdog is petitioning legislators to tighten insurance industry rules. The advocacy group is asking lawmakers to rethink the pending California Consumer Privacy Act. According to the watchdog, the act has the potential to allow insurance companies to sidestep privacy laws. The California Consumer Privacy Act is slated to become effective in January 2020. It was written to provide regulations preventing the sale of consumer personal information from being sold to other companies. It…

California auto insurance investigating premiums discrimination

May 23, 2017May 19, 2017 Marc

The state Department of Insurance launched an investigation into the factors used to calculate rates. The California auto insurance industry may soon be changing the way its rates are calculated in order to reduce discrimination against drivers from minority neighborhoods. The California Department of Insurance launched an investigation into the practices of eight auto policy providers in the state. The investigation is meant to decide whether the insurers are discriminating against people in minority neighborhoods. The California auto insurance rate investigation was launched in response to an article published on…

Anthem health insurance policies with reduced coverage receive approval

November 17, 2016November 16, 2016 Marc

A judge has given the nod to allow the insurer to move forward with a plan offering no out of network care coverage. Anthem health insurance has been allowed to continue selling a California health plan that doesn’t offer out of network care coverage. A judge gave the ruling that stopped Anthem Blue Cross from being restrained from switching half a million Californians to the plan. A consumer group requested that the judge keep a restraining order in place to stop Anthem from making the switches. The restraint would have…

California insurance group battling rates under attack

October 8, 2012April 30, 2013

Consumer Watchdog has been facing criticisms regarding its latest steps. A consumer group that has backed a recent California insurance initiative and has saved residents of the state from millions of dollars in fees is now facing a new wave of fire from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and political consultants. Critics have pointed out that Consumer Watchdog has been profiting from the new regulation. Moreover, it has also found that the special California insurance regulation is, essentially, dominated by the advocacy group. The consultants are arguing that the organization…

California health insurance initiative has qualified for the ballot in 2014

August 30, 2012April 30, 2013

This change in the regulation of the industry will be voted on in just over two years. A California health insurance industry regulation initiative has now qualified to be added to the ballot in November 2014. This initiative will increase the regulation on the rates that are set by insurers. The measure was drafted by Consumer Watchdog, a consumer advocacy group based in Santa Monica, after the legislation for the regulation of California health insurance rates fell short last year in the previous effort. Its approval could change the face…

Consumer Watchdog proposes new ballot initiative to curb health insurance rate hikes

April 6, 2012April 5, 2012 S.Vagus

California health insurance industry being eyeballed Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit advocacy group focused on the insurance industry, has proposed a new ballot initiative to the California Legislature that would put a stop on rising health insurance premiums. The organization claims that the state’s largest insurance companies have increased premiums by 20% since April 1, 2012. Consumer Watchdog suggests that these companies will raise rates a second time in May, and increase that will likely be 20% again. These higher rates have affected more than 1 million Californians, many of whom…

Ballot initiative faces opposition from California insurance companies and doctors’ group

March 15, 2012April 30, 2013

The California Medical Association (CMA), a health insurance organizations coalition, the California Hospital Association (CHA), and other groups have announced their intentions to work together to oppose a ballot measure that is meant to create California insurance regulation for rate increase on health plans and policies. According to the CMA president-elect, Paul Phinney, this ballot initiative doesn’t do anything to help control the causes of the cost increases in the healthcare system. He added that “I just think this initiative is the wrong idea.” Ballot measure advocates have said that…