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Video
2/3/2012
Coverage of Consumer Watchdog Campaign's ballot initiative launch. The ballot petition would make health insurers publicly justify their rates before they take effect. Voters will vote in November 2012 on the measure if the campaign collects 505,000 signatures of registered voters.
You can download and sign the petition at JustifyRates.org!
Comments
News Release
2/3/2012
John M. Simpson
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today praised European data protection authorities for asking Google to delay implementation of its new privacy and data policies and said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission should determine whether the new policies violate the terms of Google’s consent agreement with the commission.
Under the new policies, announced by Google last week, the...
Video
2/2/2012
Coverage of Consumer Watchdog Campaign's ballot initiative launch. The ballot petition would make health insurers publicly justify their rates before they take effect. Voters will vote in November 2012 on the measure if the campaign collects 505,000 signatures of registered voters.
Download and sign the petition at JustifyRates.org!
Blog Post
2/2/2012
By Jamie Court
We are doing it! Today we launched our ballot initiative drive to force health insurance companies to publicly justify their rates and get permission for rate hikes.
If you are a registered voter in California, your signature today can stop outrageous health insurance premium increases. Please:
1) Click on this link: www.Justify Rates.org.
2) Follow the instructions to print out...
Blog Post
1/27/2012
By John M. Simpson
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Online privacy got a tremendous boost this week when the European Commission proposed its new data protection rules that -- among other important safeguards -- would prove for the "right to be forgotten" online.
But that's not all that's been happening since I arrived in this city that is home to the European Commission. I've been here as...
Blog Post
1/25/2012
By Judy Dugan
The Hyundai Elantra keeps on losing fans because its real-world MPG, for most drivers, doesn't come close to the advertised 33 mpg combined, or even the advertised 29 mpg city. We're especially interested in hearing from California drivers who are having this problem.
On the auto site Edmonds.com, there's now even a reader forum called Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG...
News Release
2/3/2012
John M. Simpson
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today praised European data protection authorities for asking Google to delay implementation of its new privacy and data policies and said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission should determine whether the new policies violate the terms of Google’s consent agreement with the commission.
Under the new policies, announced by Google last week, the...
News Release
2/2/2012
Jamie Court & Carmen Balber
Santa Monica, CA – Patients facing skyrocketing health insurance premiums, including one who is now uninsured due to rising prices, joined consumer advocates today to launch an historic all-volunteer signature-gathering effort to qualify an initiative measure for California’s November ballot to regulate health insurance rates. Millions of registered voters will be receiving...
News Release
2/1/2012
John M. Simpson
SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called for a Congressional briefing about Google’s new privacy and data policies to be open to the public and said a closed door-session with the lawmakers demonstrated Google executive’s “hypocrisy.”
In a letter to Rep. Mary Bono Mack, (R-CA) Chairman of the House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee, and G.K...
Legal Update
10/31/2011
Jerry Flanagan
This week more than 100,000 California Blue Cross consumers will receive notice of their right to change coverage under a settlement in the Feller v. Blue Cross class action lawsuit.
Under the settlement, class members may (1) either change plans without medical underwriting to any one of the listed plans, or (2) remain in their current policy and have future rates capped. For more...
Legal Update
8/27/2011
Jerry Flanagan
Good news for Blue Cross consumers.
Yesterday morning I drove up to Ventura to attend the final approval hearing in Consumer Watchdog's class action lawsuit against Blue Cross for illegally closing insurance policies and using big rate hikes to force patients into lower-benefit and higher-deductible health coverage -- known as the "death spiral." Superior Court Judge Frederick H...
Legal Update
7/15/2011
By Todd Foreman
Mercury Insurance wants to hike its already excessive homeowner’s insurance rates: Mercury’s stalling tactics have already cost its policyholders $25 million, and each day that Mercury is allowed to overcharge its policyholders amounts to $35,000 in excess profits.
In May 2009, Mercury Insurance sought to hike its homeowners' insurance rates 4% across the board. In...
Video
2/3/2012
Coverage of Consumer Watchdog Campaign's ballot initiative launch. The ballot petition would make health insurers publicly justify their rates before they take effect. Voters will vote in November 2012 on the measure if the campaign collects 505,000 signatures of registered voters.
You can download and sign the petition at JustifyRates.org!
Video
2/2/2012
Coverage of Consumer Watchdog Campaign's ballot initiative launch. The ballot petition would make health insurers publicly justify their rates before they take effect. Voters will vote in November 2012 on the measure if the campaign collects 505,000 signatures of registered voters.
Download and sign the petition at JustifyRates.org!
Video
12/28/2011
On KCBS TV-2 in Los Angeles, CA, Consumer Watchdog' s Doug Heller Discusses How To Avoid A New Credit Card Scam, And Calls On Credit Card Companies To Improve Security.
Success Stories
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Consumer Watchdog's founder led the 1988 voter revolt against insurers that passed Proposition 103 and saved Californians billions.
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We drove Congress to place a ban on HMOs discharging newborns and their mothers from the hospital 8 hours after birth.
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We beat a deceptive campaign funded by one of America's wealthiest men, ending insurers’ redlining of poor neighborhoods.
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