Consumer Watchdog – Affordable Car & Home Insurance - Articles

...one should wonder why Mercury, which is already one of the leading insurers in the state, would spend heavily to make its home market more competitive. I'm inclined to think the company has something else on its mind, and I'd bet that giving customers a break isn't it. Forewarned is forearmed: Hang on to your wallets.

Doug Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica advocacy group, complained that Poizner's proposal would give insurance companies too much leeway to decide whether or not to offer a pay-as-you-drive option to potential customers. He said he feared that the regulations would allow companies to offer smaller discounts than they should for people who cut their driving by only modest amounts.

Washington, D.C. -- Insurance policyholders whose legitimate insurance claims were low-balled, delayed or denied by their insurance companies testified before the D.C. Council yesterday in support of legislation that would allow consumers to hold their insurer accountable in court. Consumer Watchdog joined policyholders, advocacy organizations and attorneys for insurance consumers to call on the committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs to forward legislation swiftly to the full council.

This My View was co-signed by Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for Economic Justice; Douglas Heller, executive director of Consumer Watchdog; and Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders.

In the strongest possible terms, we urge Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the home insurance deregulation bill, SB2036/HB1171. This bill is an invitation for insurers to game the Florida regulatory system and abuse consumers.

Consumer groups have sent letters to Crist urging him to veto the measure. In addition, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has warned of the bill's potential adverse effects in the state's property insurance market, specifically Florida's domestic insurers that do not qualify to charge deregulated rates as outlined in the bill.  Most recently a joint letter was sent by the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Economic Justice, Consumer Watchdog, and United Policyholders.  The groups said the bill "is an invitation for insurers to game the Florida regulatory system and abuse consumers."

In a stunning show of fealty to insurance giant Safeco, 25 Republican lawmakers have asked the California Supreme Court to overturn an appellate ruling that Safeco Insurance has to disclose the names of policyholders it may have cheated...

Gov. Crist has already indicated some reservations about signing this bill. We implore him to continue that smart thinking and to continue looking out for the best interests of Florida's insurance consumers. Consumer advocates across the state are expressing similar concerns, including the Florida Public Interest Research Group, the Consumer Federation of the Southeast, the Florida Consumer Action Network, Consumer Watchdog, the Center for Economic Justice, United Policyholders, Insured's Public Action Coalition, Floridians In Action as well as Florida's Insurance Consumer Advocate Sean Shaw.

Governor Urged To Veto Deregulation Bill

The fight is heating up against legislation that would essentially allow large property insurers to raise rates without state approval. Consumer groups opposed to the bill include Florida Consumer Action Network, Consumer Watchdog, Center for Economic Justice, United Policyholders, Insured's Public Action Coalition and Floridians In Action.

We've been posting a lot about big insurers' plot to win deregulation as part of the federal financial overhaul.  Now the New York Times has, quite succinctly, made the case against this play for federalization.

"He hasn't done anything resembling oversight of the insurance industry," said Consumer Watchdog's executive director, Douglas Heller. "And the few times that he has taken tough positions, he's worked vigorously to advance the industry's interests against the interests of consumers."