Protecting Patients

Consumer Watchdog fights to protect patients, improve health care quality and create universal care. We believe the health of patients should come before the financial wealth of HMOs, drug companies and other health care corporations. We work toward a safer, affordable health care system by eliminating waste, fraud and profiteering.

We are now going to Washington, with tactics honed for years in California, to get real universal health care for all Americans--and challenge any forced purchase of health insurance with no guarantee of affordability.

Recently, Consumer Watchdog helped restore coverage to 6,000 patients illegally canceled by insurers; designed tough rules banning more such cancellations; blocked drug company access to patient prescription records; and exposed insurance company influence on legislators. Visit www.CalPatientGuide.org for your rights and remedies as a patient in California.

Recent Articles:

Early Buy-In for Medicare Would Lower Costs

By Kathy Robertson, SACRAMENTO BUSINESS JOURNAL
December 26, 2008

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Blue Cross Fined $150,000 for Data Disclosure

By Hiran Ratnayake, THE NEWS JOURNAL (DELAWARE)
December 25, 2008

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CBO Predicts Medicare Public Buy-In Would Lead to Higher Insured Rates and Lower Costs

CONTACT: Jerry Flanagan, 310-889-4912
December 23, 2008

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Rainy Day Plan: In this economic storm, it's best to know how you can keep your medical insurance if you lose your job

By Beth Wood, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
December 23, 2008

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California Stem Cell Agency Faces Cash Freeze

By Ron Leuty, SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES
December 22, 2008

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Recent Posts in Protecting Patients:

Stem cell board fails to muster quorum, skips cash request

December 24, 2008 | Posted by John M. Simpson

California's stem cell board, the Independent Citizen's Oversight Committee (ICOC), was flummoxed again on Tuesday by its super majority requirement. The 29-member board failed to...

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Like Obama Promised, Bottom Up Health Care Politics

December 23, 2008 | Jamie Court

Today's report by Robert Pear in the New York Times, about about one of the 4,200 house parties on health care reform being convened across America on health...

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Recessionary Health Care

December 22, 2008 | Judy Dugan

California is a bellwether for the nation, for good and ill. Today it's for ill, in the most literal way. The state's economy has crumpled and its politicians wallow in a budget gridlock that could shut down the charity clinics that are...

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Unbelievable request for stem cell cash

December 22, 2008 | Posted by John M. Simpson

Directors of California's stem cell agency are being asked Tuesday to approve a request for $420,000 so the International...

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Medicare: Lies, damned lies and statistics

December 18, 2008 | Judy Dugan

There's nothing insurance companies fear more than having to compete with a low-overhead public and nonprofit health care option--say, Medicare. They're in full opposition-research mode, looking for statistics and studies that will prevent Americans--including Congress--from looking at Medicare as a model.

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