Protecting Patients

Stem Cells

Many Americans support stem cell research but are unwilling to give drug companies a blank taxpayer check to develop it without appropriate controls. About a dozen states have passed or are considering taxpayer subsidized programs for stem cell research. Proponents of California's Prop 71 stem cell program promised that all Californians would have access to new medical breakthroughs and that the state would receive royalties that would payback the public's investment.

The California stem cell oversight board, rife with conflicts-of-interests with private companies and universities seeking research grants, could make matters much worse if drug companies are allowed to control new medical technologies developed with taxpayer funds.

Read about Consumer Watchdog's work to make sure that the public receives a return on their investment. One entity, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), owns the patents to all human patents.

Read about Consumer Watchdog's efforts to remove roadblocks to research by stripping overreaching patents.

Recent Articles:

Banking On Hope

By Jef Akst, THE SCIENTIST: NEWSBLOG
February 18, 2010

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S.F. Officials Earn More Than State Counterparts

By Phillip Matier & Andrew Ross, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
December 14, 2009

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Stem Cell Official's Pay Tripled

By Thomas Kupper, THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
December 12, 2009

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Stem Cell Agency Triples Salary For Vice Chair Art Torres

By Torey Van Oot, THE SACRAMENTO BEE
December 10, 2009

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Calif. Stem Cell Agency Aims To Strengthen Ties With Biotech And Pharma Under Updated Strategic Plan

By Alex Philippidis, GENOMEWEB.COM
September 11, 2009

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Recent Posts in Protecting Patients:

Insurance rate curbs continue to gain steam

March 11, 2010 | Posted by Carmen Balber

The latest round of exhorbitant rate increases nationally has helped more and more people recognize what Consumer Watchdog has been arguing for the last year: Congress cannot require all Americans to purchase insurance from the for-profit insurance industry without real oversight of what they charge ...

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Health insurance premium curbs are catching on

March 10, 2010 | Posted by Judy Dugan

Consumer Watchdog's calls for tough and open health insurance rate regulation are being echoed and amplified. The latest instance is in Connecticut, the home state of insurance companies, where Attorney General Earl Blumenthal recently proposed major reforms that would require the state to review and reject, modify or allow a rate change before it goes into effect. No more shrugging and letting it happen without a public review.

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Sarah Palin wasn't the only Alaskan border-hopping for health care

March 9, 2010 | Posted by Judy Dugan

Sarah Palin, the Cruella DeVille of anti-government-health care, caught everyone's attention with the story of her family hopping the border from Skagway, Alaska, into the Yukon Territory for Canadian government health care when Palin was a child. Canadian newspapers noted cattily that Palin previously described going to Juneau, Alaska, for the same treatment for her brother's burned foot. Whatever. I wanted to know whether other Alaskans went to Canada for medical care--and still do.

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The no. 1 cure for Anthem Blue Cross greed: Here's the plan, from the expert

March 9, 2010 | Posted by Judy Dugan

Harvey Rosenfield, the founder of Consumer Watchdog and the author of California's landmark insurance regulation, is the original expert on making insurance companies friendlier to consumers. So when he outlines a plan to make health insurance more affordable--and combat price spikes like the recent 39% annual increase by Anthem Blue Cross--he's got 20 years in the trenches making insurance companies toe the line, to back him up.

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Thanks Blue Cross, you gave the public its reason to reform

March 5, 2010 | Posted by Jamie Court

The President called for an up or down vote on health care reform, but I can say from my own experience this week working with Blue Cross patients, who are part of Consumer Watchdog’s lawsuit against he company, that the public has already cast its vote. 

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Anthem Blue Cross Rate Hikes

Excerpts From Jamie Court's Dateline Interview Covering Health Insurer Hell