Rate Regulation

Surprise! Insurance Industry Hands Revealed Behind Prop 103 Attack

Submitted by Carmen Balber on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 11:22

California consumers and small business owners saved $246 million dollars on their insurance in 2016 thanks to public rate challenges brought by Consumer Watchdog under insurance reform initiative Proposition 103.

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Is Aetna Lazy, or just Greedy?

Submitted by Carmen Balber on Wed, 04/27/2016 - 12:19

The Department of Insurance held a hearing this morning into the proposed $37 billion merger of health insurance giants Aetna and Humana. Aetna is seeking to expand its market share the lazy way by buying up competitors instead of gaining customers the old-fashioned way: by having the best product. 

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Was Health Net-Centene Merger Approval A One-Off, Or Tone-Setting for Anthem, Aetna Deals?

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Thu, 03/24/2016 - 11:50
Did California regulators' approval of the Centene and Health Net merger give a preview of how reviews of Anthem's proposed consolidation with Cigna will go down? Let's hope not. Conditions for Health Net were a world away from what regulators will find in the Anthem-Cigna deal. (More on those hearings here.)  
 

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CA Senator Kills Health Insurance Regulation, Now Look - Unreasonable Rates

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Thu, 01/28/2016 - 09:49
Only a politician would promise to protect consumers from a problem he caused.  
 

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Alarming Study Should Push CA Lawmakers to Get Serious About Rate Regulation

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 08:42
Since 2012, health insurance companies have imposed more than $300 million in rate hikes deemed by the California regulators to be excessive and unjustified. In addition to these actual higher premiums, shrinking physician networks, fewer benefits, increasing out-of-network charges and soaring deductibles have become the hidden premium hike for health insurance that an increasing number of consumers simply can't afford. 
 

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State Regulators Defenseless In the Face of Aetna Premium Hikes

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 15:00
Aetna is ending the year just like it started, with state regulators saying the insurance company has hiked premiums excessively, and there is nothing they can do about it. 
 

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