California insurance regulators clash with insurers over coverage for small businesses

California insurance regulators are pushing for new legislation that would institute limitations on a controversial form of health insurance that is targeting small businesses. This coverage is a type of self-insurance that is designed for businesses with 25 or fewer employees. Regulators claim that these policies are being used by health insurers to find companies with the healthiest workers, lowering their risk of costly payouts. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is concerned that these policies undermine one of the key principles of the Affordable Care Act: Lowering premiums by allowing insurers…

Read More

InsureCA4less.com website provides California residents with best insurance quotes and comparisons

The new insureca4less.com website has announced the availability of its full service insurance quote website that is specifically designed to cater to the needs of the residents of California. The site is now offering Californians fast and easy access to free instant insurance quotes from insurers located within their area. It also provides the ability to compare the top quotes from several insurance companies so that users will always know that they are receiving the coverage they need, but at the best possible price that can be found. The insureca4less.com…

Read More

Pennsylvania Department of Insurance given new rate review authority under enacted law

A new law that will expand the authority of the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance has taken effect this week. The law was introduced last year and won approval from the state’s legislators. Governor Tom Corbett signed the bill, Act 134, into law late last year, with an enactment date of March 21, 2012. The law is nearly identical to similar legislation in California that gave regulators more authority over rate proposals coming from insurance companies. Legislators believe that new authority granted to the Department of Insurance will help protect consumers…

Read More

Ballot initiative faces opposition from California insurance companies and doctors’ group

The California Medical Association (CMA), a health insurance organizations coalition, the California Hospital Association (CHA), and other groups have announced their intentions to work together to oppose a ballot measure that is meant to create California insurance regulation for rate increase on health plans and policies. According to the CMA president-elect, Paul Phinney, this ballot initiative doesn’t do anything to help control the causes of the cost increases in the healthcare system. He added that “I just think this initiative is the wrong idea.” Ballot measure advocates have said that…

Read More

Doctors save $19 million in malpractice insurance due to insurance rate regulation

The California Department of Insurance has revealed that there has been a total savings of approximately $19 million on the medical malpractice insurance premiums of medical care providers such as doctors and dentists, as the result of the rate regulation authority approval in that state geared toward reducing unjustified premiums. Equally, though, Consumer Watchdog Campaign has pointed out that the same protection for patients is being opposed by a doctors’ group. The Consumer Watchdog Campaign has been questioning the undisclosed links to the insurance industry of the leaders of the…

Read More