California lawmakers have been inching closer to passing new legislation that would give the state’s insurance regulators the authority to reject changes to health insurance premiums. On Wednesday, the proposal passed an important test and earned approval from the Senate Health Committee. Earlier in the year, many Californian health insurers instituted steep rate hikes, much to the chagrin of Dave Jones, the state’s Insurance Commissioner. Jones led the protest against the insurers and petitioned each company to stymie its rate hikes. He has been adamant in the belief that if…
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New insurance regulations for California homeowners take effect
Despite numerous challenges, a new set of regulations for California homeowners took effect on June 27, 2011. These changes were geared toward improving the standards and training processes for the replacement value estimations of a homeowner’s insurance should a disaster occur. At the same time, the controversial alterations are still being contested by two insurance trade associations. The new cost regulations include the following (California Code of Regulations Section 2695.183 (h)): • Conditions for outlining the requirements that involve the replacement cost and value estimates designed to improve comprehensiveness, consistency,…
Read MoreCalifornia health insurance marketplace just got a little tougher for industry
In California’s ongoing battle over health insurance rates, legislators may have won some ground toward their goals of more affordable coverage. The state’s Assembly approved a bill late last week that would institute much stricter regulations regarding rate changes. The bill requires California insurers to seek approval from regulators regarding rate changes before they can collect premiums from new rates. The majority of the state’s insurance industry opposed the bill, but was unable to sway the minds of lawmakers. The bill expands the powers of the California’s Insurance Commissioner, Dave…
Read MoreCalifornia insurer announces rate reduction
In a time when most insurance companies are raising rates on their property coverage, USAA is lowering theirs. Policyholders in California will see their rates drop an average of 15%. The rate change has been approved by the California Department of Insurance and is being lauded as a move to ease the financial burden of individuals and families struggling with a troublesome economy. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones was particularly elated at the news as he has spent the better part of this year battling the state’s insurers regarding proposed rate…
Read MoreCalifornia life insurer’s under investigation
Ten of California’s largest life insurance companies have come under investigation by state regulators for their handling of dormant policies. The ten are the latest in a sleuth of insurance companies nationwide that have been accused of withholding benefits from a policyholder’s family upon their death. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, along with State Controller John Chiang, will be leading the investigation. “The goal is to determine whether the insurance industry has engaged in unfair practices,” says Jones. The state’s probes uncovered some troubling information throughout the state, much of which…
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