As large insurers step out of many of the federal exchanges, the state is looking to lead the way with alternative options. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones supports a new state-level strategy that could enhance health insurance marketplace competition. The intention is to implement a public option within the state which could possibly make California a guinea pig for launching similar ideas in the rest of the country. “I think we should strongly consider a public option in California,” said Jones. California Insurance Commissioner Jones explained that the state is…
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Insurance company sues California commissioner
UnitedHealth Group has now filed a lawsuit with the intention of blocking a fine of $173 million. In order to try to stop itself from having to pay a $173.6 million fine as a result of an acquisition that went awry, the UnitedHealth Group insurance company has now sued the California insurance commissioner. The filing of the lawsuit was at the Orange County Superior Court near the end of last week. According to the insurance company, which is headquartered in Minnesota, the California commissioner, Dave Jones, is doing little more…
Read MoreHealth insurance in California to be affected by Insurance Commissioner race
Dave Jones fights to keep his position as the state’s Insurance Commissioner California is currently searching for a new Insurance Commissioner and the state’s incumbent, Dave Jones, is facing some serious opposition. Jones has become a regulatory powerhouse over the past few years, using his authority to hold the state’s insurance companies to a higher standard. Jones has won support for being an enthusiastic consumer advocate, but he has also made enemies within the insurance industry due to his aggressive stance on regulation. More aggressive regulations could keep insurers in…
Read MoreHomeowners insurance in California to see lower rates for some customers
AAA has announced that some of its policyholders will see decreases of 9.3 percent. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has announced that many homeowners insurance customers will be experiencing a notable lowering of their rates. This applies to many of the policyholders of AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah Insurance Exchange. The reduction will be an average of 9.3 percent. It is likely to be greatly appreciated by homeowners insurance customers, particularly at a time when increases are being experienced throughout the country. The decrease is breaking with a number…
Read MoreInsurance companies in three states required to provide their response plans for climate change
The insurance commissioners for New York, California, and Washington state have announced that they will now be requiring insurers to disclose a climate change response plan that will outline the way in which they plan to respond to the changing risks that customers and businesses face as wildfires, severe storms, and rising sea levels become more common. Until now, those three states have asked only about a third of the larger insurance companies to provide information in the form of responses to a survey, but for all other insurers, it…
Read MoreCalifornia trade groups and insurance regulators settle two Iran divestiture
California insurance regulators and trade groups have come to a settlement over two suits regarding efforts that were being made to put pressure on insurance companies to stop their investments into organizations that took part in nuclear, defense, or energy-related work in Iran. The announcement was first made at the end of Friday by Dave Jones, the Insurance Commissioner in California. The lawsuits had to do with a controversial initiative started in 2009 by Steve Poizner, the previous California Insurance Commissioner, which threatened insurers with penalties and publication when they…
Read MoreCommissioner Dave Jones reflects on achievements a year after taking office
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has been in office for a full year now and he has taken the occasion of this anniversary to reflect on the accomplishments he has been a part of from 2011. In a statement released by the state’s Department of Insurance, the Commissioner notes that his time in office has been filled with confrontation with the insurance industry. Indeed, many of the actions coming from the Commissioner have been met with opposition from insurers, especially the bid to give state regulators more authority over the…
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