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Revision #6(Final) Consumer Watchdog: Fighting and Winning for Consumers A CATALYST FOR CHANGE A paid supplement to Sacramento News & Review NEWS & REVIEW BUSINESS USE ONLY DESIGNER ISSUE DATE ACCT. EXEC. PG/BB 12.06.12 DN FILE NAME SNR_CWDpgXX_120612 REVISION #6(FINAL) CONSUMER WATCHDOG: FIGHTING AND WINNING FOR CONSUMERS Photo Courtesy of Consumer Watchdog xpose. Confront. Change.” The motto flashing on computer screens at Consumer Watchdog’s "Eoffices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. is the heartbeat of this effective nonprofit group. Its committed team of 15 consumer advocates has changed the world for the better in ways that its small numbers would not suggest were possible. Consumer Watchdog’s successful recipe: educate, advocate, and litigate on behalf of average Americans and everyday citizens about problems with corporate and political corruption that everyone agrees on, but no one is fixing. “Our job is to mobilize public opinion, so that powerful corporations and politicians bend to it,” says Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court. “Public opinion is the most powerful force in the world. When two-thirds of Americans believe change is needed, we can make it happen.” For more than two decades, this David has taken on Consumer Watchdog’s petitions to regulatory agencies Goliaths and won. Among some of Consumer Watchdog’s PIONEERING PATIENTS’ RIGHTS AND have led to the largest fine ever levied by the Federal landmark efforts: REINING IN HEALTH INSURERS Trade Commission to protect consumer privacy, an end to Consumer Watchdog was among the first groups in proposed anti-competitive mergers (like the recent merger of REFORMING INSURANCE COMPANIES & America to expose and confront HMOs and health insurance AT&T and T-Mobile), and better rules to protect consumers. SAVING CONSUMERS BILLIONS companies for denying patients medically-necessary “Every day, there are thousands of lawyers and lobbyists treatment. As a result of the group’s efforts, doctors — doing everything they can to give their corporate paymasters In 1985, consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield founded not health insurance bureaucrats — have the final say an advantage over consumers,” founder Rosenfield explains. Consumer Watchdog. Auto insurance rates were over recommended care, patients have a right to second Fortunately, Consumer Watchdog has our backs. skyrocketing and lawmakers weren’t acting. So, Rosenfield opinions, and newborns and their moms are allowed to developed insurance reforms that voters passed as a stay in a hospital for a minimum of 48 hours. In addition, ballot measure in 1988. Proposition 103 made the office of insurance companies can no longer cancel coverage for insurance commissioner accountable to the voters, required an innocent omission on an enrollment form. Currently, auto and home insurance companies to get approval before Consumer Watchdog is fighting to force health insurance Public opinion is the most raising rates and ended ZIP-code based auto insurance. companies to justify and get permission before raising rates, The Consumer Federation of America reported 20 years powerful force in the world. like auto and home insurance companies must. after its passage that Proposition 103 has saved drivers $62 billion on their auto insurance bills and created the fourth When two-thirds of Americans most competitive auto insurance market in America. Today, ENDING UNFAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES believe change is needed, we Consumer Watchdog uses the state's effective insurance Consumer Watchdog holds big corporations accountable regulatory regime to expose and stop insurance company for abuses in the courts, the court of public opinion and can make it happen. price gouging. before regulatory agencies. The nonprofit has prevented Jamie Court oil company rip-offs by stopping artificial shutdowns in President of Consumer Watchdog California gasoline refineries that drive up gas prices. Its lawsuits have protected cellphone users from unfair billing. LOOKING OUT FOR YOU OVER THE YEARS: Key dates for Consumer Watchdog 1996 - Congress bans "drive-thru deliveries," 1998 - Governor Gray Davis signs toughest HMO 1999 - Corrupt insurance 2001 - $10 billion California 2005 - Accountability road show establishing 48-hour rule for hospital discharges of patients’ rights laws in America after four years of commissioner forced to resign utility bailout is blocked takes down Arnold Schwarzenegger newborns and mothers, after Consumer Watchdog Consumer Watchdog’s education and advocacy exposes “Eight-hour stay” memo 2 A CATALYST FOR CHANGE | ConsumerWatchdog.org | A paid supplement to Sacramento News & Review CONSUMER WATCHDOG HAS SAVED POLICYHOLDERS $2.2 BILLION SINCE 2002 hen most insurance companies want The cost of the group’s lawyers, experts and to raise rates in California, they have actuaries who stopped $2.2 billion in proposed W to ask permission. Every year, auto, rate hikes since 2002? $5.7 million, paid for by home and business insurance companies file the insurance companies that would have raised requests for hundreds of rate changes at the rates by billions of dollars otherwise. That means Department of Insurance that could mean billions for every 25 cents insurance companies paid of dollars in premium increases for California Consumer Watchdog for its challenges on behalf insurance policyholders. of the public, consumers saved $100 on their Legions of insurance industry lawyers, insurance premiums. actuaries and lobbyists are there to press their How does Consumer Watchdog turn a huge case and protect their profits. proposed insurance rate hike into a rate decrease? Who’s across the table from the insurance Allstate Insurance asked the California industry fighting to make sure you aren’t Department of Insurance for a 12.2 percent rate overcharged? Consumer Watchdog Litigation increase for 1.1 million homeowners in July 2008. Amount insurance Director Pam Pressley and her team. Allstate requested the increase despite years in companies had You may never know your insurance company which the company paid out less than half of what to pay Consumer proposed a huge increase, because Consumer its customers were paying in premiums to cover Watchdog to Watchdog challenges and blocks excessive rates claims. Consumer Watchdog used California’s reimburse experts, before consumers even see a bill. consumer intervention law to join in challenging including actuaries, the rate increase. The result of that challenge: lawyers, and Instead of a 12.2 percent rate increase, Allstate geologists that From 2002 to 2012, Consumer customers got a 28.5 percent rate reduction — stopped these rate Watchdog’s challenges to proposed for $340 million in annual savings for affected hikes: $5.7 Million rate hikes have saved insurance homeowners. policyholders $2.2 billion. Public interest experts like Consumer Watchdog make insurance companies think twice about raising rates in the first place. Challenging a rate hike isn’t simple. It requires actuaries to check an insurance company’s math, economists to examine claims about a company’s profits, and lawyers to square off against the army The public's ability to challenge of attorneys the insurance industry brings to the table. In California, any member of the public may rate increases has helped make challenge an insurance company’s rates for being California's auto insurance market too high. Experts for the public must be paid by the fourth most competitive in the the insurance companies that are denied rate hikes when they are "excessive." country. Without funding for participation, groups like Pam Pressley Consumer Watchdog couldn’t afford the time, Consumer Watchdog Litigation Director or hire the experts necessary, to fight for lower insurance rates. M Photos Courtesy of Consumer Watchdog 2006 - Real patients in 1988 to 2008 - Drivers save 2010 - Health insurers can’t cancel policies 2012 - Health insurance rate regulation 2012 - EPA audit overturns D.C. block junk insurance bill $62 billion on auto insurance when people get sick for innocent omissions qualifies for the 2014 California ballot; Hyundai’s false miles per gallon on enrollment forms; Federal health reform Consumer Watchdog Campaign leads the claims ends pre-existing condition limits charge A paid supplement to Sacramento News & Review | ConsumerWatchdog.org | A CATALYST FOR CHANGE 3 WE GOT YOUR BACK Stock Image onsumer Watchdog works to stop corporate consolidations and corrupt practices that it believes C will reduce competition and raise prices for consumers. Consumer Watchdog's goal is to advocate for consumer rights and save them money. Antitrust: Too Big To Compete TWO GAS REFINERS CONTROLLING 50% OF THE GASOLINE Gas prices hit $5 a gallon in the fall of 2012 and California drivers are still feeling pain at the pump. What will happen if Tesoro wins its bid to take over BP and the oil giant’s ARCO brand of gas stations? Two refiners, Chevron and Tesoro, will control more than 50 percent of the refining capacity in the state. That’s why Consumer Watchdog has written to California Attorney General Kamala Harris to block the deal and prevent further market consolidation that will lead to even more exorbitant prices at the pump. GOOGLE TAKES OVER WORLD’S BOOKS When Google decided to scan the world’s books without permission, then bargained for exclusive rights to those books without an agreement from their owners, Consumer Watchdog stepped in to challenge the deal in federal court. Federal Judge Denny Chin agreed with Consumer Watchdog and blocked the proposed settlement, finding it would have given the Internet search giant
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