Sen. Boxer pushes for tougher toxics law
by Carolyn Lockhead, San Francisco Chronicle
Retired fire Capt. Tony Stefani, who contracted a rare form of pelvic cancer, told a Senate committee that there is evidence that flame retardants and other chemicals used in household products expose firefighters to a “toxic soup” after they extinguish fires. Read More ›
Health insurance rebates due next week across California
by Claudia Buck, Sacramento Bee
Consumers across California will be getting rebate checks from their health insurers next week – one of the first tangible results of the federal health care overhaul. About 1.8 million Californians will be getting money back, either directly or through a reduction in their monthly premium. Read More ›
Union political donation ballot measure questioned
by Steven Harmon, San Jose Mercury News
…leaders from Common Cause California and League of Women Voters said that Proposition 32, dubbed “Stop Special Interest Money Now,” is an age-old assault on union power dressed up as campaign finance reform. Read More ›
More Calif. colleges contract with debit card firm criticized for fees
by Erica Perez, California Watch
Nearly half of the state’s community colleges and a handful of other higher education institutions now disburse student financial aid on debit cards through contracts with Higher One, a financial firm that has garnered increasing scrutiny for charging multiple fees, aggressive marketing tactics and privacy concerns. Read More ›
Opponents accuse Proposition 33 backers of breaking campaign law
by Steven Harmon , San Jose Mercury News
Opponents say Proposition 33 would repeal an auto insurance consumer protection law that prevents insurers from surcharging good drivers who did not have insurance at some point in the past. Read More ›
Insurance billionaire-sponsored prop 33 will raise premiums on responsible drivers
by Consumer Watchdog, Sacramento Bee
Consumer advocates opposing Prop 33, including Consumer Federation of California and Consumer Watchdog, say it is another trick to raise insurance rates for millions of responsible drivers. Read More ›
For-profit colleges must meet standards
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
Only about 12 percent of secondary students attend a private, for-profit school, but they represent nearly half of all student loan defaults. When they default on their federal student loan payments, taxpayers get stuck with the bill. Read More ›
Blue Shield plan to close policies to new customers is denied
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says the health insurer’s proposal violated state rules designed to protect consumers from large rate increases. Read More ›
Lawmakers consider bill to limit patient health data privacy law
by California Healthline, Healthcare IT News
On Tuesday, the California Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider legislation (AB 439) that would limit a state health data privacy law, Healthcare IT News reports. Read More ›
Strong voter support for California medical privacy law
California lawmakers are poised to weaken a privacy law that enjoys overwhelming voter support. 77% of voters support the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, which gives patients the right to sue a health care provider for damages of $1000 for each medical record that is released without the patient’s permission. Read More ›
AB 439 would weaken medical privacy law
by Richard Holober, California Progress Report
AB 439 gives health care businesses a signal that negligence in protecting medical records is cheaper than the cost of developing strong security protocols. The health care industry’s record of privacy failure does not warrant this sweeping grant of immunity from deterrent penalties. Read More ›
Strong Voter Support for California Medical Privacy Law
Opponents of AB 439 include: Consumer Federation of California, Consumer Action, Consumer Watchdog, CALPIRG, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, California Alliance for Retired Americans, Electronic Frontier Foundation and World Privacy Forum. Read More ›
AB 439 Would Weaken Medical Privacy Law
by By Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California, California Progress Report
AB 439 (Skinner) is before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a vote on Tuesday July 3. The bill would create loopholes in the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), placing patients at risk of repeated unauthorized release of confidential health information on a massive scale. Read More ›