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 ›
PG&E identifies 239 pipelines at risk of failure
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
Nearly two years after the pipeline explosion that killed eight people and devastated a neighborhood in San Bruno, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. considers 239 of its natural-gas transmission lines to be at risk of a similar failure, according to a company assessment obtained by The Chronicle. Read More ›
Consumer Groups: Stop McKesson’s Attack on Medical Privacy
Consumer and privacy advocates are urging State Senators to defeat legislation sponsored by McKesson Corporation that would take the teeth out of California’s medical privacy law. Read More ›
Financial loss from identity theft increasing, report says
by Anika Anand, California Watch
Fewer people were victims of identity theft last year than in 2010, but each person lost substantially more money, according to a new report by the California Public Interest Research Group. Read More ›
Chemicals in furniture target of Calif. lawmakers
by Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle
California can set the tone for a new furniture fire-safety standard to replace the decades-old requirement that had led to the use of toxic flame retardants in couches, chairs and baby product sold throughout North America. Read More ›
Voters Guide to California’s November Ballot Initiatives
by Lucy Ma, IVN.us
The Automobile Insurance Prices Based on History of Insurance Coverage Act will allow insurers to provide new customers with discounts if they can prove continuous coverage by other licensed insurers over the course of the past 5 years. Read More ›
Agency questions culinary school’s job placement rates
by Erica Perez, California Watch
One of the agencies that accredits San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy is questioning the veracity of the college’s reported job placement rates – ordering the school’s parent company to provide audited placement data by September in order to maintain its accreditation status. Read More ›