CFC Supports SB 810 (Leno) – A “Medicare for All” , Single Payer System
AB 810 would guarantee comprehensive health care benefits to every California resident and streamline claims and reimbursements, which will save billions of dollars in health care administrative costs. Read More ›
The Fundraising Legislature
by Daniel Newman, San Francisco Chronicle
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would prohibit the sale of any private health insurance policy in the state and establish a new California Healthcare System as the primary payer for health care services in California. Read More ›
Oropeza introduces bill that would ban extra debit card fees
by Denise Nix, Daily Breeze
A South Bay lawmaker introduced legislation Tuesday that would stop California retailers from charging customers extra fees for using debit cards. Sen. Jenny Oropeza…said she introduced SB 933 to protect consumers during difficult economic times.
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Soaring cost of healthcare sets a record
by Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times
In a stark reminder of growing costs, the government has released a new estimate that healthcare spending grew to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy last year, marking the largest one-year jump in its share of the economy since the government started keeping such records half a century ago. Read More ›
Single-Payer Plan Is Politics, Not Policy
by John Wildermuth, Fox and Hounds
Progressive Democrats…argue that it’s time someone stood up to the insurance companies and that tough economic times make it even more important to guarantee that every Californian has access to high-quality, affordable health care.
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“Health Reform: The Year Of The Schlemiels”, By the CFC’s Richard Holober
by Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California, California Progress Report
Bungling Democrats should acknowledge they lost the fight for the support of the people on health care reform. The sooner they flee this field of battle, and move on to issues that re-connect them with the mood of America, the better their chances to salvage the mid-term elections. Read More ›
PG&E SmartMeters likely to boost shut-offs
by David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle
More Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers who fall behind on their bills will have their power shut off once the utility installs SmartMeters throughout its territory, the company predicted in a recent government filing. Read More ›
The Health Insurance Monopoly
by Bill Monkerud, CounterPunch
“…there’s no public option, no end of the anti-trust exemption for the health insurance industry, no ability of the government to negotiate drug prices or import cheaper drugs from Canada, and no real regulation of health insurance premiums,” said Zack Kaldveer, spokesman for the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›
CFC Opposes AB 822 (Fletcher) – Weakens Acute Care Consumer Protections
AB 822 would play havoc with this staffing system, and empower hospitals to easily downgrade a patient’s status from critical to acute as a cost saving measure. It would make enforcement more difficult, as mixed units would be impossible to classify in terms of the required staffing ratios. Read More ›
Consumer Federation Statement on Election of John P
by Richard Holober, Executive Director , Consumer Federation of California
John Perez is a superb choice for Speaker of the California State Assembly. John is a staunch advocate for justice and opportunity for all Californians, on the job, in the marketplace and in the community. Read More ›
The Politics of Fear and “Whole-Body-Imaging”, By CFC’s Zack Kaldveer
by Zack Kaldveer, Consumer Federation of California, California Progress Report
Before we…willfully give up our civil liberties and freedoms, support wars on countries that did nothing to us, and sign off on wasting HUGE amounts of money on ineffectual security systems, consider this: Your chances of getting hit by lightning in one year is 500,000 to 1 while the odds you’ll be killed by a terrorist on a plane over 10 years is 10 million to 1. Read More ›
The Pig, the Pony and the Dodo Bird
by Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California
Each year Californians are treated to a Governor Schwarzenegger makeover when he gives his State of the State address. Schwarzenegger version 7.0 used a quaint story about a pig and a pony to emphasize the need for lawmakers of both parties to work together to solve the horrific budget disaster over which he has presided. Read More ›
Corona proposes new rates for water
by Leslie Parrilla, The Press Enterprise
Experts at the Consumer Federation of California, a consumer rights group, said the key to understanding whether a tiered water system is fair is ensuring that people understand it.
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