Dave Jones

COURT BLOCKS AETNA-HUMANA MERGER: FINDS AETNA MISLED PUBLIC AND REGULATORS ON WHY IT WITHDREW FROM HEALTHCARE EXCHANGES

 

By Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine

January 27, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- In a victory for consumers, the U.S. Court for the District of Columbia has issued an injunction blocking the proposed merger of insurance giants Aetna, Inc. and Humana, Inc. 


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER JONES RUNS ON RECORD OF PROTECTING CONSUMERS FROM INSURERS, VS. CHALLENGER GAINES, AN INSURANCE BROKER

 

Third candidate wants universal healthcare and elimination of insurance companies

By Stevon Marshall

May 31, 2014 (Sacramento)--All three candidates in the running to become California’s next insurance commissioner in the June 3rd primary election call themselves consumer crusaders. Yet where do the similarities end and where does the actuality of their plans begin? The three candidates are incumbent Dave Jones, Ted Gaines, and Nathalie Hrizi.

The race pits the incument, with a track record of battling insurance companies on behalf of consumers, against an insurance broker seeking to reduce regulation of the insurance industry and a socialist who wants to eliminate insurance companies altogether and get universal healthcare for all Californians.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

READER'S EDITORIAL: ANTHEM SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM HEALTH BENEFITS EXCHANGE

 

By Dave Jones, California Insurance Commissioner

July 30, 2013 (San Diego) – In case you missed it, last week I recommended that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Cross of California should be excluded from California's Small Business Health Benefits Exchange.

On July 1, Anthem will increase rates on small employers 7.2%, the third unreasonable rate increase imposed on small employers this year alone.  The 12-month cumulative increase for these Anthem customers is 17.6%; had Anthem reduced its rate increase to a reasonable level as I requested, policyholders would have seen $37 million in savings.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER RACE HEATS UP AMID ALLEGATIONS OF INSURANCE INDUSTRY INFLUENCE

 

By Miriam Raftery
 

October 6, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Who gets elected as California’s next insurance commissioner is important for East County,  where many residents face problems getting fire insurance and where recent tremors have heightened concerns over earthquake insurance costs. The new commissioner will also oversee healthcare reform implementation and regulation of rates for auto, health, and homeowner's insurance costs.

 

Dave Jones, a legislator who authored major bills to curb abuses by the insurance industry and who refused insurance industry donations in this race, is running for the job. Now the insurance industry has been revealed using back-door tactics to fund multi-million dollar TV ads for Jones' opponent, Mike Villines.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

BILL TO LET STATE LIMIT HEALTH INSURANCE RATE HIKES ADVANCES IN STATE SENATE

Local legislators split on support, opposition to measure

 


June 25, 2010 (Sacramento) – On Wednesday, the State Senate Health Committee passed AB 2578, the Healthcare Accountability Act. The measure aims to protect California consumers from excessive health insurance rate hikes, such as the 39% rate increase announced by Anthem Blue Cross earlier this year and an up to 75% increase imposed on businesses by Blue Shield.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

ANTHEM BLUE CROSS WITHDRAWS RATE HIKES UP TO 39%

Bill to regulate rate hikes introduced by Insurance Commissioner candidate Dave Jones
 

April 30, 2010 (Sacramento - Following a storm of criticism, Anthem Blue Cross announced yesterday that it will withdraw its request to raise premiums by as much as 39% on California policy holders.
 

“The hearings I chaired revealed that Anthem Blue Cross and its parent company, Wellpoint, have made billions in profits at the expense of Californians,” Assemblyman Dave Jones, candidate for State Insurance Commissioner, said in a press release issued today. When the insurer refused to provide information on salary packages of its executives, Jones said, “I issued the first Legislative subpoena in a decade to get that information.”


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

DEMOCRATIC CLUB RETURNS TO SPRING VALLEY-LEMON GROVE

 

Candidates for Attorney General and Insurance Commissioner Spoke at Festive Gathering

 

September 30, 2009 (Lemon Grove) – Dozens of people packed into the Por Favor Restaurant in Lemon Grove Friday night to celebrate the community’s newly formed Spring Valley-Lemon Grove Democratic Club. The new club hosted an impressive array of guest speakers, including two candidates for statewide offices: Attorney General and Insurance Comissioner. The group’s next meeting is slated for Thursday, October 1st. .

“Valley Grove is back,” Lemon Grove Councilman George Gastil proclaimed, referring to the area’s former Democratic Club, which disbanded several years ago. But victories by President Barack Obama and local Democratic candidates have revived a surge of interest in Democratic Clubs countywide, prompting Gastil to organize the new club.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.