Insurance Rates

It might have looked as if real progress toward healthcare reform was made last week when leading insurers proposed ending their long-standing practice of charging higher rates to sick people and denying coverage to those with chronic conditions. But not so fast. A closer look at the insurance industry's plan reveals a potentially huge loophole that could short-circuit genuine reform.

The country's leading health insurers Tuesday offered to end their long-standing practice of charging sick customers higher premiums, a significant concession in the face of mounting criticism of the industry in Washington.

Two of California's largest insurers have been selling health coverage intended to be a safety net for the state's sick and jobless at premiums that exceed state-issued rates, in some cases by thousands of dollars a year.

By and large, the chance to change insurance plans came and went for many people several months ago. But new employees of companies offering healthcare get a second chance to choose a plan that best suits them in terms of coverage and cost.

Newly unemployed Americans would have to spend an average of about 30% of their jobless benefits to pay for health insurance through their former employer, according to a new report.

INSURANCE Allstate gets OK for 6.9% rate increase California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has granted a request from Allstate Insurance for a 6.

As if plummeting real estate values weren't enough, insurance rates are heading up for many California homeowners. State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner late last month quietly approved rate-increase requests from two of the state's three largest homeowner insurance companies.

It's the peak of what is now a year-round fire season. And throughout Southern California, homeowners in blaze-prone regions are having a hard time finding fire insurance.