Consumer Watchdog

In 2023, cwd issued more than 100 news releases and generated over 2000 news stories on these topics that appeared on state and national television and radio programs, and in print and online news outlets.litigation -- Consumer Watchdog (cwd) works to protect consumers in the courts and before administrative agencies. Cwd litigated to protect Consumer access to the health care and insurance benefits they are promised, prevent insurance companies from violating Consumer protection laws, ensure transparency in government, and return illegal insurance overcharges. In 2023, cwd's interventions at the California department of insurance to prevent excessive insurance rate increases by auto and home insurance companies saved consumers $2 billion. Cwd also challenged home insurance companies' failure to give homeowners rate relief for taking steps to protect their homes from wildfire, and auto insurance company practices making it harder for good drivers to obtain coverage. Cwd testified at multiple workshops regarding the lack of accountability, reliability and transparency in the private black box catastrophe models insurance companies seek to use to raise rates. Cwd continued litigating suits against auto insurance companies for discriminating against certain members of the military and for overcharging policyholders during the pandemic. Cwd continued litigating a case representing plaintiffs living with hiv in a suit against cvs for unlawfully disclosing hiv status and putting individuals at risk of such a disclosure, as well as providing them a lower tier of service.

Healthcare & insurance reform -- Consumer Watchdog (cwd) fights to protect consumers from home, auto and health insurance abuses, to improve patient safety and accountability in the health care system, and for universally accessible and affordable health care. In 2023, cwd organized patients who have been harmed by medical negligence to share their stories and advocate for improved accountability for doctors before the legislature and medical board of California. They won passage of legislation granting consumers a voice and new rights in the doctor disciplinary process. Cwd organized families harmed by the maternal mortality crisis and launched health fairs and maternal health awareness months. Cwd works to enforce and protect California's insurance reform proposition 103, which regulates auto, homeowners and small business insurance. Cwd educated the public, news media and policymakers about rate savings and Consumer protections under prop 103, insurance industry profitability in the state, and blocked an effort by the state's top regulator to roll back regulation at the insurance industry's behest. Cwd advocated for legislation to require insurance companies to cover homeowners who do wildfire mitigation as a response to the growing homeowners insurance crisis.

Energy reform -- Consumer Watchdog (cwd) investigates the regulation of companies generating fossil fuels and pollution, advocates to improve oversight of the oil, gas and utility industries, and fights for reliable, affordable, and clean energy. In 2023, cwd educated the public about the need to limit fossil fuel supplies in the fight against climate change, including curbing oil drilling. Cwd conducted extensive research showing oil refiners' profits are consistently higher in California than across the nation and supported successful legislation creating new state oversight of gas prices and the power to impose a price-gouging penalty on refiners. Cwd published quarterly updates to its online map documenting the extent of oil and gas well permitting in the state of California, maintaining public pressure for an end to new extraction permits and a safety buffer between homes and wells. Cwd backed polluter pays legislation to hold oil companies responsible for health and environmental harms.

Privacy, corporate accountability & political reform -- Consumer Watchdog (cwd) educates the public about issues related to Consumer rights, privacy, technology and political reform, and researches and informs the public about corporate involvement in the political process. In 2023, cwd worked to prevent federal preemption of California's strongest-in-the-nation Consumer privacy law. A new cwd report, "unseen hand: how automatic decision-making breeds discrimination," shone a spotlight on profiling and the dangers of algorithms as cwd pressed at the state privacy agency for strong regulations to combat unfair decision-making and bias. Cwd researched and exposed the conflicts of interest created by corporate campaign contributions to politicians across our program areas.