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Harvey Rosenfield fights to protect consumers and taxpayers against corporate rip-offs and government abuse in the courts, in Congress and state legislatures, and at the ballot box.

The author of California Proposition 103, the landmark insurance reform initiative, Harvey has worked hard to make sure that it continues to deliver premium savings to California consumers – more than $62 billion so far, according to the Consumer Federation of America.

In the courts, Harvey has sued insurance companies that overcharge or mistreat consumers, in violation of state laws; cell phone companies for billing mistakes and poor service; and HMOs and health insurance companies for providing shoddy care and refusing to pay people’s claims. When government agencies fail to enforce the law, Harvey takes them to court. Recent lawsuits include one against Anthem Blue Cross for illegal premium increases in California, and another against the California Department of Managed Health Care for allowing insurance companies to deny benefits to autistic kids.

The founder, in 1985, of Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit citizen organization, Harvey is an aggressive and uncompromising advocate. He was a critic of the Wall Street bailout from the day it was first proposed, and has opposed electricity deregulation, legislation to deny people their right to their day in court, and corporate practices that invade our privacy. He’s championed reforms to reduce and regulate health care premiums, roll back credit card interest rates, limit the influence of special interests in elections, and give taxpayers more say in how their government works. Read Harvey’s blistering, no-holds-barred blog on the Wall Street bailout and the financial crash.

Harvey’s influence on public policy once drew a front page story in the Los Angeles Times that began: “As state leaders struggle to plot a course out of California’s energy mess, many are haunted by a sense of dread that can be summed up in three words: What about Harvey?”

You can find out more about Harvey and his work on this website, and through the websites of the organizations Harvey works with (links at right).

Harvey receives honorary degree from Amherst College, May 23, 2010.
- Watch a video of Harvey receiving the honorary degree from the President of the College, Anthony Marx.
- Read text of Harvey’s remarks at a dinner for honorees hosted by the President and Trustees.
- Text of citation for Doctor of Humane Letters.
Harvey named one of California’s Top 100 by Capitol Weekly – April 15, 2010.
California Nurses Association Honors Harvey With “Speaking Truth to Power” Award, September, 2009. Watch on YouTube