CONSUMER PROTECTION

Massachusetts Democrats support implementation of a "Consumer Choice" automobile insurance system to empower car owners with a choice of policy options and significant savings for all motorists.

We support preservation of current internal financial assistance for urban and youthful drivers in any automobile insurance rate-setting changes.

We support providing further long-term automobile insurance rate reductions through a cost-containment strategy aimed at reducing accident frequency and attacking fraud.

We support rigorous policing of sales practices in the insurance industry, including regular "market conduct" examinations that deter misconduct.

We support ending gender discrimination in insurance coverage.

We support new state privacy laws that regulate exposure and/or sale of private information without the consumer's consent.

We support more control over our imported food supply.

We decry the federal prohibition against negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs to public insurance companies. We encourage strategies that aggregate buying power in order to lower these costs.

We support efforts to promote more competition in the consumer segment of the de-regulated electricity market.