Live Insurance News

State to investigate homeowners insurance rate hikes

July 31, 2015July 30, 2015 S.Vagus

Massachusetts launches inquiry into growing homeowners insurance premiums The Massachusetts Senate will be launching an inquiry into “troubling homeowners insurance rate increases.” Several homeowners in the state have been hit by large increases as insurers sought to recover from financial losses due to heavy snowfall last winter. Last year, record snowfall caused significant damage to property and loss of business, which placed more pressure on insurers who now want to recover from these losses. This is somewhat typical for the insurance industry, especially in the wake of significant natural disasters.…

Boston 2024 releases information about policies it wants from the insurance industry

July 29, 2015July 28, 2015 S.Vagus

New information emerges about the policies the state is interested in for the 2024 Olympics Boston, Massachusetts, is looking to play host to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, and those behind the Boston 2024 initiative have released more information about the insurance proposals they believe will provide coverage for those attending the Games. Boston 2024 is responsible for the push to bring the Olympic Games to Massachusetts. The committee behind the initiative has been working on overcoming challenges that prevent the Games from coming to the state by working with…

Credit has a big impact on auto insurance premiums

June 12, 2015June 11, 2015 Marc

Report highlights the effect that credit data has on insurance prices Credit score has a lot to do with auto insurance rates, according to a recent report from WalletHub, a personal finance organization. The report focused on how a driver’s credit score affects their insurance rates in the United States. All states but California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts were examined for the report. In these states, using a driver’s credit history to price auto insurance coverage is illegal, so such information does not contribute to higher premiums. Those with no credit…

Massachusetts health insurance exchange finds success

May 8, 2015May 7, 2015 Logan B.

Survey shows that state’s insurance exchange has managed to serve many people in the state The health insurance exchange in Massachusetts may have been a resounding success, according to a new survey from the Center for Health Information and Analysis. The state served as a model for the Affordable Care Act, at least when it comes to the formation of an insurance exchange. Massachusetts enacted extensive health care reform in 2006, which lead to the creation of the Massachusetts Health Connector, which was the state’s first iteration of its insurance…

Health insurance enrollment period extended in Washington

February 19, 2015February 18, 2015 Logan B.

States begin extending the enrollment period for their insurance exchanges The open enrollment period for health insurance exchanges in the United States has come to an end, but that may soon change for many states in the country. In Washington, the enrollment period has been extended until the middle of April, which will allow more people to sign up for health insurance coverage through the state’s exchange. In other states, lawmakers are considering extension to the enrollment period, as well. Federal penalties encourage states to extend their enrollment periods in…

States begin taking action on flood insurance

February 13, 2015February 12, 2015 S.Vagus

National Flood Insurance Program is now $20 billion in debt The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program is $20 billion in debt and the provisions of a law that would seek to resolve this issue have been delayed for four years due to concerns regarding its financial impact on consumers. While premiums for the flood insurance coverage offered by the program have been increasing, these increases have not been enough to make the program financially stable. Because this represents a serious risk for homeowners, some states are beginning to take matters…

New supplemental insurance law passed in Massachusetts

January 7, 2015January 6, 2015 S.Vagus

Governor Patrick signs supplemental insurance legislation into law A new law that eliminates the cap on insurance payments for non-medical hospital expenses has gone into effect in Massachusetts. Governor Deval Patrick has signed a bill that would remove the payment cap, which had been placed on supplemental health insurance policies that are meant to provide aid for non-medical expenses. Massachusetts had been the only state in the country that had placed payment limits on such coverage. Law has removed the cap placed on insurance payments for non-medical hospital visitis The…