Tag: news

States to look for alternatives if the Affordable Care Act does not survive

Nordstrom
Arizona Health Insurance industry

Arizona claims health care reform should happen on the local, not federal, level Arizona is among the 26 states that have risen up to challenge the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care law often referred to as “Obamacare.” These states claim that the federal government has overstepped its boundaries in passing the law. These claims primarily concern a handful of provisions found within the Affordable Care Act, one of which makes health insurance coverage mandatory for all U.S. citizens. Arizona, in particular, believes that the key problem with the…

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Insurance Law Podcast examines the use of social media as a tool for the insurance industry

Nordstrom

A.M. Best, a worldwide ratings and financial data services company serving the global insurance industry, has released its latest installment of the Insurance Law Podcast. The series focuses on insurance issues from a legal perspective and seeks to supply viewers with an understanding of how insurance laws are affecting the industry as a whole. This week’s podcast focused on the issue of insurers using social media to price policies and investigate claims. The latest podcast features attorneys Daniel Santaniello and Heather Calhoon from Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo & Jones law firm.…

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Missouri insurer finds criticism from state auditor

S.Vagus

Missouri’s largest provider of worker’s compensation insurance has come under fire from one of the state’s auditors, Tom Schweich. The Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Company (MEM) is a state-backed insurance company created in 1993. Since its creation, the insurer has avoided paying federal taxes because of its claim to be a public corporation. Accusations of corruption led to the company’s agreeing to a one-time review from the state to ensure that its business practices were sound and that it was not misrepresenting itself for the sake of profit. According to…

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IBISWorld report shows the challenges and triumph of the dental insurance industry

H. Cutner

IBISWorld, a market research firm serving many industries, has released a new report detailing the challenges facing the dental insurance industry as well as its successes over the past five years. Dental insurance is a rarity in the U.S., accounting for just 7% of all active insurance policies found in the country. While some of this may be due to persistent fear regarding dentistry from consumers, insurers claim that much of the industry’s shortcomings come from a bad economy and rising costs in medical care. The report shows that dental…

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FEMA clashes with National Wildlife Federation over flood insurance and endangered animals

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has come under fire from the National Wildlife Federation. The federation claims that the agency is granting flood insurance policies to land development projects that could put natural habitats at risk of destruction. The federation claims that FEMA is acting in violation of the Endangered Species Act, which protects these habitats from construction projects. These projects are primarily focused on the Puget Sound region of Washington. Without flood insurance, companies cannot expand into this region of the state because it presents a significant risk…

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Affordable Care Act making progress in getting insurance coverage to people with pre-existing conditions

Nordstrom

The Obama administration is claiming that the Affordable Care Act had reached a milestone last week. According to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, that nearly 50,000 people with pre-existing medical conditions have received health insurance through programs that were set up by the federal law. While this may be a significant accomplishment, many of the law’s critics claim that 50,000 is just a drop in the bucket, considering more than 25 million people with pre-existing conditions still do not have insurance of any kind.…

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Mississippi could lose its access to flood insurance because of state law

S.Vagus

Residents of Mississippi are in danger of losing their flood insurance if state legislators do not take action on a particular law. The state was put on notice by the Federal Emergency Management Agency late last week because one of the state’s laws makes hunting and fishing camps exempt from the building codes that govern the flood prone areas of the state. FEMA claims that if the issue is not resolved by May 5th, those receiving coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program will see their policies canceled. According to…

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