Insurance

 
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    Google News: Insurance

  • Can Congress force you to buy insurance? - Salt Lake Tribune

    22 Nov 2009 | 4:56 am
    Can Congress force you to buy insurance?Salt Lake Tribune(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Washington » As part of health reform, Democrats want to require all Americans to purchase insurance or face a fine. and more »

  • New law bans genetic discrimination - Los Angeles Times

    22 Nov 2009 | 4:26 am
    TopNews United StatesNew law bans genetic discriminationLos Angeles TimesAdditionally, health insurers will not be allowed to consider a person's genetics -- such as predisposition for Parkinson's disease -- to set insurance A Ban on Genetic DiscriminationNew York TimesNew federal law helps protect genetic privacy of employeesArizona Republicall 36 news articles »

  • Democrats Defeat GOP Filibuster on Health Care Debate - The Moderate Voice

    22 Nov 2009 | 3:38 am
    The Market OracleDemocrats Defeat GOP Filibuster on Health Care DebateThe Moderate Voice"It was added after the election as a part of what we normally consider health insurance reform — insurance market reforms, cover people, cover people who Successful public optionsSalt Lake TribuneObama's planDaily PressLocal industry skeptical that bill would reform health careBakersfield CalifornianRocNow -Sydney Morning Herald -Canton Repositoryall 90 news articles »

  • Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle - The Associated Press

    22 Nov 2009 | 1:59 am
    guardian.co.ukHistoric health care bill clears Senate hurdleThe Associated PressThe bill would extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the White House Hails Senate Health Care VoteNew York TimesFACTBOX-Glossary of terms in us healthcare debateReutersEditorial: Senate house callPhiladelphia InquirerBloomberg -Examiner.com -Durham Herald Sunall 7,593 news articles »

  • Senate vs. House bills - Washington Post

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:09 pm
    NewsBusters (blog)Senate vs. House billsWashington PostEach bill requires people to buy insurance or pay a penalty -- $750 by 2016 in the Senate bill and 2.5 percent of income in the House bill. Senate bill keeps a place for Mass. ConnectorBoston GlobeLandrieu's Medicaid Deal Hurts Middle Class Taxpayers EverywhereU.S. News & World ReportThe Medicaid GapCampus Progressall 23 news articles »
 
 
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    Google News: AIG

  • Revisiting a Fed Waltz With AIG - New York Times

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am
    Revisiting a Fed Waltz With AIGNew York TimesMany in Washington want to give more regulatory power to the Federal Reserve Board, the banking regulator that orchestrated the AIG bailout. AIG Bailout: A Goldman Rescue in Drag?Seeking Alpha (blog)Monetary policy is not for politiciansSavannah Morning NewsBank of America, Stimulus Jobs - Week in Review: November 16-20, 2009FOXBusinessall 5 news articles »

  • Goldman's Response to Questions About AIG - New York Times

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am
    Goldman's Response to Questions About AIGNew York TimesWe have consistently stated our belief that a collapse of AIG would have had a very disruptive effect on the financial system and that everyone benefited

  • Geithner's Not Going - BNET

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am
    Washington PostGeithner's Not GoingBNETAs president of the New York Federal Reserve in 2008, he was responsible for the $183 billion bailout of insurance giant AIG, and subsequently its creditors Storm of criticism said to buoy GeithnerWashington PostDemocrat DeFazio: Fire Tim GeithnerCBS NewsOn the calls for Timothy Geithner's resignation …Reuters Blogs (blog)United Press International -The Moderate Voiceall 81 news articles »

  • AIG Investment Unit Rebranded PineBridge Before Sale - Bloomberg

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am
    Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung)AIG Investment Unit Rebranded PineBridge Before SaleBloombergAIG has rebranded property-casualty and life insurance units to distance the operations from a name associated with a $182.3 billion US bailout. AIG Rebrands Alternatives UnitHedge Fund NetAIG's asset management arm rebrands, is sold offAltAssetsAIG rebrands asset management group PineBridgeGlobal PensionsEarthtimes (press release)all 12 news articles »

  • AIG: To Work Actively And Closely With Taiwan Regulators For Nan Shan - Wall Street Journal

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:33 pm
    AFPAIG: To Work Actively And Closely With Taiwan Regulators For Nan ShanWall Street JournalTAIPEI (Dow Jones)--American International Group Inc. (AIG) will work actively and closely with Taiwan regulators on its divestiture of Nan Shan Life Taiwan Denies Rejecting Primus's Bid to Buy AIG UnitBloombergAIG's Nan Shan sale on hold?The Daily DealUPDATE 1-Chinatrust agrees to buy stake of AIG's Taiwan unitReutersAFP -Reuters India -Reutersall 172 news articles »
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    Google Blog Search: AIG

  • Revisiting The Fed's Bailout Of AIG And The Benefits For Goldman Sachs

    The Huffington Post News Editors
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:12 pm
    The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday, with the full support of the Treasury Department, authorized the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to lend up to $85 billion to the American International Group (AIG) Third Annual Huffington Post " Tell Us What You're Cooking For Thanksgiving This Year That You Didn't Cook Last Year". Helena Christensen. Meltdown: Images of What We Lose When the Glaciers Disappear. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The New Arms Race. Get Breaking News Alerts ...

  • Queen of Speed's silver medal more valuable than AIG gold ...

    admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:59 pm
    Read Queen of Speed's silver medal more valuable than AIG gold at VnnNews.net to get informations you need.

  • TODAY'S NEWS NJ: The AIG Bailout Is Still A Mystery Shrouded In Lies

    TODAY'S NEWS NJ
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am
    When AIG first began to ask for a bridge loan from the Federal Reserve, the public was told that AIG wanted additional "liquidity" to avoid a ratings downgrade. This implied that AIG's problem was relatively modest, related only to a ...

  • Taiwan to probe if AIG unit's buyer violated commitment | AIG ...

    Barbara karouski
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:22 pm
    Taiwan to probe if AIG unit's buyer violated commitment | News-Insurances.com is an independent online media providing the latest insurance news for the insurance industry and consumers | News-Insurances.com is an independent online ...

  • Goldman Sachs, A.I.G, and the Barofsky Report: News Desk : The New ...

    James B. Stewart
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:09 pm
    The report, by TARP Inspector General Neil Barofsky, is a detailed narrative of the AIG bailout and subsequent payments to A.I.G.'s creditors, or counterparties, prominent among them Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and a number of large ...
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    Google News: Health Insurance

  • Senate votes to debate health - The Australian

    22 Nov 2009 | 5:06 am
    guardian.co.ukSenate votes to debate healthThe AustralianAt the heart of the new legislation is a proposed government health insurance scheme to compete with the private insurance firms, plus a range of changes to Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdleThe Associated PressWhite House Hails Senate Health Care VoteNew York TimesSenate Clears Way for Debate on Health-Care PlanBloombergPhiladelphia Inquirer -Reuters -Las Vegas Sunall 7,593 news articles »

  • Can Congress force you to buy insurance? - Salt Lake Tribune

    22 Nov 2009 | 4:56 am
    Can Congress force you to buy insurance?Salt Lake TribuneAccording to the bill: "If there were no requirement, many individuals would wait to purchase health insurance until they needed care. Debating healthcare reform the old-fashioned wayLos Angeles Timesall 6 news articles »

  • New law bans genetic discrimination - Los Angeles Times

    22 Nov 2009 | 4:26 am
    TopNews United StatesNew law bans genetic discriminationLos Angeles TimesRobert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for the industry group America's Health Insurance Plans, said that his association originally supported the bill, A Ban on Genetic DiscriminationNew York TimesNew federal law helps protect genetic privacy of employeesArizona Republicall 36 news articles »

  • New breast screening report met with dismay - Las Vegas Review - Journal

    22 Nov 2009 | 2:10 am
    ABC NewsNew breast screening report met with dismayLas Vegas Review - JournalIn a recent public statement, Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents 1300 companies covering 200 million Get a Mammogram. No Don't. Repeat.New York TimesEditorial: Medical studies aside, do what's best for your own healthCamp Verde BugleMammogram uproarWorcester TelegramNewsday (subscription) -The Washington Independent -Examiner.comall 497 news articles »

  • Insurance industry must share blame for health care costs - Dailyrecord.com

    22 Nov 2009 | 1:08 am
    Insurance industry must share blame for health care costsDailyrecord.comMarino also says health insurance companies are not responsible for high health care costs. Marino is right about the need to curb rapidly growing health Explain, JimSalt Lake TribuneHealth plans operate on slim marginsCincinnati.comall 3 news articles »
 
 
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    Auto Insurance Articles

  • Find Cheap Auto Insurance Rates in NC

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm
    Not all motorists of North Carolina care to take the time to find the cheapest rates for their auto insurance policy. They figure either those low rates don’t exist or it’s not worth spending their time looking for something that’s so hard to find. We at OnlineAutoInsurance.com are here to tell the residents of North Carolina that it is possible to find the low rates, and we’ll show you how. 1. Look for low rates by collecting quotes. Motorists who do not feel like searching for low rates do have a point; low prices for auto coverage don’t just pop out and say, “Here I am!”…

  • Car Insurance Cost in MO

    admin
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    The cost of insuring a vehicle in Missouri revolves around the policy purchased, the driver’s record, the car being driven, and a few other factors. While we can’t provide an exact number for what you will pay for your coverage in this article, we can refer you to our quote comparison tool and show you ways to decrease your premium cost. Quotes in MO Car insurance quotes for Missouri drivers can most easily be found when you use the quote comparison tool on Online Auto Insurance’s website. Located at the center of the homepage is a white box requesting the local zip code. Once entered,…

  • Finding Your Top 10 Insurance companies

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:38 pm
    With so many drivers on the road, you can bet there are just as many opinions about which auto insurance company is the best. In order for you to find the top insurer, you must be willing to match your needs and wants to the company that provides those things to you. Not every insurer is going to please you, so you’ve got to find the companies that will. It is tempting to use your best friend’s insurer because of their positive experience, but keep in mind they might not be your best fit. To find your best fit for an auto insurance provider, construct your own list of the top 10 insurers…

  • How to Gather PA Auto Insurance Quotes

    admin
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm
    Residents of Pennsylvania should note there is a law that requires all drivers to have one form of financial responsibility declared with the state in order to legally drive. Purchasing auto insurance is one of the most popular ways residents have done to follow this state law. The problem is, many PA drivers don’t understand how or know the best way to find the cheap prices and therefore they don’t carry as much coverage as they could possibly afford. Experts say every driver should carry as close to full coverage as possible with higher monetary amounts than what is required by the…

  • What You Should Know About Insurance Rates

    admin
    16 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pm
    Are you frustrated with how much you are paying for auto insurance? Perhaps one reason for the feelings of irritation is a simple misunderstanding of why you pay what you do. First, a driver must find a cheap rate and know where to look. Then, an understanding of why a person is charged a certain rate. And finally, knowing how to use discounts to pay even less will help a person get the lowest rates possible. Finding Cheap Rates Looking for cheap rates? Well look no further than Online Auto Insurance. While we are not an insurer offering coverage, we do pair drivers with insurers to help them…
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    About.com: Business Insurance

  • DocRock From Cigna

    18 Nov 2009 | 5:35 am
    I had a number of health insurers contact me to point out that they also have some form of kid/young adult friendly health education and awareness campaign after my post about Aetna's yesterday. The one that I missed, that everyone else seemed to know, was the DocRock series of videos offered by Cigna. Dr. Mache Seibel, a.k.a. DocRock, is a real doctor with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He has teamed with CIGNA to launch the H1N1 Rap video at www.youtube.com/cignatv. One video "raps" for kids about 5 tips to avoid Swine Flu. The series may be a bit too kid-centered to be an…

  • H1N1 Advice - From Kids

    17 Nov 2009 | 5:47 am
    Health insurer Aetna has taken an interesting, and entertaining, approach to increasing prevention awareness for the H1N1 virus infection. The insurer has created a video featuring kids talking about prevention. The kid advice is great. "If you cough onto someone, they can get sick. So cough into a tissue. Then throw it into the garbage and wait for the garbage truck to come." Or this reminder: "If you sneeze into your hands and then grab the remote to change the channel, there are germs on the remote." Bill Fried, MD, Aetna's medical director heading the company's pandemic flu response…

  • NAIC Consumer Information Source is a Good Resource

    16 Nov 2009 | 7:08 am
    When choosing business insurance, doing preliminary research into insurance companies is a good idea. One resource we have looked at before are state boards of insurance. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) website is also an excellent resource. The Consumer Information Source on the site has links regarding AIG and any replacement insurers. It has a search feature allowing a search of filed complaints against insurers. There are a number of useful resources that allow you to compare insurers.NAIC Consumer Information Source is a Good Resource originally appeared on…

  • Price Gouging Hotline is Open in Florida

    12 Nov 2009 | 3:25 am
    Unscrupulous merchants and contractors in Florida seeking to take advantage of Hurricane/Tropical Storm victims beware! The State's Attorney General set up a "price gouging hotline" at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). Florida resident are encouraged to report any storm related price gouging.The Attorney General offered the following advice to residents to avoid scams (and these tips are good anywhere): Require home repair contractors to obtain all necessary government licenses and permits.Make sure contractors have proper occupational licenses as required by state law.Work only with…

  • House Passes Health Care Bill - Not Law Yet

    11 Nov 2009 | 2:26 am
    Given the hype surrounding the U.S. House's passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962 - NOTE: this is a link to the .pdf of the whole Bill and it is large) one would think the Bill is now the law of the land. It is not. The House's Bill does not correspond to the version prepared for debate in the U.S. Senate. The Senate may or may not pass their version, it may be subject to a filibuster, and, once passed, will need to be reconciled with the House version. In other words, passage in the House was important, and a first step, but far from being an overhaul of the U.S.
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    Business Insurance

  • Health care bill passes first Senate test

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) —A sweeping health care overhaul narrowly cleared its first hurdle in the Senate on Saturday, with Democrats casting 60 party-line votes to open debate on the biggest health care changes in decades.

  • U.S. life reinsurance segment stable: Best

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    OLDWICK, N.J.—The U.S. life reinsurance segment is stable and reflects life reinsurers’ ability to effectively manage through the recent financial crisis, A.M. Best Co. Inc. says in a special report.

  • Moderate Democrat boosts Senate health care bill

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    WASHINGTON (Reuters)—One of three wavering U.S. Senate Democrats said Friday that he would vote to start the chamber's health care debate, bolstering the chances for a broad overhaul one day before its first crucial test.

  • Ohio attorney general sues rating agencies

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray has sued three national rating agencies, alleging they offered inflated and misleading ratings of mortgage-backed securities and damaged five public employee pension funds that invested in the...

  • N.Y. can recognize other states' same-sex marriages: Court

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    ALBANY, N.Y.—New York’s highest court has upheld the state’s recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states.
 
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    California Personal Injury & Insurane Blog

  • When to file a homeowners claim

    steinlaw
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:51 am
    Houselogic.com has a new article on when to file a homeowners claim. Regular readers of my blog will not find anything new on this, but there is some information worth passing on: 1. Read your policy carefully, then get repair...

  • Don't Settle Cheap This Holiday Season

    steinlaw
    3 Nov 2009 | 8:45 pm
    As a former adjuster, I used to look forward to this time of year. Sure, the holidays are great. I got more time off and could spend time with my family. The vendors brought in tons of great treats for...

  • FAQ: What is a gap in treatment?

    steinlaw
    19 Oct 2009 | 9:24 am
    Q: I was injured in a car accident. I went to the doctor and am trying to settle my case. The adjuster says there is a gap in treatment. What is this? A: When you are involved in an auto...

  • Hiring the right attorney for you

    steinlaw
    2 Oct 2009 | 7:35 am
    I have seen quite a few emails lately about people needing an attorney in different locations. There are a few good ways to find an attorney: 1. Personal recommendation of friends or family. This is the best way to find...

  • FAQ: Why is my attorney taking so long for my kids?

    steinlaw
    1 Oct 2009 | 7:25 am
    Q: I was involved in a motor vehicle accident (car accident). I was injured and my children were injured. I settled my case with the attorney. But, my children's case still isn't settled. Why not? A: Settling cases for minors...
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    Specialty Insurance Blog

  • Jobs & Insurance

    Specialty Insurance Blog
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm
    As we noted in a prior post (see here), job growth is a critical driver of growth in the insurance business, and new business starts are an important indicator of job growth. Most new jobs come from new businesses and small businesses, and new business starts, often strong at the end of a recession, have not picked up. An article in CFO (see here) talks about whether entrepreneurial activity may or may not increase this time around. Unemployment is high,...

  • Private Equity Insurance

    Specialty Insurance Blog
    9 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm
    The insurance market for financial institution D&O has been tightening due to large corporate failures and resulting D&O losses, and this has impacted the market for D&O (directors & officers) and GPL (general partnership liability) insurance coverage for private equity & venture capital groups. Their unique insurance needs present underwriters with a range of exposures. A a series of articles from law firm Debevoise & Plimpton highlights both the changing environment and coverage challenges private equity and venture capital firms...

  • EPL & the Recession

    Specialty Insurance Blog
    2 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm
    Current high unemployment is increasing employment exposure for small and medium sized businesses, and increasing the need for employment practices liability (EPL) insurance. EPL insurance covers claims for wrongful hiring and termination, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Two articles highlight the changing employment environment. The first article, on page 28 in the October 2009 edition of Rough Notes (see here), notes that one in five small businesses will have an EPL lawsuit this year. The second article, in National Underwriter (see...

  • AM Best E&S Insurance Review

    Specialty Insurance Blog
    26 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm
    AM Best has released the 2009 review of the excess & surplus lines (E&S) insurance market (see here, PW protected?), called 2009 Special Report, U.S. Surplus Lines – Market Review. The annual review is conducted by AM Best from a grant provided by the Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation and has been produced annually for a number of years. The review notes: Market competition has driven both premiums and profitability down Surplus lines premium totaled $34.4 billion in 2008, while the...

  • Insurance Predictions

    Specialty Insurance Blog
    13 Oct 2009 | 7:44 am
    Dr. Robert P. Hartwig, CPCU, President of the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), provided some insights into the economy and the insurance industry at the recent NAPSLO annual meeting. See his slides here, and a National Underwriter summary here. Some interesting observations: We are facing a recession and a soft market at the same time, which is not typical and has dramatically reduced demand. The economic challenges have changed insurance customer behavior including increased efforts to reduce insurance costs, like shopping,...
 
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    About.com: Personal Insurance

  • Weekend Insurance Tip: Know Why You May Want Wedding Insurance

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:24 am
    Wedding insurance is still a new concept for most but is being added to more wedding plans as the expense of weddings is rising. It is not uncommon to hear about couples doing wedding planning for 20 and 30 thousand dollar weddings. Unfortunately, not enough couples are considering wedding insurance when doing their wedding planning. Wedding insurance is inexpensive and considering what you are covering it is worth the cost. The cost of a policy varies depending on how much insurance you purchase but typically ranges between $200-$600. That is a great deal considering how much worry and…

  • Updating Your Home? Time to Update Your Life Insurance Policy.

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am
    Have you, or do you have plans, to get some home improvement projects finished up? A common way that many finance their home improvement projects is with a second mortgage. If you want to make sure your life insurance policy will take care of paying off what you owe on your home and second mortgage, then it may be time for you to update your life insurance policy. Updating Your Home? Time to Update Your Life Insurance Policy. originally appeared on About.com Personal Insurance on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 19:03:39.Permalink | Comment | Email this

  • Does Your Dental Insurance Plan Cover Implants?

    16 Nov 2009 | 10:21 pm
    According to www.nytimes.com, "In an overwhelming majority of cases, implants to replace lost teeth are by far the best long-term solution for maintaining a healthy mouth. Also, because they rarely need to be replaced, in the long run they are more economical than bridges." Implants are increasingly a prominent choice among dentists and patients but although most insurance companies are starting to cover the cost of dental implants not all are. If you are shopping around for dental insurance make sure to check to see if they cover the cost of dental implants. Does Your Dental Insurance Plan…

  • Weekend Insurance Tip: Understand Interstate Insurance or Selling Insurance Across State Lines

    15 Nov 2009 | 3:36 am
    Interstate insurance, or otherwise known as selling insurance across state lines, is a popular topic in the health insurance reform debate. It is thought that selling insurance across state lines will open up health care markets and lower costs for some. Still, many feel that selling insurance across state lines will lower the quality of care overall. Weekend Insurance Tip: Understand Interstate Insurance or Selling Insurance Across State Lines originally appeared on About.com Personal Insurance on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 11:36:50.Permalink | Comment | Email this

  • Your Pets and the Holidays

    12 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm
    With the holidays fast approaching many will have visitors coming soon or will be visitors. It is common to remember to baby proof or kid proof your house and for others to ask if your baby or child can have a certain treat or not... but what about your pet? Many pet owners carry pet insurance as one tool to keep their pets healthy, just as one would carry insurance on their child. But many pet owners forget to remind others or forget to "pet proof" their homes as they would for children. As you can imagine, pets can get into many ornaments and other items that can make them sick. Along with…
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    Workers Comp Kit Blog

  • Can Wife of Defense Contractor Collect Workers Comp Under Defense Base Act for Husband’s Suicide in Iraq Resulting from PTSD?

    Thomas Robinson, J.D.
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:48 pm
    How Would You Decide:  Surviving Spouse of Defense Contractor’s Employee in Iraq Fails to Establish Husband’s Suicide Was Caused By Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Here’s what Tom Robinson, J.D., writer for Lexis Nexis Workers Comp Law Center reports. Here’s What Happened: Decedent, who worked  for a defense contractor in Iraq, committed suicide.  His widow sought benefits under the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C.S. § 1651, et seq., which, in turn, is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C.S. § 901, et seq.), contending the…

  • Avoid Pitfalls of fileing OSHA Reporting Form 300 and Workers Comp C-2 in NY

    Attorney Theodore Ronca
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:44 pm
    NEW YORK:   Avoidable Pitfalls In New York,  an  OSHA Form 300 must be completed whenever an Employer’s Report of Injury (C-2) is filed with the Work Comp Board. This is due to the fact that the threshold reporting requirements are identical for each form. A recent GAO  report claims that employers are underreporting workplace injury. It is believed this will soon lead to increased federal spot checks to see if OSHA reporting is seriously at variance with reports submitted to carrier’s and the Work Comp Board. Problems can  easily be avoided by simultaneously completing both…

  • Top Tips to Hiring the Right Employees: 35% have stolen from their employers

    Robert Elliott, J.D.
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:39 pm
    Anthony Van Gorp,  private investigator at Investigative Solutions & Consulting Services, Inc., explains for Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc., that the first step to prevent fraud is researching your employees before you hire them. Due diligence is your best defense. Four frightening fraud facts about the workforce 1. Fifty-six percent of employees admit they have lied to their supervisors. 2. Forty-one percent say they have falsified records. 3. Thirty-five percent have stolen from their employers. 4. Thirty-one percent abuse drugs or alcohol while on the job.

  • Do you Know the Secrets to Developing Workers Compensation Training Exercises that Work?

    Robert Elliott, J.D.
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:35 pm
    Often training exercises  are designed arbitrarily and have little to do with what is actually taught, when in fact, training exercises should be used to build the practical implementation going forward.  As workers’ compensation  consultants, we frequently develop training programs and training exercise, and there are some trends we see. Workers’ comp professionals are, well, they are workers’ comp professionals, not educational material developers. Thus, they usually do not know the nuances of developing effective training material. Effective materials  are those that…

  • 11 Things You Must Know When You NAME Your Workers Compensation Management Program

    Robert Elliott, J.D.
    18 Nov 2009 | 4:57 pm
    The words, “workers compensation management” don’t readily lend themselves to snappy, project names.  You must be creative when coining a project name that aptly sums up the concepts, attitudes, discussions and identity of your project. Here are some “do’s” and “don’ts” you should know before you embark on your project naming venture.    1.  Do keep the project name short, sweet, pronounceable and universally recognizable. 2.  Do make the project name one everyone will remember. The project name is useless if you can’t remember…
 
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    MedicalNewsToday: Health/Medical Insurance

  • $10 Million In Grants Aimed At Enrolling American Indian, Alaska Native Kids In Health Care To Be Awarded

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of up to $10 million in grants to help reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who qualify for, but are not yet enrolled, in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These new grants are part of a broader effort to find and enroll uninsured children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled.

  • AHIP Statement On The Letter Regarding Health Care Costs

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), released the following statement on the letter regarding health care costs: "We welcome the opportunity to address the issue of soaring health care costs. We look forward to providing information about how, where, and why costs are rising. "Premium increases track increases in underlying medical costs, and each state has a process for reviewing changes in premiums.

  • AHIP Statement On The Release Of Proposed Senate Legislation

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am
    Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), released the following statement today on the release of proposed Senate legislation: "The promise of health care reform is that it will provide all Americans coverage, allow them to keep their coverage if they like it, and bends the cost curve to put the system on a sustainable path. These are the standards by which any reform bill should be judged, and the Senate bill falls short of meeting them.

  • Reid Advances Dems' Health Reform Effort With Release Of Senate Bill

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a climactic debate in the Senate over health care by unveiling a 10-year, $848 billion bill that would extend insurance to 31 million Americans without coverage," The Wall Street Journal reports. The proposed measure, which totals 2,074 pages in length, "is the Senate's answer to a bill that narrowly passed the House Nov. 7.

  • Democrats Continue Efforts To Win Over Moderates

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    Wavering moderates, including Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., control the key votes needed to bring the health overhaul bill to the Senate floor, so securing their agreement to go forward has become a priority for the Democratic leadership. Before releasing the bill, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., "spent more than an hour yesterday giving three moderate Democrat fence-sitters a special closed-door briefing ...
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    About.com: Health Insurance

  • She’s Counting the Days to Medicare!

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:46 am
    A close friend of mine is counting the days until she is eligible for Medicare. She turns 65 on April 17, 2010 and becomes eligible for Medicare on April 1. If my math is correct, she has 132 days to go. No one wants to age, but the cost of her individual health insurance policy is a tremendous financial burden. Her husband is already on Medicare and my friend (who is self employed) has to purchase her own insurance. Although she is perfectly healthy and takes no medications, her monthly cost is $978, or more than $11,700 per year. She has decided to join a Medicare Advantage plan that is…

  • Medicare Open Enrollment Starts This Week

    16 Nov 2009 | 12:48 am
    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency responsible for Medicare, started open enrollment for 2010 on November 15. The open enrollment period, which extends until December 31, allows you to go over your prescription drug and healthcare needs and change your Medicare coverage plans if necessary. If you are currently enrolled in Medicare you should have received a Medicare handbook and a notice from your current health plan or drug plan about your options during open enrollment. If you are satisfied with your current plan, you do not need to take any action. If…

  • Americans Overestimate How Quickly Help Would Arrive if Health Reform Passes

    14 Nov 2009 | 3:51 am
    Almost half (49%) of Americans believe that if health reform passes by the end of this year, people without health insurance will start to get financial assistance by the end of 2010. Additionally, according to the October 2009 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, 51% of the public also thinks that by the end of the coming year, health insurance companies will have to begin offering health insurance plans to people with pre-existing health conditions. In reality, the changes envisioned in the current health reform legislation before Congress will not happen until at least 2013. photo ©…

  • Halloween Surprise – Premiums Up 20%!

    30 Oct 2009 | 8:54 am
    The good news: My wife won't lose her health insurance. The bad news: Her health insurance premium is going up 20%. And that is in addition to an increase in her medication copayments. This wonderful news arrived in a letter from her health plan's Vice President of Customer Services to let her know that the premium change was due to increased medical costs and the fact that she is another year older and more of a health risk. My wife buys her own health insurance and the premium increase will cost her an additional $170 each month. To save money she is looking at other health plan options…

  • Check the Facts About Health Reform. What’s Myth and What’s Real?

    30 Oct 2009 | 8:19 am
    I recently attended a discussion about health reform that was held in my local library. I was amazed at the number of people, especially seniors, who believed that if health reform is passed their Medicare benefits would be "drastically cut" and they would have to get "clearance from the government" to be allowed to go to a health facility in a neighboring community. Since this is absolutely not true, I asked the woman where she heard this. She claimed that she was not sure; perhaps "I read it in the paper or heard it from a bridge partner." Since the debate about health reform heated up…
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    Colorado Health Insurance

  • An Office Visit In France

    Louise
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:55 am
    The Healthcare Economist’s Jason Shafrin has written an interesting article about how the French healthcare system utilizes hyperbolic discounting in order to avoid moral hazard.  Basically, their system requires the patient to pay up front for a visit to the doctor, but then health insurance reimburses the patient 70% of the cost.  This has two advantages over a system like ours which only requires the patient to pay their copay at the time of service.  First, it conveys the value of the visit.  Here in the US, people who have health insurance with copays for office visit are often…

  • Addressing The Problem Of Cost

    Louise
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pm
    Ezra Klein recently interviewed George Halvorson, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente (which operates our largest HMO here in Colorado).  Both the questions and answers were insightful and on target in terms of addressing the cost conundrum that is so often glossed-over in the health care reform debate. Mr. Halvorson pointed out that while many developed countries have some form of private health insurance, they also have medical fee schedules that are set by the government and are far lower than average costs for the same procedures in the US.  When average fees for various medical…

  • Grand Rounds Vol. 6 No. 8

    Louise
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Welcome to Grand Rounds.  With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, we thought we’d get you in the spirit by highlighting articles that involve thankfulness and gratitude. How To Cope With Pain brings us a truly amazing video.  It’s a reminder to be thankful for all that we have, and for the things in life (like this video) that inspire us.  It’s well worth the five minutes it takes to watch it. Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine shares a “would you rather…?” moment from her 9-year old daughter.  It’s a poignant reminder, seen through the eyes of a…

  • Health Wonk Review

    Louise
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:58 pm
    Welcome to the Health Wonk Review.  2009 has been an exciting year for health care reform, and last Saturday’s passage of HR3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, has given us plenty to talk about.  For anyone who hasn’t kept up on the details of the House reform bill, I want to start things off with a four-part series from Tim Jost, who holds the Robert L Willett Family Professorship of Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.  His articles were published at Health Affairs Blog, and amount to an excellent primer, written in plain English, for people…

  • Accepting Grand Rounds Submissions

    Louise
    11 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am
    We will be hosting Grand Rounds, the weekly collection of great health and medical blogging, on Tuesday, November 17th. Please send me your article to louise (at) healthinsurancecolorado (dot) net, indicating Grand Rounds in the subject. Please do so before midnight on Sunday, November 15th, mountain time. Optional theme, because of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, will be articles about something you’re thankful for. The theme is optional. Grand Rounds will include all other important topics you write about. Looking forward a thankful edition!
 
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    Florida Health Insurance

  • More young adults needing affordable health insurance

    admin
    28 Oct 2009 | 1:23 pm
    One fact during the health insurance debate that just about everyone can agree on is bringing more young adults into the health care system. This would help balance out the cost for everyone because young adults generally use the least amount of care. Supporters of the health care reform say that young American citizens will be among the largest beneficiaries of changes that promise to bring more affordable health insurancealternatives to the individual market. Health care is a hot topic for college students who worry about post graduation jobs and their ability to receive employer supplied…

  • Florida brokers supply affordable insurance

    admin
    29 Sep 2009 | 12:50 pm
    Finding affordable health insurance now a day is very difficult in the light of the rising health care costs, but the case may be different in Jacksonville, Florida. Many Floridians think there are a lot of barriers to obtaining affordable health insurance, but this is not the case. By using a health insurance broker you can acquire affordable health insurance in the Jacksonville area. High deductible coverage plans are available in Jacksonville for individuals and families. The plans start from $35 per month for individuals and $275 for families. These plans are intended to provide families…

  • Health Insurance reform needed to regulate the insurance industry

    admin
    2 Sep 2009 | 11:34 am
    The President of Duval County Medical Society, R. Steven Lucie has said that we as Americans have access to the best health care in the world but when it comes to quality care and health insurance we have an attitude like cost is no objective. Before America can set up significant health care reform it first must establish a federal medical liability reform. National health insurance reform is needed to regulate an industry that has made it almost impossible for people to purchase affordable health insurance. Lucie says that until we come to terms with rising medical costs, a government…

  • Smokers cause health insurance costs to rise

    admin
    18 Aug 2009 | 11:37 am
    Smokers cannot save Florida from its economic crisis. Each family in ceFlorida pays nearly $700 a year in taxes to cover the states massive Medicaid burden caused by smoking related illnesses. Health insurance companies blame smokers for the unreasonable and costly co-pays and deductibles these taxes are paid by everyone even the nonsmokers. The raised cigarette prices are not sufficient enough to pay for the states deficit. However, my thoughts are that every penny helps. According to Robert Weissert or Tax Watch revenue for the new tobacco tax or user free could help pay for the state’s…

  • Get over fears and ideals about the health insurance reform

    admin
    10 Aug 2009 | 7:29 am
    The first step toward realistic health-care reform is to look past the incorrect information. The second step is to look past principles and support compromise. The chance to reform health insurance will not always be available. If it fails this time, it could be hundreds of years before reform is attempted again. Sixty million uninsured people and billions more affected by the system’s flaws can’t afford another failure. First we need to ignore all of the incorrect information that the media and other sources feed us. People fear reform will diminish their choices. That is…
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    Health Insurance Sort Blog

  • Secure Horizons Leaving Amarillo

    ymedina
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:02 am
    According to the article “Two Medicare Programs Are Leaving Amarillo” found on connectamarillo.com, Secure Horizons and Physicians Health Choice are leaving the city.  Members who were part of these plans and wish to remain on Medicare still have options.  The Area Agency on Aging is offering help to these citizens.  They are offering advice and guidance free of charge to those who need help.  Lisa Hancock is a volunteer for the Agency and told Pronews 7 that they try to help find a plan that will cover prescription costs because Medicare often does not.  Open enrollement for…

  • Medicare Supplement Insurance and Seniors

    ymedina
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am
    According to the article “Overhaul of Health Care Bad for Seniors” by John Fanning on summitdaily.com, many senior citizens are losing their health insurance coverage in 2010 as many insurers have reduced medicare supplement plans or have increased premiums drastically.  Many seniors are currently struggling to get by and paying for health insurance is just another worry on their plate.  If the current health care bill passes in Congress, advantage plans may be dismantled and seniors will need to find a prescription drug plan for MedicareD.  This can add an additional $25-$50…

  • Highmark Health Insurance Plans

    BlogAdmin
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am
    In the recent US News and World Report annual health plan rankings report, two health plans offered by Highmark ranked as being among the best health plans in the nation. SecurityBlue, HighMark’s Medicare Advantage HMO ranked #32 among Medicare Health Plans Among Commercial HMOs, Keystone Blue (offered by Highmark subsidiary Keystone Health Plan West) ranked 47th Both of the above health plans were rated as excellent. More information about:  Pennsylvania Health Insurance, Medicare Advantage Plans, HighMark BlueShield

  • Geisinger Health Plan Tackling Childhood Obesity

    ymedina
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:39 am
    According to the article “Geisinger Study Aims to Find Fun, Effective Way to Combat Pediatric Obesity” found of their website, childhood obesity in the US is on the rise.  With this comes a significant raise in the risk of type 2 diabetes.  This has motivated Geisinger Health Plan to do something about it. Researchers at Geisinger Health System’s Henry Hood Center for Health Research and University of PA received a grant by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to look for creative ways to prevent as well as treat children ages 4-8 who are in…

  • Anthem SmartSense

    BlogAdmin
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:50 am
    SmartSense health plans are a portfolio of affordable health plans for individuals offered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Monthly premiums for SmartSense can be less than $50 per month for an individual (single Male in Ohio, age 27)  if a high deductible ($10,000) is selected.  If a $2,500 deductible is chosen the monthly rate would be just over $60/mo. Some of the highlights of SmartSense include: A wide range of deductibles to choose from Access to a large network of doctors and hospitals No referrals or paper work needed Prescription drug benefits Online health support One of the most…
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    Home Insurance Blog

  • How to Reduce Stress this Holiday Season

    Editor
    12 Nov 2009 | 8:35 am
    Does the sound of jingle bells make your shoulders instantly tense and your head hurt? You’re not alone. The holiday season, as joyful as it can be, is typically the most stressful time of year for many people. Seasonal mood changes can add to the situation, as lower amounts of sunlight in the winter are [...]

  • Home Safety Checklist Prevents Accidents and Injuries

    Editor
    9 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pm
    One of the more comprehensive Home Safety Checklists I have come across recently is featured in Real Simple magazine: >See the Full Checklist Here While performing a home safety check may not be on your top 10 list of fun things to do this weekend, there’s no questioning the importance. Oftentimes we feel so comfortable in our [...]

  • Who Wants to Win an iPhone 3G?

    Editor
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am
    HomeInsurance.com launched the iPhone Giveaway Contest today and one lucky visitor will walk away with a brand new iPhone 3G when the contest is over on January 5th, 2010. Entering is easy- visitors simply complete the quick 10 question survey about home and auto insurance and they are automatically entered to win the iPhone. The winner will [...]

  • October is Fire Safety Month: Find out Why, Get Tips and Watch Fire Safety Videos

    admin
    23 Oct 2009 | 8:20 am
    residential fires

  • Save on Heating Your Home this Winter

    Home Agent
    19 Oct 2009 | 11:20 am
    If you want to cut down on heating costs this winter, put in a little time now to weather proof your home and prevent heat loss. Here are a few tips that might come in handy: #1- Seal your windows and doors. If you have storm panels for your windows  now is a good time to  [...]
 
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    Insurance Law Hawaii

  • Motion for Remand Denied in Hurricane Ike Case

    Tred Eyerly
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
       Fourteen months after Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf coastline of Texas, the initial onslaught of litigation is starting to surface in reported decisions.  Our first post of undoubtedly many Hurricane Ike cases to come addresses a motion for remand after a coverage dispute was removed to federal court.  See Lakewood Chiropractic Clinic v. Travelers Lloyds Ins. Co., No H-09-1728, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99854 (S.D. Tex. Oct. 27, 2009).    The insured filed a claim with Travelers for hurricane damage to its office in Houston and business interruption losses.  Travelers assigned an…

  • Policy Covers Insured In Third Party Claim by Longshoreman

    Tred Eyerly
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm
       Note today's post [here] by my Damon Key colleague, Mark Murakami, regarding coverage for a claim related to the Longshore Harbor and Workers Compensation Act.  See Bayou Steel Corp. v. Evanston Ins. Co., No. 08-31206 (5th Cir. Nov. 10, 2009).  The policy excluded coverage for injuries imposed on the insured by contract with respect to claims made pursuant to the LHWCA.  Nevertheless, the insured facility owner was covered under the policy when sued by a stevedore who was injured while unloading a barge.  The stevedore's claims against a third party were not…

  • Statute of Limitations for Katrina Claim not Tolled by Insurer's Negotiations

    Tred Eyerly
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
       In Landry Architecture, LLC v. Valley Forge Ins. Co., No. 09-3974, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99109 (E.D. La. Oct. 23, 2009), the insured's claims for business income losses resulting from Hurricane Katrina and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing did not survive the insurer's motion to dismiss on statute of limitations grounds.      The insured purchased a property policy from Valley Forge in August 2002.  The policy was renewed on an annual basis thereafter.  In June 2002, Valley Forge issued a notice that Landry's policy would no longer cover…

  • Default Judgment Against Insured Does Not Bar Injured Party from Pursing Coverage Case

    Tred Eyerly
    11 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
       A default judgment against the insured should not deprive the injured party from pursuing the coverage litigation according to the Ninth Circuit's decision in Westchester Fire Ins. Co. v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., No. 07-17383, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 23718 (9th Cir. Oct. 28, 2009).       The insured provided maintenance services for Northwest Airlines at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.  The insured's liability policy required prompt notice of any possible claim be given the insurer.    In February 2002, an aircraft owned by Northwest was damaged when it…

  • Assignee of Policy Must Comply with Request for Examination Under Oath

    Tred Eyerly
    9 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
       Whether an assignee is required to respond to the insurer's invocation of an Examination Under Oath ("EUO") clause was at issue in Shaw v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Co, 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 15930 (Fla. Ct. App. Oct. 23, 2009).     After the insured was involved in an auto accident, he received medical care from appellants.  The insured assigned of his No-Fault benefits and cause of action to recover those benefits to appellants, the insured's health care providers.     When appellants presented a claim to State Farm for services rendered to the insured,…
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    Florida Insurance Law Blog

  • Mississippi Supreme Court Issues Important Katrina Decision on Anti-Concurring Cause Clause

    18 Nov 2009 | 4:23 am
    In a unanimous decision, the Mississippi Supreme Court has explained how the anti-concurring cause clause (ACCC) in the standard homeowners insurance policy should be interpreted.  Although this decision was from Mississippi, it will prove to be informative in Florida as there is very little Florida law on this important issue.  I've previously blogged extensively on the ACCC in Florida and the related topic of efficient proximate case.  That blog can be accessed by clicking here.  (A word of warning...whenever I write on the ACCC, by necessity, it is long…

  • Important Decision on Fee Multiplier Issued by 1st DCA

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:48 am
    Today, in Massie v. Progressive Express Insurance Company, ____ So.3d ____ (Fla. 1st DCA November 17, 2009), the Circuit Court sitting in its appellate capacity reversed the trial judge's order awarding a multiplier.  The Circuit Court reversed because the insured did not testify that she had difficulty securing counsel to represent her in the cause without a multiplier.    The 1st DCA reversed and reinstated the multiplier.  The Court held that expert testimony that a party would have difficulty securing counsel without the opportunity for a multiplier…

  • 3rd DCA Holds that a "Valid Report" Used by PIP Insured to Withdraw Benefits Need Not Be Based on a Physical Exam by the Reviewing Physician

    17 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am
    In United Automobile Insurance Co. v. Garrido, a/a/o Rodriguez, ____ So.3d ____ (Fla. 3d DCA October 28, 2009), the 3rd once spoke on the circumstances under which a PIP insurer can withdraw future PIP benefits.  According to the 3rd, a 'valid report,' even where appropriately required under section 627.736(7)(a) [i.e. when withdrawing future benefits - as opposed to denying past bills], need not be predicated on either a physical examination conducted by the reporting physician or on a physical examination conducted on behalf of the insurance company.  The Court…

  • PIP Insurer Only Needs a Written Medical Report Prior to Withdrawing Future Benefits, Not Prior For Denying Past Benefits

    17 Nov 2009 | 6:39 am
    In United Automobile Insurance Company v. Garrido, a/a/o Alarcon, ____ So.3d ____ (Fla. 3rd DCA October 28, 2009), United Auto - a PIP insurer - denied payment for past services rendered by Dr. Garrido to the insured.  United Auto did not first obtain a written report from a physician saying that the denied charges were not reasonable, necessary or related to the crash.  The 3rd held: In United Automobile Insurance Co. v. Millennium Diagnostic Imaging Center, Inc., 12 So.3d 242, 246-47 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009), we held that an insurer may at any time challenge whether…

  • Assignment of Insurance Proceeds to a Nonexistent Entity Not Valid

    17 Nov 2009 | 5:22 am
    In Progressive Express Insurance Company v. Hartley, ____ So.3d ____ (Fla. 5th DCA October 30, 2009), Progressive provided Hartley with PIP insurance.  Hartley was injured in an accident and sought treatment from Michael C. Durant, D.C.  Upon seeking treatment from Dr. Durant, Hartley executed an assignment of benefits to "Atlantic Coast Chiropractic Clinic."  From 1993 - 1998, "Atlantic Coast Chiropractic Clinic" was a registered fictitious name for Durant Chiropractic Clinic, Inc.  However, in 1998, that corporation failed to renew the fictitious…
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    Insurance Blog

  • California Report Shows White Collar Injury Grows in Importance

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am
    A new study from the California Workers' Compensation Institute shows that claims from white-collar workers have assumed greater relative importance as the economy has sputtered. The study shows … Read the rest of this great post here

  • North Carolina FAIR, Beach Plans Get New Board Members

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am
    North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced the appointment of five new members to the N.C. Joint Underwriting Association and the N.C. Insurance Underwriting Association, better … Read the rest of this great post here

  • California Reassures Women that Mammogram Laws Not Changed

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am
    In the wake of new recommendations for mammography, California officials said that a state law remains in place to ensure that insurance covers mammograms for breast cancer screenings beginning at … Read the rest of this great post here

  • L.A. Report Says Fire Service Should Fly During Nighttime

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:32 am
    The U.S. Forest Service should allow helicopters to fight fires during darkness, a tactic that could have been used in the critical first hours of the summer's gigantic and deadly wildfire in the … Read the rest of this great post here

  • Floridians Concerned About Their Personal Financial Condition

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:27 am
    Against the backdrop of the worst economic slump in more than 30 years, more than 83 percent of Floridians are concerned about their money challenges and 43 percent don’t expect to be … Read the rest of this great post here
 
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    LIFE Foundation

  • Looking for Simple Advice

    mfeldman
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:07 am
    Boston Consulting is currently completing a survey of 12,000 women in 22 countries about their families’ finances. What they’ve determined so far is interesting. More than 80% of women do not think they are saving enough for retirement, and nearly half say they’re dissatisfied with investment providers, banking services and insurance providers. The survey states that women now own or co-own 40% of the businesses in the United States, and this number is growing at twice the rate of businesses in general. It also found that 77% of respondents manage their households, including most…

  • What I’ve Learned in My First 30 Days

    chughes
    13 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    I came on board about a month ago as the LIFE Foundation’s communications director. Like at most foundations, LIFE has a small staff with immense drive and creativity producing amazing results on a small budget. That didn’t surprise me. What did, though, was that when I chose LIFE, I didn’t realize I would be so frequently reminded of DEATH. First, you should know that I’m the kind of person who as soon as I hear a news anchor launch into a tragic story, I switch the channel as fast as my fingers will move. I don’t want hear it. Even in my office at LIFE, which overlooks Arlington…

  • Permanent Life Insurance: Worth a Closer Look

    mfeldman
    10 Nov 2009 | 4:22 am
    Penn Mutual, as part of Life Insurance Awareness Month, released a survey showing that women are unaware of the “living benefits” of life insurance. According to the survey, most women (60%) associate life insurance only with death benefits even if they own permanent life insurance, which has many living benefits. The cash values of permanent life insurance provide income for retirement and quick access to cash when needed–all of the things that rated higher in importance to the women surveyed than a death benefit. The survey, part of Penn Mutual’s WORTH initiative, promotes…

  • Do You Ignore Open Enrollment Season?

    jdressner
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:45 am
    Some stats are mind-boggling. We’ll spend weeks planning a family vacation or countless hours studying Consumer Reports prior to purchasing a flat screen TV. But when it comes to more substantive matters, like making choices about the various insurance benefits available to us through our company’s benefits program, most Americans take a completely passive approach. We Americans are an independent lot. We don’t want other people making decisions for us. Not the government. Not our neighbors. Not even our friends. But when it comes to important financial security matters like choices…

  • Applications Are Up!

    mfeldman
    20 Oct 2009 | 12:33 pm
    Life Insurance Awareness Month is now over, and the results are starting to come in for September. According the MIB Life Index, applications for individual life insurance for Boomers—age 45 to 59—were up 2.7%, and for those 60 and older, applications soared 13.8%. The only dip was for younger applicants. Overall, the volume of individual life insurance applications this September increased 1.8% over the same time last year and represented a 10% jump from August’s numbers. What does this indicate? It means we are succeeding in making the consumer aware of the importance of owning life…
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    Insurance Blog

  • Pricey Airline Fees Drive Travelers Back to the Road for Thanksgiving

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am
    Flying to mom's house for Thanksgiving is going to be a little trickier this year--and a whole lot more expensive.  According to USA Today, several airlines are charging $50 surcharges for flights around Thanksgiving. Airlines are also slashing the number of available flights, leading to more layovers, less convenient flight times, fewer seats available for people who miss connections, crowded overhead luggage space and jam-packed seating arrangements.

  • Ever Wonder Which Side of the Road Other Countries Drive On?

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:24 am
    Here in the United States, most drivers know that in America, people drive on the right side of the road and in Jolly Old England, they drive on the left. Beyond that, our "which side of the road?" driving knowledge is a bit hazy.

  • Cat Tests Positive for H1N1 Swine Flu

    16 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am
    A few weeks back, our Can Your Dog Give You the Flu? post asked if dogs can transmit the flu to humans. And now, a cat has contracted the H1N1 flu virus--courtesy of a human being.

  • InsWeb's Top-10 Least and Most Expensive Cars to Insure

    13 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm
    The editors at InsWeb have compiled their list of the least and most expensive cars to insure based on an analysis of 2009 InsWeb.com customers and over 400 vehicle make/models. 

  • Under the Weather? Cough Into Your Cell Phone and Get an Instant Diagnosis

    13 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am
    Think you're getting a touch of the flu? Feeling a bit congested and think a cold is on the horizon?  Skip the visit to the doctor. Technology being developed by American and Australian scientists would allow cell phone users to cough into their phone for an instant medical diagnosis.
 
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    Texas Department of Insurance

  • September09 Enforcements

    16 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am
    11/16/09 - AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Insurance has announced enforcement actions that became final during September, 2009, including nine license revocations and fines and restitution totaling $15,808,521.

  • Nonfatal Occupational Injuries

    5 Nov 2009 | 2:44 am
    11/5/09 - AUSTIN, TX – Private industry workplaces in Texas reported a total of 234,559 nonfatal injuries and illnesses during 2008.

  • DWC August09 Enforcements

    14 Oct 2009 | 1:10 am
    10/14/09 - AUSTIN, TX - Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Rod Bordelon has announced final disciplinary actions taken by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation in August 2009, including orders assessing administrative penalties totaling $503,300.

  • TDI Announces August Enforcement Actions

    5 Oct 2009 | 7:14 am
    10/5/09 - AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Insurance today announced enforcement actions taken by Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during August, 2009

  • hailstorms

    5 Oct 2009 | 5:27 am
    10/5/09 - AUSTIN - Consumers who suffered property damage in the recent severe weather in the El Paso area should contact their insurance company or agent to file a claim as soon as possible. Initiating this process is the first step toward getting money to begin making repairs.
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    WordPress Tag: Auto Insurance

  • Mobile phones and driving just don't mix

    davidkirkpatrick
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am
    Even “hands-free” cell phone use. I’ve written on this exact topic for an insurance website and cited the same studies referenced in this article. I’m not even going to comment on the inanity of doing any sort of texting while driving — sending or receiving – but anyone who has ever spoken on a cell phone when driving (a group that includes pretty much anyone who has access to a car and a mobile phone) knows there were times that you lost total awareness of something happening on the road around you, be it a traffic signal, a missed exit, a near miss on a…

  • Auto Insurance - The Benefits of Comprehensive Auto Policy

    uchsanusi
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm
    Are you a very frequent car user? Do you own an expensive car? Can you easily replace your car? Thes

  • Car Insurance - Traveling and storing your car?

    guthrieinsurance
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:07 pm
    Winter is fast approaching and calls from our clients are already coming in.  “We’re heading south for the winter and won’t be using our car.  What is the best way of saving some premium?” Like most things to do with insurance, every situation is different and the answer is sometimes not so simple. First, most insurers will allow credit when a vehicle has been put in storage.  The typical minimum duration is 45 days.   Store your vehicle for 6 months and the savings can really add up, so this should be taken advantage of. If you have more than one car and only one is being stored,…

  • It is all about relationship building.

    tomlarsen
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm
    I am in the insurance business and insure people’s stuff – their homes, cars and businesses. But do you know what? It is still about having a relationship with the client and them developing a level of trust. Trust that I know what I am talking about and trust that I am covering them like they want to be covered. That trust can’t be earned in a 60 second commercial, like some insurance companies want you to believe. It is earned by sharing knowledge, idea’s and information that is good for them. It is about being truthful and not always looking at your pocket or…

  • You Should Always Compare and Save On Your Auto Insurance Quotes

    saveonyourinsurancequotes
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    Do you remember what you were thinking before you bought your auto? Were you excited about deciding
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    Medicare Update

  • Senate Health Care Reform Bill Provides for Recovery Audit Contractor Expansion

    Michael Apolskis
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:56 am
    In Section 6411 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R.3590), the Senate Democratic health care reform bill provides for the expansion of the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program.Specifically, Section 6411 provides for the Medicare RAC program to be expanded to Medicare Parts C and D by no later than December 31, 2010. Section 6411 also contains some special rules.  For instance, Section 6411 would require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to ensure that Medicare RAC contracts require RACs to: Ensure that each Medicare Advantage plan…

  • House Passes Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009

    Michael Apolskis
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:12 am
    On November 19, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed (by a vote of 243-183) the Medicare Physician Payment the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 (H.R.3961).   As previously reported, H.R.3961 would repeal the now 21.2 percent Medicare payment rate reduction for physician services in 2010 and restructure the sustainable growth rate (or SGR) formula. The Congressional Budget Office recently released a cost estimate for H.R.3961 indicating that it would increase direct spending by about $210 billion over the 2010-2019 period. Subscribe to Medicare Update, follow me on…

  • Senate Health Reform Bill Includes Significant Medicare Payment Reductions

    Michael Apolskis
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pm
    On November 18, 2009, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) releases its cost estimate associated with the Senate Democrat's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R.3590).According to the CBO, the provisions of H.R.3590 would cost $848 billion over 10 years (2010 - 2019), yield a net reduction to the Federal deficit of $130 billion over that time period, and extend insurance coverage to approximately 31 million eligible Americans.However, such projections include provisions that would make changes to payment rates and rules for Medicare, Medicaid and other Federal programs.  In fact,…

  • CMS to Host Ambulance Open Door Forum

    Michael Apolskis
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am
    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it will hold the next Ambulance Open Door Forum at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on December 9, 2009. To participate by telephone, one must dial 1-800-837-1935 and reference conference ID 40386943. To participate in person, RSVP and security clearance is required.  One must RSVP by 2:00 p.m. (ET) on December 4, 2009 to AmbulanceODF-L@cms.hhs.gov, and include your name, organization, telephone number, and "Ambulance" in the subject line.  The Open Door Forum will take place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200…

  • UPDATE: White House Expresses Support for Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act

    Michael Apolskis
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:54 am
    On November 18, 2009, the Office of Management and Budget released a statement strongly supporting the U.S. House of Representative's passage of the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 (H.R.3961). The American Medical Association reports that the House may vote on H.R.3961 today.  H.R.3961 would repeal the now 21.2 percent Medicare payment rate reduction for physician services in 2010 and restructure the sustainable growth rate (or SGR) formula. The Congressional Budget Office recently released a cost estimate for H.R.3961 indicating that it would increase direct spending by about…
 
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    Wallet Pop: Insurance

  • Uninsured more likely to die younger

    Lita Epstein
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am
    Filed under: Insurance, Health, Insurance-healthWhether you're a child rushed to an emergency room for care or an adult who has put off preventive medical care, if you don't have health insurance, you are more likely to die. That's been confirmed by three different health studies. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that uninsured children who are hospitalized are 60% more likely to die. Harvard University found that large numbers of uninsured adults have chronic illnesses that are undiagnosed and under-treated, which means they are not getting treatments that could prevent strokes, heart…

  • Ready to gamble that your home value will tumble more?

    Ann Brenoff
    9 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    Filed under: Insurance, Real EstateQueasy-stomached home owners who can't bear to watch the equity in their homes continue to dwindle have an option: Equity protection policies. These policies, will, for a fee that generally ranges from 1% to 3% of your home's equity, guarantee against further losses when it comes time to sell. Most of the policies work like this: At the time the contract is purchased, the company takes a snapshot of the average home price in the customer's ZIP code. If, at the time of sale the ZIP Code property value has declined, the company would make up the difference --…

  • CitiGroup Says good-bye to life insurer Primerica

    Jennie L. Phipps
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Filed under: InsuranceThe best technique for selling life insurance is known in the trade as "driving the hearse up to the door." When the salesperson drives the hearse up to the door, he describes at length all the horrible things that can happen if the family hasn't bought enough life insurance and leaves widows and orphans to starve.Continue reading CitiGroup Says good-bye to life insurer PrimericaPermalink | Email this | Comments

  • Bad actors continue to prey on seniors

    Amy Pyle
    4 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Filed under: Banks, Borrowing, Home, Insurance, Real Estate, Retire, Fraud, MortgagesBad actors have solidly shifted their attention to reverse mortgages, causing a top consumer organization to warn seniors to choose such loans carefully. A new report by the National Consumer Law Center likens the aggressive lending practices in today's reverse mortgage lending to those common in the sub-prime mortgage heyday -- featuring some of the same players. "Well-funded marketing campaigns and perverse incentives to brokers are targeting seniors' home equity and using reverse mortgages as their tools,"…

  • COBRA coverage for unemployed may be extended

    Lita Epstein
    4 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Filed under: Insurance, Career, Health, Insurance-healthIf you lost your job, right now you can get a 65% subsidy from the government to help pay for a continuation of your health benefits under COBRA for nine months. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act may be a weird name for a bill about health insurance, but it's basically the law that requires companies to let people pay to remain on their group health insurance plans for at least 18 months. But that could end shortly. Congress passed the 65% subsidy as unemployment rose in this country, but it's due to expire Dec. 31. A…
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    www.Artemis.bm

  • Hurricane futures for 2010 now available on Eurex

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:21 am
    Eurex, the European derivatives exchange, has launched it’s U.S. hurricane futures for 2010. The instruments are now available to trade for the whole of next year for the same three regions as 2009 (U.S. nationwide, Gulf Coast and Florida).  More details are available from Reuters. You can find the hurricane futures on the Eurex website here. Share or bookmark this post:

  • Opportunities in microinsurance

    admin
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:11 am
    We’ve been big supporters (read our previous coverage here) of the various weather and catastrophe related microinsurance programs being piloted around the world over the last few years. While not perfect, these schemes are helping to get much needed cover to business people in developing countries to help them hedge against the very real weather risks they face. Index based microinsurance is particularly effective and accepted in the developing world as you can see exactly what you get for your premium and it’s predictable. That said, there are still issues around whether the…

  • Catastrophe insurance for banks

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:53 pm
    One of the big things to come out of the recent financial market turmoil is a desire to have better back stops for the banking system and to find a way to prevent the need for breaking up banks that fail. Many ideas have been mooted, including catastrophe bonds (as we’ve written about previously), with the latest being contingent capital. This article in the British newspaper The Independent quotes the Bank of Englands deputy governor for financial stability, Paul Tucker, as saying that creation of a market in contingent capital could provide a form of catastrophe insurance for banks.

  • Swiss Re preparing Vita Capital IV mortality bond

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am
    Various sources are reporting that Swiss Re is preparing to launch a fourth excess mortality transaction under its Vita series. Vita Capital IV is said to be a $75m mortality bond, it started as $50m but demand has been high and the deal has upsized significantly. It’s assumed that Vita Capital IV will replace a portion of the Vita II transaction which is due to mature in January 2010. Industry sources say that the increasing problem of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic has helped to spur Swiss Re into marketing this latest deal. This deal is expected to close within the next week.

  • Montana Re Ltd. catastrophe bond coming soon from Flagstone Re

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:09 am
    Flagstone Re is readying a catastrophe bond transaction for the market called Montana Re Ltd. We mentioned this deal after writing about its existence the other day, now details are emerging we can bring you up to speed. Montana Re is a Cayman Islands based SPV set up to issue the notes from this $120m deal. Flagstone Reassurance Suisse S.A., the ceding reinsurer, is seeking to protect itself from losses caused by U.S. hurricanes and earthquakes for three years. The deal is structured in two tranches of $60m and is expected to complete towards the end of November. The Class A notes of Montana…
 
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    Health Insurance News & Opinion

  • Reid Gets 60 Votes for Health Care Debate

    admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm
    CBS News – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada secured the 60 votes needed to move forward with the historic debate on President Obama’s overhaul of health care today. The future of the debate was in question until two remaining Democratic holdouts announced they would vote with their party to begin deliberations on the health care reform bill.

  • Reid: ‘We can see the finish line’

    admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:32 pm
    msnbc.com –After tonight’s vote to put a health reform bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate for the first time in American history, Senate Democrats vowed to pass it, but acknowledged there would be changes. “We can see the finish line, but we’re not there yet,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

  • UPDATE: Reid Files Cloture, First Floor Vote On Senate Health Care Bill Saturday, 8 PM

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:41 am
    TPMDC – The Senate will be in session this Saturday evening, ahead of a scheduled 8 pm cloture vote on the motion to proceed to debate historic health care legislation, TPMDC has learned. Assuming Majority Leader Harry Reid has the 60 votes he needs to leap that hurdle, Democrats will likely have to eat up 30 hours before they can hold the actual vote – at a 51-vote threshold – on the motion to proceed itself. Still with me?

  • A (Small) Win for Wyden and Choice

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am
    The Treatment (The New Republic) – Ron Wyden will have his day and, in somewhat scaled-down fashion, he’ll have his way. Majority Leader Harry Reid, Finance Chairman Max Baucus, and Wyden just announced that they will be amending health care legislation to include a compromise version of Wyden’s free choice amendment.

  • Crucial senator says he will vote to move Senate health bill forward

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:40 am
    The Raw Story – The Senate health reform bill moved one step closer to becoming law Friday when Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) announced he would vote yes in a crucial test vote of the bill scheduled for Saturday.
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    GC Capital Ideas

  • Floods in United Kingdom

    GC Editor
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:14 am
    Heavy rain has triggered floods across northern England, southern Scotland and Wales this week, inundating hundreds of homes and businesses and causing widespread damage and disruption. The... Continue reading...

  • Week’s Top Stories: Nov 14 - 20, 2009

    GC Editor
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Group-Level Implications of Solvency II: Group support will not be permitted when Solvency II becomes effective in 2012. As a result, the flexibility to use capital held anywhere in the group in... Continue reading...

  • Inflation: Not All Bad News for European (Re)Insurers

    GC Editor
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    George Carrington, Head of International Casualty Specialty Practice Contact Inflation is always a major risk factor for the casualty industry. For the past seven years, monetary inflation has been... Continue reading...

  • Protect Your Balance Sheet from Casualty Catastrophe Risk

    GC Editor
    17 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    David Lewin, Managing Director Contact Indications of an economic recovery and fairly flat renewal are already beginning to obscure the experience of the past year. For professional liability... Continue reading...

  • Group-Level Implications of Solvency II

    GC Editor
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Frank Achtert, Managing Director, and Eddy Vanbeneden, Managing Director Contact Group support will not be permitted when Solvency II becomes effective in 2012. As a result, the flexibility to use... Continue reading...
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    TradePub: Insurance

  • Insurance & Technology

    18 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pm
    Insurance & Technology provides senior-level insurance executives with information strategies, applications, and tools to help them perform more productively, profitably and competitively. Insurance & Technologys' articles analyze information technology strategies that succeed in helping insurance companies in areas such as distribution, customer service, product and systems development, competitive analysis, financial performance and regulatory compliance.The frequency of Insurance & Technology has changed to 6 issues per year.Request Free!

  • Best's Review

    1 Oct 2009 | 12:20 am
    Written for insurance company executives, agents, brokers, analysts, risk managers, underwriters, attorneys and other insurance professionals, the magazine focuses on the business of insurance, spotlighting such key interests as agent/broker issues, health and employee benefits, life insurance, property/casualty insurance, regulatory and legal developments, reinsurance, capital markets and technology.Request Free!

  • Restoration & Remediation

    1 Oct 2009 | 12:20 am
    Targeting more restoration and remediation contractors than any other publication and bringing the insurance claims and restoration industries together, Restoration & Remediation's circulation of 25,000 makes it the most comprehensive and effective platform in the restoration and remediation industry. Restoration & Remediation's editorial lineup includes well-known experts like Jim Holland, Cliff Zlotnik, Barb Jackson, David Dybdahl and more addressing contents restoration facilities; themography; proper CPL coverage; litigation concerns; standards and other issues front and center in the…

  • Reinsurance

    30 Jul 2009 | 3:50 pm
    Every month, Reinsurance Magazine provides news analysis with details on the stories impacting the reinsurance industry, along with a more technical insight. Market reports focus on specific regions, including the US, UK, Far East, Middle East and Bermuda to name but a few, and interviews with those who are driving and changing the face of the reinsurance industry.Request Free!

  • Business Insurance

    1 Jul 2009 | 12:20 am
    Our core readers depend on our news coverage of risk management and risk financing, employee benefits management, workers comp and rehabilitation, commercial insurance and reinsurance, major commercial insurance claim settlements, as well as legal, legislative and regulatory developments.Request Free!
 
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    Insurance Information

  • You’re Retired. Should You Ditch Your Life Insurance Policy? (at Forbes.com)

    nexam1
    12 Nov 2009 | 5:52 pm
    Sourced from: Yahoo! Finance: Life Insurance Industry News Related Websites Comparing Life Insurance Policies It is important for you to understand that there are a number of different types of insurance policies out there for life insurance. Some of these life insurance policy options that you have available to you are term life insurance, universal life insurance, variable life insurance and whole life insurance....... Even During Tough Economic Times Life Insurance Provides Peace of Mind As you watch the value of your property, home or retirement investment savings struggle in the current…

  • Survey: Life insurance one of safer financial products available

    nexam1
    4 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pm
    Traditional life insurance protection is an essential safety net to many consumers, with two-thirds of those surveyed indicating that it is one of the safer financial products available today, new …   Read → Survey: Life insurance one of safer financial products available originally reported at IFAwebnews.com Sourced from: Group Life Insurance Related Websites Life Insurance Protection for the Stay-at-Home Spouse Some families choose to have one parent work outside the home while the other stays home to take care of children. Other families are forced into such a situation by…

  • Women receive more life insurance benefits than men, survey says

    nexam1
    14 Oct 2009 | 12:08 pm
    A gender gap exists in the amount of life insurance benefits received by men and women after the death of a spouse, according to a survey by MetLife. Sourced from: Group Life Insurance Related Websites Reshop Your Life Insurance Policy and Save up to 50%. Life insurance is the one policy that you should happily pay even though you hope that the policy never pays off. Having good quality life insurance will make sure that your family and loved ones aren’t in a dire financial situation in the event that you pass away. It may...... Comparing Life Insurance Policies It is important for you…

  • Term Life Insurance and Home Mortgages

    nexam1
    16 Sep 2009 | 2:33 pm
    Term life insurance is a great way to protect against a mortgage or home loan default in the event of death of the main income earner.  The proceeds of a life insurance policy can pay off the balance or provide supplemental income for the monthly mortgage.  Although, many people cannot afford whole life insurance, especially young homeowners, term life insurance is a good, inexpensive alternative. You can purchase a level term policy with one premium and one death benefit for the term of the policy.  Terms usually run from a choice of 10, 15, 10, 25, or 30 years.  Another option (although…

  • How does a life insurance broker or agent get paid? Does it affect my premium?

    nexam1
    2 Sep 2009 | 12:03 pm
    Question: Can you tell me how a life insurance agent gets paid?  Does it affect my premium? Answer: Whether a life insurance agent works for a specific insurance company (captive) or is an independent, he earns his money from the sale of an insurance policy.  Those earnings are in the form of a commission paid directly by the insurance carrier. Commissions are built into the policy and will not change the premium rate you are quoted.  In other words, there is no surcharge and commissions are not paid directly by the client.  Because commissions are built into the policy and cannot be…
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    Life Insurance No Exam - Insurance Information

  • You’re Retired. Should You Ditch Your Life Insurance Policy? (at Forbes.com)

    nexam1
    12 Nov 2009 | 5:52 pm
    Sourced from: Yahoo! Finance: Life Insurance Industry News Related Websites Comparing Life Insurance Policies It is important for you to understand that there are a number of different types of insurance policies out there for life insurance. Some of these life insurance policy options that you have available to you are term life insurance, universal life insurance, variable life insurance and whole life insurance....... Even During Tough Economic Times Life Insurance Provides Peace of Mind As you watch the value of your property, home or retirement investment savings struggle in the current…

  • Survey: Life insurance one of safer financial products available

    nexam1
    4 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pm
    Traditional life insurance protection is an essential safety net to many consumers, with two-thirds of those surveyed indicating that it is one of the safer financial products available today, new …   Read → Survey: Life insurance one of safer financial products available originally reported at IFAwebnews.com Sourced from: Group Life Insurance Related Websites Life Insurance Protection for the Stay-at-Home Spouse Some families choose to have one parent work outside the home while the other stays home to take care of children. Other families are forced into such a situation by…

  • Women receive more life insurance benefits than men, survey says

    nexam1
    14 Oct 2009 | 12:08 pm
    A gender gap exists in the amount of life insurance benefits received by men and women after the death of a spouse, according to a survey by MetLife. Sourced from: Group Life Insurance Related Websites Reshop Your Life Insurance Policy and Save up to 50%. Life insurance is the one policy that you should happily pay even though you hope that the policy never pays off. Having good quality life insurance will make sure that your family and loved ones aren’t in a dire financial situation in the event that you pass away. It may...... Comparing Life Insurance Policies It is important for you…

  • Term Life Insurance and Home Mortgages

    nexam1
    16 Sep 2009 | 2:33 pm
    Term life insurance is a great way to protect against a mortgage or home loan default in the event of death of the main income earner.  The proceeds of a life insurance policy can pay off the balance or provide supplemental income for the monthly mortgage.  Although, many people cannot afford whole life insurance, especially young homeowners, term life insurance is a good, inexpensive alternative. You can purchase a level term policy with one premium and one death benefit for the term of the policy.  Terms usually run from a choice of 10, 15, 10, 25, or 30 years.  Another option (although…

  • How does a life insurance broker or agent get paid? Does it affect my premium?

    nexam1
    2 Sep 2009 | 12:03 pm
    Question: Can you tell me how a life insurance agent gets paid?  Does it affect my premium? Answer: Whether a life insurance agent works for a specific insurance company (captive) or is an independent, he earns his money from the sale of an insurance policy.  Those earnings are in the form of a commission paid directly by the insurance carrier. Commissions are built into the policy and will not change the premium rate you are quoted.  In other words, there is no surcharge and commissions are not paid directly by the client.  Because commissions are built into the policy and cannot be…
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    InsureBlog

  • The Individual Mandate is Evil [UPDATED]

    21 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pm
    The other day, I had breakfast with an old friend and mentor. In the course of discussing ObamaCare, he asked me which part I considered the most egregious. I think I surprised him when I said it wasn't coverage for abortions or illegal aliens, or even the so-called "Public Option" which most offended me.It's the individual mandate.Now, one might think that, because I sell insurance for a living, I'd be all for a law that required folks to buy what I sell. But I'm an American first, and I find this particular idea repugnant and, frankly, unAmerican. Here's why:There is no precedent for…

  • Just What the Doctor Ordered...

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:02 pm
    Via RedState:

  • Indian Insurance

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:21 am
    The more time the House and Senate bills spend in the light of day, the more insidious they become. Pages 264 - 265 tell us that Indians whose income is below 300% of the FPL will receive free health care.My wife has some Cherokee in her ancestry if you go back far enough. Suppose she can qualify?Page 443 of the bill substitutes "legal residents" with the language "those lawfully residing in the United States."What is that all about?Page 369 of the bill protects workers from retribution if they complain that their employer is not providing health insurance benefits.If you are an Indian does…

  • Paging Dr. Facebook

    20 Nov 2009 | 8:27 am
    Nathalie Blanchard is on medical leave after being diagnosed with major depression. She is collecting monthly sick leave benefits from Manulife. This was not a problem until she decided to take a trip and post some pics on Facebook.When Blanchard called Manulife, the company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC News this week.She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on the popular social networking site, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday —…

  • Stupid Government Tricks - Senate Edition

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:57 am
    The folks at The Heritage Foundation have nailed it in today's Morning Bell. This should be required reading of anyone, ESPECIALLY those who will be called to vote on the legislation.Excerpt . . .Last Saturday night Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) forced through a vote on her 2,032 page health care bill only a few days after releasing it to the public. Now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is poised for another Saturday night cram down, forcing a Senate cloture vote mere days before his 2,074 page bill was given to Senators. Yet again, Congress will be forced to vote on a bill that none of…
 
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    Workers Comp Insider

  • Housekeepers, Revisited

    Jon Coppelman
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am
    Back in September we blogged the mass layoffs of housekeepers at the Hyatt Hotels in Boston. After unknowingly training their replacements, long-term employees were laid off, their jobs taken over by employees of a temp firm called Hospitality Staffing Solutions (HSS). Given the the low wages and marginal benefits offered the replacement workers, this solution was lacking in hospitality, to...

  • State Rankings: Why is Massachusetts at the Top?

    Tom Lynch
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am
    Recently, in one of his Risk & Insurance columns, our friend and colleague, Peter Rousmaniere, wrote a piece examining workers’ compensation costs and benefits among the various states. There are a few organizations that do this annually. In my opinion, the most scholarly work is done by The National Academy of Social Insurance. However, the Academy, created in 1997 after...

  • Cavalcade of Risk: Short and Sweet

    Jon Coppelman
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:13 am
    Jason Shafrin of Healthcare Economist has posted the latest edition of Cavalcade of Risk. It's a pungent mix of interesting items and well worth a few minutes of your time. Readers will be rewarded with a nice precis on the nature and predictability of risk, along with the story of an English company called the French Connection, which achieved notoriety...

  • Workers Comp Insider Wins Top National Blog Award

    Tom Lynch
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Well, bust our balloons and call us surprised! We learned yesterday that the Lexis Nexis Workers’ Compensation Law Center has honored the Workers Comp Insider with the award of Top National Workers’ Compensation blog of 2009. With so many excellent blogs being written now, we’re proud and humbled at the same time. When we created the Insider in September 2003,...

  • The Geography of Health: US vs. Them

    Tom Lynch
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am
    Given the discouraging and often appalling level of debate on health insurance in America, it was refreshing to view the PBS Frontline broadcast “Sick Around the World,” a documentary that dispassionately analyzed different health care systems from five developed countries: Britain, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerland. The program originally aired during the presidential campaign of 2008, but, given the current...
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    Managed Care Matters

  • The latest on vendor-TPA relations

    jpaduda@healthstrategyassoc.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:21 am
    If you're wondering why your TPA has been changing specialty managed care vendors more often than you are used to, it may well be because the TPA is getting paid to change. Word from several sources at the comp trade...

  • Rumor has it...

    jpaduda@healthstrategyassoc.com
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am
    The exhibit floor at the workers comp conference is abuzz with rumors about sales; companies on the block, new transactions for TPAs, and new business for vendors. Amongst the rumors are several that don't appear to be based on fact,...

  • The National Work Comp Conference - first impressions

    jpaduda@healthstrategyassoc.com
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:17 pm
    It's good to be back in Chicago. The 'comp conference', the shortened title given to LRP Productions' annual National Workers Comp and Disability Conference, has recently been exiled to, of all places, Las Vegas. (Does anyone else see the slightest...

  • Change is coming to workers comp

    jpaduda@healthstrategyassoc.com
    17 Nov 2009 | 6:39 pm
    And it is coming from all directions. California may be in the process of significant changes due to recent court decisions and the hangover from reform. Texas continues to debate, discuss, and deliberate alterations to their current system. The regulatory...

  • Your drug costs are going up...

    jpaduda@healthstrategyassoc.com
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:50 am
    The chances of some variety of health insurance reform passing are looking more likely and big pharma is getting ready. By raising branded drug prices nine percent (so far) this year., and this at a time when the Consumer Price...
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    Insurance Industry Blog

  • Trying Times for Marine Insurers

    Claire
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:26 am
    The fortunes of ocean marine insurers are inextricably tied to the state of the economy and world trade so in today’s environment of slow economic growth, low inflation and minimal interest rates they really have their work cut out. At the annual meeting of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) in New York City yesterday, AIMU chairman Dennis Marvin noted that with fewer ships to insure, fewer goods in transit to cover with reduced value of merchandise and lower exposures most marine segments are seeing flat or falling premium volume. Combined with more than sufficient…

  • Life Insurers: Commercial Real Estate Exposure

    Claire
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:35 am
    What a difference a year (and a half) can make. In April 2008, ratings agency Fitch published a report indicating that while the outlook for commercial real estate (CRE) related investments had deteriorated, it did not anticipate a major impact on U.S. life insurers’ capital or ratings in 2008. Now, Fitch has published a revised report projecting that U.S. life insurers may incur CRE-related investment losses in the range of $18.5 billion to $22.6 billion through 2011. Why the reversal of fortunes? Fitch reports that commercial real estate fundamentals are softening as rents are declining…

  • Climate Risk Disclosure: Federal Rules?

    Claire
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:25 am
    We picked up a couple of tidbits on the topic of climate change at the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) annual meeting that are worth sharing. A session yesterday on climate risk reporting and monitoring was headed up by Joel Ario, Pennsylvania insurance commissioner and Andrew Logan, of Ceres. Both anticipate a high likelihood that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will act in 2010 to require all public companies, including insurers, to disclose their climate change risks. A recent article by Evan Lehmann of ClimateWire in the New York Times has more on the potential SEC climate…

  • Sarbanes On Financial Crisis

    Claire
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm
    As Congress continues to work on overhauling the regulatory system in response to the financial crisis, it was timely to hear a reformer from the past financial crisis speak today at a key meeting of actuaries. In a luncheon speech at the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) annual meeting in Boston, Senator Paul Sarbanes, former U.S. Senator and co-author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (or SOX, as it is better known) made clear that he stands by the law that he helped craft. Senator Sarbanes noted that the latest financial crisis was a breakdown in risk management and regulatory oversight,…

  • Estimating H1N1

    Claire
    13 Nov 2009 | 7:23 am
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday released new fatality estimates for the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu. Since the start of the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak in April, there have been some 3,900 deaths, more than the 1,200 previously estimated, but significantly less than the 36,000 deaths each year attributed to seasonal flu. In the six months from April to October 17, 2009, the CDC puts the total number of swine flu cases at 22 million and the number of hospitalizations at 98,000. The Wall Street Journal Health blog ponders what these numbers might…
 
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    The New Health Dialogue

  • HEALTH REFORM: The Cost of Doing Nothing... Part 984,039,825

    20 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pm
    As we have discussed several times, doing nothing is simply not an option. We need to reform our health care system -- not despite our economic crisis, but because of the significant impact health care has on U.S. workers and businesses. In an article for the Washington Post this morning, Peter Orszag, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, stresses that "as we enter the homestretch, the greatest risk we run is not completing health reform and letting this chance to lay a new foundation for our economy and our country pass us by." He states that if we do not do anything to…

  • HEALTH POLITICS: Everybody's Working For The Weekend

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pm
    Or, at least, the Senate will be working this weekend. The Senate plans a rare Saturday night vote on a motion to proceed with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's $848 billion health care reform bill,  released earlier this week. The pressure is on for Senate Democrats, who need 60 votes to ensure the bill makes it to the floor to begin debate. Reid melded the Senate Finance and HELP committee's reform bills, but his "deep personal involvement in assembling the overhaul of the health care system," makes it  "Reid's bill," writes Carl Hulse in The New York Times. If Reid…

  • HEALTH POLITICS: A Fresh Look at Malpractice

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm
    Over the past year or so, we began detecting some subtle changes in how Democrats were talking about malpractice. They weren't embracing the Republican tort reform agenda, weren't about to start limiting damages and saying "Sorry Charlie" to people who had suffered heartbreaking harm. But they weren't just changing the subject either. They were recognizing a problem, and considering solutions. Liability problems as well as larger obstacles to addressing serious patient safety problems. We posted about it a few times (here and here). I started reading more about it, and I started…

  • QUALITY: Dying Well Beats Dying Badly. And Expensively

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:01 am
    As we've written a lot on end of life care, we notice when others do the same.  NPR's Joseph Shapiro this week reported on La Crosse, WI where 96 percent of the adults who die have an advanced directive. That extraordinarily high figure arises from the innovations and commitment from Gundersen Lutheran hospital. Careful, sensitive discussions by trained doctors and nurses -- they use a 12 page guide -- is time consuming. Medicare doesn't reimburse them for that time, A provision in the House health care bill would change that -- the provision that was caricaturized as a "death…

  • WORLDVIEW: Assume There's Morality

    19 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pm
    Not many health writers -- not many writers of any ilk, for that matter -- can match T.R. Reid's ability to bring a light, witty touch to really serious topics. Like health policy around the globe. Tom (that's what the "T" in "T.R." stands for) was the featured speaker at the Peterson Institute of International Economics today. Not the usual venue for the book tour for his best-seller, "Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care." Before his talk, he told me he was planning to stress the moral case for covering everyone. Not the…
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    Community Partners blogs

  • November 6 Western HAN: Conversation with CeltiCare

    Community Partners - Amherst
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:24 am
    Western HAN members are currently waiting—for national health care reform to take shape, for the impact of state budget cuts to become clear, and for confirmation that the CeltiCare Bridge program provider network is broad enough here to begin enrolling eligible legal immigrants on December 1. read more

  • October 2 Western HAN meeting notes

    Anne
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am
    Outreach workers are concerned about how continuing financial pressures are going to affect familiar programs and shape new ones, but they’re also still full of energy and ideas about how to reach the ever-growing number of people who need their help. The evolution of a national health care reform plan is also a subject of great interest and lots of feeling. read more

  • September HAN meetings: what's happening with health reform?

    Community Partners - Amherst
    21 Oct 2009 | 9:53 am
    As proposals for national health care reform were taking over the front pages, HAN outreach workers were dealing with the impact of budget cuts to our Massachusetts program made necessary by the recession. Our traditional fall guest, Health Care For All Research Director Brian Rosman, gave both our Amherst and Boston meetings additional background on this issue along with a broader view of how health care reform in Massachusetts is faring in these challenging times. read more

  • Boston Community Updates - September 24 Health Access Network meeting

    Anne Rosen - Community Partners - Amherst
    21 Oct 2009 | 9:47 am
    Please also see our complete September HAN meeting notes. In this section of the agenda, HAN members discussed CommCare Bridge, MassHealth dental services, the end of Commonwealth Care auto-enrollment, and community resources. read more

  • Western Community Updates - September 11 Health Access Network meeting

    Anne Rosen - Community Partners - Amherst
    21 Oct 2009 | 9:21 am
    Please also see our complete September HAN meeting notes. In this section of the agenda, HAN members discussed the transition to CommCare Bridge, MassHealth's email noticing, Medicare News, and community resources. read more
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    GoHealth Insurance Blogs

  • Who Should Pony up for Health Insurance Reform?

    The Research Team
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pm
    Here’s Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suggestion: Plastic Surgeons and the People Who Love Them! The connection? No idea! The Senate health bill would impose a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic procedures to help defray the cost of health care reform. Proponents claim it would raise an estimated $5 billion over 10 years toward the $849 billion pricetag of current legislation. But how did the fans and practitioners of plastic surgery come to bear the burden of bankrolling health insurance reform? The only thing we could figure out is that it presumes that people getting plastic surgery…

  • Trauma Patients Less Likely to Survive Without Health Insurance?

    The Research Team
    17 Nov 2009 | 3:03 pm
    In a recent study from the Archives of Surgery, they found patients in trauma centers were twice as likely to die if they didn’t have health insurance. An extremely interesting study considering emergency rooms are required by law to treat all patients regardless of ability to pay for services. So what could possibly be the explanation for the difference in survival rates in trauma centers? According to the Los Angeles Times, researchers believe that the disparity could be due to the fact that the uninsured are more likely to receive fewer specialized services such as MRIs and are less…

  • Abortion Amendment a Flashpoint in Health Insurance Debate. Again.

    The Research Team
    12 Nov 2009 | 4:32 pm
    Concessions on abortion coverage were vital in the House’s passage of their health insurance bill last Saturday. But those concessions are not sitting well with a lot of Democrats, including two of the main contenders for Ted Kennedy’s seat. Both frontrunners Attorney General Martha Coakley and Representative Michael E. Capuano have come out against the bill in response to the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which prohibits federal plans from covering abortions. “To pretend that now the House has passed this bill is real progress — it’s at the expense of women’s access to reproductive…

  • Health Insurance Reform in the Senate: The Real Battle

    The Research Team
    10 Nov 2009 | 4:33 pm
    As momentous as the passage of the House health insurance bill was this weekend, it was actually the easy part. The next step, passage in the Senate, will prove far more treacherous. How much more treacherous? Let’s review. In the House, Democrats enjoy a 258 to 177 majority. In the Senate, the Republicans are also a minority but possess considerably more power. That means that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could afford losing 40 votes from her own party and still pass the bill. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can’t afford to lose a single vote from his caucus members. And that’s…

  • AARP Endorsement a Coup for House Health Insurance Bill

    The Research Team
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm
    With the AARP’s official endorsement yesterday, the House health bill is moving more confidently toward its floor vote, just one day away. Several aspects of this moment gave us pause. The AARP has never endorsed this kind of comprehensive health care overhaul, and the House bill is the most sweeping overhaul of health care policy in four decades. "We started this debate more than two years ago with the twin goals of making coverage affordable to our younger members and protecting Medicare for seniors,” said AARP CEO Barry Rand to the Associated Press. "We've read the Affordable Health…
 
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    AgentMethods - Insurance Agent Websites, Web Design, and Insurance Marketing

  • Food For Thought – Auto Insurers’ Online Marketing Budgets

    In case you think you’re spending a lot on leads, take a look at the daily search engine marketing budget for some of the biggest insurance advertisers (from SpyFu’s Top 100 SEM Spenders): #4 progressive.com – $325,087.49 #8 geico.com- $250,156.77 #29 esurance.com- $86,412.22 #85 cheap-car-insurance-quotes.org- $52,454.18 #87 libertymutual.com- $51,930.71 Did I mention that these amounts are daily? If Progressive keeps up at that rate, they’ll [...]

  • If you hate calling on shared Internet leads…

    …imagine how the lead you’re calling feels. They thought they were going to get a “Free Online Quote!” Instead, their phone has been ringing off the hook for days by desperate agents trying to sell them something. There’s a good chance they feel tricked, hounded, and frustrated. As bad as it is for you (the agent), [...]

  • 8 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Have a Blog on Your Agent Website

    Blogs have become the rage among insurance agents with websites. With the rise of blog popularity among insurance agents, most likely you heard many reasons why you should start one. You may have heard that blogs help with SEO, they get your site indexed more quickly, and they give you a place to generate new [...]

  • New Feature – Leads Management

    This week we launched Leads Management for your agent sites. Leads Management is a FREE upgrade for every AgentMethods website so Sign In to take advantage of this powerful new tool or Sign Up for your FREE 30 day trial and see what all the buzz is about! Here is a quick intro to Leads Management [...]

  • Semantic Content – Does “ins” substitute for “insurance” in SEO?

    Search engines are smart. In organic search, Google, Bing, and others are able to identify semantic relationships between keywords. In other words, search engines know that “football” and “NFL” are related to “ESPN”. SEO experts call this “latent semantic content”. This isn’t new, but it’s worth being aware of. You can get a peek into how search [...]
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