Arizona Auto Insurance

You should check your auto insurance from time to time with an eye on seeking discounts and tweaking your coverage.

This year, it's especially wise. Some auto insurance carriers have been cutting prices.

A buyer's market has developed for auto insurance coverage in Arizona and many other states, thanks to tough competition, lower claim expenses and other factors that will help many drivers stretch their auto insurance dollar.

USAA has slashed its Arizona auto insurance premiums an average of 15% this year.
Meanwhile, heavyweight State Farm announced an average 8.6% premium cut, taking effect next Tuesday.

Medicare DruG Plan Deadline

Time is running out to sign up for Medicare prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D) or switch plans for next year.

Medicare enrollees only have until Sunday to sign up for prescription drug coverage. In addition, seniors who already have signed up for a Medicare Part D plan can switch plans until that time. Changes to plans are effective January 1.

Medicare recipients who have prescription drug coverage that's considered at least as good as Medicare Part D plans (sometimes called "creditable coverage") don't need to enroll.

Seniors who maintain "creditable coverage" won't face late-enrollment penalties if they decide to switch to a Medicare Part D plan at a later point in time. However, those without creditable coverage who didn't sign up for a Medicare Part D plan in the original open-enrollment period will pay an extra $1.91 a month if they enroll at a later point in time. In addition, The penalty increases another 1 percent every month that they wait to enroll.

Health Insurance costs can be shocking

Many times The biggest surprise for many self employed individuals when starting their own business is the high cost of individual health insurance.

Monthly Premiums for individual health insurance policies can easily exceed $500 a month (depending on your state of residence), and that's assuming a pre-existing condition doesn't disqualify you.

Diane D'Agostino-Smith, who started a life-coaching consultancy out of her Rowlett home, bought an individual policy through AARP's "health care options" program and pays $540 a month. Before that, she purchased coverage through the National Association for the Self-Employed.

Bob and Cathy Dammeyer's 3-year-old frozen-drink distributorship spends more than $6,000 a month for coverage for the couple and their four full-time employees.

Iowa Auto Insurance

Iowa motorists' ability to avoid accidents has made the state the cheapest place to buy auto insurance in the country according to a survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The survey found that in 2003-04 Iowa drivers paid an average of $686 in annual premiums. That's less than half of what auto owners paid in New Jersey, which has the most expensive average yearly rate for auto insurance coverage($1,386).

Illinois Health Insurance Mandate

An Illinois state task force on Thursday approved a plan to require all Illinois residents to obtain health insurance coverage through their employers, public health programs or private insurance (individual health insurance).

The program would cost the state government and employers more than $5 billion annually. Under the proposal, all Illinois residents, including college students, would be required to obtain health insurance or face penalties.

Indivual health insurance vs. emplorer sponsored coverage

From kiplingers

Q. The premiums for health insurance through my employer are going to jump a lot next year and the coverage isn't that great. Do you think I might find a better deal if I drop my employer's coverage and buy my own policy?

A. Prices for employee health insurance have increased significantly over the past few years, with the total premiums rising by 87% since 2000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average family health insurance plan cost $11,480 per year, or $4,242 for singles, in 2006.

But employee coverage has two big benefits you can't get with an individual plan: You generally can't get rejected because of your health, and most employers continue to subsidize a big chunk of the costs, covering 73% over the bill for family coverage, and 84% for singles. The average worker only pays, on average, $627 of the total bill of $4,242 per year for single coverage, or $2,973 of the total $11,480 for family coverage.

Individual insurance is generally less expensive than the total cost of employee coverage, if you're healthy and live in a state with a competitive health insurance marketplace (which includes most states other than New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, which have very high individual health insurance prices). But if your employer has been subsidizing a big chunk of the bill, it may be tougher to find a better deal on your own. Many employers are having a tough time covering the costs themselves, however, and are shifting a much bigger share of the premium to their employees. So it wouldn't hurt to compare your options.

To see what you could get on your own, you can shop for individual health insurance policies from several companies at eHealthInsurance.com. Or for personalized attention, you can find a health insurance agent in your area through the National Association of Health Underwriters. You also can find a list of companies offering health insurance in your area through your state insurance department (see our insurance page for links to the state regulators' Web sites).

If you are looking at individual plans, also make sure you're getting all the coverage you need; these plans may have exclusions and coverage limits that are different from your employer's plan. Compare total out-of-pocket costs for your expected medical expenses for the year -- and any caps on catastrophic costs -- rather than just looking at premiums. Employers have been raising rates for dependents a lot more than for employees, so also compare prices for staying on the policy yourself while buying a separate policy for your family.

And keep in mind that the price will be a lot higher for the individual plan if you have any medical conditions. Never drop your group policy before guaranteeing that you have coverage elsewhere, just in case it ends up being tougher to get the new policy than you were expecting.

Another way to lower your premiums is to increase your deductible. If your deductible is at least $1,100 for individual coverage in 2007, or $2,200 for families, you'll generally qualify to open a health savings account that lets you make tax-deductible contributions up to the size of the deductible (with a $2,850 maximum contribution for individual coverage, $5,650 for families in 2007) and gives you a stash of money to use tax free for medical expenses in any year. See Health Savings Account FAQs for more information.

Health Insurance for how much?

A host of entertainment industry workers in California and New Jersey who buy health insurance as a group are being hit with a rate increase that will raise some family health insurance plan premiums to more than $44,000 a year.

Cigna HealthCare will raise health insurance rates for members of the group an average of 82% in California and 65% in New Jersey in 2007.

Under the new health plan rates, the most expensive plan in California will cost a family $3,685 a month, $44,220 a year. Less-expensive HMO plans will cost families $24,624. In New Jersey, an HMO will cost $10,260 a year for a single person and $30,372 for a family.

Affected by the health insurance rate hike are over 1,000 members of 30 different guilds and associations who buy health insurance through the Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust, a Clifton Park, N.Y.-based multiple-employer insurance broker. The trust offers the group insurance policies to association members, a mix of small businesses and sole proprietors.

Health insurance companies are generally free to set prices as high as the market allows, although most states limit increases for policies covering small groups, those of two to 50 people. There are no limits for larger groups.

Online auto insurance quotes

Press Release

It just got easier to check if you are paying too much for auto insurance. Auto Insurance consumers in the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho can now instantly get 7 auto insurance quotes online from Progressive, Safeco, Kemper, Liberty Northwest, Allied, Unigard, and Mutual of Enumclaw at one source: CenturyINS.com.

“This really makes shopping for auto insurance easy and convenient” said George Elsom, General Manager at Century Insurance Group, the company behind CenturyINS.com. “You can get 7 quotes from 7 different insurance companies in less than 5 minutes. All the quotes will display online. You then simply choose the best quote and one of our agents will write the policy for you. It’s that easy.”

Century’s new online comparative quoting system alleviates the time and frustration associated with traditional ways of shopping for insurance. “Typically when shopping for insurance, you have to go on-line or call each individual insurance company to get a quote. This is time consuming and frustrating because you repeatedly have to provide each company with all your information each time you want a quote” said George. Century’s on-line comparative quoting system takes all the frustration with insurance shopping away because the consumer only has to provide their information once. Minutes later, they can view comparison quotes from 7 different auto insurance companies and select the best quote that meet their insurance needs.

New Jersey Auto Insurance

A year after New Jersey enacted auto insurance regulation changes meant to reduce rates, state residents are still paying through the nose.

The high auto insurance rates came a year after changes to the market touted by then-Governor McGreevey, who claimed that less regulation would mean lower rates.

Average premiums in New Jersey, at $1,221 per vehicle per year, were 46 percent higher than the national average of 838 dollars in 2004.

But officials note that premiums were only two-point-three percent higher than the previous year, about two-thirds less than the six percent jump in premiums seen in 2003.

Health Insurance Rate Hike 18%

St. Robert budget planners knew they would see an increase in their health insurance premiums but weren’t expecting the 18% increase presented to the city’s finance committee.

Insurance agent Wayne Strohschein acknowledged that the health insurance rate increase was substantial but cautioned that it easily could have been higher.

City aldermen and administrators asked a number of questions for which health insurance company representatives didn’t have detailed answers.

Assistant City Administrator Chris Heard noted that with double-digit health insurance premium increases, the city’s current bill of $720,000 per year could balloon to more than $1 million within three years. As an alternative, Heard proposed that the city consider accepting a partial self-insurance system by which the city would assume part of the risk in return for the insurance company offering lower premiums.

After being informed that the St. Robert City Council meets Monday evening and its members had expected to have a finance committee recommendation at that time, Jones said insurance representatives will try to get data more quickly than the company’s underwriting committee that doesn’t meet until the day after the city council.

After the health insurance representatives left, Herren said he was frustrated and several committee members said they were upset and unhappy.

Responding to questions from committee members, Herren said the city’s contract runs until next year. While member cities of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission have been trying to create an insurance consortium similar to the program Pulaski County and 10 other counties use to negotiate better premiums based on a larger group of covered employees, Herren said that consortium hasn’t yet been organized and won’t be ready in time for St. Robert to use it.

Cook, who handles health insurance and benefits for the Waynesville R-VI School District, said she liked Heard’s idea of partial self-insurance and urged city officials to get enough data to make a decision for the next year.

Health Insurance. It's the law?

The changes to Massachusett's health system under the sweeping Health Care Reform Act, passed this summer, haven’t been felt yet by many of the state’s employers, but they will be, predict health insurance companies, and health-care industry professionals.

Massachusetts has implemented the first stages of the Health Care Reform Act, a widely-watched, first-of-its-kind health-care measure designed to provide every Bay State resident with health insurance, in some form. If they don’t receive it from their employers, they themselves will be required to buy it. As of this past October 1, the law imposes fines for employers who don’t offer insurance and, as of next July 1, it will penalize individuals who do not elect to purchase it.

New York Health Care

GOV.-elect Eliot Spitzer has to tackle New York's out-of-control Medicaid spending. But New York's individual health insurance marketplace is just as obscene a mess. What New York health care needs is free-market medicine.

The on-line brokerage eHealthInsurance compared the prices for a basic, family health insurance policy in America's 50 largest cities; New York City was the second most expensive. The basic family health plan costs $171 a month in Kansas City, $180 in Long Beach,Calif., $185 in Tucson, and a staggering $713 in New York.

State lawmakers have mandated that health plans cover a host of procedures and, including alternative health care services, far more than most states. Each mandated benefit adds to the policy's cost.

The incredible price of health insurance partly explains why - despite being the fifth wealthiest state - New York still has the second-highest rate of uninsured adults.

Individuals without Health Insurance

Individuals without health insurance through their employerhave other options available.

It's not as simple as it looks. Experts say that a health insurance plan that works best for a single person might not be ideal for a family or a recent college graduate who expects to find a job in a few months.

While some people are capable of doing the research and choosing a health plan online, families with several dependents talk with a broker in person.

One option is the health savings account (HSA).

There are two parts to health savings accounts: a high-deductible health plan and a tax-advantaged savings account. The idea is to take the money you save on premiums and put it into a savings account that can be used for deductibles, vision and dental care, long-term health-care plans and more.

The one constant is that you should never go without some type of health insurance coverage, even if it's a simple plan that provides only catastrophic coverage.

Maryland Health Insurance Plan

There's discussion about a new bill that would require Maryland residents to buy health insurance.

The Maryland Health Care Commission is working on the plan. It would be called Maryland Health and would replace the traditional system of health insurance plans chosen by employers. Instead, workers would chose their plan from an insurance exchange and take the coverage with them as they change jobs.

Employers would cover part of the cost and lower-income people would get subsidies. Many details have not been worked out, but the commission staff hopes to supply more information to the General Assembly in January.

One other state - Massachusetts - approved a similar health insurance plan last year, but it has not yet gone into effect.

Higher Health Insurance Rates for Smokers and Obese?

Most Americans believe smokers and the obese should pay more for their health insurance, but they have mixed views on how to help the millions without health insurance.

The health insurance industry unexpectedly threw its support behind a plan for nearly universal health care.

The rate of uninsured, now nearly 16% of the US population, has been climbing for years, driven by consumer demand and escalating prices for prescription drugs and hospital care.

About 20% of large employers are already giving health insurance discounts to workers who do not smoke.

SC Auto Insurance Falling

There is some silver lining to Auto Insurance costs this year.

While homeowner's insurance premiums remain high, now might be the right time to shop around to save money on your South Carolina auto insurance.

Many auto insurance carriers can afford to be generous, having prospered in a year of mild hurricane activity, almost no big payouts for terrorism, and high auto-insurance premiums. Berkshire Hathaway Inc., for example, which sells catastrophic insurance and owns Geico, the huge auto insurer, recently reported more than four times the third-quarter net income it declared last year.

South Carolina typically ranks in the middle of the pack nationally in auto insurance costs. In 2003, according to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average auto insurance premium was $821 a year nationwide, but $744.79 in South Carolina.

In 2002, those figure were $777 and $702.44, respectively.

Milwaukee Health Insurance Costs to rise

The average cost increase for health insurance for Milwaukee-area businesses that are renewing their plans will be a little more than 10 percent, according to an informal survey of health insurance brokers.

That corresponds roughly with a survey of the region's businesses released in September by the Greater Milwaukee Annual Report on Health Care, which found that about 60% of employers anticipated double-digit increases.

For more information about Milwaukee Health Insurance.

NY to offer HSAs for low income families

New York's Healthy NY program, which offers subsidized health insurance plans for low-income workers will offer high-deductible health plans designed to be used with health savings accounts (HSA).

Healthy NY provides basic health insurance coverage to New York residents with annual incomes of up to $25,125 for an individual or $49,875 for a family of four.

The New York Department of Insurance said the new plan will reduce health insurance premium costs by as much as 25% for some workers and will have deductibles of $1,150 for individuals and $2,300 for families.

Health NY also will be expanded next year to provide health coverage for prostate screenings, home health care, and physical therapy after hospitalization or surgery. To be eligible, applicants must be employed or have been employed within the last year

UPMC to offer Childrens Health Insurance Plan

Press Release

UPMC Health Plan is the newest health insurance company in Pennsylvania to offer health insurance coverage for the Pennsylvania Children's Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP.

CHIP, offered now by UPMC for Kids, offers free or low-cost health
insurance coverage to children from birth up to age 19. It covers
hospitalizations, immunizations, well-baby visits, emergency care,
prescriptions, dental, vision, home care services, diagnostic services, and
more. It also offers services to help promote health and wellness for the
children who enroll.

UPMC for Kids administers CHIP in a 27-county Western Pennsylvania
service area. Once enrolled, children have access to a full network of
health care providers, similar to UPMC Health Plan's other provider
networks. Seven other insurers offer CHIP throughout the state.

To be eligible for CHIP, children cannot be covered by Medical
Assistance or have any other health coverage

New MA health insurance program

For the first time in a while, there was full agreement on changes to the employee health insurance program before voting.

Town Manager Brian Sullivan announced at Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting that both parties were on the same page after a series of meetings he had with the Health Insurance Advisory Committee and outside consultants.

Selectmen unanimously supported the suggested health insurance rate increases that range from 3.5 percent to 14 percent. The rate setting, which applies to the next calendar year, is based on an estimate of what health insurance costs will be, with collective bargaining determining the share that employees contribute.

Included with the new employee program is a broader array of health plans going into open enrollment, which ends on Nov. 21.

For both HMO Blue, which has the largest enrollment of all the town's plans, and Blue Choice, two products will be offered: One with the existing benefit structure, and one with co-pay increases for drugs that would follow a three-tier model.

All non-union employees and retirees would move to the new healthcare plans, as would members of three union groups whose contracts have been negotiated. Those still at the bargaining table - Police Ranking Officers, Patrolmen, Firefighters, Arlington Administrators Association and Arlington Education Association enrollees - would remain on the existing plan until contracts are settled.

Health Insurance eligibility audit

Typically, between 6% and 8% of dependents enrolled in a health insuance plan are not truly eligible for health coverage, but some employers have reported much higher percentages when conducting audits, according to Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

With more companies shifting to electronic enrollments in health plans, employees haven't had to provide documentation to prove who was eligible and who wasn't.

But as health insurance premiums rise, employers are paying closer attention to the people their employees report as dependents.

In some cases, employees really don't know they've signed up someone who is ineligible.

If you don't want any trouble, review the dependent eligibility rules for your plan. The list of who is covered varies by health insurance plan, but most often includes your spouse in a marriage legally recognized in your state, and your eligible children.

Children under age 19 are usually covered as long as the child is unmarried and counts on you for financial support. Disabled dependents over age 18 may be covered. In many cases children from age 19 to 25 are eligible if enrolled as full-time college students.

At the same time, don't assume automatically that an adult child isn't covered under your health plan. To combat the growing number of uninsured, many states have expanded the definition of a dependent, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Some plans now allow employees to enroll same-sex partners for benefits. Other plans might allow same-sex and opposite-sex partners. In either case, the partner may need to meet certain eligibility requirements specific to that plan or the state -- or both. To receive benefits, many employers require domestic partners to have lived together as a couple for at least six consecutive months.

Covered employees in domestic partnerships typically have to document the relationship. Such documentation varies by employers, but often requires proof of some financial relationship such as a joint lease or mortgage or copies of tax returns showing financial interdependence, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Health Insurance for all uninsured

America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) on Wednesday said it will announce a plan to provide health care coverage to all uninsured Americans. The plan -- expected to be introduced Nov. 13 -- would involve private health insurance carriers and government cooperation but would not necessarily mandate a new federal agency.

Small Group Health Insurance legislation

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has proposed legislation that would require small businesses with 2-50 employees to provide health insurance for their employees. Under the proposal, all private health insurers in the state of Illinois would have to participate in the program.

BCBSIL estimates that about 500,000 people would be interested in participating in the program, adding that about 1.1 million of the 1.7 million uninsured state residents are employed or have a family member who is employed.

BCBSIL is seeking sponsors in Springfield for the program and will be looking for additional input on the proposal from small businesses and small-business organizations.

Rising number of uninsured

The decline in the number of employers offering health insurance has led to a rise in the percentage of americans who are uninsured.

U.S. Census Bureau figures released in August found that the uninsured populatio rose from 15.6% to 15.9%, in 2005.

The Census figures also show that the number of uninsured children under age 18 has increased for the first time in seven years.

Despite an upturn in the economy, the percentage of U.S. workers covered by employer-sponsored insurance declined from 81.2% in 2001 to 77.4% in 2005.

In addition, there was no increase in Medicaid and SCHIP coverage last year to compensate for the decline in employer-sponsored health care

Reducing the uninsured in Indiana

Indiana House Republicans offered three proposals yesterday that aim to reduce the number of Indiana residents without health insurance.

About 800,000 people in Indiana have no health insurance -- about 13.5 percent of the state population.

Yesterday Republicans proposed to:

1) Create a pilot program that will allow up to 100 smaller employers (with 500 or fewer workers) to receive a tax credit for money spent on promoting health and wellness.

2) Establish an income-tax deduction for Hoosiers who buy individual health insurance, rather than through a group plan.

3) Allow parents to use their own health insurance policies to cover their children up to 24 years old -- if the insurance company will write the policy.

Democrats yesterday dismissed the Republican proposals.

Health Insurance in Oklahoma

Gov. Brad Henry has announced that he has signed Oklahoma Health Care Authority rules that expand eligibility for the program from businesses with up to 50 employees.

Under the program, the state of Oklahoma pays part of the health insurance costs of employers.

Under the voluntary program, the state covers 60 percent of the costs, employers pay 25 percent and employees are asked to pay 15 percent.

The program is administered by the OHCA and utilizes matching funds from the federal government.

Health Insurance Onus on Consumers

For many workers fall brings with it open-enrollment season for health insurance coverage.

This year, as in years past, lots of employees will be asked to contribute more to their health-care costs, through increased premiums, surcharges or higher deductibles on items ranging from doctors' visits to prescription drugs.

The good news is that the percentage increase in health-care costs, which for the first time in four years fell into the high single-digits last year, ebbed again this year, rising 7.7 percent, about half the increase seen three years ago.

Still, employers and employees are having to make stark choices. Some businesses are discontinuing health insurance coverage. In the last year, the share of people covered by employer-provided insurance fell by 4.1 percent, or more than 3 million Americans, according to analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

One way smaller businesses are hanging on to health coverage or able to offer any health plan at all is through consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs), also known as high-deductible health plans.

Health-savings accounts, go hand-in-hand with CDHPs. Unlike flexible-spending accounts, which allow workers to contribute money for health-related expenses through payroll deduction, HSAs allow users to roll over contributions year-to-year and are portable.

Student health insurance up for bid

Through a campus survey e-mailed to all Boise State students registered with the Student Health Insurance Plan, students will get a chance to weigh in on the school's health insurance coverage.

Boise State is at the end of its current contract with United Healthcare - the university's health insurance provider.

In the next few weeks, students enrolled in SHIP should expect to see a survey in their e-mail account asking what they would like to change about their insurance plan. Schlapper is looking at different companies and seeing which offers the best package. He would like to keep premiums low, but provide comprehensive service.

Auto Insurance Rate Reduction for towns fighting fraud

A partial settlement of the annual automobile insurance rate setting proceedings will yield significant rate savings for key fraud fighting towns in Massachusetts, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced today.

The settlement will reward the City of Lawrence and the City of Boston for their recent fraud fighting efforts. These cities, as part of the CIFI program (Community Insurance Fraud Initiative), have worked with industry and law enforcement to aggressively target and pursue auto insurance fraud. Their efforts have helped greatly reduce fraud costs within the auto insurance system.

Under the settlement, rates for Lawrence on major compulsory auto insurance coverages drop 20% more than the state average rate change, and Boston rates will drop10% more than the statewide change.

Health Insurance Expansion Plans

COLUMBUS - Both major candidates for governor agree Ohio needs to expand Ohio health care coverage for its 1.3 million uninsured, but they disagree on how to pay for it.

"Many hardworking Ohioans cannot afford even basic health insurance coverage for themselves or their families," said Democrat Ted Strickland, a U.S. congressman who refuses to accept the federal government's health insurance benefit for employees.

Both Strickland and his Republican opponent, Ken Blackwell of Cincinnati, have policy proposals that borrow aspects of a Massachusetts health insurance program. Using a combination of state subsidies and sliding-scale premiums, that state adopted auniversal health insurance plan that would cover its 372,000 uninsured by July.

Bogus Auto Insurance

The Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Services (OFIS) has issued a Cease and Desist order against a Roseville auto repair shop for selling no fault Michigan auto insurance certificates without a license.

The Pearson Service Center is licensed as an auto repair facility through the Michigan Secretary of State. OFIS has notified Secretary of State officials of the illegal sales of no-fault certificates at the service center.

Health Insurance Premiums Soar

WASHINGTON - For the seventh straight year, premiums for group health insurance rose more than twice as fast as overall inflation and wages, an annual survey of employers shows.

The average 7.7 percent premium increase for 2006 was the smallest since 2000 and marked the third straight year that the rate of growth has slowed, according to the survey, released Wednesday by Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

But most Americans probably have felt little or no relief because their paychecks haven't kept pace with the rate hikes. Workers' earnings increased only 3.8 percent on average from April 2005 to April 2006, while inflation, up 3.5 percent, erodes their disposable income.

Since 2000, inflation has jumped 18 percent and the amount that workers pay toward family health-care coverage has skyrocketed 84 percent, the survey found. Average wages have increased 20 percent over the same period.

So even while the premium-rate increases have moderated -- down from a 9.2 percent jump in 2005 and an 11.2 percent spike in 2004 -- experts say there's no reason to celebrate.

New Massachusetts Health Insurance Plan

The premiums that health insurance companies in Massachusetts will charge to cover Massachusetts residents are in line with what the architects of the state's new health insurance law predicted, meaning there should be enough money to pay for the plan in its initial year, state officials said.

State regulators set the health insurance rates Thursday for residents who now lack insurance and earn less than 300 percent of the poverty level. The four insurers offering health coverage will charge monthly premiums of $276 to $391, depending on the type of plan a resident enrolls in and where they live. For residents at or below the poverty level -- $9,804 for a single person -- the state will pay the entire premium. For those above the poverty level, the state will pay a portion of the cost, with the state subsidy shrinking as income rises.

Countrywide Auto Insurance in AZ

Countrywide Financial Corp. announced Monday that it is adding auto insurance to its lineup of products in Arizona.

Countrywide Insurance Group will provide services through licensed auto insurance agents via a toll-free number and in person at its home loan branches and financial centers in Phoenix, Sun City and Gilbert. Information about home warranty, homeowners, renters, and term life insurance products also will be available.

Countrywide will introduce its new auto insurance product in several additional states during the remainder of the year and expects to offer the product in up to 25 states by the end of 2007.

Virginia Auto Insurance

Some of the top auto insurance companies in the nation are reducing auto insurance rates in Virginia.

The reasons range from high gas prices to more sophisticated technology with which companies can calculate the risks of insuring particular drivers. The effect of tougher drunken driving laws are also driving down rates.

Whatever the reason, many motorists are paying less to insure their vehicle.

Last week, State Farm reduced its auto rates in Virginia by an average of 5 percent. State Farm is the largest insurer of personal automobiles in the country.

USAA, which insures 78,000 in Hampton Roads, will reduce rates for as much as 90 percent of customers who come up for renewal, according to a spokeswoman.

Virginia's lowering rates represent a nationwide trend, as auto insurers cut rates to combat steady declines in the frequency and severity of claims filed by policyholders.

Health Insurance Premiums up sharply

Health insurance premiums rose this year at their slowest rate since 1999 However, that is still twice the rate of inflation.

Premiums rose 9.2 percent in 2005 and 11.2 percent in 2004, A Kaiser report said. Gary Claxton, a co-author, said the moderation in premium increases might be caused by a slowing in underlying medical cost inflation as well as by more competition in the insurance market.

The Kaiser Family Foundation's findings are based on a phone survey of 3,159 randomly selected private and public employers.

More than 155 million Americans get insurance through their jobs. Employers on average pick up 84 percent of the cost for individuals and 73 percent for families.

Overall, the total cost of health insurance for individuals now averages $4,242 a year. For families, the costs average $11,480.

Employers and their workers probably won't find much relief next year either, according to another survey of 167 large corporations that was conducted by Towers Perrin, a consulting firm. The companies expect their health care costs to rise by about 6 percent next year, which is well above the anticipated rate of overall inflation.

Affordable Health Insurance Options

The survey of AHIP member companies offering coverage in the small-group health insurance market includes premium and benefit data from more than 650,000 small groups.

Key survey findings include the following:

* Small group premiums in 2006 were slightly lower than those reported in the 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey of (mostly) larger employers, despite an additional year's increase in health costs. Premiums in the KFF survey for all firms with three or more employees averaged $335 per month ($4,024 annually) for single coverage, and $907 per month ($10,880 per year) for family coverage in 2005.

* In 2006, the average premium for small group health insurance was $311 per month ($3,730 per year) for single coverage and $814 per month ($9,770 annually) for family coverage.

* In terms of benefit design, most small business employees are covered by PPO and HMO products, while HSA-eligible health plans are quickly establishing a presence in the small group market.

* Among small group enrollees, 57 percent had PPO coverage in 2006, with both in-network and out-of network benefits. Thirty nine percent had HMO coverage, often with a point-of service (POS) option. Approximately 4 percent of enrollees had a health savings account (HSA) benefit, with a qualifying high deductible health plan (HDHP).

* More than 10 percent of small group enrollees had a choice of two or more benefit plans. Of workers offered an HSA plan, approximately one- third also had a choice of a PPO or HMO/POS plan. Almost half (46 percent) of enrollees in small groups chose HSA/HDHP plans when offered a choice of HSA plans and other types of health plans.

* Within the small group market, premiums fell slightly as firm size increased. Firms with between 26 and 50 employees paid an average of $287 per month for single coverage, while firms with between 11 and 25 employees paid an average of $299 per month, and firms with 10 or fewer employees had average single premiums of $330 per month. America's Health Insurance Plans -- Providing Health Benefits to More Than 200 Million Americans

Humana Individual Health Insurance in Iowa

Humana Inc. through its subsidiary Humana Insurance Company, announced on Wednesday the introduction of its HumanaOne line of individual health insurance plans in Iowa.

HumanaOne is designed to offer affordable health insurance coverage along with a great degree of choice, freedom and flexibility, giving individual consumers an important new alternative in Humana.

Humana launches HumanaOne in Alabama

From Business Wire

Humana Inc. through its subsidiary Humana Insurance Company, announced today the introduction of its HumanaOne(R) line of individual health insurance plans in Alabama. HumanaOne is designed to offer affordable health insurance coverage along with a great degree of choice, freedom and flexibility, giving individual consumers an important new alternative in Humana, one of the nation's largest health benefits companies.

HumanaOne is built to appeal to individuals and families not insured by their employer, including self-employed entrepreneurs, small business employees, part-time workers, students, early retirees and others needing affordable health insurance coverage.

HumanaOne first debuted in Illinois in June of 2002 and is now available in a total of 24 states - Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

HumanaOne's PPO arrangement allows consumers to visit any doctor or health care provider they choose, or they can receive the highest level of benefits by visiting one of the doctors, hospitals and other facilities within Humana's network. Humana, through the ChoiceCare Network, Humana's national PPO network, contracts with more than 300,000 health care providers in all 50 states. Humana's national presence also means those who work or travel outside Alabama can receive in-network benefits from any contracted physician or health care provider, which is advantageous for frequent travelers, students attending college away from home and anyone who moves to a new state.

HumanaOne is marketing its individual health insurance plans through its nationwide network of approximately 25,000 actively appointed independent insurance agents and brokers. "We have longstanding and well-established relationships with insurance professionals across the country, and we are relying heavily on them to bring HumanaOne to the marketplace," said Loram. As in other states, Humana will promote HumanaOne through advertising and direct mail campaigns in Alabama.

Auto Insurance Rates Decline

Drivers in California are poised to gain rate reductions from two major insurers, Safeco Corp. and 21st Century Insurance Co.

Safeco, the state's eighth-largest homeowners insurance carrier, plans to chop by 20 percent its rates to insure houses, state insurance officials revealed Wednesday. The average yearly reduction for Safeco's 189,000 homeowners insurance customers in California would be $190, according to the Department of Insurance.

21st Century, the fifth-largest auto insurer in California, with 740,000 auto policyholders, plans to reduce auto insurance rates by 5 percent statewide -- and by 12 percent in Los Angeles. A statewide average savings was not immediately available for 21st Century, although Los Angeles drivers would save an average of $219 a year.

Most who seek Individual health plan never purchase

20% of those who apply for individual health insurance coverage are turned down or charged higher prices due to pre-existing conditions

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund finds that, as employers cope with rising health care costs by dropping health benefits or increasing employee cost-sharing through higher deductibles, workers and their families are being squeezed. When people lose coverage, many who turn to the individual health insurance find that coverage is unobtainable or unaffordable. The report also finds that those with high-deductible health plans are more likely than those with lower deductibles to have burdensome medical debt and to forego needed health care; those with low incomes are especially at risk.

Healthcare Association of New York State Files Complaint About Oxford Policy

The Healthcare Association of NY has filed a complaint about an Oxford Health Plans network coverage policy.

The complaint was filed regarding a case in which a woman received a gastric bypass procedure from an out-of-network surgeon at an in-network hospital, and Oxford billed all aspects of the procedure as out-of-network.

Oxford says its policy is that patients who receive care from doctors outside the network must pay out-of-network coverage costs for all health care services rendered, regardless of whether the care is provided in an in-network hospital.

South Carolina Health Insurance Rates

South Carolina workers can expect their health insurance rates to increase by about 10% next year.

These health insurance rate increases are likely to be the norm as the cost of care continues to rise. However, wage increases are not keeping up with the escalating cost of health insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s 2005 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey.

On average since 2000, insurance premiums for family health insurance coverage increased by 73 percent while wages grew by 15 percent.

In South Carolina, an estimated one in five residents do not have health insurance, a state Department of Insurance study found.

Childrens health insurance pays off

A new study finds that Government-sponsored health insurance for low-income children boosts their access to care and improves their quality of life.

Reporting in the September issue of Pediatrics, researchers at the Rand Corp. studied more than 3,400 California children, aged 2 to 16, who were newly enrolled in the Healthy Families public health insurance program.

They found the children reported real improvements, such as feeling better physically, getting along better with their peers, and doing better in school.

Enrollment in the program also led to a sharp decline in the number of children who went without needed health care. At the start of enrollment, about 16 percent of parents reported that their children had gone without needed care within the previous year. That rate dropped to 7 percent by the second year of enrollment.

American Family Leads Market

American Family Insurance continues to dominate the homeowners and auto insurance markets in Wisconsin, insuring more than one in every four homes and almost 23% of drivers.

American Family, which is based in Madison, WIsconsin took in annual homeowners insurance premiums of more than $215 million in 2005 for a market share of 25.9%. Premiums paid to American Family for private passenger auto insurance last year was nearly $521 million, a market share of 22.6%.

State Farm was No. 2 in homeowner insurance premiums at 15.5% of market share, and second in auto insurance at 12.2%.

The report indicated individual accident and health insurance coverage has been growing rapidly in Wisconsin, following a national trend. The growth is occurring as more and more business, especially small businesses, are finding it too expensive to provide group health benefits, said Bob Hurley, vice president of customer care for eHealthInsurance, a Mountain View, Calif.-based online provider of health insurance.

The state's market share leader in individual accident and health coverage, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, saw the amount of premiums written surge to $270 million in 2005 from $179 million in 2004. Blue Cross had market share of 17.3%

Health Plan Rates too high according to Senator

Massachusetts wants to charge low-income residents too much for health insurance coverage, says state Senator Richard T. Moore.

In a letter to the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, which is overseeing implementation of the law, Moore questions whether the proposed health insurance rates reflect the intent of the Legislature when it crafted a compromise reform bill in the spring.

The law requires all Massachusetts residents to have health insurance starting next year, but the state will subsidize premiums for residents who earn up to three times the federal poverty level, or about $60,000 for a family of four.

Moore's letter comes in advance of a meeting of the connector authority scheduled for tomorrow at which the board is expected to vote on the proposed rates. There will also be a hearing for public comment, probably in October, before the insurance rates are made final.

If rates are too high, as Moore suggests, some fear healthy low-income residents won't buy health insurance coverage. At the same time, if too many residents who require expensive medical care sign on it could drive up healthcare reform costs .

But there also are potential problems if rates are too low. For example, low-income residents who currently pay for health insurance at market rates through their employers might be tempted to instead sign up for subsidized coverage through the state.

Best Car Insurance Companies

Which auto insurance companies stand out in the eyes of their customers?

J.D. Power and Associates asked more than 14,000 policy holders late this past spring that exact question.

Of the top of the heap in the customer satisfaction survey is Amica Mutual, Erie, State Farm, Geico and American Family.

USAA actually outranked every other company, but USAA coverage is only available to people with ties to the military.

The lowest ranked insurance companies are AIG, GMAC, Mercury, Allied, Progressive and Farmers.

J.D. Power and Associates said what made customers most satisfied with an insurance company was to have to contact the insurer just once to resolve an issue. The more contacts, the less satisfaction. The same was true when waiting for an issue to be resolved.

Progressive offers text message reminders

Progressive Direct Insurance is offering its customers a text message service that will provide up-to date information about their auto insurance policies.

Customers can opt-in to receive Progressive Direct Mobile Alerts, including payment reminders, sent in advance of billing dates; payment confirmations, sent once payment has been received; and other payment information.

"A Mobile Alert sent directly to a cell phone makes it easy to know when a payment is due and when it has been made. The beauty of it is the customer gets the information instantly - without having to be connected to email," said Toby Alfred, Progressive Direct customer experience general manager.

Insurance Report

By JoNel Aleccia
Staff writer

If Spokane had the highest health insurance premiums in the nation, it wouldn't surprise Penny Arter.

Even though she's a working registered nurse, Arter has no health coverage for herself, her husband or their 5-year-old son, Logan. At $600 a month, the premiums just cost too much, the Spokane woman said.

As it turns out, though, Spokane's rates might be high, but they're not nearly as high as they seemed in a survey that generated national buzz. Abridged results of the annual survey by eHealthInsurance of 5,000 plans from 140 providers in 100 U.S. cities were printed Sunday in the Parade magazine newspaper insert.

In the report, Spokane was tapped as the nation's least affordable city for health insurance premiums, with a cost of $962 a month. It ranked far behind the leader, Grand Rapids, Mich., with a $159.06 a month premium, and behind number 34, Jacksonville, Fla., with a premium of $286.55. Spokane even fell behind Seattle, where the rate was logged at $617 a month.

But, using the survey's own methods and parameters, a quick scan of the eHealthInsurance Web site Monday showed the lowest premium available in Spokane was $304 a month. In Grand Rapids it was $217.96 a month and in Jacksonville, it was $402.20 a month.

One reason that Spokane and Seattle have higher premiums is that Washington is a state with community rating regulations that prohibit discrimination against insurance clients based on health status, health history or health risk.

In such states, the rates for younger people might be higher than in non-community-rated states, but the rates for older people would be lower.

Health Insurance Changes

Get ready for the world of consumer-directed health care, where you'll pay $1,050 to $5,450 out of pocket before the insurance company pays anything.

Many companies now offer high-deductible plans paired with health savings accounts -- HSAs -- as an option to their workers.

With traditional insurance plans, employers are basically giving employees credit cards and paying the bill for them at the end of the month, said Kate Kohn-Parrott, director of integrated health care and disability for the Chrysler Group.

With HSA-linked plans, workers are responsible for the first several thousand dollars of expenses, which makes monthly premiums much lower than with traditional plans, in which insurance companies pay a share of every doctor's office visit or trip to the emergency room.

The result is that employees will foot more of their own health-care tab and are responsible for saving to be able to do that.

Critics say the plans are just another tax-sheltering tool for the healthy and wealthy and are worried it will result in those who aren't wealthy putting off preventive care and ending up in dire straits when they haven't saved enough to pay for unexpected medical needs.

Health Insurance debit cards

Health insurance subscribers of UnitedHealth Group will soon receive patient ID cards that they can use as debit cards for medical expenses and that doctors can use to access patients' personal health information electronically.

The banking industry has seen health savings accounts as a way to add customers and expand services, arguing that the software currently used to process financial transactions can readily be tuned to handling health care claims. However, UnitedHealth established its own financial services group, Exante, in January 2002.

The new cards, which will carry the MasterCard logo, can be swiped like a credit card at a doctors' office or other certified health provider. But in addition to providing payment, the cards can be used to confirm eligibility for services and provide access to personal health information at the point of care. The cards should be broadly available early in 2007.

Wellpoint consumer driven health plans

WellPoint Inc. wants to make consumer-driven plans the next big thing in health insurance.

The Indianapolis based health insurance company on Tuesday announced plans to offer the plans to individuals and businesses of all sizes nationwide.

Consumer-driven health plans are high-deductible plans, with lower monthly premiums than traditional health plans, such as a PPO or an HMO. They are designed to put consumers in charge of more of their own health-care spending, encouraging them to shop around for the best health care based on price and quality. Currently, WellPoint offers the plans only to employees of large national companies.

Anthem BCBS Virginia health plans

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia says it will offer "new, enhanced health plan options for employers and individuals...in Virginia in 2007 subject to regulatory approval."

Insurance energizes candidates

For the three Democratic candidates hoping to become the latest state representative for Hollywood and Pembroke Pines, it's what everyone is talking about....

Whether it's health insurance or insurance for homeowners, cardiovascular surgeon Arthur Palamara, community activist Barry Sacharow and attorney Elaine Schwartz each have stressed how their plans will save taxpayers money.

Sacharow, 51, has drafted a detailed state-subsidized home insurance plan that would be funded by shrinking the pool of items exempt from sales tax. The plan covers residential homes as well as condominiums and commercial buildings.

Sacharow has also suggested opening federally-funded clinics to everyone, which he thinks will lower the cost of Medicaid and decrease the number of expensive visits to the emergency room.

Palamara, 63, who has been vocal in Tallahassee on health insurance issues for the past decade, said he has been meeting with several major health insurance providers to discuss ways to offer healthcare to some of the more than 3.5 million uninsured in Florida.

Schwartz, 63, is looking to small business owners to help improve the health insurance situation in the state. She proposes the state offer incentives to small businesses that provide health insurance to their employees.

Despite being a newcomer, Schwartz thinks her experience in law has groomed her to work with Republicans to back some of her ideas.

Health Insurance Information Gap

CHICAGO - When Margaret Zilm needed cataract surgery, she wanted to know what it would cost. Her health insurance policy has a $5,000 deductible, and her money was on the line.

But one eye doctor's office told Zilm it had no idea what her health insurance company would pay. The insurer wouldn't give out the information. And an official at Missouri's Department of Insurance said such figures were confidential under medical providers' contracts with insurers.

Zilm's experience pinpoints a growing problem. Health insurers are aggressively marketing medical policies with high deductibles - the amount people pay before coverage kicks in. Many experts contend these products will motivate Americans to shop for medical care, as they do for cars or computers.

But basic data about what services cost generally aren't available. Medical providers and insurers consider this to be highly sensitive, competitive information, and their contracts require that it remain secret.

That leaves consumers with more financial responsibility for their care but without the tools to manage these expenses.

California Small Business Health Insurance

California's health insurance purchasing pool, called Pacific Health Advantage or PacAdvantage, on Friday said it will shut down at the end of the year because too many health insurance providers have withdrawn from the program.

The pool, created in 1982, aimed to make a affordable health insurance plans more available for businesses with between two and 50 employees. Blue Shield of California told PacAdvantage officials that it would withdraw from the program on Dec. 31, because of financial losses.

Blue Shield was the eighth insurer to withdraw from the program since it was created.

Louisiana Insurance Companies extend deadline

From Louisiana DOI

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon says nearly all of Louisiana's homeowners insurance companies, including State Farm and Allstate, have complied with his order to extend the prescriptive period for policyholders to file a lawsuit as result of a hurricane-related insurance claim.

Among the state's largest homeowners insurers agreeing to an extension of the prescriptive period are:

State Farm: 31.9% Market Share
Allstate: 20.2%
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: 7.6%
Louisiana Farm Bureau Group: 6.9%
Zurich Group, which includes Farmers Insurance Exchange and Foremost: 4.1%
Liberty Mutual Group: 3.6%
St. Paul Travelers Group: 3.2%
USAA Group: 3.1%
ANPAC: 2.0%
Allmerica Group, which includes Hanover and Massachusetts Bay: 1.9%
AIG Group: 1.6%
Metropolitan Group: 1.5%
Allianz Group, which includes Firemans Fund: 1.4%
Chubb: 1.2%
Unitrin Group: 0.9%
Hartford Group: 0.9%
Horace Mann: 0.9%
Safeco: 0.6%
Assurant Solutions Group, which includes American Bankers of Florida and Voyager: 0.5%
National Security Group: 0.3%
Homesite Group: 0.2%

Insurers had until close of business Aug. 11 to meet the deadline imposed by Commissioner Donelon to file a stipulation with the Department of Insurance agreeing to extend the lawsuit period.

Health Insurance stirs debate

By NATALIE LOMBARDO
Of The Oakland Press

Now that her son is 2 months old, Christine's Medicaid will be terminated.

As a full-time diagnostic ultrasound student, 36-year-old Christine - who wants to keep her last name anonymous - doesn't desire more children. However, the potential for a surprise pregnancy is a reality for her, as doctor visits and birth control will put a dent in her budget.

But she could be helped by a program that aims to prevent unwanted pregnancies by providing reproductive health care such as contraception to more low-income women in Michigan.

Plan First!, rolled out by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in early July, provides Medicaid to a wider pool of people - up to 200,000 more women - who would not otherwise have medical coverage.

But some say Plan First! is simply a Band-Aid for a moral problem.

Plan First! does not include abortion and fertility treatments.

A survey of maternal experiences and behavior before and during a woman's pregnancy by the Michigan Department of Community Health showed that in 2001, about 41 percent of all pregnancies were unintended.

Plan First! family planning resources include: annual physical examinations, followup visits, contraceptives, supplies and devices for preventing pregnancies, lab testing, counseling and education, treatment of sexually-transmitted diseases as well as male and female sterilization.

The services are available to women ages 19-44 - who are at or below 185 percent poverty level - meaning a single individual who makes $17,700 or less per year or a family of four that brings in $38,700 or less.

Plan First! would reduce unemployment because mothers wouldn't have to quit working to raise children and collect welfare, Bucholz and Reese said.

Women can enroll in the program by phone or online and a packet is sent via mail with information on where to obtain services in the respective area.

Doctors to accept more health insurance plans

Local residents will have more access to their community physicians and to those in Marin County and Sonoma Valley after more than 60 Petaluma doctors from the South Sonoma County Medical Group were added to the Marin Individual Physicians Association on Thursday.

Currently, most insurance companies contract with only a few Petaluma specialists and primary-care providers, some of whom don’t currently accept new patients, so residents don’t have many local choices. So, many Petaluma residents who commute south to their jobs do the same for medical care, but the expansion of the Marin IPA into Petaluma will give them the option of seeing more Petaluma physicians.

Plan to expand Health Insurance

AP

TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey will consider adopting a program that "approaches universal health care" as it seeks to provide health insurance to small businesses and uninsured residents, the governor said Thursday.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he plans in September to unveil a health insurance reform plan that would coincide with state efforts to study hospitals and health clinics.

While running for governor last year, Corzine proposed insuring 766,000 of the state's 1.2 million uninsured residents through a variety of reforms. Corzine said he could accomplish this by spending just $15 million more in state money.

Purchase Long Term Care if you can

Governor Gregoire recently launched "The Need for LTC (Long Term Care)" awareness program in connection with the U.S. Department of Health's campaign. Its purpose is to increase consumer awareness about the need to plan for future LTC costs. For years, financial planners have urged clients to consider LTC insurance as part of their financial planning.
The Olympian - Click Here

The odds of needing LTC increase as you grow older and the cost of securing care continues to escalate. When you need LTC, will you be able to meet the expense?

If you can't pay and Medicaid pays, the state will put a lien on any property you own. Liens are a tool used by the state after your death to recover the Medicaid spent on your care.

Car Insurance Company takes new approach

By GETAHN WARD
Staff Writer

Direct General Corp., a Nashville car insurance company that started 15 years ago with a strategy of cutting out the middleman, said Tuesday it will start using independent agents in some rural areas where it doesn't have offices to boost sales.

The move marks a departure of sorts for a company that prided itself on cutting out independent agents and dealing directly with consumers. The company has 500 sales offices, mostly in the Southeast. Independent agents who sell more than one company's policies have accounted for no more than 2 percent of its sales, but that could grow under the new model.

Direct also has started selling more over the telephone and on the Internet.

Health Insurance tough for minorities

TUESDAY, Aug. 1

From HealthDay News

Hispanic and black adults are up to three times more likely to lack health insurance than their white counterparts.

Minority groups are also more likely to lack access to health care, forego needed care, and struggle with withering medical debt.

Based on telephone interviews with more than 3,000 adults throughout the United States, the researchers found that almost two-thirds (62 percent) of Hispanic adults aged 19 to 64 were uninsured at some point during the past year, a rate more than triple that of working-age white adults (20 percent).

The study also found that one-third of black adults were also uninsured or experienced a gap in coverage during the year.

Auto Insurance and leasing

Even if you're just leasing, most states still require auto insurance coverage. In fact, most times the bank or auto dealership that is financing the car require purchasing both collision and comprehensive coverage.

Depending on the state, additional auto insurance coverage required according to the laws. An example of additional auto insurance coverage that some states require is auto liability insurance, which will cover any damage to the vehicle that is caused by an accident with another car or object, that is out of one's control.

Variations in auto insurance quotes

After putting local Washington auto insurance companies and agents to a test, obtaining dozens of auto insurance quotes, it is clear that shopping for new auto insurance right away is probbaly a good idea.

"It is a huge difference," said Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. "(It's a) huge variation, a lot more than I anticipated."

Even Washington's insurance commissioner was surprised by what we discovered about auto insurance.

KIRO 7 Consumer Investigators put together a comprehensive study with the help Eric Olsen.

Eric drives a '97 Jeep and has a spotless driving record. He got quotes from the five largest insurance companies in Washington

Quotes are all over the map. A Farmers agent wants $1,219 for a six-month policy while Pemco charges $570 -- less than half Farmers' price.

That's in Seattle. If you move to Issaquah, Pemco will only charge you only $380.

And we found more puzzling information: You can get wildly different quotes from the same company depending on what agent you talk to.

One Farmers agent gave Eric a quote of $763. Another Farmers agent quoted him $949 -- same driver, same address, same insurance companies, different quotes.

Eric called back to ask why the prices were so different.

"The agent that had given me the lower rate also factored in the fact I would be buying renters insurance in addition to my car insurance and you get a discount on your insurance when you buy both of those," he said.

However, the agent didn't mention any of that when Eric called for the quote.

"My guess is the insurance company, if they knew their agents were giving those kind of variations in quotes, would want to talk about doing some remedial training so everyone operated with the same set of rules," Kreidler said.

Something else in our survey really caught our eye. One Pemco agent wouldn't give Eric any quote at all.

While he has a spotless driving record, someone he lived with three years ago did not. Insurance companies have developed special technology to analyze nearly everything about your past.

You might call it guilt by association -- and it's all legal.

"You know, I have some real problems with that kind of use of information technology," Kreidler said. "I've gone to the legislature and asked for changes in law in order to try and bring out some limits. I want to go back and ask for more because quite frankly the insurance companies are asking for things that are private information, they don't relate to whether you are going to file a claim."

Some insurance companies only accept clients who are low risk. They tend to have the lowest rates. The companies that take bigger risks have more clients and usually higher rates.

One thing is for sure: it really pays to shop around for rates. Not only does it pay to get quotes from different insurance companies, sometimes it can pay to check different agents within the same company.

Short Term Health Insurance Alternative

From Forbes

Sarah Billik may be an adventurous 22-year-old, but she's not willing to take risks when it comes to her health or her bank account. Last June, she was dropped from her parent's health insurance plan after graduating from Oregon State University. Come August, she'll be covered again when she starts a beer brewing apprenticeship in Germany.

Rather than go uninsured for the month of July, she bought into an increasingly popular plan: short-term health insurance. Through eHealthInsurance.com, Billick paid Health Net (nyse: HNT - news - people ) a $12 application fee and $30 for one month's coverage. Says Billick: "It's $1 a day. I can handle that."

Short term health insurance plans are able to keep their monthly costs low because the deductibles are often so high. For someone like Billick, that means she must pay $2,500 out of pocket before her short-term health plan kicks in. And as with most-short term plans, prescriptions aren't covered under Billick's policy. That means a simple strep test and antibiotics could cost hundreds of dollars instead of the minimal co-pay for the doctor's visit and medicine under Cobra.

MIchigan Drivers Pay too much for Auto Insurance

On average, four Michigan residents suffer catastrophic injuries each day in auto accidents.

That figure is based on a 2006 projection by the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association, a group set up to cover lifetime care for those who are paralyzed or sustain other severe, permanent damage from crashes.

Nearly 20,000 auto insurance claims have been filed since 1978, when legislators created the private association as part of our state's pioneering no-fault approach to auto insurance. Almost three decades later, however, the compassion and fairness behind that vision is undercut by insurers' influence in the Legislature, judiciary and the claims association they run.

As a result, every Michigan driver and motorcyclist pays more than appears necessary to sustain a cash-rich catastrophic insurance fund while the same industry battles to limit or cut off benefits promised to any injured driver, passenger or pedestrians under the no-fault law. We're seeing a profit-driven betrayal of policyholders and callous treatment of accident survivors.

Health Insurance Mandate Not Happening

The AFL-CIO’s attempt to begin forcing all employers to provide health insurance coverage has backfired.

A federal judge last week overturned a Maryland law aimed specifically at Wal-Mart. Under the so-called “Wal-Mart bill,” companies with more than 10,000 employees would have to spend at least 8 percent of payroll on health insurance for their employees or else pay the difference in fines. This was an attempt to drive a wedge that later could result in more widespread requirements for companies to provide health insurance.

But federal court nixed the labor federation’s grand plans, declaring that Congress actually meant it when it passed a law many years ago, known as ERISA, that protects national companies from the caprices of state insurance regulation.

California auto insurance groups sue state

Three insurance trade groups announced they have sued the California Department of Insurance to try to prevent the department from enforcing new auto insurance rating regulations.

The Association of California Insurance Companies, the American Insurance Association and the Personal Insurance Federation of California filed suit Wednesday in Sacramento Superior Court.

The groups represent more than 90% of drivers with auto insurance in California, and contend the regulations are unfair and would harm millions of California policyholders. The regulations will actually raise rates for 60% of California drivers so other motorists can pay less.

Health Insurance for retirement

When you retire, some of your regular expenses are going to go down, but others will increase and topping the list will be health care costs.

Take health insurance coverage for example, before you retire, make sure you’ve got the resources necessary to deal with doctor’s visits and prescription drugs.

A 65-year-old couple retiring today will need, on average, $200,000 set aside to pay medical costs in retirement.

That number doesn’t include the cost of over-the-counter medicines, most dental procedures and – most importantly – long-term care (such as in-home health care or an extended stay in a nursing home).

To prepare yourself for the six-figure sums you might need to pay for health care, consider these suggestions.

* Stay healthy.

* Contribute to a Health Savings Account.

Keep in mind, though, that the contribution limits to HSAs are relatively low, so your savings will probably not grow enough to cover all, or even most, of your medical costs. But, every dollar can help.

* Plan ahead for long-term care.

* Consider putting a long-term care protection plan in place.

* Boost your savings.

No one can predict the future. But by recognizing likely costs of health care during your retirement years, and by taking steps necessary to deal with these expenses, you can hopefully avoid some unhealthy surprises down the road.

The Hartford sells auto insurance unit

The Hartford said Wednesday it has sold an auto insurance unit for $100 million that covers drivers with poor driving records (sometimes called non-standard auto insurance).

The Hartford said it sold its Omni Insurance Group to Independent Insurance Investments Inc., known as 4i's. Omni also insures drivers with limited driving experience or whose prior coverage has lapsed.

The company said it will continue to cover a broad range of customers through its Dimensions auto program, including the class of customers Omni insures. But the company said it does not consider insuring high-risk drivers a primary business.

San Diego Health Insurance Affordable

People in San Diego pay among the lowest rates in the country for individual health insurance for their children or families, according to a report this week by national health insurance broker eHealthinsurance.com

In March, eHealthInsurance, which represents 140 insurance underwriters, examined 5,000 stand-alone health plans offered in the country's 100 largest cities. The survey did not consider group policies offered through employers or the government.

The report was designed to encourage some of the nation's 46 million uninsured people to consider the affordability of health insurance, particularly for children.

UnitedHealth Group Net income rises

July 19 (Bloomberg) -- UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. health insurance company by sales, said second-quarter earnings rose 26 percent driven by the government backed drug benefit program.

More than 5.7 million Americans ages 65 and older signed up for UnitedHealth's government-subsidized prescription drug coverage since the beginning of 2006 under the U.S. Medicare health program. The company captured 35 percent of the market, giving the drug benefit a prominent role in sales and earnings.

Health Insurance for chamber

Sherry Anne Rubiano
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 19, 2006 12:00 AM

Finding an affordable health insurance plan has been a challenge for Carol Lawson, who owns Sign*A*Rama in Glendale.

Lawson has switched her business' health insurance coverage several times in the past five years in search of the best service and price for her and her three employees.

She signed up for yet another plan, which is offered through a new partnership between Humana and the Glendale Chamber of Commerce that she expects will save her hundreds of dollars a year. advertisement




Humana, a health benefits company headquartered in Louisville, Ky., has partnered with the Glendale chamber and seven other chambers in the North and West Valley Chambers of Commerce alliance to offer the organizations' members a discounted small business health insurance program.

The Chamber of Commerce Health Benefit Solution will include health, dental and life insurance coverage to businesses belonging to participating chambers.

The alliance is made up of eight chambers, including the Glendale, Peoria, Northwest Valley, Southwest Valley and Buckeye Valley chambers, and represents more than 4,000 businesses.

Chamber members are eligible for the plan, but rates for each business vary.

Policies are effective starting next month.

Jennifer Willis, director of sales for Humana, said Humana recognized the need to offer a program for smaller companies.

"What we're finding is some small businesses choose not to cover because they can't afford it," Willis said.

She said the plans are tailored to be affordable for small businesses and will be offered for groups as small as two people.

Humana is offering three health plan options: traditional preferred provider organization plans, high-deductible health plans with optional health savings accounts, and CoverageFirst.

Humana representatives will host workshops to explain the plan and will offer wellness and health education programs, such as a health risk assessment, stress management and health resources, and CPR and first aid training, as part of the program.

Members who sign up will have access to a 24-hour nurse line and online services, such as a Web page where they can track claims online.

No Car Insurance No Mercy

From WomanMotorist.com

The winds of change are blowing in California, and if you are one of the nearly 3 million California motorists driving without automobile insurance, you better hold on to your hat.

A few years back, a young woman ran a red light and smashed into my car. She had small, weeping children by her side and no driver?s license. After a frantic phone call, her husband arrived with their insurance information scrawled on a rumpled piece of notebook paper.

I wrote down the information and dutifully reported the incident to my insurance company.

My insurance agent called me back within minutes. The policy information on the crumpled note was bogus. The woman who mangled my vehicle was uninsured.

Many of us shell out a seemingly endless stream of cash year after year in order to comply with mandatory auto insurance laws. We pay the bills and push back our dismay at spending such large sums on something we cannot immediately see or touch.

California legislators now are rolling out a three-phase plan with the sole intent of making uninsured motorists in California a thing of the past.

As of Jan. 1, insurance agencies are required to electronically submit evidence of financial responsibility to the DMV. If your insurance is discontinued for any reason, the DMV will be notified. They will then send you an unpleasant little note along with your registration renewal, requesting that you submit proof of financial responsibility before they will send your new registration.

If you are pulled over on or after July 1 of this year, the excuse that you left your car insurance card in your other pants will no longer fly. As of that date, law enforcement will have access to the current status of your insurance, as well.

The final ax will fall on October 6, 2006. As of that date, the California DMV will be required to suspend the registrations of uninsured motorists.

While some people undoubtedly choose to not have car insurance as some sort of snub to bureaucracy and authority, it's more likely that sky-high auto insurance premiums are simply out of reach for many lower-income drivers.

No worries, though. The state has that base covered for many Californians, as well. As of April 1, the California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program (CLCA), previously available only in Los Angeles and San Francisco counties, is being offered to low-income drivers in Alameda, Fresno, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, as well.

The insurance is available from any licensed insurance agent at a cost of just over $300 per year. Lower-income drivers who meet the qualifying guidelines will be able to protect themselves and their families while complying with the law. More information about the program is available at the state Department of Insurance web site, www.insurance.ca.gov .

If you drive into Los Angeles County today, it is estimated that one in four people on the road with you are driving without insurance.

If the new laws work as they are designed to, that will soon not be the case.

Retiree Health Insurance Change

RALEIGH, N.C. The General Assembly has decided to take away a big benefit from future state employees, public school teachers and legislators.

Lawmakers agreed tonight to extend the amount of time state employees would have to work before receiving free health coverage for themselves when they retire.

The law now allows workers with only five years of service to get that benefit when they turn 60.

The bill extends that wait to 20 years of service.

The measure heads to Governor Easley's desk after the Senate unanimously agreed to House changes.

Lawmakers say the change is designed to encourage healthy workers to stay with the government or the public schools and discourage people from working for the state for a few years and quitting.

The bill is considered a first step toward catching up with the state's unfunded health care liability for current and future retirees. Those obligations toward retirees outpaces money set aside by more than 13 (B) billion dollars.

California Auto Insurance Rates

The time has long passed for California's auto insurance companies to base their rates not on where people live but on how they drive.

Proposition 103 mandated as much back in 1988, but peer pressure by the insurance industry has prevented any individual insurers from breaking from the ranks. Finally, this oligopoly appears to be fracturing. The Automobile Club of Southern California, the state's fourth-largest auto insurer with 1 million customers, announced recently that it would base its rates primarily on how safely its customers drive, and how much they drive. The Automobile Club of Northern California, the sixth-largest insurer, is joining its southern cousin in making the change. This is a significant victory for Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, who has been battling the insurers for years, although it is unclear whether other insurers will follow suit.

Auto insurance rates in California are all over the map, since they are largely based on a person's ZIP code. A report by Consumers Union found that a 22-year-old woman with a good driving record would pay much higher rates if she lived in a largely Hispanic or African American neighborhood instead of a largely white one. While other factors might account for this disparity, it is obvious that current rates don't adequately reward individual drivers who are careful and use their cars sparingly.

Garamendi will leave office this year, so it could be up to his successor -- either Cruz Bustamante or Steve Poizner -- to continue this fight. If more insurance companies are pressured to reform their rates, motorists will be able to shop around and use the market to pressure the holdouts.

Requiring Health Insurance

By Fred Lucas
THE NEWS-TIMES

Health insurance in Connecticut could be mandatory in the same way as car insurance.
Lawmakers are in the early stages of mimicking the Massachusetts law that took effect this month requiring all Massachusetts residents to buy health insurance.

The theory is if everybody buys insurance, the pool will expand and prices will fall.

Many people opt not to buy health insurance because they are young, healthy, can't afford it, or feel they don't need it. However, when the uninsured are treated in hospitals, the costs are passed on to the public, officials say.

"In 2007, this is going to be the biggest issue facing the Democratic caucus and facing the legislature," said House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford. "Our model will be close to the Massachusetts model. But it will also have school clinics and dental clinics."

Amann started a Healthy Kids Connecticut task force last year to hammer out a plan. It includes doctors, lawyers, and representatives of the insurance industry, business and labor.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, put together a similar task force and was able to pass a proposal through his state's largely Democratic legislature.

The Healthy Kids task force will meet with representatives from Romney's office in August.

Amann believes a free enterprise system is better than a universal health care system, saying people in Canada and England can't get treatment for certain conditions under those government-controlled health care systems.

"Massachusetts had an outstanding bill in many ways," Amann said. "What we want to do is make sure it would be sustainable here."

The Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut recently commissioned a study that found a state-administered health care plan would maximize government purchasing power to negotiate rates. Still, the group is not opposed to the Massachusetts-style plan.

"Massachusetts is doing what it believes is right for the state. Connecticut has to do the same," said Janet Davenport, spokeswoman for the foundation. "Similar to other states, Connecticut continues to compare and contrast proposals to see what will work given our specific needs."

Not everyone is on board with the concept.

"Before we duplicate it, we might want to see if it's a good idea and how it works out," said Eric George, associate counsel for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association as well as a member of the Healthy Kids Connecticut task force.

George said health care costs are a huge burden on business, and have increased at a faster rate than inflation.

However, to reduce costs, the state must reduce mandates on health insurance companies, such as requiring coverage for mental health services, infertility and chiropractic treatment, George said.

"If you don't address the cost drivers, you are just shifting the cost," George said.

But what happened in Massachusetts is better than a government-run system, said state Sen. Andrew Roraback, a Goshen Republican whose district includes Brookfield and New Milford.

"Connecticut is not going to convert to a government-run program," Roraback said. "Connecticut needs to do a better job providing basic coverage for people with no insurance. None of us can sit on our hands and wait for a solution from Washington, D.C."

New Auto Insurance Regulations for CA

SACRAMENTO – The following is a statement from California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi:

“Today is an important day for drivers in California. The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) has approved my regulations requiring insurers to place more weight on how safely you drive than on where you live when setting rates. This was the hope of voters who passed the landmark Proposition 103 in 1988 to end Zip code discrimination. I commend the OAL and Governor Schwarzenegger for moving the approval process along expeditiously.

“Insurers will now have 30 days to submit new rating plans to my office that comply with the new regulations. From that point they will have a two-year phase-in period to fully implement their plans.

“As I stated earlier, today's action finally realizes the promise Californians sought when they voted for Proposition 103. Until now, insurers have been able to set rates based primarily on Zip codes or other optional factors, rather than on the three mandatory factors of Prop. 103: driving record, annual miles driven and driving experience. No more.

“I strongly encourage all insurers to follow the example of the Auto Club of Southern California in working with the Department to implement the regulations immediately, and in a manner that benefits their policyholders.”

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance trends

"Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance -- Riding the Health Care Tiger," New England Journal of Medicine:

According to Blumenthal, one of the main strategies used by employers and insurers to address cost and quality concerns is shifting costs to employees by reducing benefits or dropping health insurance entirely. He says the other main strategy is to make larger reforms to the health care system by supporting consumer-directed care, pay-for-performance programs, disease-management efforts, wellness programs and other initiatives. Blumenthal predicts that the percentage of U.S. employers offering health insurance will fall below 50% in the next 20 years, while the role of government in insuring U.S. residents will increase "incrementally".

The Insurance Broker

By Susan Saksida

Is it better to buy insurance from an agent or from and independent insurance broker? This is the $4 billion dollar question as this is approximately what was paid in insurance commission in 2005 for all insurance products. About half of this relates to auto insurance premium.

For those of you who don't know the difference, an agent represents one insurance company and a broker represents several. I use both an agent and a broker to buy my insurance products. My agent is a professional agent, so apart from the fact that he represents only one insurance company he operates and is compensated in the same manner as a broker. I have no idea if I would like dealing with a call centre agent but the few times that I've had to speak to them, they've been pleasant and professional.

This is not the conclusion that my broker or the Independent Brokers Association of Canada wants you to reach. They've made a big effort to convince you that your best choice is a broker because of their independence, objectivity and advocacy on your behalf, even price. Take a look at their website at www.ibac.ca and they will explain all of their advantages. This sounds impressive but just like an agent, a broker's job is to sell you insurance first. What you should be looking for is complete transparency in your insurance transaction and to judge this, you need to know how a broker operates.

How independent is your broker?

While it is true that an independent broker is not an employee of an insurance company, they still represent only a limited number of companies and each dictates the type of client they want and the premium level they expect to reach. Although the broker may offer more selection than an agent, your choice may still be limited because of other factors. Ask your broker to explain the company affiliations and target markets of the companies represented and you may be surprised to find that of the eight or nine companies, only one or two are actually interested in insuring you.

Beware of brokers who give you exorbitantly high quotes with only one or two low quotes. These are filler quotes to make the lower priced one look better. Obtaining quotes is automated and not the lengthy process that it used to be, so don't be afraid to ask your broker for more quotes at different deductibles or limits to compare pricing options. A good broker will disclose affiliations and explain target marketing and if they know that you can't get a good price from the companies they represent, they will refer you elsewhere.

Is your broker objective?

If you are happy with your current insurance company, why move? Although rare, your broker may recommend that you change companies because there is solvency or reputation issue and this is done to protect you. Other times your broker may recommend you change solely for their own financial benefit because they can earn more commission with the new company. You should also be aware that brokers and insurance companies do cancel the service contracts between each other, which means that you must change to another insurance company of find a new broker if don't want to change.

Always ask your broker to explain why they are recommending the move and how it benefits you? If your premium remains the same but your broker will receive more compensation, you may be fine with the change but you should still know that this is the reason. Not surprisingly, there are some advantages to being a long-time insured which you may lose when you move companies. Ask your broker to provide you with a written explanation why the change will benefit you and what they will do for you in the event of a dispute over premium or claims with the new company that may have been avoided with your current company.

Is your broker a good advocate on your behalf?

Insurance companies take the complaints of some brokers very seriously and will respond quickly, but this is not true for all brokers. If your broker is inexperienced in claims, their advocacy on your behalf may be well intentioned but weak. Also, some brokers can be very selective about which complaints they will pursue aggressively and although your position is correct, they may be reluctant to upset the insurance company.

A good broker who knows claims will explain when you are wrong and will give you reasons why and if you are right, they will advocate strongly on your behalf. Ask your broker about their specific claims experience or who in their office will be your advocate. In serious disputes with your insurance company, ask that all communication between the broker and the company be in writing and copied to you. Too often advocacy consists of one or two phone calls and a documented refusal by the insurance company in your client file, which simply is not adequate.

How is your broker compensated?

Brokers are now beginning to disclose their compensation which is a good thing. Don't be shy to ask your broker about the compensation received on your business. Currently average auto commission levels run between 10% -12% plus bonus, plus incentives which can add 5% or higher. Commission for auto is somewhat regulated but it is not for some personal property and most commercial insurance, which can run as high as 30%. Savvy clients are negotiating fixed service fees for certain policies and allowing their broker to receive commission for others. Speak to your broker to determine if this will work for you.

At the end of the day, who you buy auto insurance from is often dictated by the company you choose; some only sell through brokers and others use agents exclusively. Your best advantage is to be a knowledgeable consumer.

Health Insurance for domestic partners

By Mark Pitsch
The Courier-Journal

The University of Louisville is considering offering health insurance benefits to the non-married domestic partners of U of L employees.

The school would be the first public university in the state to do so, said John Drees, a university spokesman.

Gay and lesbian as well as heterosexual partners would be eligible, he said.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based gay and lesbian rights group, 298 universities across the country offer health insurance benefits to domestic partners.

U of L trustees are scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to authorize President James R. Ramsey “to take appropriate action for the inclusion of domestic partners” in the university’s employee health insurance benefit policy.

Further details of the proposal weren’t immediately available.

The trustee meetings are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. They are held in the Jefferson Room of Grawemeyer Hall.

Read full coverage in Thursday’s Courier-Journal.

AAA sets pace for auto insurance companies

Should drivers have to pay dramatically more for auto insurance simply because they live in Palm Springs rather than La Quinta or Palm Desert?
They shouldn't. That's why we were heartened to hear AAA plans to base rates primarily on a person's driving record, miles spent annually on the road and years of driving experience rather than ZIP codes. We hope other insurance companies follow suit.

Monday's move - affecting about a million policyholders across the state - finally begins to fulfill Proposition 103's mandate. And state voters approved the proposition in 1988.

Insurance companies have long fought the change through the courts, saying ZIP codes are an essential factor in assessing risks and costs. Granted, where one lives has some bearing on the potential for an accident and auto thefts. Communities with more inexperienced drivers and heavily traveled roads often do see high accident rates. Some communities suffer higher crime rates.

But by far what determines if one will file an insurance claim are other factors. More experienced drivers usually have low accident rates as they are better able to avoid and respond to a road hazard, both state and national transportation statistics show. In addition, those who drive more miles usually have high accident rates as they put themselves in harm's way more frequently.

Indeed, many people go years without an accident despite living in an area where collisions are frequent. Requiring that good driver to pay a higher rate hardly is fair or equitable.

Under insurance companies' current policies, ZIP codes can dramatically affect rates. In a quick survey of one insurance company, annual rates were higher by $326 in Palm Springs than in Palm Desert's 92255 delivery area, even though the lone variable was the ZIP code of one's residence. Living in La Quinta alone resulted in rates $228 lower than Palm Springs.

The differences are even wider in other areas of California, with annual rates hundreds of dollars apart in adjoining ZIP codes.

Certainly ZIP codes need to play a role in the formula for determining insurance rates. But they shouldn't be the primary factor.

In our computer age, rates easily can be based on an individual driver's characteristics rather than on a simple, generalized factor like ZIP codes.
It's time for other insurance companies to quit fighting Proposition 103 and follow AAA's move.