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.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, August 4, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, August 3, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
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.
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.
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