Tea partiers vow revenge over health overhaul

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:04:26 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – (AP) Tea party activists aren't just angry that Democrats passed a major health care overhaul, they are out for revenge.

They do not see passage of the landmark reforms that usher in near-universal medical coverage as the end of the debate. Tea partiers instead vow to support attorneys general who plan …

Obama to sign health bill, celebrate with allies

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:01:40 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) President Barack Obama's yearlong health care overhaul drama featured dozens of speeches, contentious debate and a televised summit with lawmakers before a divided Congress passed the bill. An elaborate White House signing ceremony kicks off the next act: selling the sweeping changes to a skeptical public.

House and

Japan life insurer raising $11 billion from IPO

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:59:28 GMT

TOKYO – (AP) Japan's second-largest private life insurer will raise $11 billion in one of the country's biggest initial public offerings.

Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co. said Tuesday it will sell 7.1 million shares at 140,000 yen ($1,550) each well below the highest price it was seeking.

Congress Clears Historic Health Care Bill

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:26:10 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) Summoned to success by President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled Congress approved historic legislation Sunday night extending health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracking down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage.

Insurers, doctor-owned hospitals get late help

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:24:25 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) Tucked into President Barack Obama's health care bill are several 11th-hour changes that help major insurance companies and doctor-owned hospitals.

Among the beneficiaries, according to lobbyists and congressional aides, are Kaiser Permanente, the giant California-based insurance company; Geisinger Health Plan based

Insurance Commissioner Ario Offers Condolences on the Death of Herbert S. Denenberg, Former Insurance Commissioner

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:13:31 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. – (PR Newswire) Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario today expressed condolences on the death of Herb Denenberg, who served as state insurance commissioner from 1971 to 1974:

"On behalf of the Insurance Department, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Herb Denenberg, a t

A look at the health care overhaul bill

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:58:11 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) Congressional Democrats have released a final version of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul bill in advance of a House vote planned for Sunday. Some features of the legislation, which makes changes to the bill the Senate passed on Christmas Eve:

COST: $940 billion over 10 years, according to the ...

Democrats push toward Sunday vote on health care

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:56:33 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) Slowly but steadily, support is building behind President Barack Obama's health care legislation in the House, the result of intense lobbying and politically targeted changes aimed at reassuring waverers and winning over critics.

Obama himself was to talk up the sweeping overhaul in a midday speech Friday in Virgini

Idaho first to sign law against health care reform

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:54:58 GMT

BOISE, Idaho – (AP) Idaho is leading the charge in a states-rights push to defeat a proposal in Congress that would require people to buy health insurance, a key piece of reforms being pushed by President Barack Obama.

Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter used a ceremony Wednesday afternoon to become the first governor to ...

Insurance watchdog not in health bill

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:53:11 GMT

WASHINGTON – (AP) Democratic aides say President Barack Obama's plan for a watchdog agency with power to roll back excessive premium hikes by insurance companies has been dropped from the latest version of the health care bill.

Obama had proposed a new federal Health Insurance Rate Authority in response to recent double-digit increas

Deal could pay $657M to sickened WTC responders

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:36:39 GMT

NEW YORK-(AP) After years of fighting in court, lawyers representing the city, construction companies and more than 10,000 ground zero rescue and recovery workers have agreed to a settlement that could pay up to $657.5 million to responders sickened by dust from the destroyed World Trade Center.

The settlement was announced Thursday…

EUGENE Ore.-(AP) The wife of a Eugene man who died in a kitchen accident is suing his life insurance company. Michele Vinson says the company is refusing to pay because David Vinson had been drinking that day.

She is seeking $1.3 million fro

A look at Democrats' health care overhaul

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:31:06 GMT

President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are pulling together a final version of a health care overhaul bill and pushing for House votes as early as next week. Democrats are awaiting cost assessments from the Congressional Budget Office that will allow them to finish details. Here are some of the…

NEW YORK- (AP) Pharmacy benefits manager Medco Health Solutions Inc. reports that even though its CEO took a 7 percent pay cut in 2009, he still received $13.3 million in total compensation.

Medco says it paid David Snow $1.3 million in salary and a $3 million performance-ba

Obama using 'bounty hunters' to root out fraud

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:24:49 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) President Barack Obama said Tuesday he'll bring in high-tech bounty hunters to help root out health care fraud, grabbing a populist idea with bipartisan backing in his final push to overhaul the system.

The White House announcement came as Obama prepared to travel to

Senate to pass jobless aid, business tax breaks

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:22:14 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) The Senate voted Wednesday to extend a host of soon-to-expire elements of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor.

The 62-36 vote came over protests from conservatives who say the bill adds too…

Va OKs 1st bill banning mandated health coverage

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:19:31 GMT

RICHMOND, Va.-(AP) Virginia 's General Assembly became the first in the nation Wednesday to approve legislation that bucks any attempt by President Barack Obama and Congress to implement a national health care overhaul in individual states

Swiss Re puts Chile quake insurance cost at $4-7BN

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:40:14 GMT

GENEVA-(AP) Swiss Reinsurance Co. said Wednesday that the strong earthquake in last month will cost the insurance industry $4-7 billion, an estimate shared by its Germany-based rival Munich Re AG.

Swiss Re said it is common practice for TALLAHASSEE Fla.- Several more small startup property insurers in Florida are headed for insolvency, leaving tens of thousands of homeowners looking for a new company a

Top NC consumer complaints remain over health care

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:31:17 GMT

RALEIGH N.C.-(AP) North Carolina consumers keep complaining about health insurance, medical providers, and health products and

NH court refuses to reconsider $110M ruling

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:28:56 GMT

CONCORD N.H.- (AP) The New Hampshire Supreme Court has refused to reconsider its ruling rejecting the state's claim to $110 million surplus from a fund that underwrites medical malpractice WASHINGTON-(AP) Legislation extending unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless faces a key test vote in the Senate, its momentum helped by about 60 popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses that expired at the end of last year.

The measure also prevents doctors from absorbing a crippling cut in Medicare payments…

BEIJING-(AP) Improving basic medical services through better training of staff is crucial to fixing and restoring public trust in China's ailing health system, senior experts said Sunday.

The high cost and poor availability of health services are among the biggest complaints of the Chinese public. China last year announced it would…

A furious health care push but what about jobs?

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:36:39 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) President Barack Obama's furious, final push to get a health care bill passed threatens to shove aside the message he promised would top his list this year: creating jobs.

Even as the White House juggles several enormous issues at once, the public takes its cues about the president's chief concern…

Obama appeals for public support on health care

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:34:06 GMT

GLENSIDE, Pa.- (AP) President Barack Obama accused insurance companies of placing profits over people and said Republicans ignored long-festering problems when they held power as he sought to build support Monday for swift passage of health care legis

AIG sells Alico unit to MetLife for $15.5 billion

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:12:00 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C.- (AP) American International Group will sell a second overseas life and health insurance unit for $15.5 billion to MetLife Inc. in an ongoing bid to repay billions in government aid.

Arizona Senate votes to ban texting while driving

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:19:14 GMT

PHOENIX-(AP) Lawmakers trying to prohibit texting while driving have succeeded in resu

Domestic partner benefits favored at Missouri

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:16:30 GMT

COLUMBIA Mo.- (AP) The University of Missouri took preliminary steps Thursday toward expanding employee benefits to cover same-sex domestic partners.

A resolution on the topic was unanimously ap

Bill creates panel to review costs at NH hospitals

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:13:27 GMT

CONCORD N.H.- (AP) A New Hampshire Senate committee is recommending legislation that would create an independent panel to review hospital costs not set the rates as called for originally.

The Co

Abortion coverage dispute divides House Democrats

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:10:11 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) On the other side of the obstacle course that President Barack Obama must clear to get his health care overhaul, a final trapdoor is lurking: the divisive politics of abortion.

The issue pits House Democrats against each other just when Obama is calling on them to unite for one last…

Insurance chief puts damage at euro1 billion plus

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:04:04 GMT

PARIS-(AP) The French Insurance Federation has estimated costs of the weekend storm that devastated France's Atlantic coast and killed 53 people at some euro1 billion ($1.36 billion).

The Federation president Bernard Spitz says that price is not final since flooding continues in the Vendee a

Senate rejects Social Security bonus payment

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:00:46 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposal by President Barack Obama to give people on Social Security a $250 bonus check.

Republicans and Democratic deficit hawks combined to reject the idea by a 50-47 vote. The plan, offered in the Senate by Bernie Sanders, I- Vt. , would have added $14 billion…

Thailand offers tourists free insurance

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:58:07 GMT

BANGKOK-(AP) Thailand is continuing to offer insurance coverage worth $10,000 to anyone harmed in riots and demonstrations as it seeks to attract tourists scared off by political turmoil, officials say.

Other carrots range from a waiver on all visa fees to discounts on airline landing fees.

Sebelius asks insurers to justify rate hikes

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:55:27 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told the nation's leading health insurers Thursday to publicly justify a spate of double-digit premium hikes that have infuriated consumers in at least a half dozen states.

Meeting at the White House with the CEOs of Wellp

Obama cites GOP ideas as he preps health care plan

LexisNexis Insurance Center Staff — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:02:11 GMT

WASHINGTON-(AP) President Barack Obama embraced a handful of Republican health care ideas Tuesday to lure votes of Democrats wary of a more partisan approach as he prepared to spell out his final package for a sharply divided House and Senate, where its fate is unsure.

In a bit of political sleight…

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