National Safety Council Supports Ignition Interlocks to Deter Drunk Driving
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
The National Safety Council announced Oct. 8 its support for the use of ignition interlock devices to reduce alcohol-impaired driving. Alcohol-impaired driving contributed to 12,998 deaths last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Representatives of the NSC's 50,000 member organizations adopted this policy statement recently at their ... read more
Hartford, MetLife post losses amid investment woes
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hartford Financial Group (NYSE:HIG - News) posted its third straight net loss and said it plans to stop selling new policies in Japan and the United Kingdom, as the insurer reeled from the same weak financial markets that triggered a net loss at MetLife ... read more
Despite Prop. 17's defeat, auto insurers' battle may not be over
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
A $16-million effort by auto insurers to ease regulations may not be over despite state voters' decision to reject Proposition 17, which would have allowed drivers to take their continuous-coverage discount with them if they switched carriers. By the time all votes were counted early Wednesday, voters defeated the ... read more
MassMutual Named Among the Best in the Industry by I.F.C.A.
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mass./PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance and Financial Communicators Association (I.F.C.A.) has awarded its highest awards to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) for several components of the company's "What is the sign of a good decision?(SM)" communications platform. The I.F.C.A. 2010 annual awards competition recognizes marketing and communications creativity, design ... read more
MassMutual offering free life insurance
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
Offers free life insurance to low income families SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Hard working families are getting a break on life insurance. MassMutual was issuing life insurance policies for free at the Eastfield Mall Saturday, 50,000 dollars worth of term life insurance policies. These policies are being given ... read more
Hartford, MetLife post losses amid investment woes
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hartford Financial Group (NYSE:HIG - News) posted its third straight net loss and said it plans to stop selling new policies in Japan and the United Kingdom, as the insurer reeled from the same weak financial markets that triggered a net loss at MetLife ... read more
The Hartford To Pay $72.5 Million To Settle Class-Action Lawsuit
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
A federal judge in Bridgeport granted preliminary approval this week to a $72.5 million settlement in a national class-action lawsuit alleging that The Hartford fraudulently kept millions in fees that should have gone to accident victims. The 2005 case involves plaintiffs who were injured and eligible either for personal-injury ... read more
Hartford, MetLife post losses amid investment woes
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hartford Financial Group (NYSE:HIG - News) posted its third straight net loss and said it plans to stop selling new policies in Japan and the United Kingdom, as the insurer reeled from the same weak financial markets that triggered a net loss at MetLife ... read more
California Medical Association Files Class Action Suit Against WellPoint For Defrauding Patients And Physicians
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
The California Medical Association and the American Medical Association have joined individual physicians and other state medical groups to file a class action lawsuit against health insurance company WellPoint, Inc. The lawsuit, filed today in Los Angeles federal court, alleges that WellPoint colluded with Ingenix, a unit of United Health ... read more
COBRA program subsidies to expire at end of August
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
WASHINGTON—A popular government program that subsidized COBRA health insurance premiums for millions of laid-off employees will end this month. Under the COBRA premium subsidy program, which was included as part of a huge economic stimulus bill Congress passed in February 2009 during the peak of the recession, the federal ... read more
Medicare Extends Experiment in Paying Doctors
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
After five years of testing the idea, Medicare officials said Monday that they believe that doctors who coordinate care and keep their patients out of the hospital can help reduce the nation’s health care costs. Under an experiment begun in April 2005, 10 physician groups were able to improve ... read more
Washington Drivers Agree: Texting and Talking While Driving Don't Mix
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
SEATTLE /PRNewswire/ -- A new PEMCO Insurance poll shows that although the number of Washingtonians who text message while driving has increased, 83 percent of drivers surveyed either support the fines for enforcing the new no-texting law, or think they should be even higher. According to the poll, opinion ... read more
Employee health care costs going up
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
More than two-thirds of large employers surveyed by the National Business Group on Health plan to increase employee contributions to health care plans next year, and most are making changes to health plans in advance of federally mandated health care reform. The Washington-based group's survey found 53 percent of ... read more
NHTSA roof-strength rules raise car costs up to $1.4B annually
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
The long-awaited federal upgrade of the 35-year-old regulation governing vehicle roof strength will save 135 lives, prevent more than 1,000 injuries and add up to $1.4 billion annually to the cost of new cars, the Transportation Department said.
Under pressure from Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration boosted new ... read more
June Auto Insurance Prices Increase
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
After four months of steadily declining rates, average annual auto insurance rates increased in June 2009 to $1,884 according to Insurance.com's RateWatch for Car Insurance.
"It's unlikely rates will change significantly in the second half of the year," says Sam Belden, VP at Insurance.com. "Before rates start to climb, consumers ... read more
New Cars Face Higher Hurdles in Safety Tests
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
The government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are going to make it tougher for vehicles to receive top grades on their respective safety tests.
The Insurance Institute, a safety-research arm of the insurance industry, says that starting with 2010 models, it won't grant its "top safety pick" award to ... read more
Republicans Keep Up Health Overhaul Repeal Pressure, Critic Questions Commitment
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
Republicans continue their push to win support to repeal the health
overhaul, even as parts of the legislation take effect, The Washington Times reports. "Rep. Steve King,
[an] Iowa Republican, is circulating a petition that would force an
up-or-down vote in the House of Representatives on repealing the ... read more
Traffic deaths at lowest in 60 years
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
Traffic deaths in the USA are at a 60-year low despite a slight uptick in miles driven, and the chances of dying on the road are the lowest ever, the Department of Transportation says. The number of people who died on the nation's roads fell 3,615, or 9.7%, from ... read more
Reinsurers See Limited Swine Flu Claims as Pandemic Looms
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
(Bloomberg) -- Reinsurers may see limited claims from the swine flu outbreak because the disease has so far been less lethal than bird flu and can be treated effectively, said Swiss Reinsurance Co., the world’s second-biggest reinsurer.
A disease killing as many as 1.5 of every 1,000 people, Zurich-based Swiss ... read more
Zurich Financial takes over AIG auto insurance
31 December 1969, Article added 42 years 2 months ago, InsuranceHeadlines.com
ZURICH (AFP) — Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services said that it had completed the acquisition of the auto insurance businesses of troubled US giant AIG.
Zurich's US subsidiary Farmers Group paid about 1.9 billion dollars (1.3 billion euros) to secure the deal announced in April, the company said in a statement.
One ... read more