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Congress
may take insurance regulation from states
State insurance
regulators nationwide "are now fully prepared to go before their
various legislative committees with recommendations for a system of
insurance law which shall be the same in all states," the head of
the National Association of Insurance Commissioners said confidently.
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here for more details
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The
Industry and Its Many Overseers Enter Battle Over Regulatory Reform
State insurance
regulators from around the nation "are now fully prepared to go
before their various legislative committees with recommendations for a
system of insurance law which shall be the same in all states,"
the head of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners said
confidently in 1871.
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here for more details
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Insurance
Associations Spell Out Wish List for Federal-Regulation Bill
WASHINGTON 04/13/2004 (BestWire)-Two
of the leading insurance trade associations have written a joint
letter to U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Michael
Oxley, R-Ohio, spelling out with the greatest detail so far what they
want to see in a proposed federal-regulation bill likely to see action
this summer.
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here for more details
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AHIP
Poll Shows Likely Voters Behind GOP Health-Care Agenda
WASHINGTON
04/13/2004 (BestWire)-Likely voters in the 17 states key to deciding
this year's presidential election are solidly behind health-care
reforms that dovetail with agendas of both the Republican Party and
the health insurance industry, according to the results of a poll
commissioned by America's Health Insurance Plans.
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here for more details
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Study:
Bush Uninsured Proposal Would Make Matters Worse
WASHINGTON 04/12/2004 (BestWire)-As
both parties in Congress debate how best to reduce the number of those
without health coverage, a new nonpartisan study has found that the
White
House's health insurance tax-credit proposal isn't the best way to
help the uninsured get coverage, and it may actually increase their
number by pushing companies to drop their employees' health coverage.
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here for more details
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Fed
Report Cites Private Plans for Higher Medicare Costs
WASHINGTON 04/09/2004 (BestWire)-For
the second time since the Medicare program was revamped to provide
more money to private health plans, a nonpartisan government report
says that private Medicare plans are costing more than traditional,
fee-for-service Medicare.
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here for more details
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Bush
Tax Credit Wouldn't Reduce Number of Uninsured
WASHINGTON 02/27/2004 (BestWire)-A
new study by a nonpartisan health group has found that the Bush
administration's tax-credit proposal for the uninsured isn't generous
enough to fulfill its purpose:
Reducing the number of uninsured.
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here for more details
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Insurance
Agents' Group Faces Backlash for Federal Regulation Stance
WASHINGTON 02/27/2004 (BestWire)-As
policy announcements go, it was a short one, only a couple
of paragraphs.
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here for more details
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Bush
Administration 'Distorts Science' -Report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Top scientists and environmentalists on Wednesday accused the Bush
administration of suppressing and distorting scientific findings that
run counter to its own policies.
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here for more details
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The
Power of Three: A Few Members Wield Senate Rules to Stall Insurers'
Legislative Agenda
WASHINGTON February 09 (BestWire) - The insurance industry, through
lobbying efforts and the contributions of millions of dollars to
political campaigns, is seeking to push an agenda through Congress
that, if successful, would protect insurers from billions of dollars
in claims exposure.
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here for more details
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Insurers
Rise in Rankings of Political Contributors
WASHINGTON January 19 (BestWire)
- Insurers are the sixth-largest group of donors to political
campaigns, federal campaign-finance reports show, which is two slots
higher than the last election cycle, when several key
insurance-related issues weren't yet on the legislative horizon.
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here for more details
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Judges
See Steps Made Toward Standardizing Tort System
NEW YORK
01/15/2004 (BestWire)-Rampant cost inflation in the U.S. tort system
has meant chaotic markets for many liability coverages, but signs of
progress on both the judicial and legislative fronts are beginning to
creep up on the horizon, according to participants in
Property-Casualty Industry's Joint Industry Forum.
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here for more details
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Feds:
Medical-Liability Caps Would Have Little Effect on Health-Care Costs
WASHINGTON 01/14/2004 (BestWire)-A
new federal analysis of the costs associated with medical-malpractice
liability has found that limiting jury awards would have a negligible
effect on the overall cost of health care, undermining a key argument
of doctors and insurers who seek to enact those limits at the state
and federal levels.
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here for more details
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Independent
Agents' Lobbying to Target Tort, Malpractice, Asbestos Reforms in 2004
WASHINGTON 01/13/2004 (BestWire)-Tort
reform, the U.S. tax code's treatment of intangible assets and
reviving lingering flood insurance legislation are topping the
Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America's list of
priorities when Congress resumes work later this month.
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here for more details
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Statistics
don't support Bush's claim that tort reform will minimize costs
Arguing that his
economic policies consist of more than tax cuts geared to the
wealthy,President Bush maintained last week in his year-end press
conference that tort reform is a key part of his
"pro-growth" agenda, saying that it, "would have made a
difference" to benefit the economy.
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here for more details
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Bill
Would Hike Premiums for Flood Claims
U.S. House lawmakers
have passed legislation that would reauthorize the the National Flood
Insurance Program for another five years.
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here for more details
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Star-Telegram
Staff Writer
The Supreme Court agreed
Monday to hear two Texas cases that could determine a patient's right
to sue for damages when HMOs refuse to pay for their doctor's
recommended medical treatments.
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here for more details"
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TODAY'S
COLUMN
"Stop worrying
about what he.s going to do to you, and start thinking about what
you.re going to do to him"
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here for more details"
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A
Band of Brothers: The Rebuilding of Iraq
The Wall Street Journal
describes it as “the largest government reconstruction effort since
Americans helped to rebuild Germany and Japan after World War II.”
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here for more details
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Top
Insurance News
Annuitization bill
introduced in Congress
A political dance of death
Is $108 billion enough for asbestos fund?
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here for more details
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H.R.1268
To amend the Toxic
Substances Control Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the
Public Buildings Act of 1959 to protect human health from toxic mold,
and for other purposes.
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here for more details
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POA
Considers Creation of Insurance Company for
Homeowner, Auto and Other Lines of Insurance
According to Melinda
Ballard, founder of the non-profit association Policyholders of
America (POA), which has been a thorn in the side of the insurance
industry in Texas since its creation i n early 2002, that organization
is in the process of creating i t s own insurance company.
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here for more details
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Regulators
Looking Forward to Seeing Results of Class-Action Litigation Study
As regulators look into
the full impact of class-action litigation on the authority of state
insurance departments, they'll be closely watching a study by Rand
Corp. on national class actions.
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here for more details
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Bad
Medicine: Why Bush's malpractice policy will only help insurers
FOR THE THIRD TIME I N
AS MANY DECADES, DOCTORS
across the country are protesting rising medical-malpractice
insurance premiums. The American Medical Association
(AMA) is promoting its long-standing goal of medical-liability
reform in the shape of a $z5o,ooo cap on "pain and
suffering"
(noneconomic) damages in malpractice cases. Karl Rove must
be thrilled.
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here for more details
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REPUBLICAN
ECONOMICS: CHILDREN AND WORKING FAMILIES LAST!
Last week, President
George W Bush signed a bill with great fanfare, claiming that it would
mean tax cuts for families. The President neglected to mention that
millions of children in working families would be left behind because
their parents earn less than $27,000.
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here for more details
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Rolling
Back the 20th Century
Back to the Future
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here for more details
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HOME
INSURANCE RATES RISE SHARPLY
BIG DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN STATES IN RATE HIKE SIZE AND CAUSES
In late 2001 and again
in early 2003, CFA surveyed the insurance departments of the nation to
determine the size and reason for homeowners insurance price
increases. 40 states responded to the first request and 33 states
responded to the latter request.
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here for more details
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Malpractice Insurance: No Clear or Easy Answers
Chem-Bioterrorism,
Mold and More to Descend on
Dallas May 10-15
Bush
and God - A higher calling
Legislature
2003 - A House Divided: Bill targeting suits over home defects splits
builders, owners.
Transplant
Mix-Up Enters Debate in Congress on Malpractice Bills
DEMOCRATS
UNITE BEHIND WOLENS INSURANCE REFORM PROPOSAL
POA's
Testimony to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Senate
Bill Targets Insurers' Antitrust Exemption as Medical-Liability
Crisis Solution
State
by State Mold Related Claims Tracked Through December 31, 2002
Tort
Reform: Tie it to MANDATORY Premium Reductions
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Mold Research Update
& Stakeholders Forum
DEADLINE
POSTPONED!
Please be advised that the commentary draft is not yet complete.
As a result, the AB 284 Stakeholders Forum scheduled for January 13
& 14, 2003 has been postponed until further notice.
Once the draft is finished a copy will be sent to you via e-mail and
the forum will be rescheduled.
Thank you for your interest in this project.
Contact:
Pamela J. Davis (pdavis@library.ca.gov)
for more information.
Click
Here For Details and Additional Information
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Regulating Mold Indoors
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Click Here For
Paper
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Alert - Sign The Online
Petition In Support Of Free Air Time
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The passage of the
soft money ban by Congress several months ago was a positive step to
limit the supply of corporate money in our electoral system. But, as
the recent election confirms, the cost of running for office has
skyrocketed and many qualified candidates are simply "priced
out" of the system. These costs will continue to go up unless we
do something about the major cause -- the high cost of television ads.
Nationwide, political ad spending topped $1 billion this year, more
than double the amount spent during the 1998 midterm elections.
Policyholders
of America and a number of other Texas groups have joined with over 50
national groups to endorse the concept of Free Air Time. This proposal
would require that broadcasters, as a condition of receiving their
free licenses to use our public airwaves, provide free air time for
candidates in the weeks preceding an election. In October, Senators
John McCain, Russell Feingold and Richard Durbin introduced a free air
time bill in Congress. To support this effort we are collecting
signatures of those in favor of campaign reform. Please take a moment
to sign the declaration in support of Free Air Time by connecting to
the link below.
Thanks for
your support!
http://freeairtime.org/docs/index.php?DocID=12
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POA Weighs In With Amicus
Brief: Prompt Pay
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STATEMENT OP
IDENTITY OF AMICUS CURIAE AND FEE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
Amicus Curiae is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to fair
treatment of policyholders in the claims process. No fee has been paid for
the preparation of this brief.
Click
Here For PDF
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Legislator Blames Victim
After Testimony Before House Committee On Financial Service
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Austin, TX (July 19, 2002) - "At
least one US House Member has only the interest of the insurance industry
in mind and wouldn't know fraud if it bit him", said Melinda Ballard,
President, Policyholders of America, after she testified before a House
Subcommittee whose charge is to investigate the growing mold problem
plaguing homeowners today...
Click
Here For The Complete Article
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Presentation To House
Committee On Financial Services
Mold: A Growing Problem
Given By: Melinda Ballard, President, POA
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My name is Melinda Ballard and I run
an association of homeowners called Policyholders of America or
"POA". Since we founded POA six months ago, we have 18,763
American families in our membership - all victims of toxic mold. That
number should demonstrate what a crisis the American homeowner is in when
it comes to toxic mold...
Click
Here For The Complete Article
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Toxic Mold Bill
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| Click
Here For The Toxic Mold Bill Link
temporarily removed
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Presentation
Made By POA (Delivered By Melinda Ballard) At Rep. Conyers' Press
Conference (Toxic Mold Bill #5040)
June 27, 2002, Washington, DC |
| Click
Here For Presentation
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Follow
This Link For Government Contact Information
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| National
And State By State Mold Legislation |
Click Here For
National and State
Mold Legislation
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| Senate
Republicans Draft Proposal For Federal Terrorism Backstop |
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WASHINGTON -Insurance advocates are glad to see signs of movement in the form of a recent Senate Republican proposal to get a federal terrorism backstop. Sens. Phil
Gramm, R-Texas, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have made a counteroffer to earlier Senate Democrats' proposals for getting a bill done. Click
Here For Completed Article
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©2001-2003
Policyholders of America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.