Health Care Reform May Breed Diversification
Posted on November 14th, 2010
The implications of health care reform may significantly alter the operational pose of many health insurers. Like what you see? Click here to sign up for Insurance Networking News weekly newsletter to get the latest on breaking industry news, carrier technology implementations and developing business and technology trends. Speaking at the Reuters Healthcare Summit in New York, Aetna President Mark Bertolini told attendees that his company would to offer a wider range of health care services as the new law constrains traditional, insurance-related profit centers. Read more…
Tags: Care Reform, Care Reform May, May, Reform May
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Aviva issues storm advice
Posted on November 13th, 2010
Aviva has advised homeowners to take precautions to safeguard against the gales forecast at the end of this week.
The insurer has a network of contractors, claims teams and call centre staff ready to assist those who are affected by weather-related damage in the next few days.
Property Claims Director Rob Townend explained that storms and gales are covered as standard by home insurance policies.
Damage caused by storm force wind and rain, including the costs of moving out temporarily, are all covered by insurance.
Aviva advises homeowners to park cars in garages, away from trees, secure and lock down all loose objects outside (such as bikes and garden furniture) and to make sure all doors and windows are fastened.
In addition, the insurer advises checking for loose tiles on the roof and making sure aerials or satellite dishes are secured.
Yesterday Legal & General issued advice regarding combating winter weather, including lagging pipes and tanks and leaving the heating on to help prevent burst pipes.
Tags: Aviva, Aviva Issues
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Health insurance : Germany passes unpopular health system reforms
Posted on November 11th, 2010
Germany’s parliament Friday passed some unpopular reforms to the country’s creaking health system that will increase the financial burden on patients in a bid to ease yawning healthcare deficits. After months of squabbling, Berlin finally settled on a scheme that sees total premiums rise to 15.5 percent of employees’ gross pay from the current 14.9 percent from January 1. Deputies voted by 306 to 253 to pass the disputed legislation. Federal Health Minister Philipp Roesler said the reforms would “not only solve the problems in 2011 but would be the start of a fair and better system.” “This is our contribution to growth and employment,” he added. Germany’s healthcare system is praised for its quality but it is also one of the most expensive in the world. Roesler has said that if he had not taken action, the system’s deficit would have hit 11 billion euros (15 billion dollars) in 2011. But the minister has come under fire for sparing privately insured patients, who are wealthier on average than those under the state insurance scheme and make up about 10 percent of the population. Previous reforms in 2006 and 2008 also resulted in higher contributions.
Tags: Health System, Reforms
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Baby buggie price inflation sparks crime wave
Posted on November 8th, 2010
The vogue for increasingly expensive baby buggies has sparked a new crime wave, according to Halifax Home Insurance.
Thefts of baby strollers have almost doubled in the past year, which the lender claims is fuelling a black market worth around £60 million
Sales of buggies costing over £500 having increased by 40% over the past 12 months and Halifax points out high re-sale values make these items a prime target for opportunist thieves.
The research also suggests that criminals are stealing specific models, with the Bugaboo Bee Plus (worth £459), Silver Cross 3D (£250), Quinny Zapp (£150) and the Maclaren Techno XT (£196) among the most sought after models.
Most thefts appear to be taking place from inside the home (22%) or just outside (11%), while car parks, cafés and restaurants are other buggy-theft hotspots.
Meanwhile buggie-price inflation is forcing almost a quarter of parents to buy second-hand, mainly from online auction sites, or from friends and family.
Halifax Home Insurance head of underwriting, David Rochester, comments: “It may seem surprising that thieves would stoop so low, yet it appears the increasing value of baby buggies has caused parents to become a target for thieves.”
He adds: “We recommend all new parents make sure buggies are safely secured when stored in the home, and not left visible in porches or driveways where they can be easily stolen as they are on wheels, enabling a quick getaway.”
Despite the high value of buggies, almost a fifth of parents questioned were unaware whether their pushchairs are covered under their insurance policy if stolen from inside the home, while a fifth didn’t know if they’re covered if the pushchair is stored outside.
Tags: Baby Buggie, Crime Wave, Wave
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Caught with His Trousers Down!
Posted on November 6th, 2010
At the weekend I stumbled across a great story on the Sun-Times website, a daily newspaper in Chicago. It’s about a car dealer being arrested in quite a peculiar way.
Police were alerted by a call in the middle of the day saying that a man was naked from the waist down, they then found him half-naked in the passenger seat of his 2006 Bentley trying to cover himself with a jumper. When police asked what he’d been up to, he said that he had just urinated in the alleyway? Officers then spotted a handgun hanging out of the pouch behind the passenger seat, which turned out to have rounds in the magazine.
Eugene Bernshtam, 43, didn’t have a licence for the firearm and has now been held on a $50,000 bond! What more
AXA warns of week of malicious damage
Posted on November 5th, 2010
AXA home insurance has revealed that the week of Halloween and Bonfire Night is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the worst for malicious damage insurance claims of the entire year.
AXA urges homeowners to be on their guard at this time of year, as it has seen a huge surge in malicious acts during this week over the last few years.
Saturday appears to be the worst of days during the week, with the highest claims of the year (three and a half times the daily average).
A wide range of damage occurs, including egging of windows and tearing down of fences and letterboxes for use as bonfire fuel.
Amanda Edwards of AXA home insurance has stated that Bonfire Night is a lot of fun but a minority use it as an excuse to behave irresponsibly, and urged homeowners to be vigilant.
London may be particularly susceptible to criminal acts this year, as the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is planning strikes from the 5th to the 7th of November, drastically cutting coverage in the city.
Tags: Damage, Malicious Damage
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