Category Archives: Insurance Information

Texans Still Pay Highest Insurance Rates for Homeowner Policies

Written On March 3, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Texas homeowners
still have the dubious distinction of paying the highest insurance
rates in the nation – despite measures designed to lower rates and much
worse weather losses in other states.
The Dallas Morning News reports today that the homeowner insurance situation is not improving in Texas. Please read the entire article. Here is a very brief excerpt:
A [...]

Posted in Insurance Information

Dead Peasant Insurance Policies Draw Litigation

Written On February 25, 2009 By Bob Kraft

In a blog on the Wall Street Journal website (2/24) Ashby Jones wrote that "dead peasant" insurance policies are "spawning a good deal of litigation." Jones said, "The point of 'dead peasant' policies seems to be this: Companies contribute money to the policies, which then can be used to pay for a variety of company [...]

Posted in Insurance Information

Homeowners Pay Higher Insurance Premiums, Yet Many Policies Limited

Written On February 18, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Dallas Morning News has run an excellent series about Texas, a State of Neglect. This series has chronicled the state's failure to regulate various businesses, and the potential relationship between Lack of regulation and big political contributions from those businesses. The last of the series deals with homeowners insurance. Texans are paying more money [...]

Posted in Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Insurance Information

UnitedHealth To Pay $400 Million To Settle Manipulation Allegations

Written On January 16, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Bloomberg News
(1/15, Goldstein, Freifeld) reported, "UnitedHealth Group Inc., the
biggest U.S. health insurer, said it will spend $400 million to settle
allegations it has manipulated payments to doctors and patients for the
last 15 years." UnitedHealth "agreed to put $350 million into a
class-action restitution fund to pay physicians and policyholders for
services provided by out-of-network providers, the company said [...]

Posted in Government, Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Insurance Information

Dallas Finally Starts Towing Uninsured Vehicles

Written On January 5, 2009 By Bob Kraft

As reported in the Dallas Morning News, the City of Dallas has begun in earnest with the new policy of towing the vehicles of uninsured motorists. I hope the word spreads quickly and greatly reduces the number of drivers who don’t carry the mandatory auto liability coverage. This would be a great benefit to our [...]

Posted in Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Dallas Drivers, If You Don’t Have Insurance, Your Car May Get Towed After A Traffic Stop

Written On December 30, 2008 By Bob Kraft

I’ve written many times about the problems Texas has with uninsured motorists. More than 25% of Texas drivers have no auto insurance, even though it’s required by state law. Finally, beginning January 1, 2009, the Dallas police will start towing cars driven by people with no insurance. This new policy will disproportionately affect poor people, [...]

Posted in Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Featured Link – HelpInsure.com

Written On December 29, 2008 By Bob Kraft

Texans have had the highest homeowner insurance rates in the country for years. And with our Republican government’s pro-business priorities, that probably won’t change anytime soon. But at least the State now offers a Web site where consumers can compare insurance rates for homeowner and automobile protection. The site is HelpInsure.com, and this is the [...]

Posted in Featured Link, Government, Insurance Information

Featured Link – Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse

Written On November 18, 2008 By Bob Kraft

The American Association for Justice has published an interesting and helpful article titled Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse. The topics include:
Denying Claims Delaying Until Death Confusing Consumers Discriminating by Credit Score Abandoning the Sick Canceling for a Call

Here is the summary — What you can do about [...]

Posted in Featured Link, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Insurance Information

Older Or Disabled Clients Have Health Care Insurance Options

Written On October 7, 2008 By Bob Kraft

Many of our older or disabled clients become understandably confused by their health care insurance choices. One company that offers help in this area is Informed Choice. They offer side-by-side comparisons between your health policy and others
available.
If you’ve been on disability for more than 24 months, you might have more health care options than you [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Disability, Insurance Information, Social Security Disability

Uninsured Texas Drivers Warned Of Expanded Verification Program

Written On October 6, 2008 By Bob Kraft

I’ve written before about the Texas pilot program to finally begin enforcing the state’s mandatory auto liability insurance coverage requirement. This program is now being rolled out statewide after a long test run in Austin. Here are some details from an article in the Dallas Morning News:
The program relies on a
database containing the names [...]

Posted in Government, Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

How Much Should You Pay For Auto Insurance In Texas?

Written On August 4, 2008 By Bob Kraft

The Texas Department of Insurance has a great consumer resource —a comparison of automobile insurance rates from all the major insurance companies in Texas. Check it out.

Posted in Consumer Information, Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Pilot Program Works In Catching Uninsured Drivers

Written On July 30, 2008 By Bob Kraft

I’ve written before about the pilot program underway in Texas to catch uninsured motorists. The program has been in test mode long enough now for some results to come in. According to the Dallas Morning News, it’s working in Austin. Here are excerpts from a story today:
A pilot program to catch uninsured motorists in Travis
County [...]

Posted in Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Featured Link – BenefitsLink.com – ERISA Information

Written On July 22, 2008 By Bob Kraft

Need to know something about ERISA plans? Chances are, you’ll find the answer at BenefitsLink.
Welcome! Our goal is to help you, the employee benefits professional, do your job.

Every day we link you to the freshest news, analysis, opinions and government documents about employee benefit plans.

Our coverage emphasizes compliance, administration, design (especially cost savings), and policy.

We [...]

Posted in Featured Link, Health Insurance, Insurance Information

Texas Needs Homeowner Insurance Rate Relief

Written On July 18, 2008 By Bob Kraft

The Dallas Morning News published a good letter to the editor today regarding the outrageous homeowner insurance premiums in Texas. The letter is from the executive director of Texas Watch.

Re: "Let Deregulation Work – Prices for homeowners insurance have fallen," Monday Editorials.
The
insurance industry continues to sell the idiotic notion that the rates
they are charging are [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Government, Insurance Information

Allstate Ranks As Worst Insurer For Consumers

Written On July 9, 2008 By Bob Kraft

This press release was issued today by the American Association for Justice:
ALLSTATE RANKS AS WORST INSURER FOR CONSUMERS
Insurance Industry Employs "Deny, Delay, Defend" Strategy, Puts Profits Over Policyholders
WASHINGTON, DC – Allstate ranks as the worst insurer for consumers, according to a comprehensive investigation of thousands of legal documents and financial filings.
The rankings show a distinct [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Uninsured Drivers’ Cars Will Soon Be Towed In Dallas

Written On May 29, 2008 By Bob Kraft

In keeping with the laws of several suburbs, the City of Dallas has now voted to tow the cars of drivers who cannot produce proof of auto liability insurance after a traffic stop. The vote was divisive, along racial lines, with opponents arguing it places an undue burden on lower-income residents. The ordinance will not [...]

Posted in Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Texas Panel Calls For State Oversight Of PPO Health Insurance Plans

Written On May 23, 2008 By Bob Kraft

As reported in the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission said the lack of state authority over
PPOs is "outdated" in the current health care environment and may
result in harm to a large number of consumers if the situation remains
unchanged. This is a loophole that really needs to be closed, and it’s encouraging that [...]

Posted in Government, Health Insurance, Insurance Information

Allstate Gets Away With Overcharging Texas Homeowners

Written On May 15, 2008 By Bob Kraft

The Dallas Morning News reports that Allstate Insurance Company has reached a settlement agreement with the Texas Department of Insurance that will allow Allstate to keep more than $19,000,000 in premiums it allegedly overcharged Texas consumers. The settlement agreement does require Allstate to repay more than $51,000,000 in overcharges. Here are excerpts:

Allstate Insurance agreed Monday [...]

Posted in Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Insurance Information

Texas May Actually Punish Uninsured Motorists (Finally)

Written On May 8, 2008 By Bob Kraft

As reported in today’s Dallas Morning News, Texas may actually start getting serious about punishing uninsured motorists. Of course, I’ll believe that when I see it happen.
For many years, it has been against the law to operate a motor vehicle in Texas without complying with the financial responsibility act — basically either showing proof of [...]

Posted in Government, Insurance Information, Vehicle Law or News

Workers’ Health Insurance Costs Soar

Written On April 30, 2008 By Bob Kraft

Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times had a good article on the outrageous cost of health insurance, especially relative to inflation. As a small-business owner, I struggle with this issue every year. Each time we come up for renewal, I am forced to increase our deductibles or reduce our benefits in order to keep the costs of [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Insurance Information