It Figures

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Former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher recently began serving a three-year prison term as the result of a conviction in a campaign-corruption case. He also must pay a $20,000 fine. Fisher has been under house arrest at his home in Tulsa most of the time since he was found guilty at trial in February 2006. He lost an appeal Sept. 7. Fisher was insurance commissioner nearly six years before resigning in September 2004. At trial, Fisher was found guilty of embezzling $1,000 of his state campaign funds and of lying on a contributions report. He still faces other charges. AP

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Nine additional Oklahoma counties damaged by storms from June 10 to July 25 have been approved for federal disaster assistance: Custer, Hughes, Jefferson, Kiowa, McIntosh, Oklahoma, Pawnee, Payne and Pottawatomie. A total of 50 counties have been ap-proved for public assistance for these storms. Under a disaster declaration for public assistance, local governments are eligible to receive aid for repairs of public infrastructure such as roads and bridges and other costs incurred in responding to the storms. AP

6.5%
Medical liability insurer Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) annouced a 6.5 percent rate reduction for all medical specialties and classes effective Jan. 1, 2008. This is the third straight rate reduction/dividend for TMLT policyholders. All current TMLT policyholders renewing their policies in 2008 will receive a dividend equal to 22 percent of their expiring premium, the company said. The total dividend declared is about $35 million. TMLT has reduced rates five consecutive years since the passage of House Bill 4 and Proposition 12 in 2003.

$224,000
Arkansas will receive more than $224,000 as a result of a regulatory settlement between United Healthcare Insurance and 36 states and the District of Columbia over alleged violations of state law involving claims-payment services. According Insurance Commissioner Julie Benafield Bowman, United Healthcare also agreed to a detailed three-year process-improvement plan in regard to their claims-payment system, including quarterly reviews and yearly benchmarks.