Southeast News

Stacking Cracks: 30 Years of UIM Coverage Rules Are Wrong, NC Supreme Court Says

North Carolinians can no longer stack underinsured motorist policies to compare to liability limits in order to boost the amount of coverage in an accident, the state Supreme Court said last week in a decision that overturns 30 years of …

West Virginia Lawmakers Ban Smoking in Cars with Kids Present

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia, which has the highest rate of adult cigarette use in the nation, became the 12th state to ban smoking in vehicles with children present under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice on …

Two Crew Members on Florida-based Cruise Line Die in Ship’s Engineering Space

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship died during an “incident” in the ship’s engineering space, the cruise line said. The unidentified crew members died Friday while the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam was at …

Alabama Sales Rep and Clinic Owner Sentenced in $28M Billing Fraud Scheme

A medical sales representative and a pain clinic owner in Alabama have been sentenced to years in prison for their roles in a long-running, $28 million fraud scheme that involved a compounding pharmacy, unneeded nerve tests and a former workers’ …

Three Weeks Before Trial, Former Georgia Commissioner Oxendine Pleads Guilty

ATLANTA (AP) — A former Georgia insurance commissioner who made a failed Republican run for governor has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud. John W. Oxendine of Johns Creek entered the guilty plea Friday in federal court …

Alabama Bill Would Let Alfa Federation, Not Insurer, Sell Health Plans. BCBS Opposes

Alfa, one of the largest property-casualty insurers in Alabama, is clarifying that it is not planning to move into the health insurance business: A hotly debated bill in the state Legislature would allow Alfa’s affiliated farmers federation to offer a …

Corner Turned? Top Florida Insurers See First Profit in Seven Years, S&P Global Says

Florida’s beleaguered property insurance market is starting to look normal again, with the top insurers in the state showing a collective profit for the first time in seven years, S&P Global Market Intelligence reported this week. The turnaround for 2023 …

New Georgia Regs Would End ‘Half Credits’ for Some Insurance License Courses

The Georgia insurance commissioner’s office will hold a hearing April 15 on proposed changes to continuing education regulations for insurance agents. The new rules would bring Georgia in line with industry best practices and would end the practice of giving …

Indiana, West Virginia Pass New Restrictions on Third-Party Litigation Financing

Efforts to rein in third-party litigation financing are on their way to becoming law in Indiana and West Virginia, a scorecard that is less than what business and insurance interests had hoped for this spring. In Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb …

Panel Asks W.Va. Supreme Court if Opioid Distribution Can Cause a Public Nuisance

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court asked West Virginia’s highest court Monday whether opioid distributions can cause a public nuisance as it reviews a landmark lawsuit against three major U.S. drug distributors accused of causing a health crisis …

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