Government News

Immunity for Medicaid Providers Would Cost Taxpayers: Florida CFO Sink

Shielding Medicaid providers from lawsuits for negligent acts could cost Florida’s taxpayers an estimated $69 million per year in payments for private provider’s mistakes, according to a new report. Florida CFO Alex Sink sought the report after the Florida Legislature …

BP’s Gulf Spill Costs Look Manageable 8 Months Later

As the Gulf oil spill gushed out of control, BP’s financial liabilities seemed big enough to sink the company. No more. Cleanup, government fines, lawsuits, legal fees and damage claims will likely exceed the $40 billion that BP has publicly …

How to Fix Nation’s Flood Insurance Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking a top-to-bottom review of the efforts to reform the nation’s flood insurance program. The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) has offered a set of reform proposals designed to improve the …

Top 5 Things Affecting Excess & Surplus Market in 2011

It has been a challenging few years for those in the excess and surplus (E&S) lines insurance market. An endless soft market, extreme competition from the standard markets, and a bad economy left wholesale and retail agents scrambling to retain …

Reinsurance Renewal Rates On the Decline, Reports Claim

Reinsurance rates for 2011 are falling at the same or greater pace than traditional insurers and further softening of the market is to come, according to two industry reports. For the second year in a row, global reinsurance property catastrophe …

Best Puts Clarendon’s Ratings on Review/Negative for Enstar Sale

A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Delaware-based Clarendon Insurance Group and its members. The ratings action affects the following companies …

Ohio Supreme Court Ruling Favors Bus Wreck Survivors

The Ohio Supreme Court says a university’s insurance coverage extended to a charter bus that crashed, killing five student baseball players and two others. The 5-2 ruling issued Dec. 28 is a victory for families and crash survivors that have …

Intoxicated New Mexico Worker Still Entitled to Workers’ Comp Benefits

A New Mexico Court of Appeal has ruled that a Las Cruces city employee who fell off a garbage truck while intoxicated is still eligible to collect workers’ compensation insurance benefits for his injuries. According to court documents in Edward …

Rates Rising But Florida Home Insurers Report Still Losing Money

Many Florida homeowners expected relief from the higher property insurance bills that followed the busy 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. But more than 4 million homeowners are about to get hit by rate hikes and disappearing coverage. State regulators have …

AIG, Chartis Sign $4.3 Billion Credit Agreements

Bailed-out insurer American International Group took another step toward winding down its U.S. government support Monday by securing $4.3 billion of bank credit lines, and company shares surged. AIG’s shares closed up 9.3 percent, or $5.05, to $59.38 on the …