| Adoption puts girl in insurance trap
When Jack and Dorothy Johnson of Twinsburg adopted their granddaughter Shaunell, the 11-year-old gained a permanent, loving home. And now private health insurers refuse to offer her individual coverage because she has asthma, even though her grandmother says medicines keep the condition under control. Shaunell's grandmother has been told that the girl's only option is to pay as much as $8,700 -- or even more -- annually for coverage during state-mandated open-enrollment periods, when all insurers have to take new enrollees regardless of health problems. ``It's very demoralizing,'' Dorothy Johnson said. ``I never thought of asthma as being a disability, that she would be uninsurable.'' Shaunell is one of an estimated 156,000 Ohio children without health insurance.
NeoStem Spotlights High-Growth Business Initiatives for 2007 and ...
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 4, 2007 - NeoStem, Inc. (OTCBB:NEOI - News), the first company to specialize in the collection, processing and storage of stem cells from healthy adult donors for personal use in times of critical medical need, invites investors to review an investor presentation highlighting the Company's visionary business model targeting the projected $8.5 billion stem cell therapeutics industry. The presentation also outlines NeoStem's first-to-market competitive advantage, which uniquely positions the Company to capitalize on the hundreds of stem cell-based therapy research programs currently under development. The Company believes these programs will result in stem cell-based therapies becoming available, and that NeoStem clients could be among the first to benefit from the life saving progress that has already been made for such debilitating conditions as cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and many others.
Farmers' Health Coop Insurance Takes Effect
More than 3,500 state farmers and agri-businesses have filed their applications for the new cooperative health insurance plan. According to the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, the Farmers' Health Cooperative of Wisconsin program--which provides affordable, high-quality health insurance--took effect on April 1.
WFC President Bill Oemichen says he is very pleased with the high level of interest the cooperative is receiving.
"Many producers and agribusinesses have told us that we are providing the type of high quality insurance coverage they have been waiting for and that the insurance represents a very good value," said Oemichen. "This interest is translating to very strong enrollment rates in the cooperative."
FHCW's six plans range from low-premium, high-deductible coverage in conjunction with a Health Savings Account to a low-deductible plan aimed at agri-businesses.
King County gets $1.9 million to test drive innovative statewide ...
A statewide pilot program initiated by King County that links car insurance rates to the number of miles driven has won a $1.9 million federal grant. Unigard Insurance and the Washington State Department of Transportation are partners in the five-year program that for the first time will collect comprehensive data about driver behavior when insurance rates are based on actual vehicle usage. The federal grant, combined with other public and private matching funds, will allow King County and its partners to launch the Pay-As-You-Drive project beginning next year. The pilot will be phased in over a five-year period and will recruit 5,000 vehicle owners from all across the state of Washington. Senator Patty Murray's support was instrumental in helping King County receive the grant that is part of the U.S.
MRI for Diagnosis of Cancer in the Opposite Breast: Questions and ...
This study sought to determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could improve the ability to accurately diagnose the full extent of a patient's disease, including possible cancers in the opposite (or contralateral) breast at the time of the initial diagnosis. (Question 1) Investigators found that the vast majority of additional cancers can be found at the time of initial diagnosis if MRI is added to clinical breast exam and mammography as part of a thorough workup. (Question 3) 30 women in this study who were diagnosed with cancer in one breast, and determined by mammography and clinical breast exam to be cancer free in the opposite breast, had cancer in the opposite breast diagnosed by MRI. (Question 5) A variety of cancers were identified through MRI. In general, those cancers were at an earlier stage than cancers found in other types of exams, which usually improves outcomes.
It's a Chronic Condition
April 16, 2007 issue - Jonathan Cohn has studied health care for more than a decade, and in that time he's heard hundreds of grim tales—people who skimp on doctors' visits and skip medications so they can make the rent; patients who died because, as he writes in his new book, they "literally could not afford" to fall ill. That book, "Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis—And the People Who Pay the Price," focuses in heart-rending detail on nine of those stories, the kind of which may well find their way into stump speeches in 2008. But it also brings a fresher perspective to the health-care debate, thanks to a second, more surprising source: Depression-era documents that tell nearly identical stories. Then, too, ailing people went without care as politicians and physicians sparred over its spiraling costs.
International Rectifier To Delay Filing Of Form 10- Q On Pending ...
(IRF | charts | news | PowerRating) announced that the company would not be able to file Form 10- Q for the March Quarter on pending investigations at foreign subsidiary. The company noted that the independent investigators found the financial statements for the quarters ended December 31, 2006, September 30, 2006, March 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and September 30, 2005, and for the year ended June 30, 2006, included in the company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for such periods, should no longer be relied upon. The committee is pursuing to determine any possible restatement of the financial statements, the company said. Copyright(c) 2007 RealTimeTraders.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved .
Grand Strand condo sales plummet
MYRLTE BEACH, S.C. - Grand Strand condominium sales dropped 41 percent in the first quarter, falling to a sales level that's lower than in the same quarter in the past three years - and the largest quarterly drop in sales in the past year. The drop didn't surprise real estate analysts, considering the market's investor exodus and skyrocketing insurance costs. But they were surprised that condo sales didn't at least grow above 2004 levels, when 1,040 condos sold on the Grand Strand. This year in the first quarter 901 sold on the Strand, according to the Multiple Listing Service for Horry and Georgetown counties. The question is, when does the market stop dropping and start going up? Oceanfront condo agents report that investors are returning to the market, and those investors say they think the price bottom has either been hit or will hit soon.
Current account deficit reaches alarming level
ISLAMABAD: Pakistans current-account deficit, excluding official transfers, during July-February 2006-07 has reached a worrisome $5.564 billion or 3.97 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which may pose threat to the countrys economic health over the medium and long-term.
The largest current account deficit, as a share of economy and in dollar terms, may be a potential risk to the economy simultaneously on both internal and external fronts over medium and long term. However, over short term, the government has the capacity to finance it on the back of strong inflows ie remittance, foreign direct investment and privatisation proceeds.
CAD surged by 49.45 per cent during the period under review from what it was recorded in corresponding period of the last fiscal ($3.723 billion) reveals the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data issued on Monday.
Threat of Fines
A new UnitedHealth Group Inc. policy that threatens to fine doctors for referring patients to out-of-network laboratories for tests is mushrooming into a bitter dispute between the health-insurance giant and many of the 520,000 physicians in its networks nationwide. Most health plans are designed so their members pay more when they go to an out-of-network doctor or take a nonpreferred medication. But the financial sanctions -- which UnitedHealth has yet to impose -- mark the first time a physician could be fined by a health insurer if he or she directs a patient to seek out-of-network care or testing, the ... .
John Hancock Earns Favorable Quality Evaluation from Standard & Poor's
BOSTON, April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock has earned a favorable Quality Evaluation for the fourth year in a row from Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC ("SPIAS"), a unit of Standard & Poor's. The favorable Quality Evaluation was awarded to John Hancock for its investment options and manager selection and monitoring process as of December 6, 2006. In a review of John Hancock's lineup of investment options, SPIAS determined that they present "an acceptable basis for individuals to make more informed decisions as they seek to achieve their investment objectives and reach their long-term retirement goals." SPIAS also reviewed John Hancock's criteria, processes and procedures for selecting and monitoring investment options, and found them "to consistently adhere to industry standards for prudent selection and monitoring." "This evaluation from SPIAS signifies that our efforts to maintain a consistent, high level of investment excellence are on track and that our customers-whether they be financial consultants, 401(k) plan sponsors and participants, annuity contract holders, or insurance policyholders-can feel confident in the investment options that are made available," said Bruce R.
AIG Private Client Group Introduces Admitted Group Excess ...
NEW YORK-(Business Wire)-April 5, 2007 - AIG Private Client Group, a division of the personal lines property and casualty insurance subsidiaries of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), today announced an admitted Group Excess Liability insurance program. .
The Commerce Group, Inc. Finalizes Acquisition Of New York Based ...
WEBSTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 2, 2007--The Commerce Group, Inc. (NYSE:CGI) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of SWICO Enterprises, Ltd., the holding company for Hempstead, New York-based property and casualty insurer State-Wide Insurance Company. With the completion of the acquisition, Commerce will make immediate entry into the New York personal lines insurance market through State-Wide Insurance Company. State-Wide Insurance Company primarily writes private passenger automobile insurance in the state of New York. As of year-end 2006, State-Wide reported approximately $38 million in direct written premiums. About The Commerce Group, Inc. The Commerce Group, Inc. is headquartered in Webster, Massachusetts. Property and casualty insurance subsidiaries include The Commerce Insurance Company and Citation Insurance Company in Massachusetts, Commerce West Insurance Company in California, and American Commerce Insurance Company in Ohio.
REMEMBERING YESTERYEAR: Lumberman had roots in NT
Born in Albany in 1860, he was the son of Alfred White, a leading railroad man, and William H. Gratwick's sister, Elizabeth. Alfred White was connected prominently in the 1860s with the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad. Pendennis White's early boyhood was spent in Detroit. He began his business career at the age of 14, working in a hardware store. In 1879 Pendennis White went to Otsego Lake, Mich., employed by Gratwick, Smith & Fryer Lumber Co. He later became mill and yard superintendent for the firm in North Tonawanda. After two years in this capacity, he was sent by the firm in 1883 to Louisiana. In 1885 Pendennis White established the firm of White & Rider in New York City, and in 1890, the firm became White, Rider & Frost, with offices in New York and North Tonawanda. In 1901, Pendennis White partnered with William H.
Dividend tax rate reduced
Are you reporting dividend income on your tax return? In 2006 the tax rate on dividends from large Canadian corporations dropped dramatically. The dividend income gross-up rose from 125 per cent to 145 per cent while the combined federal-Saskatchewan tax credit increased to 30 per cent from 21.3 per cent. These changes greatly reduce the tax rate for dividends for all tax brackets, but especially for Canadians in the lower tax brackets. .
Can you save the planet and make money?
Concern about the environ-ment is a hot topic right now, with consumers being encour-aged to consider how their purchases will impact the planet.As a result, sales of gas-guzzling cars are declining, while the trade in energy-efficient light bulbs has never been brisker.Financial services providers are getting in on the act, with eco-friendly labelling being applied to everything from mortgages and savings to insurance.Some of these products promise to plant trees or invest in renewable energy projects, others donate money to ethical charities. But are consumers getting a good deal, and are the benefits more than just a gimmick?We've looked at some of the growing number of mort-gages, savings and insurance products that are being sold with green credentials. SAVINGSThere is a wide range of green and ethical savings products in the marketplace, with several banks and building societies specialising in this area.Three leading providers are the Cooperative Bank, the Ecology Building Society and Triodos Bank.The Cooperative offers the instant access Cashsaver account with a miserly 0.93pc rate on balances of £1.
Financial Institutions Expand Products that Target US Muslims
Washington – In the coming year, a bank subsidiary in Michigan will expand its reach by offering products targeted to Muslims in three metropolitan areas outside of that state. The University Islamic Financial Corporation, a subsidiary of University Bank, a community bank in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will reach Muslims in the Washington metropolitan area via a suburban office in Herndon, Virginia. It plans to open in two more locations, as yet undisclosed, shortly thereafter. The bank subsidiary's president, Stephen Lange Ranzini, estimates that Michigan is home to approximately 400,000 Muslims, “the largest community of Arab Muslims outside of the Middle East." Locations of these new branches have been chosen for their proximity to large Muslim populations.
A few questions about pre-existing conditions
If I buy a Medigap policy this summer when I become eligible for Medicare, will I have to wait for my pre-existing conditions to be covered? A: If you buy your Medigap policy during your Medigap open enrollment period, which is the six-month period following the eligibility date on your Medicare card, then you may not have a waiting period. It depends on whether you had at least six months of creditable health insurance coverage immediately prior to the open enrollment period month in which you want to buy the Medigap policy. If you had less than six months of creditable coverage, this waiting period will be reduced by the number of months that you did have creditable coverage. Creditable coverage is generally any other health coverage you had immediately prior to applying for a Medigap policy.
Hughes council votes on city emplyee health insurance; adopts tax ...
Hughes city employees will continue to be covered by Aetna health insurance following a unanimous city council vote this week. Linda Lindsay, of Linda Lindsay Insurance, presented the council with new figures from Aetna that showed a slight increase in rates. Basically, what youve got right now is a $500 deductible. After that, Aetna pays 80 percent and the employee pays 20 percent of the cost, said Lindsay. They have been a good company for you. Youve had them for five years, and this is the first increase theyve had in that time. If you choose to renew the plan, it is basically what you have now, but it is a PPO instead of an HMO. The figures provided by Lindsay showed that the old rate per employee was $367.50 per month and the new rate would be $395.30 per month, an increase of $27.80 per employee.
Will work for pet insurance
A reader asks, "Why do companies invest time and money on these stunts to recruit new college grads, but do virtually nothing to recruit top talent already in the marketplace?" Answer: Because they don't know how. The reference is to a USA Today article about clever recruiting tricks being used to woo new grads. Recruiting has fallen by the wayside. It's being replaced by marketing gimmicks. Business has entered the Era of The Stunt, and new grads are susceptible to marketing stunts. (For those who take time to read history, this is also known as style over substance.) In a recent issue, WIRED magazine pokes fun at our stupidly-short attention span and our diminishing interest in substance: Snack Culture! Tasty Bits o' Fun! Bite-Size Entertainment! My favorite example: "Tiny Tunes" -- radio that takes classic tunes and cuts them down to two minutes, because who wants to listen to an entire song? So, why would a company recruit good workers by working at recruiting, or by investing in cultivating good, long-term relationships in your professional community? Why indeed, when you can WOW them with snacks -- quick blasts of attention-getting fun.
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