| Cracker Barrel sues insurers to cover $2 million harassment settlement
A year after paying $2 million in sexual and racial harassment claims, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is now suing two of its insurance carries, alleging they both failed to reimburse the Lebanon-based store for the cost of defending itself against the federal lawsuit that led to the $2 million settlement.
The new lawsuit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court in Nashville, claims that the Cincinnati Insurance Company and the Houston Casualty Company breached their contracts with Cracker Barrel by “refusal to honor their insurance policy obligations."
Cracker Barrel became the target of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit in August of 2004 after an EEOC investigation uncovered multiple instances of sexual harassment against female employees in three Illinois restaurants, as well as discrimination harassment of black employees.
bellwetherreport.com: In- Depth Research on Group 1 Automotive Inc.
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. operates in the automotive retail industry. The company markets and sells a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles and related financing; vehicle maintenance and repair services; replacement parts; and warranty, insurance, and extended service contracts. As of December 31, 2006, it owned and operated 143 franchises at 105 dealership locations and 30 collision centers located in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in Houston, Texas. Shares were up 3% after continuing to embark on both a growth and cost-containment strategy. BellwetherReport.com is a leading online research firm for international investors looking to get an edge over their portfolio.
High-Deductible Health Plans Cost More for Women, Study Finds
Women are more likely to pay more than men for health care when enrolled in high-deductible health plans -- which have low premiums and in some cases include health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. For the study, Harvard Medical School researchers led by Steffie Woolhandler examined data from the 2003 federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which included responses from almost 33,000 U.S. residents. Based on 2006 dollars, the study found that the median cost for men younger than age 45 enrolled in high-deductible health plans was less than $500, compared with more than $1,200 for women. The study also found that one-third of men younger than age 45 with health insurance had more than $1,050 in annual medical costs, compared with 55% of women.
House Approves Children's Insurance Bill
The Texas House passed a bill Tuesday that would revoke changes made to the Children's Health Insurance Program in 2003, when thousands of children lost their coverage. The bill will go to the Senate. Currently, a family qualifies based on gross income and must reapply for coverage every six months. After applying, a child must wait 90 days before getting enrolled. "The income we're talking about is maximum right around $40,000 for a family of four," said Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston. "What this bill will do is pick up an additional 100,000 kids and put them back on the roll." Lawmakers want to change CHIP to the way it was before 2003, when a family only had to reapply every 12 months. There would be no waiting period for children, and eligibility was based on net income, which is how much the family earned minus child care and work-related expenses.
MADD and Nationwide(R) Kick Off Prom With Music by Bow Wow at Sam ...
HOUSTON, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (Nationwide) kicked off prom season in Houston with a special celebrity performance by R&B music artist Bow Wow at Sam Houston High School (SHHS). MADD's THINK.Prom program, which is nationally sponsored by Nationwide, asks students to pledge to be alcohol and drug free during prom. Statistics show that traffic deaths among teens during typical prom weekends are higher than any other time of year. The SHHS junior/senior prom is April 27. "We are proud to work with Nationwide to provide the THINK.Prom program because the choices students make today impact their lives tomorrow," said Glynn Birch, MADD National President. "We are asking teens to leave alcohol out of prom, never ride with someone who's been drinking and to buckle up.
House OKs end to limits on CHIP
AUSTIN -- Thousands more El Paso children could get health insurance under a bill the Texas House tentatively approved Tuesday. "Texas is the state that has the highest percentage of uninsured kids in the country," said state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, author of the bill. "This is a step today that could reverse that." The bill, which passed 126-16, would reduce restrictions on Children's Health Insurance Program enrollment and allow more than 100,000 additional Texas children in the program, according to a legislative analysis. It would undo some changes legislators -- trying to save money because of a nearly $10 billion shortfall -- made to CHIP in 2003. "It doesn't reinstate all the children, but a good portion," said state Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, a bill sponsor.
Measure intended to insure more Texas children
AUSTIN More children of the working poor would have access to low-cost health insurance under a plan tentatively approved today in the Texas House. Final approve could come tomorrow, then the bill would move to the Senate. The measure would dismantle several changes made by the 2003 Legislature, when Texas faced a budget shortfall and cut spending on the Children's Health Insurance Program. The bill by Representative Sylvester Turner of Houston would let parents re-enroll in CHIP every year -- instead of every six months. The measure also would eliminate the 90-day waiting period unless the child had recently been covered in another insurance plan. Backers say allowing for 12-month eligibility periods would save the state money by treating them before they end up in costly emergency rooms and county hospitals.
Texas Physicians and Hospitals Join State Legislators to Ensure ...
AUSTIN, Texas, April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 400 Texas physicians, medical students, and hospital leaders rallied state legislators today to pass legislation that would provide health insurance to thousands of Texas children. Physician and hospital leaders from across the state joined state Reps. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston); House Bill 109 author, John Davis (R-Houston); Elliott Naishtat (D-Austin); and Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) to encourage their colleagues to pass HB 109. The bill would restore 12 months of continuous coverage for kids in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), establish a more realistic asset test for working families, and remove the 90-day waiting period for uninsured children. Health care leaders believe restoring the cuts made to CHIP in 2003 is a critical and important first step in reducing the number of uninsured children.
For a Second Consecutive Year, The Hartford's Houston Office ...
The Houston office of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), one of the nation's leading providers of investment and insurance products, announced today that for a second consecutive year it has made a contribution of $10,000 to the charity care program at Texas Children's Hospital which provides financial assistance to children whose families are unable to pay for their child's medical costs. A check will be presented to representatives from the hospital at a reception taking place on April 5 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at The Hartford's Houston office located at 785 Greens Parkway, Northbelt II, Suite 200. Senior executives from The Hartford's Property and Casualty operations, including David Zwiener, president and chief operating officer, Dana Drago, executive vice president of sales and distribution and Gary Thompson, executive vice president of middle market and specialty commercial, will be in attendance at the reception.
Going beyond money, benefits
When 5,300 Houston janitors went on strike last fall, they were seeking a raise to $8.50 an hour, paid family health insurance and full-time work. But city of Houston employees, who'll begin contract negotiations today, haven't been as focused on pay and benefits. The Houston Organization of Public Employees, which represents 13,000 employees at City Hall, are looking for a better performance evaluation system and a chance to offer ideas on how to improve city services, according to union officials. "I think voice is more important than more money," said Damon Russell, a truck driver in the public works department and a member of the new 38-employee negotiating team. Employees want respect at work and to feel a sense of pride for doing a good job for their fellow Houstonians, said Russell, who was recently promoted and now earns $9.42 an hour.
House Debates CHIP Reform
(April 3, 2007)--More Texas children of the working poor would have access to the state's low-cost health insurance program under a measure the House debated Tuesday. The proposal would dismantle several changes that the Legislature made in 2003, when the state faced a $10 billion budget shortfall and cut spending on state services like the Children's Health Insurance Program. The proposal by Rep. Sylvester Turner, R-Houston, would let parents re-enroll in the CHIP plan every year instead of every six months. The proposal also would eliminate a 90-day waiting period unless the child had recently been covered in another insurance plan. Conservatives have voiced concern with the 12-month enrollment period in Turner's bill. They say making families re-enroll twice a year ensures only eligible children receive the benefits.
MADD Kicks Off Prom With Music by Bow Wow at Sam Houston High School
HOUSTON, April 5 -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (Nationwide) kicked off prom season in Houston with a special celebrity performance by R&B music artist Bow Wow at Sam Houston High School (SHHS). MADD's THINK.Prom program, which is nationally sponsored by Nationwide, asks students to pledge to be alcohol and drug free during prom. Statistics show that traffic deaths among teens during typical prom weekends are higher than any other time of year. The SHHS junior/senior prom is April 27. "We are proud to work with Nationwide to provide the THINK.Prom program because the choices students make today impact their lives tomorrow," said Glynn Birch, MADD National President. "We are asking teens to leave alcohol out of prom, never ride with someone who's been drinking and to buckle up.
|
