Economic Issues Are ‘Values’ Issues, Too

According to operators, the strengthening of the US currency against its peers- still in the wake of expectations that the Federal Reserve accelerates the withdrawal of monetary stimuli- and the pressure of end of year shipments prevent an appreciation of the real, despite the prospect that the Central Bank increases the Selic in 1.5 percentage points to…

—A state audit has found that Colorado likely or potentially paid $73.1 million in fraudulent unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic's first year, including $3.9 million on behalf of dead people and $5 million on behalf of people who were unqualified because they were incarcerated. The Office of the State Auditor report released Monday cited a…

On November 22, President Joe Biden announced that he will confirm Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve when his current term expires next February. The central banker was deservedly praised for leading a powerful response to last year's pandemic-induced slowdown in the U.S. economy. Instead of opting to raise interest rates, Powell has pledged to…

All three are among the roughly 490,000 people newly eligible for Medicaid after Oklahoma and Missouri voters in 2020 approved expanding the federal-state public health insurance program for people with low incomes. But the experience of the newly eligible in those two states— an estimated 215,000 people in Oklahoma and 275,000 in Missouri— has differed…

WASHINGTON — Conservative judges on the Supreme Court suggested this week during arguments in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit over Medicare drug reimbursement that now might be the time to overturn a decades-old guiding principle of administrative law. The issue in American Hospital Association v. Becerra is a technical question over a Department of Health and Human Services…

WASHINGTON – Reimbursements for at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. Tougher testing requirements for international travelers. More emergency response teams to aid states combating infection spikes.  And another big push to get Americans…

Pacific Life reported it is introducing a new sales tool that links to its current illustration software to provide financial professionals with an interactive, personalized presentation or e-brochure they can share with clients. "We are so excited to be the first annuity company to work with Ensight to offer this cutting-edge technology," said Kevin…

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Cedar Rapids, employees who invested in Transamerica's retirement plan lost between $15 million and $20 million because some funds performed worse than comparable ones that employees couldn't choose in the plan. Attorney Charles Field, who represented the employees, said "the settlement provides genuine and…

UnitedHealth will host its annual investor conference Tuesday morning, and the healthcare giant updated its outlook for 2021 ahead of the meeting.

Berkshire Hathaway is the ultimate Warren Buffett stock. But is it a good buy? Here's what the earnings and chart show for Berkshire stock.

Some observers of Louisiana's auto insurance market are raising concerns that last year’s Civil Justice Reform Act has yet to put downward pressure on the state’s auto rates, which one consumer website recently found is the highest in the U.S. In a recent survey, Insure.com found that the average annual auto insurance premium in Louisiana now tops $2,800, which is nearly twice…

Product diversification helps Zacks Multiline Insurance industry players to lower concentration risk, ensure uninterrupted revenue generation, and improve retention ratio. Better pricing, prudent underwriting, increased exposure, faster economy recovery on the receding impact of the pandemic and increased vaccinations should benefit MetLife Inc….

The growing impact of sustainability, the need to diversify portfolios into higher-yielding asset classes and the drive to digitize business are the dominant themes for insurers over the next year globally, according to a recent BlackRock survey of industry leaders. In total, the participating companies represent investment-grade assets worth $27…

This is the result of the median projections of the eight consulting firms and research centers that participated in El Cronista's Macroeconomic Expectations Survey, which submitted their responses between November 15 and 23, with the results of the elections already on the table. By then, 17 of the previous 18 months will have surpassed the 3 percent mark and…

Republican officials around the country are testing a creative mechanism to build loyalty with unvaccinated Americans while undermining Biden administration mandates: unemployment benefits. Driving the news: Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Tennessee have changed their unemployment insurance rules to allow workers who are fired or quit over vaccine mandates to receive benefits. The big…

Insurance issues in the cannabis space are multiplying daily as operations continue to expand across United States markets. Cannabis companies face the risk of operational losses as a result of fires, burglary, business interruptions, and myriad other events. Cannabis companies also pay hefty premiums on insurance policies to cover those very losses. Many companies discover,…

Matt Krause and Eva Guzman, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, are also running against Paxton, who' s been endorsed by former president Donald Trump. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lou Correa, Adriano Espaillat, Jesús "Chuy" García and Grace Meng have asked the Senate to reinstate a pathway to citizenship in the Build Back Better Act after Senate Parliamentarian…

Child-free U.S. adults are increasingly likely to say parenthood isn’ t in the cards for them, a new report says. The report analyzed responses from 3,866 U.S. adults under 50, both parents and non-parents, who took part in Pew’ s American Trends Panel survey. Birth rates in the U.S. have steadily declined since the 2008 recession, and the birth rate in 2020 hit another…

The challenges associated with the customer experience in insurance can be difficult to solve because most institutions have a multitude of administrative systems that, for many, are a combination of legacy policy administration platforms, some of which are older than the millennials they are trying to attract. So revealed Roger Soppe, lead insurance…

Kentucky and Mississippi are the latest states to pass rules governing the recommendation of annuities, becoming the 17 th and 18 th states, respectively, to adopt rules based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ model rule meant to align states’ annuity regulations with the Securities and Exchange Commission’ s Regulation Best Interest.

The House passed a massive roughly $2 trillion infrastructure bill that includes drug price reforms, closes the Medicaid coverage gap and cuts DSH payments to hospitals in states that did not expand Medicaid.

-If you’ re a millennial, the chances you’ ve already invested in a private life insurance policy are probably pretty low. The share of Americans covered by life insurance slid from 63% in 2011 to 52% in 2021— and the most pronounced decrease has come from younger generations. It makes sense— you’ re young and healthy, and extra money goes towards the latest iPhone, smart…

Drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna produce the two U.S.- approved mRNA shots. The initiative comes as the Biden White House has faced growing pressure at home and abroad over inequity in the global vaccine supply- as the U.S. moves toward approving booster shots for all adults while vulnerable people in poorer nations wait for their first dose of protection.

Washington, Nov 17- U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday defended his "Build Back Better" project, a social spending plan to fight climate change and job creation, among other measures, and urged the country's big companies to "pay a little" in taxes. Biden, who participated today in the official opening of Factory Zero, the new General Motors plant in Detroit that will…

—An insurance company is suing the mother of two boys killed by her estranged husband over a $4 million life insurance payout which claims she may not have been legally entitled to receive. Meanwhile, she is trying to collect $10 million from her husband’ s estate. Paul Reinhart, 46, of Gainesville, fatally shot the couple’ s young sons on May 4 before setting fire to…

EAST ST. LOUIS — A man who became disabled after a motorcycle crash is suing his insurer for allegedly denying of his disability benefits coverage.  Terry Roundcount filed a complaint Nov. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, alleging violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

New legislation would make permanent key telehealth flexibilities and let Medicare cover newly approved medical devices faster.

The technological advances of today can be seen in every aspect of our lives. From cell phones, which are as good as laptops, to medical programs that can connect every location, allowing you the ability to check on the history of one patient. The automotive…

Leaving behavioral health conditions untreated can balloon healthcare costs, according to new data from Cigna.

(The Center Square) – Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has forced two “financially troubled” homeowners insurance companies into receivership over unpaid policyholder claims stemming from Hurricane Ida.

Auto insurance rates have increased in Louisiana this year despite

Beth Smith dreads the day when her wheelchair finally gives out. And her insurance plan caps its coverage for wheelchairs and other "durable medical equipment" at $2,000 a year, she said— far less than the $17,000 cost of her motorized chair. The federal class-action suit targets the biggest commercial health insurer in California— Kaiser Foundation Health Plan—…

By all accounts, the deal announced in July between Blackstone and American International Group Inc. was notable in size and scope. The private equity firm will spend $2.2 billion to buy a 9.9% stake in AIG's Life& Retirement group in an all-cash transaction. At the same time, Blackstone plans to acquire AIG's interests in a U.S. affordable housing portfolio for…

Health insurance provided by employers this year cost an average of $22,200 for families and $7,700 for individuals, a 4% increase from a year ago, according to new survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Why it matters: While many people lost their jobs and health insurance during the pandemic, most companies didn't rock the boat heading into 2021. But even a relatively…

Q: We have two combined lots that we bought in 1984 for a total cost of about $50,000. There is a rumor of a one-time $500,000 break on taxes, but is that just on the house? If you are married, own a home and use it as your primary residence for at least two out of the last five years, you get to exclude $500,000 of profit from federal income taxes.

By Ana Maria Dimand The U.S. Congress passed an infrastructure bill that funds more than a trillion dollars in nationwide federal spending on Nov. 5, 2021. The bill puts about $240…

This was the case of the U.S. holding company Principal Financial Group, which controls AFP Cuprum. At the end of October, the group's president, Daniel Houston, was consulted on several occasions about the situation of the pension business in Chile, the presidential debate, the 10% withdrawals and also the advance payment of life annuities.

On October 8th, 2021, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, signed into law Senate Bill No. 510, which requires health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies that provide coverage for hospital, medical, or surgical benefits to cover all COVID-19 testing and vaccinations without cost sharing or prior authorization requirements. The new law goes beyond…

Companies in the infrastructure and construction sector gained $6.733 billion in market value on Wall Street on Monday after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the infrastructure plan proposed by President Joe Biden. The papers of Quanta Services, which provides infrastructure services, rose 1.96%; SBA Communications, a provider of wireless…

Over 26 million people nationwide chose Advantage plans this year, more than twice as many as a decade ago, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In Dallas County, nearly 45% of Medicare beneficiaries— about 146,000 older residents— enrolled in Advantage plans this year, Kaiser reported. In Tarrant County, the penetration is nearly half, and in El Paso, it’ s over…

The Zacks Property and Casualty Insurance industry is likely to benefit from better pricing, prudent underwriting and exposure growth. Industry players like Berkshire Hathaway, Chubb Limited CB, The Travelers Companies TRV, Cincinnati Financial Corporation CINF, W.R. Berkley Corporation WRB, First American Financial FAF and Kinsale Capital KNSL are…

President Biden is closing in on a decision on who should run the Federal Reserve, and both Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell and Fed governor Lael Brainard, the only Democrat on the central bank's board, were spotted at the White House on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter confirmed Friday. The Fed declined to comment. Powell, a Republican who was appointed Fed…

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been increasing at close to a 5 percent annual rate. The Federal Reserve just announced its plans to begin tapering its bond purchases—essentially scaling back an economic stimulus—later this month, but the market is not expecting it to aggressively fight inflation by raising interest rates until the

COVID-19 has affected each health insurance company differently, but the industry remains mostly insulated from the virus' growing toll. The big picture: Most of the big insurers have sidestepped massive coronavirus-related costs so far this year, due in large part to people putting off other care. And the companies that have had to pay more medical claims are raising premiums on…

Regulation regarding crypto changes from one country to another. But most financial regulatory bodies treat cryptocurrency as a property (and not a currency) for tax evaluations. You are subject to pay taxes on the capital gains made by selling or buying the cryptocurrency, or you exchange it for goods or products, or when you buy or sell it in exchange for fiat currency or the…

Insurers are increasingly turning toward non-traditional assets to increase their yield, according to Clearwater Analytics' annual Insurance Investment Survey Report. "The search for yield amid low interest rates has driven insurers into non-traditional asset classes and away from traditional safe havens," Sandeep Sahai, Chief Executive Officer of…

As of 2018, it was estimated that 27% of non-elderly adults in the United States had at least one pre-existing condition that would disqualify them from getting life insurance–that's 53.8 million people. According to NerdWallet, the average minimum life insurance monthly premium is $26. Those obsolete ways of determining eligibility are part of why a…

Cigna wrapped up Q3 earnings for major national payers on Thursday morning, where it reported $1.6 billion in profit for the quarter.

One such offering, from insurer Sidecar Health, pays consumers its estimated cash price for each medical visit and lets them shop for the best deal. Another, from Antidote Health, isn’ t insurance, but offers access to online-only primary care for a small monthly fee. While the image the plans present is one of consumers taking control of their health care costs, the“…

WASHINGTON- The White House and Democrats are hurriedly reworking key aspects of President Joe Biden's $2 trillion domestic policy plan, trimming the social services and climate change programs and rethinking new taxes on corporations and the wealthy to pay for a scaled-back package. Even a new White House idea abandoning plans for reversing the Trump-era…

New York’ s Metropolitan Transportation Authority no longer pays a $500,000 death benefit to the families of subway, bus and commuter rail workers who die of covid if the workers were unvaccinated at the time of death. In Massachusetts, the New Bedford City Council sought to extend accidental death benefits to city employees who died of covid, but the mayor didn’ t…

As part of the delegated powers requested by the Executive to Congress to legislate on tax matters, the Ministry of Economy intends to raise capital income rates. And he even said that if the rate were raised to around 30% it would be confiscatory, as the Constitutional Court has previously ruled. However, the Minister of Economy, Pedro Francke, mentioned that the…

—President Biden, remarks on announcing the framework for his Build Back Better plan, Oct. 28. "What I see are shell games, budget gimmicks, that make the real cost of the so-called $1.75 trillion bill estimated to be almost twice that amount. Joe Manchin III, remarks to reporters, Nov. 1.

Where a salon sought coverage under its business loss policy for losses suffered when it closed because of Covid orders, the insurer prevails because its virus exclusion precluded claims for business losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adorn Barber& Beauty LLC argues an insurance policy issued by Twin City Fire Insurance Company covers business…

Individuals with an annual salary of up to $77,280 and a household of four making up to $159,000 would qualify for tax credits and subsidies in the coming year, according to the state Department of Banking and Insurance. Shoppers may choose between plans from Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey- a newcomer to the state market- as well as AmeriHealth, Horizon Blue…

As the Great Resignation continues and US employers worry about their talent pool, one of the oldest tools for retaining workers is coming in handy: health insurance benefits. According to a survey of 1,400 adults conducted by YouGov for Policygenius, an online insurance marketplace, 33% of workers who get health insurance through their employer would be very…

The Biden administration has extended the ACA open enrollment period by one month and invested in a more robust outreach campaign as part of its efforts to bolster the legislation.

—An insurance company has agreed to pay $625,000 to settle allegations that it used deceptive and illegal practices to sell health insurance plans to Massachusetts residents, the state attorney general's office said Monday. Under terms of the settlement, Florida- based Health Insurance Innovations will repay customers $515,000, pay $100,000 in civil…

After Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey, some homeowners moved away to avoid the risk of severe flooding, but many stayed and rebuilt. For decades, taxpayers have been subsidizing flood insurance rates, but new premium calculations by FEMA will adjust rates to better reflect the true risk of flood-prone homes. The average cost of a flood insurance policy in New…