Declarations

Declarations

Ranking physicians

“Transparency and accurate information are essential when consumers make healthcare decisions. We will ensure that insurance companies are not obscuring important facts at the consumers’ expense.”

— New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo warning two major health insurers, Aetna and Cigna Healthcare, that their physician ranking programs, as currently designed “are likely to confuse or even deceive consumers.”

Historic u-turn

“That’s all history. We’re going to go forward.”

— Gerald Fels, chief executive officer of the Webster, Mass.-based Commerce Insurance Co. during a recent teleconference with Credit Suisse. Commerce, which has flourished under the current fix-and-establish rates and unique residual market rules to become the state’s number one auto writer with more than 30 percent of the market, says its years of opposing change are behind it and it “fully supports” the Patrick Administration’s decision to introduce “managed” competition.

Credit restriction

“I’m pleased to be able to sign this legislation, which will save money for some insurance customers while also making our state one of the toughest in the nation when it comes to using credit information to set auto and homeowner insurance rates.”

— Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner when signing legislation restricting the use of credit information in setting auto and homeowner insurance rates, making Delaware’s credit scoring law one of the toughest in the country according to the law’s supporters. The new law prohibits insurance companies from using credit information to change rates when customers renew existing home or auto policies but allows the use of credit scoring in rating new policies. The legislation takes effect Jan. 1, 2008.

Long Island lights out

“During the last several years the Long Island region has been spared the destructive power of a hurricane. Long Island’s good luck will not last, so LIPA and its customers must continue to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.”

— Richard Kessel, CEO of the Long Island Power Authority, maintaining that the smallest category of hurricane would knock out power to more than half of Long Island’s 1.1 million electric customers and it would take up to nine days to fully restore service.

Kids’ risk

“We’re trying to find an acceptable level of risk.”

— Fire Chief Bob Rupp in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania where firefighters are trying to figure out a way to allow children and relatives of firefighters back onto firetrucks during parades and other events despite the threat of higher insurance rates. The town’s insurance company threatened to increase rates if the fire department allowed anyone but firefighters on the rigs. Rupp says the ban on the free rides has robbed the department of one of its main recruiting tools.