Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
The October Surprise
Nov 8 2004 // In a not-so-far-away land not too long ago, insurance professionals were decrying the actions of high ranking officers of companies like Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, etc., for their challenged ethics, their “I’m on...
Industry in the Bull’s Eye
Nov 8 2004 // In the days after New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed a civil lawsuit against insurance broker Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. for alleged commercial account steering and bid rigging, the insurance industry...
Looking at the Med-Mal Crisis from Both Sides
Nov 8 2004 // Insurance Journal National Editor Andrea Ortega-Wells recently moderated a “Take Two” debate discussing the hot topic of medical malpractice, and what, if any, reforms are needed. The debate features Paula...
Unfair Trade Practices Unfair to Insurance Agents
Nov 8 2004 // Here is a tale of two sellers. A realtor sold a home in a quiet neighborhood to a nice family. Shortly after settling in, the new homeowners begin to discover certain defects in the property, which had not been disclosed...
Scandal in the Industry
Nov 8 2004 // The industry was rocked weeks ago with the announcement of New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s charges against Marsh & McLennan. While Spitzer’s probe had been known for some time, the unexpected...
RemedyTemp to Appeal Workers' Comp Case Appeals Court Ruling
Nov 8 2004 // The California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA), will not be held responsible for covering workers’ comp claims filed by 500 of the staffing agency’s employees who were insured by insolvent carrier...
Legislative watchdogs put a fresh spin on traditional lobbying techniques
Nov 8 2004 // Lobbying has been around for as long as any single profession has been around, but it has changed. It isn’t what it used to be,” said John Norwood, managing partner of Norwood & Mattoch, one of...
States Loathe to Lose Say Over Insurance Plans
Nov 8 2004 // Strong objections are being voiced in the states to part of President Bush’s prescription to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses. The principal worry is that states will lose the ability to...
Calif. Commissioner Proposes New Broker Regulations, AG Steps In
Nov 8 2004 // In response to New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s charges against super brokerage Marsh McLennan, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi proposed new regulations for agents and brokers Oct. 20 which...
Big “I” Takes Proactive Approach to Issues in the Spitzer Investigation
Nov 8 2004 // By now, you probably are aware that insurance broker Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. and Marsh Inc. (collectively Marsh) were sued in New York on Oct. 14 based on allegations of engaging in certain illegal business...
R.I. Official Plans Bill Banning ‘Incentive Fees’
Nov 5 2004 // In the wake of the ongoing insurance brokerage probe involving bid rigging and incentive payments, Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown is proposing legislation to prohibit insurance industry “incentive...
‘Wall Street’ Insurance Broker Scandal Hurting ‘Main Street’ Agents, Conn. Big ‘I’ Leader Fears
Nov 5 2004 // “We are Main Street agents. This problem was created on Wall Street.” A Connecticut independent agent leader hopes the reality behind those words will help protect independent agents from being grouped with...
Construction Defect Legislation Defended by Colo. Voters Overwhelmingly
Nov 4 2004 // Voters in Colorado Nov. 2 overwhelmingly turned back an effort to amend the state’s constitution and gut a construction defects reform measure passed by the legislature last year. In a victory for consumers and the...
Four More Years for Bush; Kerry Concedes in Phone Call to President
Nov 3 2004 // This time around, it won’t be a flood of lawyers and hanging chads like in 2000. In a call to President Bush Wednesday morning shortly after 11 a.m. (EST), Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (D) conceded the 2004...
Incumbent Commissioners Join Bush in Return to Office
Nov 3 2004 // Joining President Bush in returning to office, a handful of insurance commissioners across the country will be back for more time in office following Tuesday’s elections. While most incumbents won rather handily, one...
Republican Candidates Win ‘Big Time’ in Insurance Industry Political Giving in Federal Races
Nov 2 2004 // The late U.S. House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill (D-Mass.) is famous for insisting, “All politics is local.” Apparently, O’Neill wasn’t counting the money. When it comes to...
California’s DWC Regulations Get Backing From Office of Administrative Law
Nov 2 2004 // The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has received approval from the Office of Administrative Law on the first set of regulations implementing SB 899, workers’ compensation reforms passed by...
Ethics Called Bottom Line Issue for Entire Insurance Industry
Oct 29 2004 // The current investigations of the insurance industry emphasize the need for stricter adherence to ethical market conduct standards, Brian Atchinson, executive director of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association...
PCI Puts Support Behind Neb. Personal Lines Rate and Form Modernization
Oct 27 2004 // Momentum is building for Nebraska to enact personal lines rate and form modernization in 2005, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). During 2004 the state legislature did not have time...
Japan: Powerful, Beleaguered and Consolidating
Oct 25 2004 // Until Commodore Peary’s visit in 1848, Japan was one of the world’s most isolated countries, and it still remains rather unique. But something in the Japanese character and society enabled it to turn its back...
