Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Michigan Insurers Balk As Democrats Advance ‘Bad Faith’ Legislation
Aug 19 2009 // Michigan insurance companies say that so-called “bad faith” bills approved by the House Insurance Committee today are unnecessary and will open the floodgates for lawsuits against them, eventually costing...
North Carolina Senate Approves Beach Plan Insurance Reform Bill
Aug 6 2009 // A bill to rescue North Carolina’s coastal insurance plan handily passed the state Senate on Wednesday by a 42-5 vote, the same day it won approval from a Senate committee. Because the Senate version differs from the...
North Carolina House, Senate Agree on Beach Plan Insurance Bill
Aug 6 2009 // The North Carolina General Assembly has approved a bill to reform the state’s coastal insurance system that caps private insurers’ liability for any funding shortfall in the state-backed Beach Plan, reduces...
North Carolina Senate Panel Approves Beach Plan Rescue
Aug 5 2009 // The North Carolina Senate Commerce Committee today passed legislation (HB 1305) to rescue the state’s underfunded coastal insurer, the Beach Plan. The bill, which already passed the House, will now bypass the finance...
U.S. Senate May Drop Public Health Care Option
Jul 29 2009 // Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol struggled to reach a health care deal Tuesday, with Senate Democrats near agreement with three Republicans on a plan that would not include a government-run insurance option backed by...
California Senate Passes Budget, Workers’ Comp Fund Assets for Sale
Jul 24 2009 // The California State Senate passed a package of bills early Friday morning, revising the 2009-10 budget, that was passed in February, with $24.2 billion in deficit reduction solutions and a $921 million reserve; in total...
First Senate Committee Approves Version of Health Care Reform
Jul 15 2009 // The Senate health committee Wednesday approved its version of legislation to overhaul the U.S. health industry, which is to be combined with a bill yet to be written in the Senate Finance Committee. The...
Michigan Democrats Target Insurers Over Bad Faith Claims Denials
Jul 14 2009 // Democrats in the Michigan House are pushing a dozen bills they say are needed to protect consumers from unfair claims practices by insurance companies. But insurers maintain the measures are unnecessary and will do more...
Surplus Lines, Reinsurance Streamlining Bills Introduced in Senate
Jun 26 2009 // Legislation aimed at streamlining and reducing barriers in state regulation of surplus lines insurance and reinsurance has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. The Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act (NRRA) of 2009, or S...
Ariz. Senate OKs ER Medical Malpractice Bill
Jun 26 2009 // The Arizona Senate has voted to make it harder to successfully sue emergency medical providers for alleged malpractice. The Senate’s 21-8 vote approving a bill to raise the required burden of proof for claims of...
Arizona Senate Considers Stricter Child Passenger Restraint System Laws
Jun 18 2009 // The Arizona Senate is considering beefing up the state’s child restraint system laws, to have older children ride in booster seats. According to SB 1050, existing law prohibits transporting children under five years...
Obama Administration White Paper Outlines Views on Insurance Sector
Jun 17 2009 // The U.S. Treasury department today issued a white paper entitled, Financial Regulatory Reform: A New Foundation. The following is an excerpt from the report on insurance: Enhance Oversight of the Insurance Sector Our...
Democrats Eye Health Co-Ops as Health Insurance Option Compromise
Jun 16 2009 // With Republicans fighting the idea of a government-run health insurance plan, Obama administration officials said that they are open to a compromise: a cooperative program that would expand coverage with taxpayer money but...
California Senate Passes Insurance Fraud Bill
Jun 15 2009 // The California Senate has passed SB 156 to authorize the Department of Insurance or a district attorney to convene meetings with an insurance company to discuss a specific insurance fraud and would provide that any person...
Wisconsin Democrats Back Away From Liability Change
Jun 12 2009 // Wisconsin Assembly Democrats backed away from changes to the state’s contributory negligence law pushed by Gov. Jim Doyle and trial attorneys but opposed by a coalition of businesses and others. Democrats voted...
Details of Democrats’ Health Care Reform Plan Emerging
Jun 10 2009 // Leading Senate Democrats unveiled Tuesday a plan to reshape U.S. healthcare that calls for sweeping insurance market reforms and prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging more due to medical history. The measure...
Texas GOP Vows to Keep Insurance, Transportation Departments Open
Jun 5 2009 // Republican leaders in the Texas Legislature have promised that insurance regulation, roadbuilding and other government functions will continue in Texas despite lawmakers’ failure to pass a measure preserving the...
Obama Administration Steps Up Financial Reform Drive
Jun 4 2009 // The Obama administration stepped up its push for tougher bank and financial firm rules Thursday, scheduling a briefing for lobbyists, with a focus on insurance oversight, and sending a top regulator to a Senate hearing to...
Republicans Introduce Health Care Reform Plan
Jun 1 2009 // Congressional Republicans unveiled a health care reform plan they hope will compete with what Democrats are planning to offer. U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn, M.D., of Oklahoma, and Richard Burr of North Carolina, along with U.S....
California Senate Passes Insurance Fraud Bill
Jun 1 2009 // The California Senate has passed SB 156, a bill that would authorize the Department of Insurance or a district attorney to convene meetings with an insurance company to discuss a specific insurance fraud and would provide...
