Government News

Southeast Texas County Defends Hurricane Ike Spending

Chambers County officials are defending their spending of tens of millions of federal dollars for cleanup from Hurricane Ike after a federal audit questioned whether the money was properly used in the Southeast Texas county devastated by the September 2008 …

Calif. Commissioner Jones to Enforce Medical Loss Ratio Rule

Almost immediately after being sworn into office on Tuesday, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones signed an emergency order to enforce the medical loss ratio. the MLR rules require insurers to annually disclose the percentage of premium revenue spent on reimbursement …

Top Workers’ Compensation News in 2010

Soft market conditions with unabated price competition and a slow economy with reduced payrolls continued to affect commercial liens including the the workers’ compensation industry in 2010, as they did in 2009. Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, …

House Republicans Aim to Repeal Healthcare Law

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to pass a bill next week to repeal President Barack Obama’s overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system, a senior party aide said Monday, but the effort is widely expected to fail in …

2010 Was U.S. Coal Industry’s Deadliest Since 1992

The U.S. coal industry had its deadliest year in nearly two decades in 2010, with much of the death toll stemming from a single explosion. As of last week, 48 miners had died in the nation’s 1,500 coal mines over …

Illinois Official Calls for Probe of Workers’ Comp Claims at Prison

The head of Illinois’ workers’ compensation commission is calling for an investigation of nearly $10 million paid out in claims to more than half the staff of a southwestern Illinois prison over the past three years. The Belleville News-Democrat reported …

Florida Approves Lower Collateral for Renaissance Re

Bermuda-based Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. has been approved to participate in Florida’s property reinsurance marketplace with modified collateral requirements. In 2007, Florida lawmakers passed legislation that authorized the Office of Insurance Regulation to establish lower collateral requirements for non-United States based …

South Carolina Awards 85 Mitigation Grants to Coastal Homeowners

Eighty-five South Carolina homeowners who live on the coast are the latest recipients of grants to help them strengthen their homes against storms. Scott H. Richardson, state insurance commissioner, said the SC Safe Home awards went to homeowners living in …

Hudson Resigning as Ohio Insurance Director

Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson has announced her resignation effective Jan. 10, 2011. Her final work day will be Jan. 7. “I am proud of the many changes that we have implemented over the past four years …

AIG Receives Alternative Proposal for Taiwan Unit

American International Group’s protracted sale of its Taiwan unit was further complicated Tuesday when a local company proposed buying a stake in the insurer, an offer that may please regulators but runs counter to AIG’s plans. AIG has been trying …