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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: insurance industry

insurance industry stories: 19 news summaries

 Senate Finally Confirms 
 Surgeon General 

Republicans relent after weeks of procedural delays

Oct 30, 09 2:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Senate unanimously confirmed Regina Benjamin as US surgeon general yesterday after Republicans ended a procedural delay that had dragged on for several weeks. Mitch McConnell and seven other GOP senators said they stalled because of an administration “gag order” that prevented insurers from giving their opinions on the... More »

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Medicare • GOP • Mitch McConnell • patient • Surgeon General • health care reform • senator • insurance industry • Obama administration • President Obama • Regina Benjamin • health insurance industry

OPINION

Health Industry Shakedown Imperils Reform

Obama must ignore lobbyists for insurers, doctors, drug makers

Oct 19, 09 3:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - In dealing with pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and the AMA, President Obama should take a page from David Letterman's book and not fall prey to blackmail, writes former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Promises the administration made to those three constituencies in exchange for staying neutral or positive about health care reform... More »

MORE ABOUT:
physician • blackmail • extortion • David Letterman • American Medical Association • health care reform • Robert Reich • pharmaceutical industry • insurance industry • Obama administration • doctors • President Obama • health insurance industry • shakedown

 Dems Lash Out at 
 Insurance Industry 

They move to eliminate anti-trust exemption

Oct 14, 09 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - All-out war broke out between the Democrats and the insurers today, with Chuck Schumer calling for an amendment to the health care bill that would remove the industry’s long-standing anti-trust immunity. Schumer called the exemption “one of the worst accidents of American history,” blaming it in part... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health insurance • Charles Schumer • Harry Reid • antitrust • regulation • health care reform • insurance industry • health insurance industry

OPINION

Guess What, Sarah? Those 'Death Panels' Already Exist ...

... they're being run by insurance companies

Aug 11, 09 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Sarah Palin thinks health care reform will bring with it “death panels,” collections of bureaucrats who will ration care, deciding whose life is and isn’t worth saving. The flaw in that logic? “That’s not the future of health care—it’s the present,” writes... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • health insurance • euthanasia • rationing • health care reform • insurance industry • Sarah Palin • women's issues • deathers

(Newser) - The Blue Dogs—the 52 fiscally conservative Democrats who have been fighting to kill health care reform proposals the industry doesn’t like—receive far more money from that industry than their non-coalition-member counterparts, the Washington Post reports. The reform push has been a boon for the lawmakers' ledgers;... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • Arkansas • House of Representatives • health care industry • lobbyists • health care reform • Mike Ross • House Democrats • special interests • moderate • insurance industry • Blue Dog Democrats • Blue Dog Coalition

OPINION

Health Care Needs a Real Free Market

But it's a scary idea,
to consumers and politicians alike: Klein

Jul 29, 09 10:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - America’s best shot for a new, better health care system lies in a strong health care exchange, argues Ezra Klein in the Washington Post. “Compared with the crazy-quilt system we have now, the idea is weirdly simple:” A single market where consumers can shop for plans and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health insurance • health care reform • insurance industry • President Obama • health insurance exchange • Ezra Klein

OPINION

If Health Care Push Fails, Blame Dems

Public wants a public option; why do 'centrists' oppose it?

Jun 22, 09 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Now ought to be a good time to reform health care. With costs up and coverage down, polls show the public overwhelmingly favors change. Unfortunately, “a handful of Democratic senators are still determined to party like it’s 1993,” writes Paul Krugman of the New York Times.... More »

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health care • health insurance • universal health care • Democrat • health care reform • congressional Democrats • Paul Krugman • Ben Nelson • health insurers • insurance industry • public option

 Universal Health Care 
 Plan Looks Likely 



Compromise bill may include an 'Orbitz for insurance'

Jun 1, 09 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama's overhaul of the American health care system is quietly taking shape, and Democrats and Republicans both say a consensus plan looks likely. Politico reports on what the health reform bill, which must be passed by August, might look like: Guaranteed insurance for all Americans, who will probably be... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • Congress • health insurance • health care reform • insurance industry • Obama administration

 Liddy to Leave AIG 


May 21, 09 4:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - AIG chief Edward Liddy is stepping down after eight months on the job, the Wall Street Journal reports. The government appointed Liddy chairman and CEO last fall after the feds bailed out the insurance giant. Liddy recommended splitting the job into two roles and will remain until his replacements are... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Wall Street • CEO • AIG • insurance industry • Edward Liddy

(Newser) - Now that the banks' stress tests are done, it's on to the insurance industry. The Treasury Department said today it will give TARP funds to the nation's biggest life insurers, the Washington Post reports. Hartford Financial has been given preliminary approval to receive $3.4 billion, and as-yet unspecified amounts... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Treasury Department • insurance industry • life insurance • Allstate • Prudential Financial • Lincoln National • Hartford Financial • TARP • Ameriprise • Principal Financial Group

AIG's 2008 Bonus Pool Rises to $454M

Company gives congressman the biggest figure yet

May 5, 09 6:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - Lawmakers and journalists keep pressing AIG about how much it paid out in bonuses in 2008, and the number keeps getting bigger, reports Politico. In response to a query from Rep. Elijah Cummings, the company now says it paid $454 million, about 4 times the figure it told Politico in... More »

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Congress • House of Representatives • AIG • bonuses • insurance industry • Edward Liddy • Wall Street bailout • Elijah Cummings • TARP

 Buffett Has Worst Year Ever 


Feb 28, 09 10:11 AM CST
(Newser) - Not even legendary investors can escape this mess. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway posted its worst year ever in 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports. A key indicator, book value per share, fell 9.6%, only the second loss since Buffett took control of the company in 1965. Berkshire... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Warren Buffett • shareholders • profits • Omaha • investments • recession • Berkshire Hathaway • quarterly reports • insurance industry

Now You Can Buy Insurance for Insurance

Think you'll lose health coverage? Firm will insure your right to it

Dec 3, 08 9:23 AM CST
(Newser) - Healthy and insured but afraid you might someday lose your medical coverage? UnitedHealth has just launched a new product that lets consumers pay now for the guarantee that they’ll be able to get insurance later—even if they get sick, the New York Times reports. Critics are skeptical of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • health insurance • health care industry • insurance • health care reform • UnitedHealth • insurance industry

Bailout Expands to Include Big Insurers

Feds look beyond AIG and banking industry
to MetLife, others

Oct 25, 08 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Treasury’s bailout is moving beyond banks to include major insurance firms hurt by bad investments, the Washington Post reports. Companies such as MetLife, the Hartford, and Prudential hope to be covered in the plan, under which the government would provide money in exchange for ownership stakes. Big insurers... More »

MORE ABOUT:
insurance companies • AIG • Treasury Department • bailout • insurance industry • financial crisis

Insurance Guzzles Savings From Fuel-Efficient Cars

Trading down to save money on gas results in higher premiums

Oct 23, 08 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Think you’re saving money by driving that small, fuel-efficient car you traded in your SUV for? Maybe, but you’re probably paying more for your insurance—a lot more, reports the Wall Street Journal. In accidents, small cars tend to sustain more damage, and occupants more injures, than larger... More »

MORE ABOUT:
fuel efficiency • Honda • gas prices • Honda Civic • auto insurance • insurance industry • Insurance Institute of Highway Safety • Honda CR-V

(Newser) - AIG today defended the $440,000 luxury retreat it held on the heels of an $85 billion federal bailout, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a letter explaining its actions to the US Treasury, CEO Edward Liddy explained that the event—which racked up a $23,000 spa bill— was... More »

MORE ABOUT:
insurance • AIG • bailout • insurance industry • financial crisis

 AIG Seeks $40B Fed Loan 
 in Bid to Prevent Collapse 

Insurance giant tries to stave off credit downgrade, aims to sell assets

Sep 15, 08 2:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - In yet another Wall Street meltdown, floundering insurance giant American International Group has turned to the federal government in a bid to stave off a threatened credit-rating downgrade that could trigger the firm’s immediate collapse, reports the New York Times. AIG has requested a $40 billion bridge loan from... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Federal Reserve • J.C. Flowers and Co • Lehman Brothers • AIG • credit crisis • federal loans • insurance industry • financial crisis

 Embattled AIG CEO Steps Down 

Board replaces Sullivan with Citi exec Willumstad

Jun 15, 08 3:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Martin Sullivan has stepped down as AIG's CEO, and the company's board named chairman Maurice Willumstad his successor, insiders tell the Wall Street Journal. The insurance giant's stock has plummeted more than 50% since October due to subprime writedowns, and Sullivan is still embroiled in legal battles with his former... More »

MORE ABOUT:
insurance companies • subprime mortgages • CEO • AIG • subprime crisis • American International Group • Martin Sullivan • insurance industry • financial crisis

US in Recession Now: Buffett

Billionaire says crisis is already here

Mar 4, 08 3:28 AM CST
(Newser) - The US is already in a recession for all practical purposes, even if economic conditions haven't yet met the technical definition of at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth. That's the verdict of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who tells CNBC that a serious economic slowdown is obvious in reports... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Warren Buffett • recession • trade deficit • GDP • credit crisis • Berkshire Hathaway • Department of Commerce • annual letter • National Association for Business Economics • GEICO • General Re • insurance industry • profit margins

19 Stories


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