Like a freeloading cousin who shows up unexpectedly, a rare fungus moved in and quickly took over a California house. The homeowners say they got it in writing from its insurance company, Safeco, that it would pay for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and fungus removal, but the insurer says that was a mistake and is only offering to foot a fraction of the bill. [More]
insurance
Co-Eds Say It's Sexier If You Have Health Insurance
By 7.19.11
According to a new survey, 90% of college students say that they were attracted to someone and then found out they had health insurance, they would be more likely to be more attracted to him or her. So forget shopping for sexy lingerie, or perfecting your conversational skills, if you really want to attract the ladies or the fellas, you should call a health insurance broker or get a job with health benefits. [More]
Firms Start To Offer Bedbug Insurance
By 7.19.11
If you suspect there are bedbugs crawling around you when you’re trying to get to sleep, it’s tough find peace of mind. But some businesses are trying to sell people some easier sleep by offering bedbug insurance. [More]
GM Giving Out 1 Free Year Of Auto Insurance With New Car Purchase
By 7.7.11
To try to lure customers back into the dealership, GM is trying out a novel idea. They’re giving new car buyers a free year of car insurance with their purchase. [More]
If I Hadn't Checked, CVS Would Have Charged $228 For A $28 Generic
By 6.22.11
Had David’s wife not probed closely, she could have ended up paying $228 for generic Fosamax that could have been easily gotten for $24. He’s sharing the story as a cautionary tale so that other people who are getting their maintenance prescriptions covered by their employer’s insurance don’t end up overpaying for generics. [More]
GameStop Pushes Questionable Download Insurance
By 5.31.11
GameStop wants to make sure you’re taken care of if you buy a PC game from its site, then lose it and need to re-download it. The seller is kind enough to add download insurance to your cart automatically, just in case you forget to pick it up yourself before you check out. Sarcasm aside, the pushy salesmanship is no doubt overlooked by those who just want to click buttons until their game starts to download. [More]
Study: Dentists Less Likely To Treat Kids On Medicaid
By 5.23.11
Dentists in Cook County, IL, were more likely to provide emergency treatment to children who had private insurance than to those on Medicaid, even if the dentists were enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program, according to a new study. Medicaid typically pays less than private insurance plans, and experts say there’s “little market motivation” for practitioners to take on those patients, rather than just going with those who have private insurance. [More]
United Healthcare Decides You Only Needed Second Of Two Procedures
By 5.20.11
The good news is that after having two procedures on her spine last fall, Jackie is able to walk again. The bad news is that even though the two procedures were identitcal, United is only paying for the first one and not the second, and won’t actually explain why. She has appealed the decision, but things don’t look promising. [More]
Allstate Salesman Tells You One Thing, Sells You Another
By 4.19.11
Noah decided that it’s time to be all grown up and insure his possessions, and so he called up Allstate to take out a pretty basic renter’s insurance policy. He conferred with the salesman first in order to make sure that his valuable watches would be covered under the policy, and not require an extra rider. Yes, Noah was assured, those watches would be covered. Then his policy showed up in the mail. Guess what it doesn’t cover? [More]
Get Your Tornado Insurance Settlement Check Fast
By 4.19.11
With more tornadoes on the way tonight after last weekend’s deadly twisters that killed 45 and left hundreds of homes damaged and destroyed, it’s important to have your ducks in a row to get your tornado insurance claim check issued quickly should disaster strike. After you shake off the daze and dust from the destruction, what do you do to get your cash fast and get on the road to repair and recovery? [More]
State Farm Ordered To Pay $350 Million To Overcharged Customers
By 4.12.11
A judge in Texas has sided with the Lone Star State’s insurance commissioner, upholding an order for State Farm Insurance to pay out $350 million to over one million overcharged customers. [More]
5 Tips For Beating Car Rental Companies At The Claim Game
By 3.31.11 — Updated: 9.8.16
Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of fighting a car rental company on an insurance claim — especially over a ding or scratch that you know was there before you drove off the lot — knows that it’s often a losing battle. But travel journalist Christopher Elliott has some tips for putting up a good fight. [More]
Worst Company In America Round One: UnitedHealth Vs. WellPoint
By 3.22.11
Let’s hope no one gets hurt during this shootout between two health care hellions, because there’s a good chance they’ll deny themselves coverage. [More]
Insurers Dodge Payouts By Claiming Accidental Deaths As Suicides
By 3.18.11
Thanks to loopholes, some insurers are erroneously denying insurance claims for accidental deaths by claiming they’re suicides, reports Bloomberg Markets Magazine in a new in-depth investigation. [More]
At UPS, 'Improper Packaging' Means 'Someone Cut Open Your Package'
By 3.9.11
Michelle sold her engagement ring to a friend, and shipped it from a UPS Store in the Midwest. The ring was valuable, so she purchased $200 worth of shipping insurance on the ring and sent it on its way to New England. When the box arrived, it had been cut open and the ring removed. Michelle’s insurance claim was denied because the item was “improperly packaged.” [More]
Things Your Health Insurer Isn't Telling You
By 3.7.11
Health insurance is often complicated, with a seemingly endless variety of plans to choose from, all with their own particular loopholes and problems. Over at SmartMoney.com, they have put together a round-up of things your insurance company may not be telling you. [More]
10 Confessions Of An Insurance Telemarketer
By 2.10.11
One of our readers works sales in an insurance telemarketing operation. He’s stepped forward to give us the skinny on how he gets commission, the real reasons that drive some of their tactics, and what personal information you should never give over the phone to a telemarketer. [More]
New Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan Steers Patients To Cheaper Hospitals
By 2.10.11
If you live in Massachusetts and have Blue Cross Blue Shield health coverage, you may end up paying more if you want to go to certain hospitals. [More]
