Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — The insurance industry has given more than $1.5 million in indirect contributions to support the Republican candidate for state insurance commissioner, raising criticism among certain groups.
Both candidates say they will not accept direct contributions from the industry they would regulate.
The money is flowing instead to the California Chamber of Commerce JobsPAC, which is airing advertising for Republican Mike Villines and against Democrat Dave Jones. Both are termed-out members of the state Assembly.
California Common Cause, Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles say it’s a way for the insurance to buy influence without being tied directly to the campaign.
SACRAMENTO, CA — The insurance industry has nearly doubled its contributions in support of the Republican candidate for state insurance commissioner in recent days, drawing criticism that insurers are trying to choose their own regulator.
The indirect spending to elect Republican Mike Villines and attack Democrat Dave Jones raises questions about a conflict of interest for Villines if he wins. The insurance commissioner’s office regulates the industry in California.
A Villines spokeswoman responded Wednesday that Jones may have his own conflicting allegiances if he is elected with support from labor unions and trial attorneys.
Both men are termed-out members of the state Assembly and are refusing direct contributions from insurance companies.
Over the weekend, however, insurance companies contributed $1.4 million to the California Chamber of Commerce JobsPAC, which is running the ads. T Read more…
Are you a frequent international traveler? If you are already buying travel insurance for your trips, there may be a money-saving alternative available to you. It may make sense for you to buy annual travel insurance.
The concept behind annual travel insurance is simple; it is similar to the idea of getting a discount for buying a product in bulk. Simply put, an insurance provider offers you a discount for purchasing a full year’s worth of travel insurance coverage instead of buying several smaller travel packages throughout the year. You get to save money on the higher amount you may have paid buying many individual packages, and the insurer gets the guarantee of a year’s worth of your business. Read more…
After 4 years of existence, Greenbee pet insurance has re-branded as John Lewis pet insurance .
Greenbee was launched in 2006 as the customer facing insurance brand of the John Lewis group. It later branched out to offer broadband, travel and event booking services. However, recent research found that customers of the franchise found the brand split confusing which has led to the company pulling the plug on Greenbee and using its more widely recognised brand, John Lewis.
John Lewis insurance general manager Justin van Derpant commented: “What weve found is Greenbee has been very successful, especially in the insurance space, so what we have been doing over time with Greenbee is aligning it much closer to the John Lewis brand.”
Greenbee has been a provider of lifetime pet insurance, providing up to 7,000 towards vet fees per year, each year. Read more…
Bupa has announced that it is to launch cash plan fundamentals, a cash plan for businesses which starts from 1 per employee, per week.
The health insurance plan will provide three levels of cover, giving employers the option to cover different employees at different levels within their organisation. Employees can claim back up to 2,295 a year towards the cost of their everyday healthcare expenses.
The new cash plan offers up to 200 a year for optical care, 200 a year for dental treatment and up to 400 a year for consultations, scans and diagnostic tests for employees. Also available is upto 45 a year for prescriptions and 300 a year for medical appliances, such as the use of a wheelchair . Read more…
It seems like airline travel is becoming an increasingly unpredictable proposition. Beyond personal and professional issues which might pop up to prevent or delay travel plans that you have already scheduled, you also need to worry about mechanical issues, weather delays, and safety issues like the one which caused a delay last week. With these factors always looming in the background, it is important to always protect your flight plans with trip cancellation insurance.
In the incident in question, a Hawaiian Airlines flight scheduled to head from Los Angeles to Honolulu was delayed due to a threat issued in a phone call. Read more…
Program Gives Lifeline In Tough Economy With No Taxpayer Cost
Santa Monica, CA — Governor Schwarzenegger has signed legislation, AB 1597 (authored by Assemblyman Dave Jones) to maintain California’s innovative auto insurance program for low-income Californians with good driving records. The California Low Cost Auto Insurance program (CLCA), which was set to expire this year without AB 1597′s 5-year extension, has provided car insurance to more than 50,000 Californians and has seen a surge in policyholders in the wake of the recession and high rates of poverty, according to data from the California Department of Insurance. Read more…
Anyone paying attention to the new over the past few weeks has likely heard of the controversial plan of a Florida-area pastor who plans to hold a Qu’ran-burning event. While leaders throughout the world have denounced this idea, and the pastor seems to have backed off of his plans, the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for U.S. citizens. When unexpected events like this arise, you will feel more secure if you have purchased trip cancellation insurance.
The department’s rationale for issuing the advisory is that they anticipate anti-U.S. demonstrations in countries throughout the world due to this event. These demonstrations could potentially make it difficult and dangerous for Americans to travel to other countries. Read more…
On September 1, a typhoon struck South Korea, causing damage not only to the area but also to travel plans in and around the country. When these disasters occur, your best option is to be prepared with international travel insurance.
The typhoon killed five people, and was being followed by another tropical storm (Tropical Storm Malou). International and domestic flights were diverted or cancelled, leaving travelers in a difficult situation. International travel insurance can help in these types of situations in multiple ways.
First, if you become injured during a natural disaster, your insurance plan will help you get the quality medical care you need at an affordable rate.