| Aflac Incorporated at Raymond James Institutional Investors ...
STEVEN SCHWARTZ, LIFE INSURANCE ANALYST, RAYMOND JAMES: Good morning, and welcome to the annual Raymond James Investor Conference. For those of you I have not met in the past, my name is Steven Schwartz, and I am the life insurance analyst for Raymond James. This morning, starting off the life insurance presentations for the conference in its normal 8:00 role will be Aflac. And today, we have with us representing Investor Relations Robin Mullins, and then we have Kriss Cloninger. Kriss is CFO and President of Aflac, Inc. I don't even know what to say anymore. It's been five or six years that we've been introducing Aflac here. It is a stupendous company that truly owns this space. I was trying to think of something to say this morning, and the one thing that really came to me was that this is a company that really controls its part of the insurance industry.
MetLife may get new Beijing partner -sources
BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 22 (Reuters) - The Shanghai partner of MetLife Inc. (MET.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has entered exclusive negotiations to team up with the top U.S. life insurer to restructure its joint venture in Beijing, sources close to the deal said on Thursday. If it goes ahead, MetLife would be able to consolidate its operations in China, a market with huge potential as only fewer than 4 percent of its 1.3 billion population have life insurance coverage. MetLife's premiums in China more than tripled last year to 392.9 million yuan ($51 million). At present, the company has two 50/50 joint ventures in China: United MetLife Insurance Co. in Shanghai and Sino-US MetLife Insurance Co. in Beijing. Its partner in Shanghai is Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd., which is run by the son of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and is an investment arm of the city government.
Zila Pharma Says Guardian Life Insurance To Cover ViziLite Plus ...
(RTTNews) - Zila Inc.'s (ZILA | charts | news | PowerRating) subsidiary Zila Pharmaceuticals Inc., noted that The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America would offer coverage for ViziLite Plus exams. Zila Pharma is the marketer of ViziLite Plus with TBlue630 system for the early detection of oral abnormalities that could lead to cancer. ViziLite Plus exam is the device that takes only minutes to diagnose oral cancer and is totally painless and non-invasive, the company said. Copyright(c) 2007 RealTimeTraders.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved .
4/10 life insurance customers ripped-off by ratings
Shocking research from specialist insurance website BestDealInsurance.co.uk reveals how greedy life insurers are making huge profits from loading up customers' life insurance premiums for what are sometimes only minor ailments. David Thomson, Chief Executive from the company says: “It is scandalous just how many consumers are getting hammered by their life insurer for so-called health risks. For example, if you want insurance and a family member has multiple sclerosis some companies will impose a limitation on to what you are covered for.
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Darwin Introduces Pioneering Insurance Coverage for Clinical ...
FARMINGTON, Conn., April 04, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc. (Darwin) announces the availability of its newest specialty liability coverage with the addition of clinical research liability insurance (CRLI). Darwin developed this insurance product to address the evolving needs of health care organizations, business entities, academic institutions, and individual professionals engaged in clinical research and human subject-related professional activities. .
Controlling health care costs:
Helping veterinarians and their families address the ever-rising cost of health care is one of the goals of the AVMA Group Health and Life Insurance Trust. The best results are achieved when this task is undertaken as a collaborative effort. Because the Trust is motivated by insureds' benefits as opposed to profit, it already provides advantages, including group purchasing power and careful cost control. In addition, there are several actions that insureds can take to help manage their health care costs. Prescription drugs consume a large percentage of national and personal health care bills. Generic drugs offer one of the most effective ways to help keep prescription drug costs down. Brand-name products with generic equivalents may be used with confidence, as these drugs are chemically identical to their brand name counterparts.
Buyer Can't Keep Mum about Unum
VALUE-SEEKERS RELATIONAL INVESTORS has just upped its stake in Unum Group, less than a month after Relational said it would keep an eye on the insurance brokerage's turnaround efforts. In a March 30 filing, Relational reported boosting its stake in the insurance provider to 25.7 million shares, or a 7.5% stake, up from the 21.3 million shares, or 6.2% stake, it reported holding in its initial 13D filing for Unum on March 9. Relational's most recent Unum shopping spree occurred from March 12 to March 30 at share prices ranging from $21.69 to $23.33. Shares of ... .
Be thankful friend to American farmer
Note to all Americans: The American farmer is not your enemy; he is not taking your hard-earned tax dollar illegally nor under false pretenses. The American farmer is one of the best friends that citizens of this free country have. And, by the way, he/she is one of the most efficient producers of food in the world. The American farmer is not greedy. He only asks for a fair price, and for a fair competition field in this so-called world market he finds himself captured by. There aren't many in the world who will put in long, long days and nights, operate at the mercy of Mother Nature, buy everything at retail prices and sell everything at wholesale prices. The American farmer usually has to ask his buyers: What will you give me? This humorous story making the rounds on the Internet about farmers illustrates just how things go for our American farmers.
Insuring a healthy future
Elizabeth Robles and her son Gabriel Robles, 14, say they are having trouble finding affordable health insurance. Elizabeth Robles says she is planning to enroll her son in a state health insurance program, and takes comfort in recent congressional efforts to double the funding that provides health insurance for 6 million low-income kids.
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Safeco Consolidates Nonprofit Social Service Product Line with NIF ...
Seattle-based Safeco said its insurance product line for nonprofit social service agencies will now be available to all independent agents through NIF Group Inc. "NIF Group has successfully represented Safeco's nonprofit social service program in the eastern half of the United States since 1998," said Tom Troy, senior vice president of Safeco Business Insurance. "Now, as our singular national partner, NIF Group is making it easier than ever for independent agents to sell Safeco's program across the country." Based in Manhasset, NY, NIF Group has nine offices throughout the U.S., including its newest location in suburban Seattle. NIF Group has underwritten nonprofit social services continuously for more than 25 years. The company will underwrite and manage Safeco's nonprofit social service program, which spans a spectrum of 501(c)(3) organizations, including: * Drug- and alcohol-treatment centers; * Mental health facilities; * Homeless/family shelters; * Child/family services; and * Community service agencies.
Going the Distance — A run and a reminder
MORE THAN 300 runners turned out in frigid temperatures to run the Garrett's 5K run Saturday morning, in a race that seems as relevant today as when the Garrett's Run began in 1996. The Garrett's Run began as a way to make people aware that underage drinking and driving is a problem in Frederick County. In recent weeks, a teen died in a car crash driven by another teen who had been drinking. It was almost the same scenario that killed Garrett Petronchak, a student who was about to graduate from Frederick Community College, at the age of 19. Petronchak was a passenger in the back seat of a car driven by another underage driver. Petronchak had a blood alcohol level of about .09, the equivalent of about six beers, while the driver's blood alcohol level was considerably higher. The driver also survived that accident.
Economic development group's effectiveness is hard to measure
Most folks want one. City government wants to create them. To do it, the city relies on the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit group it helped establish. How is the EDC doing? "If you judge the EDC by the number of new jobs, I don't know I'd call it a roaring success," said Al Jones, a former member of the EDC's board of directors. "We've not been successful in luring a large employer." But if the EDC isn't doing a good job, how would the city or the taxpayers know? Trying to understand the EDC can be like grasping the fog that shrouds its 13th-floor office in One Shoreline Plaza. Taxpayers spent more than $3.8 million supporting the organization since 2000. What taxpayers received for that investment is unclear because little public documentation exists.
“All Kids Act” created to provide Oklahoma children with healthcare
In fact, 55 percent of Americans believe ensuring health insurance for all should be our top legislative priority. I believe the "All Kids Act" is a critical step toward providing greater access to quality healthcare for all Oklahomans. This Act passed on the Senate floor and now awaits action in the House of Representatives. There is no reason why this piece of legislation shouldn't receive swift action in the other chamber and move quickly into the hands of the Governor for his signature.House Concurrent Resolution 1010, a measure I am authoring this session, also takes significant steps in addressing the number of uninsured in our state by creating a task force to gather information about a core health care benefit plan for Oklahoma families. This task force will explore what Oklahoma citizens want in a basic health care policy by bringing key players to the table to tackle this tough issue.
Silicon Valley News Notes
There's only about 580 more days until the next presidential election, so if you're gnashing your teeth in anticipation of those hilarious campaign commercials, gnash no longer—they're here already! On YouTube! Just head over to the San Bruno-based company's site and click on "channels" near the header. Then click on "Politicians" in the left column. All your favorites are there: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama. For those keeping score at home, Romney has a pack-leading 65 videos on his YouTube channel, and McCain, Joe Biden and John Edwards are in the game with 33, 31 and 27, respectively. Though these videos might not be as watchable as, say, a kitten falling asleep, or a bum fight, they're still tons o' fun. So poke around in there—listen to Rudy Giulliani blather on about fiscal conservatism, or Dennis Kucinich pontificate on the war.
Call Kurits: Prepaid Dental Care
(CBS13) SACRAMENTO John and Cindy Jurkovich say they found their dentist office through Blue Cross and they say they went there for more than seven-years but they got two very expensive diagnosis. That's when the clinic's odd pre-payment plan became more than an irritation.For Cindy and John Jurkovich, retirement is more than a slice of heaven, it's a valley full of it."The mountain came right out to about the middle of the gazebo," said Cindy Jurkovich.In fact, the couple literally moved a mountain to get their Placer County home just the way they wanted it. Lately, they've been distracted by a force beyond nature, their dentist's office. But, the drilling in their mouths wasn't the problem it's the drilling in their wallets."I went in the first time, they wanted $5,000 from me, too," said Jurkovich.John had already let Cirby Dental Group put $5,000 on his credit card as advance payment on his deductible.
Every day is a good day for a little agent appreciation
Now that you're wondering what the heck that's all about, I'll confess it doesn't actually exist and it's not likely to anytime soon. But I would like to take a few minutes to tell you why I'm proud to be an insurance agent and why my hat is off to all the agents out there who honor our profession by doing their job the way it needs to be done. My first point is that agents have little or nothing to do with how much you pay for insurance - that's a deal between the insurance companies and the state of Florida. However, agents can help you reduce your premiums by working with you to lower your covered risk and increase the risk you want to cover yourself. Agents also have nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with your insurance company canceling or nonrenewing your policy. The insurance company makes that decision.
'Re-evolutionising' your business
I mulled a potential topic for this article on a flight from Jo'burg to Cape Town. No inspiration. In Cape Town I addressed a group of pharmacists - both ‘chain' and private - who are all affected by mad Manto's legislation. That got me thinking about the insurance brokerage business. Which is also under siege from a number of quarters and which will also require what I call a ‘re-evolution'. Both the revolution part and the re-evolving part. Here are some thoughts: The more highly ‘specialised' you are, the greater the hazards for you when macro, micro or market ‘environmental' conditions change. You can easily join the ‘endangered species' list if you're not proactive. When there's a ‘seismic shift' in conditions, we need to move into creative solutions focussed mode.
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