EIN Presswire: Insurance Featured Press Releases

Rockland Insurance Agency opens new location in The Woodlands, Texas

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:58:28 +0000

Rockland Insurance Agency Inc opens a new location in The Woodlands, Texas

/EINPresswire.com/ Richmond, Tx May 24, 2012 -- Rockland Insurance, a Texas Insurance Agency, will be opening a second location in The Woodlands, Texas. Sarah Pitre, a native of Montgomery County, will be the Associate Agent managing this location. Pitre comes to Rockland with over 4 years of experience as an Independent Agent.

"Having a location in The Woodlands was necessary to meet the demands of our Insurance customers," said Joel Pond, President of Rockland Insurance. "We currently service thousands of customers in the Greater Houston area. Having multiple locations will help diversify our Insurance products as well as improve upon our customer service. We are very excited to Sarah as part of the team."

Rockland Insurance will be offering Home, Auto, Business, and Flood Insurance from The Woodlands location. To obtain a quote, contact Sarah at (281) 242-0020 or go to www.rockbottomquotes.com.

About Rockland Insurance Agency Inc:

Rockland Insurance Agency Inc of Texas is Headquartered in Richmond, Texas. Rockland is an Independent Agency with over 100 different companies allowing consumers to shop for the best coverage for the best rate. Rockland has been featured in Texas Monthly magazine as well as many other publications. Joel Pond and Josh Howell(VP) were recently nominated for the top 40 entrepreneurs under 40 in Fort Bend county. For more info go to www.rockbottomquotes.com or call (281) 242-0020.

Contact:
Joel Pond, President
Rockland Insurance
610 S 11th St
Richmond, Tx 77469
800-842-6466

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FirstCarInsuranceQuotes.com Now Provides Makes & Models Car Insurance Information

Sat, 19 May 2012 19:25:04 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ First Car Insurance Quotes, a leading Internet resource of car insurance information, is proud to announce consumers can now find insurance rate information according to car manufacture by visiting their website. This feature is brand-new, having just been added in recent weeks. While it is not yet detailed in terms of individual models, the site's owners may decide to further develop the feature if it proves helpful to consumers.

Consumers can avail of the information by visiting the FirstCarInsuranceQuotes.com website and clicking the "Makes and Models" link at the top of the page. From there they'll be directed to a page listing the names of 21 of the most well-known auto manufacturers. Each manufacturer's name is linked to a separate page where the related information can be found. Information includes estimated insurance costs over five years.

At First Car Insurance Quotes the goal is to help consumers of all ages and walks of life find the cheapest car insurance possible. Doing so starts with comparing quotes from multiple companies. First Car Insurance Quotes makes that simple and efficient by offering an online form that can be completed in about five minutes. By entering a zip code and some information about their car and the types of coverage they're after, consumers will be able to get quotes from some of the best insurance companies in the country.

First Car Insurance Quotes submits that information only to companies licensed to do business in the consumers state. They, in turn, compete for the consumers business by contacting them with their quotes. For the best savings possible consumers should compare these quotes line by line so that they know exactly what they offer. Furthermore, consumers should not be afraid to contact each of the insurance companies and play them against one another. Good negotiators can save significant amounts of money.

For those who prefer to contact insurance companies rather than waiting for them to contact them, First Car Insurance Quotes provides direct links through the insurance company logos appearing on the site. Consumers should simply click a logo to be taken directly to the insurance company's quote site. For those having trouble filling out the online form, calling first insurance quotes.com at 1-877-516-4160 is an option. Operators are standing by to answer any questions and assist in obtaining the quotes.

About First Car Insurance Quotes

The owners of FirstCarInsuranceQuotes.com are committed to creating and maintaining the best online resource for consumers looking for cheap car insurance. The site's free quote tool is perhaps its biggest draw, but consumers can also find other valuable things as well. FirstCarInsuranceQuotes.com offers dozens of informational articles tackling subjects like finding cheap car insurance for college students, car insurance and senior drivers, and how to obtain a free car insurance quote quickly and easily. They also offer a state-by-state breakdown of insurance requirements.

Matt Black
First Car Insurance Quotes
1-877-516-4160
http://firstcarinsurancequotes.com

PR Courtesy of Online PR Media

Efinancial Adopts Rolling Solutions LLC's XRAE Underwriting Software

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:45:26 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/Rolling Solutions LLC announced today that Efinancial, a leading direct marketer of life insurance, has integrated XRAE, the life insurance industry's leading multi-carrier underwriting software, into its advanced life insurance selling software. Through XRAE, carriers provide immediate, automated underwriting quotes based on their proprietary underwriting rules to the distributors of their products and receive valuable business analytics reports unavailable anywhere else. Brokerage general agencies, direct marketers and agents can access XRAE's underwriting web service through XRAE Brokerage, XRAE Lite and through the products of XRAE's integration partners.

"By integrating XRAE into our sales process, our thousands of agents and partners will be able to get immediate field underwriting quotes while they're on the phone with the client," said Mike Rowell, CEO of Efinancial. "Quoting the correct rate up front using XRAE will give our customers a much better experience and make the entire process more efficient. We expect this to drive significant business to our XRAE carriers."

"It is very exciting to have an organization as large and as technologically advanced as Efinancial using their resources to integrate XRAE into their process," said Tom Bellig, CEO of Rolling Solutions LLC. "The distributors that strive for efficiency and seek to add value to the sales process continue to adopt XRAE."

About Efinancial
Efinancial is a leading online life insurance brokerage headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Efinancial monitors top-rated insurance carriers nationwide to give customers the ability to compare, shop and save on competitive life insurance policies online and from the comfort of their home. To learn more about Efinancial and the insurance products and services offered, visit www.efinancial.com or call 1-866-765-4296.

About Rolling Solutions LLC

XRAE was developed by Rolling Solutions to address the time and frustration associated with the first step of the life insurance sales process. Before a price can be quoted or an application selected, the correct underwriting class must be determined. XRAE's underwriting web service enables distributors of life insurance to quickly and easily have a potential insured's initial underwriting information evaluated against the underwriting rules of multiple insurance carriers. Participating carriers receive valuable business analytics reports unavailable anywhere else. For more information, visit www.xrae.com.

Media Contact:
Andre Cabrita
Rolling Solutions LLC
925-854-1774
http://www.xrae.com

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

Globalsurance.com Flags Hong Kong Insurance Trends

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:26:01 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ Expatriates in Hong Kong are choosing local medical insurance options over their traditionally favored international variants, Globalsurance.com has revealed.

Globalsurance.com, an online international health insurance advisor, has revealed some unusual trends in the Hong Kong Medical Insurance market today.

Globalsurance reveals that expatriates in Hong Kong are eschewing international health insurance options in favor of locally provided Hong Kong Medical insurance products. This is the direct result of more than 10 years of increases in international health insurance premiums at a rate of roughly 10% per year; which themselves are the product of heightened levels of medical inflation in the city.

Hong Kong is the second most expensive place in the world to receive healthcare after the United States of America.

The charges associated with various treatments at Hong Kong's private hospitals can be seen in a scenario involving Maternity. Realistically, delivery of a child at a Hospital like the Matlida, Hong Kong's leading maternity services provider, can easily reach HK$ 156,000 - 234,000 (US$ 20,000 - 30,000) even if there are no complications. A private room at this same hospital will run the patient HK$ 5,935 (US$ 761) for a single night.

In the last 10 years, the levels of disposable income within Hong Kong's expatriate community have not risen at the same rate as medical inflation, and consequently the premiums charged by international health insurance providers. This is putting pressure on insurance premiums as the loss ratios of not adjusting for the heightened cost of medical care in HKSAR are not economically feasible.

With a large proportion of the HKSAR expatriate community choosing to obtain local health insurance options, rather than their international variants, Globalsurance.com believes that further evolution of the international protection plans available in the city is not far off. Potential restructurings may include the provision of selected service providers given that private medical facilities in the City are amongst the most expensive in the world; leading to less comprehensive healthcare options for individuals but also reduced premium charges.

Any innovations within Hong Kong's iPMI market would be an attempt to stem the tide of expatriates choosing to purchase local health insurance options, but would also need to compete with the major players in the local market and allow access to superior treatment options to be successful.

Media Contact:
Mike Lamb
Globalsurance.com
+85235882926
http://www.globalsurance.com

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

OAIN: Rates Increasing for Texas High-Risk Car Insurance Program

Thu, 03 May 2012 17:09:45 +0000

Bodily injury, property damage liability hikes will go into effect July 1

/EINPresswire.com/Texas officials announced Wednesday that they will be raising bodily injury and property damage liability rates within the state-run program that covers high-risk motorists, reports Online Auto Insurance News.

Rate increases for the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA) will amount to a 24.1 percent overall hike for personal passenger auto policies. The new rates go into effect July 1.

Drivers with tarnished records who are repeatedly denied coverage by insurers still need to get the best car insurance available to them, and programs like TAIPA meet that need by offering a safety net that covers motorists who have been denied by two or more insurers, usually due to having a history of too many claims or moving violations.

The overall hike included increases of 31.9 percent and 20 percent to bodily injury liability and property damage liability, respectively. TAIPA's optional coverage of personal injury protection or uninsured/underinsured motorists saw no changes.

Source: http://www.tdi.texas.gov/bulletins/2012/cc10.html

The average base rate for a policy covering only minimum bodily injury and property damage liability is $578, according to calculations made under the new rates. Depending on the territory and driver class, actual premiums will vary between $289 and nearly 10 times that.

TAIPA provides the lowest liability amounts allowed by law, offering 30/60/25 coverage. That means the policy provides for up to $60,000 worth of bodily injury liability coverage per accident (and $30,000 per person) along with $25,000 worth of property damage liability coverage per accident.

Available optional coverage includes up to $2,500 for personal injury protection and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage that matches the policy's liability limits.

The program does not provide collision or comprehensive coverage. Its policies are typically more expensive than policies acquired through the voluntary market. Also, traffic tickets incurred while insured through TAIPA will lead to surcharges that are "higher than in the traditional market," according to the association's website.

For more on this and related issues, head to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/companies/best-car-insurance-company/ for access to an easy-to-use quote-comparison generator and informative resource pages.

About OnlineAutoInsurance.com: OnlineAutoInsurance.com supplies informative resources for consumers seeking to understand the finer points of coverage and quote-comparison services for shoppers looking for the best rates on a policy.

Media Contact:
Charles Nguyen
Online Auto LLC
9097842475
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

OAI: Most Car Insurance Shopping Starts Online, Study Finds

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:32:09 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ The new J.D. Power survey shows fewer consumers are shopping around but that those who did switched insurers at an all-time high rate

A recent study released by J.D. Power and Associates shows that most shopping for insurance starts online, underlining the increasing impact that websites are having on the ways customers buy policies and insurers market themselves, according to Online Auto Insurance.

Fifty-two percent of consumers looking for a policy start their search online, with almost three-fourths visiting the website of at least one insurer as they shopped, according to the study.

The study also found that 32 percent of consumers surveyed got their quotes only through websites and that, for 34 percent of shoppers, the Web has become the preferred method in the search to get low cost auto insurance.

"Shoppers now expect to be able to visit an insurer's website and complete their purchase in the same visit," Jeremy Bowler, senior director at the research firm, said in a statement. "In most cases, shoppers can compare many policies online and narrow down their search field entirely via this self-service paradigm. From that point, they can then decide if they need to speak with an agent or to continue their online purchase process."

The annual study also measured insurers' retention rates and found they were at an all-time high since the study began six years ago, with only 25 percent of surveyed policyholders indicating that they researched a new insurer in the past year.

And with 43 percent of those shopping consumers ultimately ending up at another insurer, firm representatives said that an increase in the industry's advertising dollars seems to have shown limited impact.

Bowler cited statistics showing that advertising expenditures in the insurance industry were pumped up to around $5.7 billion for 2011.

Websites may also provide more advertising space that allows insurers to include specialized information that they need to entice certain markets.

A graduate study from Florida State University analyzing industry marketing trends toward Latinos found that several insurers created Spanish-language websites that were "often more information-oriented than their general market counterparts."

The Internet has proven to be powerful tool for insurers in their pursuit of the hard-to-corner market for Latinos, a group that has showed historically low rates of having insurance, according to the study.

Some company websites even included step-by-step guides and brochures "on how to choose the right policy," the study stated.

Source: http://hmc.comm.fsu.edu/content/download/4058/29138

For more on this and related insurance issues, head to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/low-cost/ for access to an easy-to-use quote-comparison generator and informative resource pages.

About OnlineAutoInsurance.com: OnlineAutoInsurance.com supplies informative resources for consumers seeking to understand the finer points of coverage and quote-comparison services for shoppers looking for the best rates on a policy.

Media Contact:
Charles Nguyen
Online Auto, LLC
9097842475
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

Fidelity Life Joins Rolling Solutions LLC's XRAE Underwriting Software

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:15:00 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ Rolling Solutions LLC announced today that Fidelity Life has become a participating carrier on XRAE, the life insurance industry's leading multi-carrier field underwriting software. Through XRAE, carriers provide immediate, automated underwriting quotes to the distributors of their products based on their proprietary underwriting rules. Brokerage general agencies, direct marketers and agents can access XRAE's underwriting web service through XRAE Brokerage, XRAE Lite and through the products of Rolling Solutions' integration partners.

"We believe XRAE has become the essential first step of every life insurance sale and an essential tool for any carrier wanting to be evaluated by their distributors for every case," said Mike Honeysett, Chief Marketing Officer at Fidelity Life. "We are confident that partnering with XRAE will increase placement ratios and overall production."

"We are excited to work with Fidelity and integrate the XRAE underwriting engine into the workflow of their distributors. Fidelity's commitment to XRAE supports XRAE's value to any carrier distribution model," said Tom Bellig, CEO, of Rolling Solutions LLC. "This partnership furthers our goal of making XRAE a part of every life insurance sale."

About Rolling Solutions LLC

XRAE was developed by Rolling Solutions to address the time and frustration associated with the first step of the life insurance sales process - field underwriting. Before a price can be quoted or an application selected, an underwriting class must be determined. The more information collected up front and the more accurate the initial underwriting class determination, the more likely a case will be placed. XRAE's underwriting web service enables distributors of life insurance to instantly obtain the best case underwriting classes of multiple insurance carriers based on each carrier's unique, proprietary underwriting rules and drastically increase their placement ratios. For more information, visit www.xrae.com.

Media Contact:
Tom Bellig
Rolling Solutions LLC
925.648.5207
http://www.xrae.com

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

Are Gay Men Bad Drivers? New Report On Sexual Orientation And Car Insurance Rates Released

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:33:26 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ A new report released by US auto insurance quote provider 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org looks at the connection between sexual orientation and auto insurance rates and shows that gay men pay higher premiums than straight men do.

Online auto insurance quote provider 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org released a new report on Friday looking at the connection between male sexual orientation and driving ability. The report, which looks at spatial awareness, navigation skills, and accident statistics, shows that homosexual males possibly are worse drivers than their heterosexual male counterparts and because of this, in addition to other factors, pay more for auto insurance.

In the report, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org, while citing a study by Dr Qazi Rahman at the Queen Mary University of London, points out that when it comes to spacial awareness and navigation skills, gay men tend to think like females. This, they say, means that gay men are more likely to become lost and are more likely to be in a state of confusion while they are on the road. 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org says that lack of spacial awareness makes this group "more likely to cause minor accidents because they experience difficulty visualizing the space around themselves."

The report goes on to show that gay men pay more for car insurance than straight men do. In a survey on New York City residents, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org found that gay men pay more then $400 more annually than straight men do.

"Gay male drivers bear the brunt of the burden of paying male auto insurance rates even though that while on the road, they tend to think more like females," 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org CEO James Shaffer says, "yes, they certainly cause a lot of accidents, just like any other group out there, but the amount the pay for car insurance is quite unfair."

Although insurance companies are not allowed to use an individual's sexual orientation in determining insurance premiums, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org says that gay men score poorly on factors that insurance companies do look at. These include, but are not limited to, accident rates, traffic violation statistics, and even marital status.

4AutoInsuranceQuote.org is a Manhattan, NY based online auto insurance quote provider. In business since fall of 2008, they offer free insurance quotes online to United States users.

Media Contact:
James Shaffer
4AutoInsuranceQuote.org
4015807272
http://www.4autoinsurancequote.org

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

OAI: Study Maps Decade-Long Rise in Losses from Mich. No-Fault Insurance

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:02:41 +0000

Group says crackdowns elsewhere leaves the state 'vulnerable' to more claims, higher costs

/EINPresswire.com/A recent study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) shows how medical expenses from a small group of claims have been pushing up costs in Michigan's entire no-fault system over the past decade, a fact which may play into the larger debate over proposals aimed at removing unlimited medical benefits, according to Online Auto Insurance.

The study analyzed 640 claims closed in 2011, finding that those involving losses greater than $250,000 represented just 1 percent of closed claims cases but 22 percent of total paid claims losses.

Part of the reason that a small set of claims can take up such a large chunk of overall costs is that Michigan's no-fault system includes no limit on coverage, leaving policyholders with lifetime protection for crash-related damages. No other state in the country has such a system.

Industry groups blame the state's unique no-fault provision for ballooning costs and the scarcity of cheap insurance in Michigan.

"This report provides further evidence of the role that a relatively small number of very large claims play in the increased costs to the entire Michigan no-fault system," Elizabeth Sprinkel, senior vice president of the IRC, said in a statement.

To combat the problem, legislators have introduced reform proposals that eliminate lifetime coverage and instead let consumers choose between up to $500,000, $1 million or $5 million in coverage, but little action has been seen on the bill.

Source: http://bit.ly/HPqRZF

Claims filed under Michigan's no-fault auto insurance system showed that total losses grew 192 percent between 2002 and 2011, amounting to an average growth of 13 percent a year, according to IRC researchers.

The study analyzed all kinds of losses, including lost wages, but highlighted medical costs as increasingly burdensome for the no-fault system. The share of total claimed losses related to medical expenses has risen for both closed and open catastrophic claims, both of which researchers say have seen more compensation for more procedures and hospital stays.

Of closed cases in the study, the portion of claimants who underwent an MRI doubled from 8 percent in 2002 to 16 percent in 2011, while the number requesting a CT scan increased from 16 percent to 25 percent. The study found that the average charge in 2011 was more than $4,450 for an MRI and $2,720 for a CT scan.

Researchers studying closed claims also found that 76 percent of claimants received some kind of hospital treatment, compared to a nationwide average rate of 61 percent.

Payments for medical care by family members were also popular, according to the study, with almost 60 percent of open claims involving expenses for "attendant care."

The study, available on the IRC's website, surveyed seven primary insurers that represented about 55 percent of personal policies in Michigan's auto insurance market.

The authors did not highlight abuse of the system as being a driver of costs, but Sprinkel hinted that the nature of Michigan's unique no-fault setup may make it a target for criminals aiming to bilk the insurance industry, another fact that might move legislators toward reform.

"[A]s other no-fault states move to crack down … the availability of unlimited benefits in the Michigan system may prove a powerful lure to unscrupulous providers looking to shift their operations to new, more vulnerable markets," Sprinkel said in her statement.

For more on these and other coverage issues, head to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/cheap/ for access to informative resource pages and an easy-to-use quote-comparison generator.

About OnlineAutoInsurance.com: OnlineAutoInsurance.com supplies informative resources for consumers seeking to understand the finer points of coverage and quote-comparison services for shoppers looking for the best rates on a policy.

Media Contact:
Charles Nguyen
Online Auto LLC
(909) 784-2475
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

Online Auto Insurance: Two States Tell Texters to Get the Message

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 05:48:35 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ New Idaho, West Virginia statutes ban texting while driving; WV's law has auto insurance implications.

April, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, has already been chock full of news about the texting, calling and Web surfing that more and more motorists are doing behind the wheel—and teens have been at the center of it, according to OnlineAutoInsurance.com.

A State Farm survey released this month found that most teenage respondents have texted while driving, as governors in Idaho and West Virginia signed off on laws prohibiting the practice for all drivers that go into effect this July. Debates in both state legislatures included talk about the prevalence of distracted driving among young motorists.

West Virginia took a harder-line enforcement approach, constructing its legislation so that repeat offenders would get three points on their driving records on the third violation. Insurance companies can use those points to identify riskier motorists and raise auto insurance comparison quotes and premiums, something that parents should keep in mind when shopping for insurance for their newly licensed teenager.

West Virginia's law prohibits both texting and hand-held cell phone use.

The Sauers, the family of a teenage girl killed in a crash that police say involved distracted driving, led public testimony during Senate and House debates around Idaho's legislation and also made rounds on national morning shows as support for the law grew.

Some opponents of Idaho's law said that enforcement of a texting ban can be difficult. The law's language defines texting as "engaging in the review of, or manual preparation and transmission of, written communications via handheld wireless devices," and some have pointed out only applying the law to hand-held devices would leave certain technologies that enable distracted driving out of the reach of law enforcement, including dash-mounted devices and Web-surfing smartphones.

Other opponents also took issue with Idaho's enforcement approach, which specifically designates that the infraction of texting while driving is not a moving violation with the potential to inflate premiums. Rep. Pete Nielson (R-Mountain Home) told fellow lawmakers that the law would be unfair to safer drivers' insurance costs.

"You and I who are obeying the law are going to help pay for those accidents in that vein," he said.

Supporters, like Rep. Shirley Ringo (D-Moscow), said enforcement issues could be revisited but emphasized that the law's main purpose was to make a statewide point.

"If this bill gives a message to some people that that's not the right thing to do, I think it's very much worthwhile," Ringo said during the March debate in the state House.

Time will tell if teens get that "message." Results of two State Farm surveys taken two years apart showed that teenagers' opinions toward texting has been persistently misguided, including the perception that texting would be less likely than drunk driving to lead to a fatal crash.

Meanwhile, federal officials continue their efforts this month to combat distracted driving, which include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducting a nationwide telephone survey on distracted driving and the Department of Transportation promoting its slogan of "One Text or Call Could Wreck It All" as the center of its month-long campaign.

Source: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2012/04/april-is-distracted-driving-awareness-month.html

For information about insurance industry rates, head to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/quotes/ for access to an easy-to-use quote-comparison generator and informative resource pages.

About OnlineAutoInsurance.com: OnlineAutoInsurance.com supplies informative resources for consumers seeking to understand the finer points of coverage and quote-comparison services for shoppers looking for the best rates on a policy.

Media Contact:
Charles Nguyen
Online Auto Insurance
(909) 784-2475
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/

PR courtesy of Online PR Media.

New Website Lets Small Businesses Name Their Price For Health Benefits

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:18:23 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ ZaneBenefits.com Teaches Small Businesses, Brokers, and CPAs New Health Benefits Options

Today, Zane Benefits, Inc., a leader in Defined Contribution Health Plans and Private Health Exchanges, announced its new website, designed to educate employers, accountants, and health insurance professionals about the new federal regulations allowing simplified employer health benefits.

As group health insurance costs continue to rise, employers are looking for ways to offer health benefits at a lower price. Zane Benefits' online defined contribution health plan allows an employer to name its price. Rather than paying the costs to provide a specific group health plan (a "defined benefit"), employers instead fix their costs by establishing a monthly dollar amount (a "defined contribution") that employees choose how to spend.

The new ZaneBenefits.com highlights the company's online health benefits software that enables small businesses to implement and administer a defined contribution health plan in less than five minutes per month.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court completed final arguments in United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Case 11-398 on the constitutionality of the Health Reform law scheduled to take effect in 2014. Regardless of which way the Court rules, it is clear that the new defined contribution method for small business health benefits will stand.

According to Rick Lindquist, President of Zane Benefits, "It's time to reshape the way we think about employee health benefits. Today, more than 3 million small businesses do not offer health benefits to their employees due to cost, participation, or administrative requirements. And, that number is expected to increase by 2014 regardless of health care reform."

According to the website, the two primary benefits of Zane's online program include:

1. No Minimum Contributions Requirements - This allows a small business to define a contribution it can afford.

2. No Minimum Participation Requirements - This allows a small business to set its own eligibility and/or participation requirements.

Using the Zane program, employers make available a tax-free monthly allowance that employees use to purchase their own individual policy directly from a carrier or independent licensed health insurance agent. Or, if an employer is not able to provide an allowance for certain employees, such employees may use a portion of their pre-tax salary to purchase a policy. This increases the employee's after-tax purchasing power by 20 to 40 percent and also reduces the company's payroll liabilities.

"I'm particularly pleased we are announcing our new online education center on the same day that the entire nation is focused on health benefits," said Professor Paul Zane Pilzer, the Founder of Zane Benefits and the author of the book The New Health Insurance Solution.

"Most people don't realize that small employers with less than 50 employees are exempt from the employer mandates in the Health Care Reform bill," Pilzer added. "Small employers today benefit from the increased availability of affordable individual policies regardless of what the U.S. Supreme Court eventually rules on the bill."
About Zane Benefits, Inc.

Zane Benefits, Inc, a software company, helps insurance brokers, accountants, and employers take advantage of new defined contribution health benefits and private exchanges via its proprietary SaaS online health benefits software. Zane Benefits does not sell insurance. Using Zane's platform, insurance professionals and accountants offer their clients a defined contribution health plan with multiple individual health insurance options via a private health exchange of their choice. Learn more at http://www.zanebenefits.com.

Emily Ritter
Zane Benefits, Inc.
(800) 391-9209 6712
http://www.zanebenefits.com

PR Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/Hrc3KO

OAI: Maine Recoveries Underscore Importance of Auto Insurance Regulators

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:48:35 +0000

Regulators recover $2.5 million for Maine consumers, list public complaint index on insurers

/EINPresswire.com/ Figures recently reported by the Maine Bureau of Insurance (BOI) show that it recovered more than $2.5 million for policyholders last year, highlighting the role regulators around the U.S. play as consumer advocates, according to Online Auto Insurance.

The funds come as the result of 9,000 inquiries and about 900 complaints filed with state regulators, who resolve disputes and cases of complaints from consumers who feel they were wronged by insurers, cases usually having to do with the size of claims and the time period in which they are compensated.

Departments like the BOI investigate complaints on behalf of consumers and catalog public complaint data. Drivers looking for auto insurance quotes online should also refer to regulators' ratings so that they can measure customers' feelings about how an insurer responds to claims.

The BOI's latest listing includes three categories of information: the total number of complaints filed against an insurer, the total premium dollars collected by that insurer and its complaint index. The complaint index weighs the number of complaints by the amount of premiums in place, since larger companies are more likely to have more complaints due to their having more customers. In complaint indexes, scores above 1 are worse than average and below 1 are better than average.

The 2010 complaint index showed that GEICO was the largest insurer to have an index of above 1.5. Other carriers with high rankings included Sentry, at 2.9; Nationwide Corp, at 2.4; and Hartford Fire & Casualty, which ranked the highest in the complaint index at 3.2.

Large companies with low complaint indexes included Allstate, at 0.9; Progressive, at 0.6; and State Farm, at 0.5.

The company with the best track record in 2010 was Amica Mutual, which had no complaints and $6.35 million worth of policies in place.

Source: http://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/consumer/Personal_Auto_Complaint_Comparison2010.htm

Other recent reports showed that a total of $150 million were recovered by regulators in California, Michigan, Georgia, Montana, Ohio and North Carolina last year. Also, New Jersey regulators reported recouping $32 million for policyholders in 2010, signifying a 50-percent jump in such funds from the previous year.

Connecticut officials reported recovering $1.6 million total for all policyholders in the state between July and September 2011; $156,500 of those funds went to consumers to settle auto claim disputes.

For user-submitted reviews of insurance companies and advice on what to look for before picking a coverage provider, head to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/ for access to informative resource pages and an easy-to-use quote-comparison generator.

About OnlineAutoInsurance.com: OnlineAutoInsurance.com supplies informative resources for consumers seeking to understand the finer points of coverage and quote-comparison services for shoppers looking for the best rates on a policy.

Media Contact:
Charles Nguyen
Online Auto Insurance
(909) 784-2475
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com

PR courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/HmKCVq

Insurance Expert David Weinstein Announces Study Results

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:26:18 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ For the past several months, David Weinstein, Cherry Hill, NJ, resident, has been performing a significant amount of research for a book he is writing on the healthcare industry and health insurance reformations that will go into effect in 2014.

For the past several months, David Weinstein, Cherry Hill, NJ, resident, has been performing a significant amount of research for a book he is writing on the healthcare industry and health insurance reformations that will go into effect in 2014. As part of his research, David Weinstein came across a startling statistic.

"I had been trying to determine why, exactly, insurance costs were so high in this country, especially compared to other industrial nations like Canada and England," says David Weinstein. "Health insurance costs here are just much too high to be quickly explained, so I was forced to crunch a lot of numbers and do some deep analysis."

At the end of this process, David Weinstein discovered that the top 5 percent of the ill in the United States access health insurance benefits at a much higher rate than do the other 95 percent. This isn't unheard of, but the proportion of that difference is really quite striking.

"My research suggests that the top 5 percent account for 50 percent of the healthcare dollars spent in the United States," says David Weinstein. "Health insurance plans that cover these very ill patients often raise rates on all members, so they can cover the costs incurred by treating these very ill people and providing then with the care they need."

David Weinstein of Cherry Hill, NJ, readily admits that he doesn't have a solution to this pressing problem.

"It's early in the analysis process for me," he says. "I have a feeling that there may be something underhanded in some of these costs, and that the government will need to impose some strict fraud controls to ensure that improper spending, if it does exist, won't be allowed to continue. But aside from that, I'm not sure what the answer would be. Suggesting that the ill don't need medical care isn't something I'm willing to do."

For David Weinstein, Cherry Hill, NJ, provides a safe and quiet place where he can continue this important research and writing project. He hopes to continue to clarify issues on health care reform for federal and state officials who are currently working on implementation of the health care reform legislation.

About

In 1999, David Weinstein of Cherry Hill, NJ, created one of the very first healthcare cooperatives in the country. This idea would thrust David Weinstein into the national spotlight, and by 2001, he was discussing his ideas with governors, senators and presidential advisors. David Weinstein's blog discusses up to date insurance issues.

David Weinstein
PR Media
888-265-8903
http://www.davidweinsteincherryhillnj.com/

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OAI: Teen Auto Insurance Shoppers Should Take Heed of Distracted Driving Study

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:58:57 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ A new study of young drivers sheds light on their distracted driving tendencies and the extent to which those habits can lead to incidents on the road..

A new study of young drivers from the the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety quantifies that group's distracted driving tendencies and puts a spotlight on the extent to which those habits can lead to collisions, according to Online Auto Insurance.

Practically all auto insurance companies charge teens more because of their high crash rate and proclivity for taking more risks behind the wheel, but the new AAA report is the first to analyze data from thousands of clips taken on in-car cameras while they were driving.

Among the major findings in the report, which summarized findings for 52 teens in the study:

--Teen girls were more than twice as likely as boys to use an electronic device while behind the wheel.

--Girls were, overall, 10 percent more likely than boys to be engaged in other distracted habits, including 50 percent more likely to reach for an object and almost 25 percent more likely to eat or drink while driving. But some distractive tendencies were more common for teen boys, who were about twice as likely as girls to turn around in their seats to talk to passengers and communicate with others outside the vehicle.

--The presence of family in the car and being in conditions requiring more attention such as rain cut down on distracted driving.

--Use of electronic devices made teen drivers more than three times more likely to take their eyes off the road.

Insurance companies have been launching campaigns for years to combat distracted driving, and the results of this study come as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is gearing up for National Distracted Driving Prevention Month in April. The NHTSA reports that distracted driving contributed to an estimated 5,400 deaths and 448,000 injuries in 2009.

Source: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811379.pdf

"This new study provides the best view we've had about how and when teens engage in distracted driving behaviors believed to contribute to making car crashes the leading cause of death for teenagers," AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger said in a statement.

There are ways parents can curtail their teens' dangerous habits on the roadway, like limiting loud talking and horseplay in the car. Serious incidents were six times more likely to occur when there was loud conversation in the vehicle, according to the study, which also found that horseplay "went hand in hand with serious incidents and high G-forces" that included sudden acceleration, deceleration and hard left or right turns. "High G-force events" were more associated with distracted behaviors like loud talking and horseplay than with usage of electronic devices.

To promote safe driving, parents also might want to limit the number of friends in their teens' cars, since loud conversations were seen in 12.2 percent of the recorded clips when passengers were present, and horseplay was seen 6.3 percent of the time. The frequency of both horseplay and loud conversation increased when passengers were present during weekends and nighttime, according to the study, which reported that such times were "when much of teen driving may be 'recreational.'"

Recordings of motorists on weekend nights with one or more teenaged peers, without adults or siblings present, captured loud conversation in about 1 out of every 5 clips, while horseplay was captured in about 1 out of every 10 clips.

Or better yet, parents might want to be in the car themselves because the report found that "carrying parents—and to a lesser degree siblings—was associated with a substantially lower likelihood of horseplay and loud conversation."

If teen drivers don't give in to distractions behind the wheel, it could result not only in safer driving but also in better insurance premiums down the road.

To learn more about this and other insurance issues, go to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/companies/ for access to informative resources and an easy-to-use quote generator.

Charles Nguyen
Online Auto Insurance
9097842475
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com

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AAMI Releases 'Small Car Syndrome' Research Report

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:09:05 +0000

/EINPresswire.com/ Leading national insurer AAMI has discovered a new technique for drivers to predict if another driver is likely to get aggressive; just take a look at the size of their car. Research released today has found 'Small Car Syndrome' is rife on Australian roads.

Data revealed in AAMI's research shows that drivers of smaller cars are more likely to use aggressive or reckless tactics on the roads. One possibility is that aggressive behaviours compensate for the limited size of their car.

"Because of the rising cost of motoring we're seeing a trend toward smaller cars becoming popular, so it's worrying if people feel the need to overcompensate for their smaller assets by displaying risky driving behaviours," says David Skapinker, AAMI Corporate Affairs.

"Drivers of small cars are significantly more likely to gesture rudely and deliver a mouthful of verbal abuse towards another driver, and they're also significantly more likely to tailgate than drivers of larger cars.

"We've all seen them on the road, the little hatch or small sedan, darting in and out of traffic and getting upset when another driver either takes them to task on their conduct or for simply driving at the speed limit," says Mr Skapinker.

"Regardless of what size or kind of car you drive, the road rules apply to everyone. We all have a responsibility to stay safe on the roads."

Unlike another particularly famous syndrome involving size, young, female drivers may be the most likely to display symptoms of Small Car Syndrome as the highest proportion of small car drivers are females aged 18 - 24 years old.

AAMI's research also found that it's not only aggressive behaviour that is symptomatic of Small Car Syndrome. Drivers in smaller cars are also more likely to take part in reckless driving behaviours such as driving after taking illegal drugs, using their mobile to check emails and sending or reading a text while they're driving. Overall significantly more drivers of smaller cars admit to sometimes driving dangerously (75%), than those of larger cars (67%).

About the research
Newspoll Market & Social Research conducted an independent online survey on behalf of AAMI of 3,740 current drivers, 18 years of age and older, across all states and territories in 2011. Of these 328 drove a smaller car (2 or 3 door hatch or sedan), and 2384 drove a larger car (4 or 5 door hatch or sedan). Collected data has been weighted in line with current ABS population demographics to ensure any extrapolation of results is representative of age sex and area.

AAMI is a leader in car insurance, recognised as an industry innovator providing award-winning products and customer service. AAMI has become synonymous with road safety and invests in both customer and academic research around unsafe driving behaviours, as well as rewarding customers through benefits like Safe Driver Rewards. Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd (AAMI), ABN 92 004 791 744. Visit AAMI website.

David Skapinker
AAMI
0467 801 922

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