(FoxNews) – Thursday’s vote for a massive health insurance overhaul was a legislative victory for Democrats whose faces lit up after the morning roll call with a sense of accomplishment as well as a rush to get home in time for Christmas.

But lawmakers will face several challenges ahead before wrapping up the bill that seeks to mandate coverage for 30 million Americans.

Several variables separate the House version, which passed in November with the support of one Republican, and the Senate bill, which received no GOP support in Thursday’s Christmas eve 60-39 vote.

Republicans are effectively shut out of the negotiations as House and Senate Democrats now must hammer out starkly different ideas on the type of coverage that the government should insist be provided. Read more…

(FoxNews) – The Senate battle may be over for now, but Republicans are vowing the war is not won quite yet.

Congress may be gone for several weeks enjoying a winter holiday, but Republicans have vowed to keep up the pressure on Democrats who succeeded in getting their Senate health insurance overhaul bill passed before Christmas — if just barely.

Several GOP lawmakers say they are still hoping to peel back support for the bill among budget-minded Democrats who are certain to hear from furious constituents over the long break about the overwhelming cost of the $871 billion, 10-year legislation.

“This is not over,” Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told Fox News. “We are going to work, asking people to talk to their senators, make them face the music. The American people don’t support this effort for government to run health care.” Read more…

(PRNewswire) – The U.S. Senate bill’s historic expansion of health care coverage cedes control of a much greater portion of the health care system to the medical and insurance industries. This sweeping legislative act creates a responsibility for federal and state governments to monitor and police these industries and fix failures as they occur. For example:

* While the legislation requires every American to buy coverage under threat of tax fines, provisions requiring health insurers to justify rate increases are insufficient checks on insurance companies seeking to use the mandate as a profit enhancer. Government must ensure that coverage is affordable by requiring insurers to seek “prior approval” of health insurance rate increases, as auto insurers are required to do under California’s Proposition 103. The Senate bill’s requirement that insurers spend 80% or 85% of the premiums they collect on health care services will–absent strict rate regulation–perversely encourage insurers to raise their premium rates. In the same way that a Hollywood agent who gets a 20% cut of an actor’s salary has an incentive to seek the highest salary, insurers will have incentive to increase health care costs and raise premiums so that their 20% cut is a larger dollar amount. Read more…

The California Department of Insurance has fined Annuity Services Insurance Center $15,000 for deceptive advertising practices targeting senior citizens in California, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said.

Beginning in August 2004, Investor’s Union LLC, doing business as Annuity Service Insurance Center, sent out at least 235,000 unsolicited mailers to California residents, CDI said. The notices stated that recipients, “… may have an annuity that has reached the end of its surrender period,” and told them to contact the Annuity Service Insurance Center. Those who responded were asked questions about their investments and assets. Those who qualified were then scheduled to meet with salespeople for an annuity/life insurance sales pitch. Read more…

Health insurance is extremely important when it comes to your well-being, as well as the well-being of your family. Good health is vital, and there comes a time when everybody will eventually need a doctor, medication, or maybe even a trip to the emergency room. Without health insurance you may see medical bills piling up to the ceiling.

If you do not have a health insurance policy to cover your family’s medical expenses, the consequences can cost you a small fortune, but more importantly it can be detrimental to your family’s health. Without health insurance, any trips made to the doctor are carefully considered based on the financial cost that is likely to be incurred. As a result of this, minor ailments like sore throats or a fever are often left to self-resolve. This leads to individuals having to suffer more, and for a longer period of time. With health insurance all you would have to pay is a deductible, and your insurance will take care of the rest. Read more…

If you are a woman in search of car insurance, you may very well find it at a cheaper rate than if you were a man. At first you may think that this is gender discrimination, but if you think about how car insurance companies measure risk and work out monthly rates, you will see that it is not a level playing field. On average, females make fewer claims so coverage is less, but there are a few things that you can do to ensure you get affordable cover with good benefits.
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Purchase a hybrid car and you will become a hero for having done your bit by causing less harm to the environment. In fact, you may have former vice president of America, Al Gore saluting you. Besides, you save so much more on gasoline because of its fuel efficiency. But, the savings don’t stop there. You will get to save on auto insurance too. Read more…

The best medium of protection for you and your vehicle is by having a car insurance claim. A auto insurance pretension is something that you can acquire in case you are involved in an car accident.

Simple steps for filing a car accident claim

In case of a car accident, filing an accident claim is necessary. The first step for filing a car insurance claim is to identify whether or not you are eligible to have a claim. You should understand your insurance coverage and policy before heading out to your insurance company to make a claims. Insurance companies have different coverage for every accident and situation so you need to sit down and carefully decipher your insurance policy. Read more…

Insurance isn’t just a good idea, it’s necessary. With all of the variety of potential risk that your business faces, it should be your top priority to protect it. By knowing exactly what kind of insurance you need to purchase, you can limit your risks and save yourself time and money.

General liability insurance is a policy that covers the potential losses associated with any accident or negligence that occurred on business property. By purchasing general liability insurance you can protect yourself from the devastating losses that accidents can bring about. Read more…