GLENMONT, N.Y.—Jamie A. Ferris, AAI, CIC, CPIA, of Lansing, N.Y., was elected president of the Professional Insurance Agents of New York, at a meeting of the association’s board of directors today, at PIANY Headquarters in Glenmont, N.Y. Ferris is president of P.W. Wood & Son Inc., in Ithaca, N.Y. An active member of PIANY, Ferris […]
Our popular columnist, Barry Zalma, has just put pen to paper and has produced claims books that are worth the money – really. His premise is that it is the insurance claims person – the adjuster – who works to keep the promises made by the insurance policy. The adjuster cannot, however, help the insurer […]
There’s an abundance of quotes about the inevitability of change; against resisting change; and most appropriately about the value of change. The place I’ve heard most of them are at PIA. The organization is always at the forefront of our industry, and the visionaries who have led the organization call repeatedly for agents to be […]
by Marilyn M. Singleton, M.D., J.D. During the Supreme Court oral arguments in the challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to purchase health insurance, people laughed when the late Justice Scalia asked whether the government could make you buy broccoli. Never happen? The laughable has become reality. A California bill awaiting the governor’s signature […]
by Ronald C. Porter The insurance industry relies heavily on analytics to understand and predict risk when writing policies. But what happens when a disputed claim becomes a legal matter? Shouldn’t insurers apply those same kinds of analytics to understand and predict their legal exposure? Until recently, insurance litigation relied heavily on legal research, anecdotal […]
With all the talk about “evidence-based medicine,” you might think that doctors were becoming much more focused on rigorous science. But like the names attached to bills in Congress—such as the Affordable Care Act, which outlaws affordable insurance, the language used in the movement to fundamentally transform America and American medicine usually means the opposite […]
No Cover Available from Excess and Umbrella Policies Insurers use a self-insured-retention (SIR) to avoid the expense of dealing with small claims and avoid the expense of defending or indemnifying an insured until the SIR or underlying insurance is exhausted. As a result the excess insurer can charge a small premium because its exposure is […]
RAND Corp. report shows the proposal is unworkable The battle lines are being drawn as the election nears. Some have observed that the leading Democratic candidates running for Governor are tripping over themselves to move to the left and to offer every freebie available, from healthcare to college education to home pizza delivery. “Single payer” […]
Sad news: Thomas J. Moran, a successful and caring insurance leader and philanthropist, passed away August 12th at the age of 65. Tom spent more than four decades with the Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, contributing significantly to its success. As Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, he led with a style, strength, and […]
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