Oregon consumers have been victimized by insurers for too long. Why? Oregon’s Insurance regulations and laws have no teeth. Oregon needs a law that will punish insurers who delay, ignore or wrongfully deny claims made by their own customers. Insurance is about trust. You paid premiums TRUSTING that when a viable claim occurs, the insurer…
Imagine telling the IRS that you can’t file your return because you can’t locate your records, and expecting the IRS to relieve you of your tax obligations. Most people wouldn’t even consider using that excuse; yet insurance companies are presenting the same argument to avoid producing records in insurance coverage disputes. Other Insurance Information Valuable…
On December 12, 2013, the Senate Finance Committee joined the House Ways and Means Committee in passing legislation correcting a decade-long problem that has created uncertainty for millions of Medicare providers and patients by repealing a broken payment formula and replacing it with a smarter approach that rewards quality health care over quantity. Yearly Temporary…
If you have been in an auto accident in Oregon, there is another election you need to be aware of. It is the PIP election. The PIP election does not involve candidates or voting, but could affect the amount of money you get from your auto accident claim. Your Oregon auto insurance policy contains “no…
Increase in Group LTD Policy Rates Inevitable Most employer paid group long term disability plans guarantee the rate for a period of time. After that guaranteed period, they are free to raise the rate to the employer as needed. In these situations, employers can pass that increase on to their employees. Individual v. Group Disability…
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a law that was passed in 1974 to protect employees when filing claims with group health plans or plans providing disability benefits. How Does ERISA Help Claimants? ERISA makes the process of applying for and receiving disability from a private insurer similar to that of the Social…
You selected private disability insurance and have not thought much about it since…until disability struck. Many folks wrongly assume that disability insurance coverage stay constant. The truth is many disability insurance coverages as well as premiums can change over time. Three basic types of renewability disability coverages are available today. Choosing the right one guarantees…
Oregon requires non- commercial motorists to purchase certain level of auto insurance. See, ORS 806.10. Under that statute, Oregon drivers must purchase: 1. Bodily injury and property damage liability $25,000 per person; $50,000 per crash for bodily injury to others; and $20,000 per crash for damage to others property 2. Personal injury protection (no fault…
In October 2010 Allstate Insurance agreed to pay a $10M settlement for improper use of a claim software known as “Colossus”. Colossus is is used by insurers to help analyze auto accident bodily injury claims. The Allstate settlement follows an 18 month investigation into Allstate’s settlement practices. The investigation revealed Allstate did not consistently adjust…
“If the other guy was at fault in the accident, why should my insurance company pay for my medical bills and wage loss?” Good question! In Oregon as in many other states, a decision was made to provide medical insurance for everyone involved in a car accident regardless of who was at fault. Requiring the…