National News

Untangling Medical Facts in Claim Disputes: Viewpoint

For busy claims adjusters and administrators handling medical claims and disputes, efficiency is king, and every second is crucial when sifting through a log of documents to make sense of the relevant facts in their case. Gathering the necessary documentation …

Doctors Ask CDC to Clarify Guidelines so Patients aren’t Abruptly Cut Off Pain Opioids

Some physicians are pushing back against “widespread misapplication” of the 2016 federal opioid prescribing guidelines, while a new report from Harvard Medical School researchers gives some credence to their claims. Some 300 health professionals signed a joint letter to the …

Experts Say Vulnerable Businesses Should Increase Cyber Defenses

When cyberthieves attacked Empire Industries’ computer network, technology manager Rich Shemanskis could see files in the process of being infected by malicious software. “We were looking at the network, and I noticed it, and another guy noticed it. We’re looking …

Insurance Group Says Data Suggests Cannabis is Increasing Accident Rates

Preliminary research indicates that the legalization of recreational marijuana in 10 states has increased accident rates, the Insurance Information Institute said Wednesday. The group cited an October 2018 study by the Highway Loss Data Institute that shows collision claim frequency …

Telematics, Parametric Insurance and AI Pitched as Claims Solutions

Technology companies anxious to expand their market share in insurance sector announced this week the launch of products that will alert carriers of unsafe driving habits, expedite payments to small business owners whose operations are interrupted by earthquakes, and use …

Faulty Air Bag Parts Lead Honda to Re-Recall 1 Million Cars

Honda Motor Co. will recall more than a million vehicles in the U.S. to replace a batch of faulty air bag parts that were installed as part of the largest auto safety recall in history. A driver in Maryland was …

Trump Flood Insurance Plan May Increase Premiums, Reduce Property Values

Flood insurance premiums could rise and property values fall in the most deluge-prone areas under a plan the Trump administration intends to roll out in coming weeks to change the way risk is calculated under the National Flood Insurance Program. …

Safer Driving Contributes to Cooling Inflation

The latest culprit for cooling U.S. inflation: safer driving. A measure of underlying price pressures watched closely by policy makers continued to moderate in February, missing forecasts, according to data published Tuesday by the Labor Department. The gauge of consumer …

Accurate Claim Length Estimates Key to Customer Satisfaction

Property insurers generally score well for customer satisfaction, but the carriers that fare more poorly than others could do a better job of communicating with policyholders and setting accurate claim-length expectations, according to J.D. Power. A survey of 6,374 homeowners …

National Safety Council Says ‘Visual Literacy’ Can Identify Workplace Hazards

Employers can reduce workplace hazards by teaching workers how to see like artists, according to the National Safety Council. The organization isn’t recommending art classes. It says that research by the Campbell Institute in Itasca, Illinois shows that training workers …

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