News about insurance related issues moves pretty fast. Every week, there are fourteen different posts on the Families.com Insurance Blog. You may have overlooked, or missed, something that you really would have liked to read. The Insurance Blog Week in Review can help you “ketchup”.
The ASPCA Sells Pet Insurance
Do you need affordable pet insurance? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has some options for you.
The Insurance Podcast Roundup for the week went up on January 16, 2012.
Insurers Say Sleep Lab Tests Are Overprescribed
More doctors are prescribing an overnight stay at a sleep lab as a way of determining if a patient has sleep apnea. This is much more expensive than if doctors ordered a home test, or told the patient to lose weight. Insurance companies are less than thrilled about having to cover those expenses.
Unemployment Insurance Benefits are Taxable
Unfortunately, the money a person receives from their unemployment insurance benefits is taxable. If you didn’t request that the taxes be withheld as you were receiving those payments, then you are going to end up paying them as part of your income tax this year.
Insurance Industry Executives Shave Heads for Fundraiser
A group of insurance executives from AmWINS Group, Inc., formed a team called “Expired Coverage” and raised money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The foundation is committed to finding the most promising research and cures for childhood cancers. The executives shaved their heads, to acknowledge the fight that children with cancer face daily.
Quitting Smoking Isn’t Easy, Even With Incentives
It is good that health insurance companies are starting to cover the cost of smoking cessation programs. However, that doesn’t mean it will be easy for many smokers to finally be able to kick the habit.
Health Insurance Coverage for Type 2 Diabetes
Chef Paula Deen revealed that she has type 2 diabetes. I go over what some insurance companies will cover in regards to this disease.
Cost of Care Announces Contest Winners
Cost of Care is a non-profit group that wants to make doctors more aware of the cost of the care that they prescribe. They held a contest where people sent in their stories about problems with health insurance. Winners have been selected.
State Farm Has Advice About Choosing a Beneficiary
State Farm Insurance has some tips that can help you figure out who to name as the beneficiary on your life insurance policy.
How Kodak’s Bankruptcy Could Affect Employee Health Insurance
Eastman Kodak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I speculate on how this could affect their current employee’s health insurance plans, as well as the health insurance benefit that their retired workers were getting.
What Does Maternity Insurance Cover?
A typical health insurance plan will not cover medical bills related to pregnancy, maternity, or childbirth in a hospital. I describe what the extra maternity insurance will cover.
Religious Employers Required to Cover Birth Control
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship will not be required to cover birth control in their employer sponsored health insurance plans. Religious hospitals, universities, and social service agencies, on the other hand, will be required to cover it.
California Car Insurance Law Raises Questions
There is an initiative in California called the 2012 Automobile Insurance Discount Act. It could help drivers who have had continuous auto insurance coverage to get a discount. Others note that this would penalize drivers who had a lapse in coverage.
Image by Fernando de Sousa on Flickr