Author: Logan B.

Health insurance companies can’t use AI for Medicare

Logan B.
Health insurance - Medicare and AI

Newly released federal guidelines say that artificial intelligence can’t make all the choices. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have released new guidance for health insurance companies to protect Medicare Advantage (MA) against bias from artificial intelligence (AI). The CMS is the federal agency overseeing Medicaid, Medicare and other programs CMS oversees the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid. It recently issued a policy memo to insurers in which it banned them from using algorithmic systems or AI exclusively to decide on…

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Allstate Changes Down Payment After Insurance Settlement

Logan B.
allstate downpayment reinstated

Allstate, the insurance giant based in Northbrook, Illinois, has made a significant change to its down payment policy for new auto insurance policies. The move comes after a settlement with the California Department of Insurance regarding the insurer’s rate increase application. The Former Down Payment Restriction In July 2022, Allstate began requiring consumers to pay a 50% down payment on new auto policies. This policy represented a substantial upfront cost for consumers, given that the average annual cost for car insurance in California ranges from $1,500 to $1,999, according to…

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Lawsuit Alleges USAA Uses Computer System to Arbitrarily Deny, Reduce Claims

Logan B.
USAA Insurance News

In a legal case currently gaining attention, USAA is accused of utilizing a computer program to indiscriminately deny or lessen claims for personal injury protection and medical payments. This system, provided by CCC’s Auto Injury Solutions, is at the heart of numerous lawsuits that the insurance giant has faced in recent years. Allegations of Systematic Denials The class-action lawsuit, which emerged from Washington Superior Court for Clark County, suggests that USAA’s reliance on Auto Injury Solutions’ (AIS) computerized system is to the detriment of policyholder claims following vehicle accidents. San…

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Is the federal crop insurance program keeping up with climate change?

Logan B.
Crop insurance - A person touching wheat

Few changes have been made in the program despite rising risks associated with global warming. Risk has always been a part of farming, particularly due to its dependence on the weather in any given season or year, and crop insurance has become a key part of the survival of many farms across the United States. That said, risks associated with weather have been changing, but the program has altered very little. The massive federal crop insurance program has helped farmers to ensure their businesses survive in times of flooding, drought,…

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Record numbers of Texas residents enrolled in ACA health insurance plans this year

Logan B.
Health insurance plans - ACA enrollment Texas

The state’s total enrollment numbers were recently released, with over 1 in 9 Texans covered. The 2024 open enrollment period came with a record number of Texan sign-ups for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The data was released by the federal government as the state uses the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace. Over 1 in every 9 residents of the state are now covered by health insurance plans sold through the ACA in 2024. This is a notable record, as it was set in the state with the…

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