Missouri officials ban insurance industry from using price optimization

Missouri insurance industry

Department of Insurance bans the use of controversial price optimization practice The Missouri Department of Insurance has officially banned the use of price optimization among insurance providers. Insurance Commissioner John Huff has issued a warning to insurers using this pricing method that they will be faced with severe penalties if they continue to do so. This decision affects the insurance industry in the state, applying to a variety of companies, especially property and casualty insurance companies. Price optimization continues to cause problems for the insurance industry Price optimization has become…

Read More

Good insurance news for Missouri consumers who recently made claims

Insurance News payment in quarters

The state department has now helped them to obtain additional payments for their early 2015 claims. For many consumers across Missouri, the insurance news has been good, as many of those who filed complaints against their insurers received assistance from the state Insurance Department and will be receiving additional claim payments. A total of $6.3 million in additional payments will be made for many claims made in the first half of the year. The majority if this insurance news has to do with claims made on health plans. That type…

Read More

Health insurance provider hit with major fine in Missouri

Missouri Health Insurance news

Aetna faces $4.5 million fine for violating insurance laws in Missouri Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has announced that health insurance provider Aetna will be paying $4.5 million in fees for violating state law. One of these violations has to do with Aetna covering elective abortions even though some policies did not allow for such coverage. This represents the single largest insurance penalty imposed against a company in Missouri’s history. Notably, the health insurance company is holding itself accountable for any violations of state law, also acknowledging that it had violated…

Read More

Missouri Department of Insurance releases report concerning 2011 natural disasters

The Missouri Department of Insurance has released its annual report for the year of 2011. The report notes that the state experienced many “firsts” in the U.S. insurance industry last year, many of which were brought about by calamitous natural disasters. These firsts included record breaking numbers of claims, the highest claims payouts in U.S history, and the largest amounts of claims funds recovered by Missouri insurance regulators. The Department of Insurance notes that, despite massive challenges, it was able to complete its mission of protecting Missouri residents throughout 2011.…

Read More

Insurers spend billions on large weather events from 2011

Insurance companies are continuing to make payments to policyholders who suffered damage from large severe weather events earlier this year. Officials in Missouri have now named the tornado that ripped through Joplin’s center earlier in 2011 as the most expensive insurance event in the history of the state. It has been estimated that insurers have already spent approximately $1.13 billion on claims related to this occurrence, and that when all claims have been made and paid out, that number will have grown to almost $1.9 billion. According to John Huff…

Read More