California labor law could inadvertently target insurance agents and others

California’s new labor law may have dire implications for insurance agents in the state. The law was enacted late last year and is designed to punish employers that misclassify workers in an attempt to receive discounts on their insurance coverage. The law itself does not make specific mention to insurance agents, but the language in which the law is written is very vague. Agents could easily fall victim to the law simply by providing employers with advice regarding employee classifications. The law allows the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency…

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Insurance regulators pass controversial resolution to amend the Affordable Care

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) gathered this week to vote on a controversial resolution that would have drastic effects on a consumer protection clause of the Affordable Care Act. The provision would have saved consumers nationwide approximately $1 billion in premiums while offering them protections from future rate hikes. The provision is also part of the controversial medical loss ratio provision of the health care law – which requires insurers to pay no less than 80% of their premium money on medical care. Regulators have been divided on…

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Kentucky obtains federal waiver on insurance provisions

Insurance companies in Kentucky have been granted a waiver from a provision of the health care law that requires insurers to spend at least 80% of the money they collect from premiums on improving medical care. The waiver does not remove mandate, however, and insurers will still need to spend 75% of their premiums toward medical care. According to federal law, if companies do not follow this mandate, they must refund the money to policyholders. The state’s Department of Insurance petitioned the federal government for a waiver in an effort…

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American Cancer Society opposes exclusion of insurance sales commissions from administration spending limits

Regardless of not having performed a single study or impact analysis on the legislation, the American Cancer Society has recently opposed an effort in Congress to exclude insurance sales commissions from the regulations that control the maximum amount that can be spent on administration by insurers. The reason that the American Cancer Society is standing against the congressional effort is that it claims that it will lead to a rise in insurance premiums. Many argue that there is no proof, numerical, or statistical evidence that would suggest this, but at…

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