In a , AEI health care policy expert Thomas (Tom) Miller explains why current Medicare reform proposals are mostly “policy concepts devoid of structural details.” Miller points out that even the Ryan-Wyden proposal which “makes an honest effort to start this process at the ‘high-concept’ level,” needs “a more detailed script that begins to answer at least 13 more questions.”

Miller first asks:

“What is the primary policy goal of premium support (or other Medicare reform alternatives)? Is it a more efficient and higher-value health care? To lower the future rate of growth of Medicare spending? Or, jus

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Public employee unions are suing over the states decision to increase the health care contributions for current retirees, claiming the 2 percent increases that took effect in October are unconstitutional.

The Retired Public Employees Association filed a similar lawsuit in state court earlier this month. Late Wednesday, the Public Employees Federation, Civil Service Employees Association, United University Professions and other unions representing law enforcement and correction officers filed parallel suits in federal court in Albany, claiming health care for retirees is a form of deferred compensation guaranteed by the contract under which the employees retired.

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A plurality of insurance agencies expect their revenue for 2011 to mirror that of the prior year, according to the latest IFAwebnews.com poll.

About 48% of survey respondents expect their numbers to be about the same, while another 20% expect their revenue to exceed last year.

Meanwhile, fully 32% of survey respondents expect their 2011 revenue to be worse than 2010.

A number of life insurance and financial service professionals have said 2011 has been strong, in large part because people have been seeking safe alternatives to the up-and-down stock markets.

Property-casualty insurance agents have been suffering from limited construction and workforce growth, as well as soft rates.

For health insurance agents and brokers, 2011 has been tough, as they see further cuts in workers at many companies, as well as the closing and consolidation of a number of businesses, thus making the marketplace extremely small and competitive.

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Allstate Insurance is dropping more than 45,000 of its North Carolina homeowner policyholders for not also buying their auto coverage through the company, state regulators confirmed Monday.

The move comes as the multiline insurer competes with auto-only coverage providers such as GEICO and Progressive in a market in which vehicle coverage is the preferred line of business, regulators said.

“This is a legal underwriting practice, so long as the policyholder is given at least 30 days notice of nonrenewal,” state Department of Insurance (DOI) spokesman Kerry Hall said in an email.

The Illinois-based company began sending nonrenewal notices to customers in March, Hall said, and regulators have gotten about 30 written complaints from consumers. The Full Article…

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Sun Life Financial, based in Wellesley, Mass., announced it will market its stop-loss insurance through Cigna Payer Solutions, a network connecting third-party administrators with health care providers.

Under the business agreement, any employer or plan sponsor that is a client of a TPA contracted with Cigna Payer Solutions will have access to Cignas health services and Sun Life Financials expertise in stop-loss insurance.

Cigna Payer Solutions connects participating TPAs to a network with more than 660,000 health care professionals and 5,100 hospitals.

Cigna, which has a large presence in Philadelphia, will continue to sell medical stop-loss to employers that do not work with Cigna Payer Solutions TPAs.

“Sun Life Financials ability to provide quality customer service in the TPA marketplace will offer significant value while managing medical costs for our customers,” said Jeff Terrill, president of Cigna Emerging Markets, in a statement.

Sun Life Financial offers group life, disability, dental and stop-loss insurance through 170 group insurance sales representatives in 34 major U.S. cit

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