Giant Anthem
Giant Anthem CA Health Insurance Companies Pay Fine for Rescinding Health Insurance Policies Health plan participants have the extra support of legal prosecutors if their health plan providers res...
Giant Anthem
CA Health Insurance Companies Pay Fine for Rescinding Health Insurance PoliciesHealth plan participants have the extra support of legal prosecutors if their health plan providers rescind their policies as a result of illness, thanks to a recent court decision. California health companies have already had to pay more than $13 million in fines to regulators as a result of having rescinded health policies for sick patience. Health companies may have hoped that the fines would make the scrutiny over their practices go away, but, instead, legal experts expect the scrutiny to continue. The California state Court of Appeal ruled in December 2009 that prosecutors would be permitted to sue health insurance companies over the insurance companies treat consumers and their members. The recent legal ruling is a result of a lawsuit against health giant Anthem Blue Cross of California. Prosecutors argued that Anthem violated state law by selling health plan members the promise of health insurance, but then later rescinding the health coverage after health insurance plan policy holders submitted their claims for medical care. After the lawsuit was filed, Anthem Blue Cross argued that the company's practice of rescinding health coverage fell under the jurisdiction of the California state Department of Managed Health Care; not the Los Angeles city attorney's office. The city's attorney's office filed the lawsuit in 2008. Anthem Blue Shield and the state agency filed paperwork defending Blue Cross. Blue Shield is a competitor of Blue Cross of California and faces a similar law suit by the city's attorney. In response to Blue Cross's argument, the appellate court said that the law was "unambiguous" and gave the city attorney the right to sue the insurance company. The ruling allows the city to not only pursue its current lawsuits against insurance companies, but it also gives the city more influence down the road in other areas. "This puts new cops on the beat," said Bryan Liang, director of the Institute of Health Law Studies at California Western School of Law in San Diego. "Lots of stuff in the standard operating practices of health plans is going to be affected by that decision." Additionally, Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich said he agreed with the appellate court's ruling. "I am committed 100% to pursuing our litigation against these insurers," he said. "Illegally canceling people's healthcare coverage after they get sick is unconscionable." Moreover, Los Angeles Assistant City Atty. James W. Colbert III suggested that the recent ruling against health insurance companies may encourage prosecutors in other cities to review the practices of health insurers in their areas. "This decision invites that kind of interest," he said. Anthem Blue Cross has yet to decide whether it will appeal the decision, but some believe that the company should be worried about the negative fallout of the unfair business practices. However, the managed healthcare department said that prosecuting health insurance companies by local government offices is "duplicative regulation" that actually undermines process that has been made to "ensure quality, accessible healthcare." As a result, some realize that health insurance companies will ultimately increase health insurance costs. Individuals looking for reliable health policies from insurers they can trust should work with a qualified health insurance broker who can recommend health plans for their specific needs and budgets. While Anthem is one of the largest health insurers in California, there are a wide variety of other insurance providers offering many different types of health insurance plans and coverage options for consumers across the state. Working with an experienced health insurance broker can help to ensure that consumers have the best health insurance plans for their needs and budgets. About the Author By Wiley Long - President, eCAHealthinsurance ( http://www.eCAHealthinsurance.com ) - Health Insurance Advisors in California - Offering online information on health insurance plans in California, instant quotes on California Health Insurance plans, and personal assistance for all your California Health Insurance needs. |
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Street Cred: Youth Movement Afoot In Golf Shoes Market
Fred Couples may be old, but he's not old-school. One look at his golf shoes tells you that.
The Champions Tour stalwart made quite a statement at the Masters, and we're not talking about his sixth-place finish. Remarkable as it was, Couples' play drew only slightly more commentary than his footwear.
Trodding Augusta National's hallowed fairways in pursuit of a second green jacket, Couples belied his 50 years, greying temples and aching lower back in his ECCO Street Premiere golf shoes. In fact, his bag may as well have had "Sk8r Boi" stamped on the side, so casually cool was Freddie's look.
ECCO, already known for its fashion-forward approach to golf shoes, took things a step further (sorry) with the Street Premiere. The company describes the model as "street inspired" and encourages buyers to wear the shoes "both on and off the course."
Try that with your grandfather's tassled metal spikes.
ECCO's Street Premiere features distressed-leather uppers, a removable Cambrelle-covered insole, and pre-molded traction bars. Pre-molded traction bars? It means that despite the absence of spikes - metal, soft or otherwise - these babies grip the turf like honest-to-goodness golf shoes.
The Dutch company, one of the world's biggest shoe brands, isn't the only manufacturer pushing the style envelope. In their never-ending quest for youthful consumers, companies like Nike and Puma offer shoes that would look right at home in a half-pipe.
A quick glance at these industry giants' unconventional products:
Nike Air Anthem
Unlike ECCO, Nike's entry is outfitted with spikes. (So much for the bowling alley.) But the Air Anthem kicks tradition to the cart-path curb with a low-profile setup reminiscent of tennis shoes. Built for comfort and waterproof, to boot, the Air Anthem is made from soft synthetic leather, with a full-length Phylon midsole and... suffice it to say you needn't worry about blisters.
Or looking like a geezer.
Who wears 'em: Spain's Pablo Martin, winner of the 2010 Alfred Dunhill Cup
Puma Cell Fusion
We think these shoes are ultra-hip, but don't take our word for it. Puma's marketing department ups the cool quotient by stating, "If James Bond played golf, he'd wear this shoe."
Guess the lads at Puma never saw Goldfinger. But we'll give them a pass on this one, because the Cell Fusion is quite cool indeed.
Puma trumpets its shoes' state-of-the-art SmartQuill spikes and the optimum traction provided by "directional locking technology." The Cell Fusion is available in black-white and white-snorkel blue.
Who wears 'em: PGA Tour rookie/heartthrob Rickie Fowler
(Note: Tour pro Ryan Moore wears Puma's C-Hopper golf shoes, the precursor to ECCO's Street Premiere. At the moment, however, the C-Hopper is unavailable through traditional retail venues.)
Aside from ECCO, Nike and Puma, companies defying stodgy tradition include adidas, Callaway and Asics, a newcomer to the golf shoe wars. Even old-guard brands like FootJoy and Etonic offer youth-skewing models, while upstart Brisole has quickly gained a foothold in the market.
Ironically, the ageless Fred Couples has given this youth-centric golf shoes trend renewed traction.
About the Author
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