A Lot of Insurance Quotes

A 42-year-old upstate New York man has been hospitalized after the 55-gallon drum he was cutting up exploded and shot into the air, hitting him on the head.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office says Ricky Poore was using a cutting torch to remove the end of the drum Monday morning at Shue Bros. Excavating in his hometown of Port Leyden, on the southwestern edge of the Adirondack Park 55 miles northeast of Syracuse.

Authorities say heat and flames pierced the drum, causing it to explode and shoot upward, striking Poore before hitting the 15- to 20-foot-high ceiling of the garage he was working in.

Poore was listed in serious condition at a Syracuse hospital.

A lot of people have heard about two big companies, NetQuote and Esurance, and a lot of people have questions about these companies. NetQuote has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, and in CNN Money, and the Wall Street Journal, while Esurance is all over the television and in internet ads as well. The main question people want to know about these big-name companies is which one has the lowest auto insurance rates. Unfortunately, that question points to the fact that many people misunderstand exactly what it is these two companies actually do.

First of all, neither NetQuote or Esurance offer their customers or site visitors automobile insurance. Instead, both companies serve to offer their clients automobile insurance rate quotes, free of charge.

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17th April 2011

Following a technical DNF in Race One, Aprilia World Superbike rider Leon Camier fought back to finish just off of the podium in Race Two at Assen today. The British racing star, who posted the fastest lap of the day, now lies 6th in the Championship standings.

Drama struck for the 24 year old as he lined up on the grid for the first race. Technical problems meant that Leon had to pull his race bike off of the track just before the green light. Leon ran back to start the race from the pit lane, pushing him down to 21st place and last. Managing to make his way up to 17th, Leon eventually retired to the pits on lap 18 after a separate technical issue struck his bike. Read full post…

President Barack Obama plans to make a speech on Wednesday that addresses numerous debt issues, including that of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Media reports predict his discussion will lean towards reducing spending in both programs to contribute to reducing a $4 trillion deficit over the next 10 years.

Cutting Excess Health Care Spending a Must

Some say the president is placing the need to cut excess health care spending in the nation’s biggest benefit programs at the top of his agenda on Wednesday as he proposes ways to reduce the deficit.

While some of his plans contrast the $5 trillion in cuts his Republican opponents propose–including his push to increase taxes for the wealthy–some worry his proposal to make cuts in Medicaid and Medicare fall too closely in line with Republican ideas.

Currently, he is expected to make changes to the programs, but there is no official word beyond speculation of what those changes will be.

Republican Suggestions for Medicaid and Medicare

On the Republican side, lawmakers pushing their $5 trillion deficit reduction proposal also want to make cuts in the benefits programs. Lawma

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The board of the insurer of last resort for property along the Texas coast has selected John Polak as the association’s interim general manager.

Polak succeeds Randy Wipf, who was named acting general manager of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association in March after former General Manager Jim Oliver was ousted following a takeover of the organization by the Texas Department of Insurance.

Polak has more than 39 years of industry experience, including management positions in financial, actuarial, underwriting and claims handling. He has worked in both the public and private sectors, and has served as the head of a state agency.

As CEO of a major insurance company, he dealt directly with regulators in all 50 states. In addition, he has managed claims organizations that handled a daily claims volume in catastrophe-prone areas, and was directly involved in responses to loss events due to hurricanes Rita, Katrina, Charlie, Ivan, Jeanne and others.

TWIA was placed under TDI Administrative Oversight in late February after regulators decided that the association’s management could no longer effectively operate the state-backed insurer.

The association has been under intense scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers and even law enforcement officials, mostly due to its claims and management practices after Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast in 2008. The insurer was hit with nearly $2 billion in claims from Hurricanes Ike and Dolly in 2008.

TDI said it will release TWIA from Administrative Oversight when it determines that such oversight is no longer necessary. Administrative oversight does not does not affect the terms of coverage and insurance policies remain in effect. Policyholders and agents should expect normal business operations, TDI said.

Legislation aimed at reforming TWIA operations has been filed in the Texas House of Representatives.

Jerry Johns, president of the insurer trade group Southwestern Insurance Information Service, said Polak appears “well qualified to lead TWIA into the future. Insurers are confident he will provide stability, leadership and a sense of mission to TWIA. We welcome him as the general manager, wish him every success and pledge our cooperation.”