The Insurance Industry is Evil, but the Health Insurance Industry is Really Evil

Here's a don't miss series by the Toledo Blade about the Health Care Industry. It's not pretty. This isn't exactly about, say, auto or car accidents, but the practice of "Deny, Delay and Deceive" seems to run across insurance families. Or as the story says: People with health insurance were harmed because insurers interfered.

Some Youtube vids.

Day One: Not what the doctor ordered.



Day Two:

Patient Peter Tsikns ordeal with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Study Finds Its Better to Settle in Most Cases

As usual, you should consult your attorney. Just as a layman, I would imagine that there shouldn't be a large difference between a settlement and what you would get if a trial verdict goes your way. Full story here:

The vast majority of cases do settle — from 80 to 92 percent by some estimates, Mr. Kiser said — and there is no way to know whether either side in those cases could have done better at trial. But the findings, based on a study of 2,054 cases that went to trial from 2002 to 2005, raise provocative questions about how lawyers and clients make decisions, the quality of legal advice and lawyers’ motives.

Critics of the profession have long argued that lawyers have an incentive to try to collect fees that are contingent on winning in court or simply to bill for all the hours required to prepare and go to trial.

“What I would want them to look at was whether or not the lawyers had a strong financial incentive to go to trial,” said Cristina C. Arguedas, a criminal defense lawyer in Berkeley, Calif., when told of the study. “I’m not suggesting the answer, because I don’t know, but that would be my question.”

The study, which is to be published in the September issue of the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, does not directly answer Ms. Arguedas, but it does find that the mistakes were made more often in cases in which lawyers are typically paid a share of whatever is won at trial.

How To Avoid Car Accidents

This comes from the California and Insurance Blog about things you shouldn't do in your car:

Parents magazine has a list in its July, 2008 edition with "5 Totally Unsafe Car Moves." Their top 5:

1. Climbing into the backseat, while the car is moving;
2. Picking up your baby while the car is moving;
3. Traveling with pets loose in the car;
4. Packing the car to the gills; (My car doesn't have gills, does yours?)
5. Forgetting to double-check the car seat.

I have to tell you, other than #3 and maybe #4, none of these ever come up. After three kids, I can not count any times when anyone climbed into the backseat to be with the kids. The idea never even cross our minds. Nor did #2 or #5. I have traveled with an old dog to the vet with him sitting next to me. And once in a while, we put a lot of luggage in the car for a road trip. (Although, with gas prices being so high, the road trips are done for a while.)

Here are my 5 totally unsafe car moves:

1. Putting on makeup while driving;
2. Shaving while driving;
3. Text messaging while driving;
4. Changing your clothes while driving;
5. Passing things between cars while driving.

Share your totally unsafe car moves with me.

I think you would be better off if you just ignore kids and makeup entirely but that's just me.