JUDGE MORENO DELAYS RULING ON AETNA'S SETTLEMENT WITH
DOCTORS.
U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno of Miami delayed ruling Oct. 14
on Aetna's proposed settlement with about 950,000 doctors after
lawyers for some of the doctors opposed the settlement.
They . . .
FRIST BACKS OFF FORCING SENATE RULE CHANGE ON JUDICIAL
NOMINEES.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has decided not to use the
so-called "nuclear option" to force the Senate to rewrite its
rules for invoking cloture on judicial nominees.
He had . . .
SENATE APPROVES GENETIC DATA PRIVACY BILL BY VOTE OF 95 TO
0.
The Senate voted unanimously Oct. 14 for legislation that would
protect the privacy of genetic information and prohibit health insurers
and employers from using personal genetic information as a . . .
APPEAL OF THE WEEK: FEDERAL JUDGE TOLD TO GET A GRIP ON
SUIT.
The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has sent a decades-old
class action with no class representative back to a lower court with
instructions to take decisive control of the case.
"We urge . . .
MEDICARE CONFEREES OPTIMISTIC.
After months of uncertainty that Medicare conferees would be able
to reach agreement on the major differences between the House- and
Senate-passed Medicare prescription drug bills, the conferees . . .
SENATE DELAYS VOTE ON CLASS ACTION BILL AS GOP SCOURS FOR
VOTES.
Senate leadership announced early Oct. 17 a vote was scheduled this
week on the Class Action Fairness Act, but the vote was quietly removed
from the schedule later that day and Senate Majority Whip . . .
FRIST CUTS DEAL WITH INSURERS, MANUFACTURERS ON ASBESTOS
BILL.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) persuaded defendant
asbestos manufacturers Oct. 15 to contribute more than insurers to a
$105 billion asbestos trust fund bill so contributions from . . .
OREGON POLICEMAN'S FATAL SHOT BRINGS $10 MILLION
LAWSUIT.
The family of an Oregon woman shot to death during a traffic stop
earlier this year has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Portland
Police Bureau, the city of Portland and three officers . . .
NEW JERSEY DRIVERS START GETTING STATE FARM POLICIES
RENEWED.
State Farm Insurance has started once again to renew auto insurance
policies in New Jersey, New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey (D) said Oct.
9.
McGreevey said State Farm and other auto insurers . . .
MISSISSIPPI JUDGE GIVES LAWYER 5-YEAR SENTENCE FOR AIDING
FRANKEL.
Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter issued a five-year
sentence Oct. 9 to a lawyer who helped Martin Frankel steal $200 million
from insurance companies in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, . . .
GEORGIA: COCA-COLA SETTLES WITH WHISTLEBLOWER.
The Coca-Cola Co. said Oct. 7 it had reached a $540,000 settlement
of lawsuits brought by a former finance director in its finance division
who said he was fired for blowing the whistle on a scheme . . .
CALIFORNIA'S GARAMENDI LOSES NO TIME IN REACHING OUT TO
ARNOLD.
California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi sent written
congratulations Oct. 8 to Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and said
he looked forward to briefing him on the next step to reform . . .
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN GETS RISK MANAGEMENT/INSURANCE
CHAIR.
Gerald D. Stephens, RLI Insurance Co. founder and chairman, has
given $1.5 million to the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of
Business to establish a risk management and insurance chair . . .
UNITED HEALTH GROUP TO ACQUIRE GOLDEN RULE.
UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest health insurer, has
said it plans to acquire Golden Rule Financial, which sells individual
health insurance policies and medical savings accounts.
Humana . . .
HALLIBURTON PROFITS FALL DUE TO ASBESTOS LITIGATION
COSTS.
The Halliburton Co. announced Oct. 9 its third-quarter earnings
were lower than anticipated because of costs associated with settling
asbestos claims.
The company reported earnings per share . . .
NHTSA DEMONSTRATES NEW SUV ROLLOVER TEST FOR 2004 CARS.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demonstrated
what it called "a dynamic track test" for all vehicles to
determine how safe they are if forced to make tight turns at high
speeds.
. . .
HOSPITAL MEDICAL INJURIES ESTIMATED TO COST $9.3 BILLION A
YEAR.
Medical injuries during hospital stays result in over 32,000 deaths
each year and 2.4 million extra days in the hospital at a cost of $9.3
billion per year, a new joint study by the Agency for . . .
CBO FINDS DIFFICULTY IN DETERMINING COSTS OF SENATE ASBESTOS
BILL.
The Congressional Budget Office has issued a cautious estimate of
the costs associated with establishing the Asbestos Injury Claims
Resolution Fund in the asbestos bill, S. 1125, which passed the . . .
BUSH JOINS WITH FRIST, GRASSLEY ON MEDICARE DRUG BILL
COMPROMISE.
Although the conferees have been meeting in closed session, word
leaked out last week that President Bush had told Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist (R-TN) he favored the Senate approach to . . .
HOUSE PASSES PENSION BILL, 397 TO 2.
With only two dissenting votes, the House voted Oct. 8 to ease the
burden of pension liabilities on employers.
"This bill strengthens defined benefit pension plans in the
short term while . . .
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