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Thefts of catalytic converters keep surging. That's costing drivers and insurers.

Jun 2, 2023
As trace metals become more valuable, thefts keep climbing, causing headaches for drivers, mechanics and insurance companies.
A car mechanic installs a catalytic converter to control pollutants. Thefts mushroomed  between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Lab billing operations add to rural hospital woes, leaving some on life support

Jul 18, 2022
For rural communities, the loss of hospitals means no access to nearby emergency care and the loss of health care jobs.
Rural hospital closures have increased during the pandemic. Many hospitals were run by  lab companies that left difficult financial and legal problems behind.
David McNew/Getty Images

Getting your insurer to reimburse you for at-home COVID tests requires some effort

Jan 27, 2022
Only half of the insurers in a recent poll said they're offering the easier option of providing tests directly.
Although all insurers surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation offered reimbursement for at-home COVID tests, only about half had a network of preferred pharmacies or retailers.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

California orders insurers not to drop homeowners in wildfire-prone areas

Sep 21, 2021
With the risk of wildfire rising, it's become harder for some homeowners to find coverage.
A table and chairs remain in front of a Greenville, California, home destroyed by the Dixie Fire. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara wants insurers to reward residents who mitigate fire risk.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

How the decline of Black-owned insurance firms widened the wealth gap

Jul 20, 2020
Many of the agencies survived the Great Depression but later died out. Their loss meant less money invested into Black communities.
Moyo Studios

Property insurers report the worst first-quarter profits in more than 20 years

May 2, 2017
When you buy insurance for your car or your house, you and your insurance company hope you’ll never have to use it. Well, not so much in 2017. Property insurers are reporting the worst first-quarter profits in more than 20 years.  You can blame hailstorms, ice storms, tornadoes—the kind of severe weather that contributes to […]

Insurance companies get FAA approval to use drones

Apr 20, 2015
Drones from your insurance company could be coming to a neighborhood near you.

For public good, not for profit.

Obamacare extension catches insurers off guard

Dec 24, 2013
The Obama administration has extended the deadline for people who are signing up for health insurance on the federal exchange, but insurers are having trouble adapting.
A computer screen reads, 'Enroll by Dec. 23 for coverage starting as soon as Jan 1. That deadline has been extended by a day.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Insurance companies prepare for their Obamacare deadline

Nov 29, 2013
The White House's self-imposed deadline for healthcare.gov to be "working smoothly" for the "vast majority of users" is Saturday

Delaying Obamacare: How do insurers feel?

Oct 28, 2013
Even some Democrats are saying the sign-up period for the Affordable Healthcare Act should be extended.