To be herself, she needs to change her body. But first, comes the battle with insurers

Jasmine Glenn’s friends remember late-night phone calls from her, sobbing and saying she was ready to kill herself, knife in hand.
CNN.com – RSS Channel – World

Life insurers let policies lapse and double-billed customers, California commissioner says

The complaints about two life insurance companies piled up: California customers said Accordia Life & Annuity Co. and Athene Annuity & Life Co. hadn’t sent them billing statements or annual reports and then let their policies lapse.

They said the companies weren’t providing electronic access to…

L.A. Times – Business

From Restaurants to Insurers, the Race to Comply With Privacy Rules

When strict new GDPR privacy regulations take effect Friday, even small firms with no European footprint must change how they handle European customers’ data.
WSJ.com: US Business

They’re called ‘co-pay accumulators,’ and they’re a way insurers make you pay more for meds

Mary Hawley takes the widely used drug Humira for her rheumatoid arthritis. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year, but for nearly a decade Hawley has been assisted with discount coupons from the drug’s manufacturer, AbbVie.

“You pay $ 5 max,” she told me. “They pay whatever is left over.”

…
L.A. Times – Business

A court found that an L.A. billionaire duped Dole investors. Now he wants to stick insurers with the bill

When billionaire David Murdock took Dole Food Co. private for $ 1.6 billion in 2013, he and a company executive defrauded the company’s board of directors, falsifying financial information that convinced the board to accept a lowball price.

That’s what a Delaware judge said in 2015, finding Murdock…

L.A. Times – Business

UnitedHealth is buying hundreds of clinics in $5-billion deal as insurers push into patient care

UnitedHealth Group Inc., the nation’s biggest health insurer, is spending nearly $ 5 billion to buy hundreds of clinics, just three days after rival Aetna Inc. announced a tie-up with CVS Health Corp.

Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth said Wednesday that its Optum segment will buy the DaVita…

L.A. Times – Business

Insurers make billions off Medicaid in California during Obamacare expansion

Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry.

But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds that patient care is subpar.

Health…

L.A. Times – Business

Insurers Brace for Drop in Enrollment Amid ACA Turmoil

With enrollment for Affordable Care Act health-insurance plans starting in just two weeks, insurers are bracing for a drop-off among consumers put off by higher rates, confusion about the law’s standing and a shorter window to choose coverage.
WSJ.com: US Business

Gains for tech help U.S. stocks higher, but insurers skid

U.S. stocks finished mostly higher Friday to wrap up a subdued week, and technology companies did most of the heavy lifting. Investors were also pleased to see that shoppers spent more money in September.

Printer and PC maker HP sent technology companies higher after releasing a strong profit forecast…

L.A. Times – Business

Foreign Firms to Sell Large Stakes in Malaysian Insurers

Several foreign insurance companies are preparing to sell large stakes in their Malaysian operations to comply with central-bank rules, which could raise nearly $ 3 billion over the next nine months.
WSJ.com: What’s News Asia