The Underwriter's Insider October 2014 by The Underwriter's Insider

Features 5 Advertising 9 Kim Komando 22 Inside Track 27 Insider Advisor 28 Classifieds 32 Say What? 34 Back Issues

News 4 7 9 10

War on Poverty Expensive Failure $22 Trillion Brings No Improvement

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Obamacare: Amend or Repeal? OP/ED by Spencer A. Lehman, RHU

New California Law Reduces Number Of Uninsured Motorists Six Netflix Secrets That You Need To Know - By Kim Komando Dr. “Chutzpah” Loses Mississippi License While Involved In Products Liability Screening

Plant City, Florida Insurance Agent Arrested On $200,000 Fraud - Bilking The Elderly

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LAAIA 2014 Trade Fair Booth Images Online For One More Month

Florida Office Of Insurance Regulation Approves Removal Of Up To 427,584 Citizens Policies

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Gigantic Cyber Hack! 76 Million JP Morgan Chase Bank Accounts Hit - 4 Steps You Must Do Now!

Florida Announces The Arrest Of Three Jacksonville Residents For P.I.P. Fraud Advertising Secrets! What National Companies Know That You Don’t... 250,000 Virginians Scheduled To Lose Coverage As A Result Of Obamacare Issue Affecting Virginia Senate Race

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News 21

Five Tampa Residents Arrested In $525,000 Insurance Fraud - Additional Arrests Expected To Be Made

Watch Two Great White Sharks Go Head To Head - Only One Come Up The Winner

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Florida’s Worker’s Comp Law Declared Unconstitutional - Industry Shakeup

North Carolina DOI Criminal Investigators Share Tips On Detecting Insurance Fraud

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For The Love Of Diversity - Are We Allowing A Metastic, Destructive Culture To Suplant Our Own?

Germany Says “NO” To Shariah Law - Does The U.S. Have The Same Courage? Another Leading Climate Scientist Comes Out As Skeptic on Warming Video: F-15 Airstrike Against ISIS Building & Tanks Video: See The Deepest Pool In The World - Deep As A 12-Story Building! Geogia Dept. Of Insurance Recovers $4.7 Million For Consumers So Far in 2014

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SINCE 1964 “WAR ON POVERTY” SPENDING SKYROCKETS WHILE POVERTY RATE BARELY MOVES Abysmal Results Highlight Absolute Failure of Liberal Policies - But Do They Learn?

ashington, D.C. September 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The American taxpayer has spent $22 Trillion (more than our entire national debt!) on “feel good” liberal policies that have given them a zero return on taxpayer’s gigantic investment. Yet if you ask a liberal Democrat why the programs were such a colossal flop, they will invariably tell you, “We didn’t spent enough!”

and no failure is ever sufficiently dramatic to cause them to rethink their policies or their politics. True, the cynical will say that liberals never intended to solve the problem of poverty. It was, they’ll say, simply a way to purchase votes and power for the Democrat party with taxpayer money, the cost to the country be damned. The cynical will say that.

One third of this country, over 100 million people, are currently receiving some sort of taxpayer To a liberal, no sum is ever enough funded aid.

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NEW LAW TO REDUCE NUMBER OF UNINSURED DRIVERS ON CALIFORNIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROADS

"This bipartisan bill was the single most important action that the Legislature took this year to reduce the estimated three million uninsured vehicles on California's roadways," said Commissioner Jones. "The signing of this bill will allow a substantial number of individuals to be eligible for a low-cost insurance option that would otherwise be unavailable. By reducing the

insurance law in two broad ways. The bill modifies and reforms eligibility requirements for CLCA, which has helped more than 70,000 low-income individuals purchase affordable automobile insurance since the program's inception in 2000. The bill also recognizes the DMV-estimated 1.4 million non-citizen individuals who will receive drivers' licenses pursuant to the governor's signing of AB 60 in 2013. An unknown but likely substantial percentage of these licensees would meet all eligibility criteria of CLCA, except for the requirement of three

ACRAMENTO, Calif. - More low-income Californians will now have the opportunity to purchase affordable automobile insurance. Senate Bill 1273 (Lara), sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, expands and enhances California's Low-Cost Automobile Insurance Program (CLCA) to include non-citizen individuals who qualify for California drivers' licenses next year, thanks number of uninsured drivers, to legislation signed today by this law will help protect all California motorists. I'd like to Governor Jerry Brown. sincerely thank Senator Lara for The new law makes necessary partnering with me and for his reforms and enhancements to tireless efforts to help newly the CLCA to ensure that all of licensed drivers."

years of documented driving experience. This bill allows those individuals to qualify for the actuarially sound program, which is backed by insurance rates required to cover the appropriate cost of the risk pool.

Low-income motorists to benefit from affordable insurance options as AB 60 reforms of 2013 are implemented

auto insurance options. These reforms and enhancements will increase overall participation in the program.

California's low-income drivers have access to affordable SB 1273 increases compliance The new law will go into effect with the state's mandatory auto January 1, 2015. www.underwritersinsider.com

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OCT 2014 A Publication of AdMax Corp Corporate Offices P.O. Box 31551 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33420 561.718.0745 info@underwritersinsider.com © Entire Contents 2014 AdMax Corp

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3 NETFLIX SECRETS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Netflix’s ISP Speed Index Chart to quickly see how your ISP stacks up.

To know for sure, open Netflix and search for “Example Short 23.976.” This video is an ith over 50 million well as you’d want. I’m going to 11-minute series of random clips subscribers in 40 share some of the lesser-known so it’s not very entertaining. But it countries, Netflix is Netflix secrets that will help you does hold the keys to one major the most popular television show track down problems and make it secret. and movie streaming service. work the way you want. During peak evening hours, If you look in the corner of the the service using up to 34% of video, it shows your video bit rate 1. Streaming speed America’s Internet capacity. and resolution. The bit rate is how

Really Cool Info - by Kim Komando

affects video quality

While Netflix may seem simple on the surface, though, the reality is that Netflix is one of the most complex services on the Internet - from the massive amount of HD videos it has to stream to its formulas for deciding what videos to recommend for each subscriber. That means N e t f l i x sometimes doesn’t work as

fast the video is streaming and the resolution is the quality. The A side effect to Netflix’s massive faster the bit rate, the better the popularity is that it overwhelms quality you can get. Internet providers’ networks - or so the ISPs claim. Some Typically, Netflix streams 1080p providers have even gone so far resolution at 3 Megabits per as to throttle, or slow down, their second (3,000 kilobits per subscribers’ connection to Netflix. second). That’s ideally what you If you’re paying for a hyper-fast Internet connection and getting lousy video quality, this might be the cause. Take a look at

want to see. Make a note of the highest numbers you see during the clip and then check the bit rate against what Netflix says your provider averages. That will tell you if you’re getting the streaming speed that Netflix thinks you are. If your bit rate is much lower than Netflix says it should be, then it might be a problem with your Internet. Run a speed test to see if you’re getting the Internet speed you’re paying for. If you aren’t getting the

See Kim Komando Pg 40 www.underwritersinsider.com

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DR. HARRON LOSES MISSISSIPPI LICENSE

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Expert Analysis & Commentary by Barry Zalma, Esq.

Chutzpah” is a Yiddish word meaning unmitigated gall. It is often defined by example of a person who murdered his parents and at sentencing asked the court for mercy because he is an orphan. Our readers will remember some of the work concerning fraudulent silicosis cases that I have written about here, here and in Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter.

claiming that he could testify as an expert after being found to have wrongfully diagnosed people with silicosis and asbestosis without even looking at the x-rays. He gave up his license in Texas and wished to keep his license in Mississippi.

FACTS Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE is a California attorney specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling and fraud who serves as a consultant and expert for insurers and policyholders. He founded Zalma Insurance Consultants in 2001 and serves as its senior consultant. He recently published an e-book, “Getting The Whole Truth,” which is available at his Web site, www.zalma.com. Go to Zalma Books at http://www.zalma.com/zalmabooks. htm.

In Mississippi State Bd. of Medical Licensure v. Harron, — So.3d —-, 2014 WL 4550162 (Miss.App., 9/16/2014) the Mississippi Court of Appeal was called upon to affirm or reverse the decision of the the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure (the Board) who had disciplined Dr. Ray A. Harron for his involvement in silicosis litigation in Texas, by ordering that he never attempt to renew his lapsed medical license. As part of the discipline, the Board notified a national physician’s data bank that Dr. Harron’s actions had the potential to harm patients. Join Barry Zalma’s new Blog:

http://www.zalma.com/blog

Although Dr. Harron agreed to the discipline, he disagreed that his actions as an expert witness had the potential to harm patients. He therefore appealed the Board’s action to the Hinds County Chancery Court. The chancery court reversed the Board’s action, ruling that it had no jurisdiction, that its ruling lacked substantial evidence, and that its notification to the physician’s data bank was arbitrary and capricious. Dr. Harron redifined “chutzpah” by

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The facts are egregious. Dr. Harron was issued a medical license in Mississippi in 1995. It lapsed in 2007. Dr. Harron stopped seeing patients in 1995, and started working for Netherland & Mason (N & M), a Mississippi company that screened potential plaintiffs for asbestosis and silicosis-related diseases. In 2001, Dr. Harron shifted focus to screening persons for potential silicosis claims. The filing of silicosis cases involving thousands of claimants led to the creation of a multi-district litigation (MDL) proceeding in Texas, styled In re Silica Products Liability Litigation, 398 F.Supp.2d 563 (S.D.Tex.2005). This case, presided over by United States District Judge Janis Graham Jack, involved 111 cases totaling over 10,000 individual plaintiffs. A Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm. The Underwriter’s Insider

Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993) hearing was held in February 2005, at which Dr. Harron, and other witnesses, testified. Dr. Harron was involved in performing “B-reads” or producing diagnosing reports on 6,700 of the claimants in the Texas litigation. He was listed as the diagnosing physician on 2,600 of these claims. Dr. Harron testified about his practices of letting medically untrained secretaries and typists interpret his reports, insert a diagnosis, stamp his signature on the reports, and send them out with no review by him. He testified that he “might” have given a copy of his signature stamp to N & M when he “got behind on typing.” He testified that “anybody” could have stamped his signature to reports.

histories performed by lawyers and nonmedical personnel, which were “so deficient as to not even merit the label. The court further found that Dr. Harron’s (and other doctors’) review of x-rays lacked qualitycontrol measures, and produced results that were described by other experts as “staggering,” “implausibl[e],” “unsound,” and “stunning and not scientifically plausible.“ Judge Jack found that Dr. Harron relied upon occupational/exposure histories and medical histories which fail to even merit the title, “history,” let alone meet the generallyaccepted scientific methodology for diagnosing silicosis.

Perhaps even more stunning Dr. Harron did not read, review or even see any of the 99 diagnosing reports bearing his name. This “distressing” and “disgraceful” While being questioned about procedure does not remotely how he could diagnose a specific resemble reasonable medical claimant with asbestosis and practice. later diagnose the same claimant with silicosis based on reading In early 2007, the Texas Medical the same x-ray, he asked for a Board instituted disciplinary lawyer to represent him, and all proceedings against Dr. Harron questioning of him was halted based upon his activities in by the judge. Judge Jack noted relation to the silicosis litigation. during Dr. Harron’s testimony As a result of those proceedings, that N & M had a stack of blank Dr. reports pre-signed by Dr. Harron. Harron entered into an agreed At the conclusion of the hearing, order dated April 13, 2007, in the court ruled that Dr. Harron’s which he surrendered his Texas proposed expert testimony (and medical license, and agreed not that of some other doctors) to seek its renewal. was unreliable and excluded it. Specifically, the court found In July 2007, the Board that Dr. Harron relied on medical also instituted disciplinary www.underwritersinsider.com

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proceedings against Dr. Harron. During these proceedings, Dr. Harron entered into an agreed order, approved by the Board in November 2007, in which he agreed to never seek renewal of his Mississippi medical license and to pay all costs of the investigation and disciplinary hearings up to $5,000. The agreed order expressly stated that the results of the proceeding would be reported to the National Practitioners Data Bank (NPDB), a data bank that monitors disciplinary actions involving doctors. The Board submitted an Adverse Action Report to the NPDB. In the report a question was asked: “Is the Adverse Action Specified in This Report Based on the Subject’s Professional Competence or Conduct, Which Adversely Affected, or Could Have Adversely Affected, the Health or Welfare of the Patient?” The Board answered “Yes” to this question. Dr. Harron filed a written dispute with the NPDB, claiming that he acted only as an expert witness and not in a doctor-patient relationship, and that as a result, his actions could not have harmed a patient. Dr. Harron then refused to pay the $5,000 in costs. In 2009, the Board held a hearing after which it concluded that Dr. Harron had violated Mississippi Code Annotated section 73– 25–29(8)(d) and (13) (Rev.2012), See ZALMA Page 24 11

2015, THE 114TH CONGRESS AND OBAMACARE WHAT’S NEXT, AMEND OR REPEAL?”

OP/ED BY SPENCER A. LEHMANN, RHU

ost in the ongoing Foreign Events taking place in Iraq and Syria, Israel and Gaza, Afghanistan and the Taliban, ISIS and Khorasan (al Qaeda’s newest offspring), Iran and the Bomb, and the plethora of other concerns keeping the Leaders of many countries awake at night wondering how to combat all of the problems confronting the Global Community, including one hopes, America, is that little problem called Obamacare, aka ACA, and more correctly known as the UnACA (the UnAffordable Care Act). While President Barack Obama has assured Americans that he has “Won the War on Terror”, “Has Al-Qaeda on its heels”, and that he alone has “Ended the War in Iraq, and withdrawn all of our troops, as promised” (against the advice of his advisers, his generals, and accepted military strategists), proclaimed that ISIS is not an Islamist terrorist group, in spite of the fact that ISIS stands for the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria”, aka the Caliphate (the world

Spencer A. Lehmann is a Registered Health Underwriter (RHU), whose company, Lehmann/Wood & Associates, Inc., specializes in Group and Individual Long Term Care insurance and Medicare Supplemental Coverage. Mr. Lehmann retired from his company in 2005 and now spends his time writing on Health Care Insurance and Political Issues, both of which have encompassed over 40+ years of his life. He has been an actively involved member of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) since 1978, and serves on the Board of Directors of several Charitable Organizations’ helping Special Needs Children, and Inner-City Children to experience and participate in the world of the Arts and Music. In his free time he plays golf with his wife, Fran, who usually wins.

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wide State of Islam) when the entire world knows that it is precisely that, the fact is that we are in a heap of trouble. Much of that trouble is likely the result of Mr. Obama’s refusal to take the blinders off his eyes and admit that, in plain words, he blew it. He has been roundly criticized by members of his own party for having ignored that valuable advice from his generals, his Secretaries of State, and others knowledgeable about the vacuum created by withdrawing all of our troops would leave in place, allowing a groups precisely like ISIS to fill. While Mr. Obama has begun airstrikes in Iraq and Syria to attempt to slow the progress of ISIS, as is usual with this President, who has not a scintilla of military experience and who continues to ignore the advice of those around him who do, he has already pronounced to the enemy his declaration that America will never put “boots on the ground” to take out this formidable enemy (news they must have thoroughly enjoyed hearing, “Party time guys! Obama is just bloviating camel crap again! The Underwriter’s Insider

Praise Allah!”). It’s a shame that after almost six years in office, Mr. Obama has yet to learn anything about military strategy, including the most basic of all “don’t tell the enemy what you are going to do”. One could make the case that after Obama’s last mistake in telling the enemy that they really had nothing to fear, he should have been ordered to spend six months in “boot camp” and learn a little bit about “how not to lose a war”. But I forget. Mr. Obama has ended all of our wars…. or, has he? Nevermind, it’s clear that al Qaeda is not on the run, not rocking back on their heels but is more than alive and well; ISIS is now a serous concern to all of the Free-world, Khorasan has already declared war on the United States, Israel’s problems with Hamas are not only not over, they are merely on a momentary hiatus, Afghanistan could erupt again at any time, and here in America we are now having Islamists beheading American citizens for no other reason than they can.

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Amidst all this fun is the fact that ObamaCare, aka the UnACA, is alive and kicking, ready to jump up and bite Americans on their rear ends and in their pocket books, in no time at all.

the law that is causing them so much financial and mental pain and anguish, as they feel far more insecure and unsure if they will be able to access “reasonable and affordable” health care, even at highly unaffordable prices.

In the last two issues of The Underwriter’s Insider we covered One primary issue, which will a number of the unexpected determine the course of action and expected “creatures” just under the surface that are ready See ObamaCare- Page 30 to jump up out of the ground to do that biting. They are already revealing their presence. A result of the fact that the UnACA is continuing to cause serous problems and concern for Americans, a new one is the now known fact that Healthcare.gov was hacked, and all of our personal information can be “taken” by whomever has that information and that should it happen on a large scale, criminal enterprises could make hundreds of millions of dollars for which the innocent policyholders of the UnACA could be held responsible, is that when the new 114th Congress begins their sessions in 2015, they may be faced with a public outcry to amend and fix the problems immediately, or repeal

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FLORIDA ARRESTS PLANT CITY INSURANCE AGENT IN $200,000 FRAUD

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ALLAHASSEE – Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the arrest of Plant City financial advisor and insurance agent Paula Kampf Albertson for stealing $200,000 in insurance claims from her clients. An investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud revealed Albertson exploited her elderly clients by making Albertson’s own family the beneficiaries of her clients’ insurance benefits.

as beneficiary and contingent beneficiary. Within weeks, the client passed away. After filing a death benefits claim, Albertson’s husband fraudulently collected more than $150,000. To circumnavigate a Florida law prohibiting agents from being “Fraud of any kind is intolerable, named beneficiaries on a client’s but it is especially repugnant policy, Albertson lied, saying her when it involves taking advantage husband and step-son were the of the trust of Florida seniors,” client’s cousin and nephew. said CFO Atwater. “I applaud our investigators efforts to bring this One year later, one of Albertson’s other clients was contacted by her woman to justice.” insurance company regarding a In May of 2011, Albertson nearly $50,000 cash surrender on changed the home address on her annuity account. In a sworn a dying client’s annuity policy to statement, the client indicated her own home address. Shortly she had not requested the after, she ordered a change of payout and that the signature on beneficiary form that named the resulting check was not her her husband and step-son, both own. An investigation revealed licensed insurance agents with that Albertson again changed her the Albertson Financial Group, client’s home address to collect 14

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and fraudulently endorsed the check over to her company for personal gain. Since then, at least three additional victims have been identified, but the loss dates are beyond the statute of limitations. In an effort to expedite professional licensure revocation processes, Albertson has agreed to a guilty plea of insurance fraud entailing a minimum 21 month prison sentence, immediate license termination and a prohibition on the acceptance of profits from any practice of insurance.

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BREAKING NEWS AS WE GO LIVE: GIGANTIC HACK: 76 MILLION JPMORGAN CHASE BANK ACCOUNTS HIT - 4 STEPS YOU MUST DO NOW!

PMorgan Chase Bank revealed that 76 million household accounts, along with 7 million business accounts, were compromised in a recent cyber-attack. This attack ranks among the largest ones ever disclosed. Details indicate the hack occurred during June and July this past summer.

What We Know The breach affects everyone who visited the company’s websites, including Chase. com, or used its mobile app during June and July of 2014.

4 Steps You Must Do Now

4. You’re likely to get email supposedly coming from Chase. If you get any email that asks you to click a link or download a file, it's a scam and delete it right away. Click here to learn how to spot these 1. Change your online and email scams. mobile app passwords and PINs for your debit and credit Whoever is behind this attack cards. Click here for tricks on went through a tremendous creating strong passwords effort to hack about 90 you won't forget. Be sure to different servers deep inside update your personal security JPMorgan Chase. Even with a questions and answers too. new debit card, you might not This is important. Change your be safe. Hackers have other passwords on any other online ways to steal your information. account that used the same Click here for the five riskiest user names or passwords as places to swipe your debit your JP Morgan account. card. If you bank with JPMorgan Chase - and this hack could actually affect 83 million people - I recommend the following.

Customer names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses were taken. This doesn’t sound like much but 2. Watch all your accounts it’s enough for scammers to like a hawk! In fact, set up text have a field day. alerts to let you know about unusual activity - learn how to JPMorgan Chase says that do that here. In some previous there is no evidence that hack attacks, the victims were account information for such hit with small charges of just affected customers - account a few dollars to not attract too numbers, passwords, user much attention. IDs, dates of birth or Social Security numbers - was 3. If you notice any compromised during this unusual activity on your attack. accounts, contact your bank www.underwritersinsider.com

immediately and request new debit or credit card.

On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com. Kim also posts breaking tech news 24/7 at News.Komando.com. 15

FLORIDA OFFICE OF INSURANCE REGULATION APPROVES REMOVAL OF UP TO 427,584 POLICIES FROM CITIZENS The take-out periods are Nov. 18, 2014 for personal residential impacting both the PLA/CA policies and Nov. 4, 2014 for commercial residential impacting both the CLA/CA policies.

ALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) has approved the removal of up to 425,357 personal residential policies and 2,227 commercial residential polices from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) by the following 14 companies: · American Integrity Insurance Company of Florida – approved to remove up to 15,000 personal residential policies (14,637 Personal Lines Account (PLA)/363 Coastal Account (CA)) · Avatar Property & Casualty Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 10,000 personal residential PLA policies · Capitol Preferred Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 30,000 personal residential PLA policies · Elements Property Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 60,000 personal residential policies (54,000 PLA/6,000 CA) · Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 70,000 personal residential policies (62,500 PLA/7,500 CA) and up to 200 commercial residential Commercial Lines Account (CLA) policies

· Mount Beacon Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 47,900 personal residential PLA policies · Olympus Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 30,000 personal residential policies (23,379 PLA/6,621 CA) · Safepoint Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 18,000 personal residential policies (15,000 PLA/3,000 CA) · Southern Fidelity Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 30,000 personal residential PLA policies · Southern Fidelity Property & Casualty Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 30,000 personal residential PLA policies · Southern Oak Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 10,000 personal residential policies (8,500 PLA/1,500 CA) · Tower Hill Signature Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 6,164 personal residential policies (4,931 PLA/1,233 CA) · United Property & Casualty Insurance Company – approved to remove up to 51,293 personal residential policies (42,573 PLA/8,720 CA) and up to 2,027 commercial residential policies (1,824 CLA/203 CA)

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· Universal Insurance Co. of North America – approved to remove up to 17,000 personal residential PLA policies Citizen’s Personal Lines and Commercial Lines Accounts are mostly non-coastal properties and the Coastal Account are coastal properties. The take-out periods are November 18, 2014 for personal residential impacting both the PLA/CA policies and November 4, 2014 for commercial residential impacting both the CLA/CA policies. This is part of the state’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of policies in Citizens and transfer them to the private insurance market. Today’s announcement brings the total number of policies approved for take-outs this year to 894,156 and the actual number of policies removed from Citizens as of August 30 of 2014 to 124,995. By statute, policyholders may choose to remain covered by Citizens; however, they may be at risk of higher assessments. For more information, please visit the Office’s “Take-Out Companies” webpage at: http:// www.floir.com/Sections/PandC/ TakeoutCompanies.aspx. The Underwriter’s Insider

FLORIDA ANNOUNCES ARRESTS OF THREE JACKSONVILLE RESIDENTS FOR PIP FRAUD

ALLAHASSEE – Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the arrests of three Jacksonville residents for personal injury protection (PIP) fraud. Yolanda Vargas, Christian Vargas and Willdelyn Rodriguez are each charged with one count of committing a staged motor vehicle accident and one count of insurance fraud.

said CFO Atwater. “I will not tolerate these harmful acts, and I am proud of our investigators for diligently working to hold these fraudsters accountable.”

Investigators are still searching for Felix Vargas who is accused of recruiting the arrested individuals to participate in the PIP scheme. He is believed to be connected to “PIP fraud hurts all Floridians by a large scale identity theft ring in driving up the cost of insurance,” New York City as well an IRS scam www.underwritersinsider.com

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in which he directed the payment of others’ tax returns to himself. Anyone with information of suspected insurance fraud is asked to call 1-800-378-0445. Citizens who provide tips can remain anonymous. The Department of Financial Services to date has awarded almost $349,000 to nearly 60 citizens as part of its Anti-Fraud Reward Program. The program rewards individuals up to $25,000 for information that directly leads to an arrest and conviction in an insurance fraud scheme. 17

ADVERTISING SECRETS: WHAT NATIONAL COMPANIES KNOW THAT YOU DON’T by Ron Manera, Editor

hy does SONY or Office Depot or Best Buy spend millions putting their name on the side of stock cars? Why does Goodyear float that big blimp over football games and golf tournaments? Have you ever once had the urge to run over to Office Depot after the race and pick up some office supplies? Or stop by Goodyear after a football game and grab some tires? If not, what’s the point? Aren’t these companies wasting their money? Even more confusing, the race car says absolutely nothing about Office Depot. It doesn’t say "we have great products." It doesn’t say, "we have low prices." It doesn’t say, "we have convenient location." Most likely there is nothing in or about that race car that has anything to do with Office Depot. And there are no tires on the blimp! What do these giant companies know about advertising that you don’t? It’s the power of name recognition - a key element in branding.

One theory of branding dictates that a prospect’s buying decision is greatly helped along by multiple positive exposures to a company name – sometimes hundreds or thousands of them.

spent some hard-earned money on an ad and we want that phone to ring! "Call to action" ads, they are often called - since they are to incite a prospect to buy something NOW!

You go to a major league baseball game and see a SONY sign on the wall. You don’t think much

We want that instant gratification - it’s how we evaluate our advertising - but it’s often a mistake. We fail to take into account two big factors: First, the prospect may not be in the market "now." Second, we forget the longer-term benefit of name-recognition branding.

about it, in fact you probably would never remember seeing it, but when you go to buy a TV months later, that brand has been reinforced in your mind and it becomes a powerful motivator when looking at two TVs – and one is a SONY.

Take an insurance agency, for example. They run an ad package that costs $2,000. At the end of the 30 day "call now" campaign, they can only identify $1,200 worth of commission that came directly from the ad - nowhere near the break-even point. Was the ad campaign a mistake?

That’s why big companies spend millions on name recognition ads that are never going to close a sale – but certainly do help grease them.

They need further analysis. First, only 1 of 12 readers/listeners, statistically, had a renewal coming up in the month of the campaign. (assuming all 12 Advertisers with smaller budgets month policies) Did that mean tend to want ads that are going the ad was wasted on the other to generate immediate sales. 92% of the prospects? Of course not. It could be assumed that This is understandable. We just a certain percent of prospects The Underwriter’s Insider

will continue to respond to the ads," i.e., coupons ads and sales, campaign, having noted it while it but also a strong reliance on name was running. recognition branding ads for long term results. But the big benefit of the campaign may never be understood by the Recommendations: advertiser or attributable to the campaign: name recognition. Never underestimate the Many of the prospects that may importance of name recognition have been exposed to the ad brand building. It will yield longcampaign had the name of that term, annuity-like rewards in the business plugged into their form of new business. It may not mental database. be immediate - but it is powerful and reliable. Five months down the road, one of those prospects does a Google If you are a vendor or insurance search for a local insurance company selling to insurance agency. None of them sound familiar - except one, because “Absent other he’s heard the ad - and that’s the one he calls and that’s the one factors, people that earns the business. When will almost always the insurance agency asks, "How choose to do did you hear about our agency," the newly insured says, "I found business with a well you on the Internet," not even known company realizing he first saw the agency’s over an unknown ad elsewhere. And the process may be repeated over and over again, contributing business for years depending on the branding effectiveness of the campaign itself. The trouble with most "call to action" ads, is the name recognition factor often gets lost in the reams of data pressed on the prospect in order to get them to do something "now."

— regardless of the relative merits of the unknown company or product.”

agencies, your ad may never close a deal or cause the phone to ring today. Yet when your marketing rep stops in an office and hands a business card to your prospect, The advertiser is confronted with or your prospect experiences a choice: Short term vs long term some event with a competitor results. Looking at the modeling that causes them to seek a new of Fortune 500 company ads, it’s provider, your advertising will pay apparent they believe in both. You off big. will find your classic "call to action www.underwritersinsider.com

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As a result of your branding ads, the prospect will be familiar with your company in a positive way. You will have built credibility; a comfort level that an unknown or lesser known company just can’t own. People buy for emotional reasons and justify the purchase intellectually - making buying decisions that are comfortable, easy and emotionally rewarding. Absent other factors, people will almost always choose to do business with a well known company over an unknown — regardless of the relative merits of the unknown company or product. How would you like to be a TV salesman trying to sell a new Zapo-Matic TV against a SONY? Even if the Zap-O-Matic is technically superior and carries a lower price? Consumers want a well-known brand. They want the comfort level of dealing with a leader. You become a brand leader by exposing the marketplace to your name and logo over and over again. Don’t be so fast to declare an ad campaign unsuccessful simply because it didn’t pay-off big during the campaign run. If you made a powerful brand statement, it may be like money in the bank.

See Secrets of Advertising Pg 37 19

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HOW MANY FIVE ARRESTED IN $525,000 VIRGINIANS TAMPA INSURANCE FRAUD WILL LOSE Roofing Company Arranged Assignment of Benefits on Claims - Never Made Repairs CURRENT AMPA – Florida Chief the homeowners roof repairs COVERAGE Financial Officer Jeff were necessary, helping the Atwater today announced homeowners file insurance UNDER the arrests of five NBRC Roofing claims for repair and finally OBAMACARE? Company employees for convincing the homeowners to

lexandria, VA - Virginia’s Health Insurance Reform Commission reported in September that 250,000 Virginians will lose their current health insurance coverage as a result of the so-called Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. “I am deeply concerned that, at a time when families are already struggling to make ends meet, another 250,000 policy holders will have to trim their budgets back even further,” said Commission Chairman Kathy Byron. The political effect of the cancellations will be felt in the Virginia senate race where U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D) is facing off against Ed Gillespie, (R).

organizing a $525,000 insurance fraud scheme. The Tampa-based company is accused of leaving 97 homeowners in Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties with unfinished roof repairs and liens on their homes after stealing insurance money intended to pay subcontractors.

An investigation by the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud discovered the insurance scam involved visiting homeowners following a storm, convincing

give NBRC the sole right to make the repairs and the assignment of benefits for the insurance claim. But once NBRC was paid for insurance claim, the repairs would not be completed and the insurance money would be pocketed by NBRC employees. The defendants are each charged with organizing a scheme to defraud, a first degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Additional arrests are expected to be made and will be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution.

WATCH TWO GREAT WHITE SHARKS GO HEAD TO HEAD!

“Because Mark Warner worked to pass Obamacare, 250,000 Virginians are losing the health insurance they liked, with thousands getting hit with huge out of pocket cost increases while unable to see the doctors they trust,” Gillespie said. www.underwritersinsider.com

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insurers and related topics.

Breaking News

ale pattern baldness, where the top of the back of the head may begin losing hair for men in their 40s, may be an early indicator of prostate cancer according to a recent study that found an association between the two conditions that may be related to testosterone levels.

scholarship program for students majoring in risk management, insurance, or financial services at the University of North Texas has been established in honor of Maureen C. McLendon. Ms. McLendon, a Dallasarea insurance professional who passionately supported insurance education, passed away on September 10. She earned an M.B.A. with a concentration in risk management and insurance from the University of North Texas in 1988. She was also very active on both a local and a national level in the

CPCU Society, the propertycasualty insurance industry’s premier professional association.

eigh Ann Pusey, president and CEO of the American Insurance Association (AIA), congratulated Chubb, The Hartford, Travelers and Zurich American on being named a Top 10 Commercial Carrier by Property Casualty 360. The biennial Producer Survey, done in partnership with Flaspöhler Research Group, surveyed 526 independent producers about insurer utilization, performance, perceptions of

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ollowing several years of successful mergers and acquisitions activity, Brown & Riding is officially unifying its corporate brand. The company will no longer use the names Brown & Riding/ AMW and Travis-Pedersen and will exclusively operate under the dba Brown & Riding.

dvantage Insurance Holdings Ltd. (“Advantage”), a leader in providing customized insurance solutions for businesses and individuals, announced today the capitalization of its new subsidiary, Advantage Life USA SC (“ALUSA”). Domiciled and licensed in South Carolina, ALUSA offers

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traditional private placement life insurance policies and deferred variable annuities to qualified purchasers.

ll Risks, Ltd. is pleased to share our new exclusive access to an A.M. Best “A XI” carrier for hospital risks, including healthcare facilities, in Alabama and Florida. Retail insurance brokers can access this limited market to offer hospitals the following coverages: primary hospital professional, general liability and employee benefit liability, primary physicians professional liability, and umbrella liability scheduling PL/GL/EBL/AL/EL/and non-owned aircraft. For healthcare facilities, the available coverages include: primary healthcare facility professional, general and employee benefit liability, and umbrella liability scheduling PL/GL/EBL/AL/ EL/non-owned aircraft. Primary limits of $1M per incident and $3M per aggregate are included, with the ability to tailor limit structures, and offer umbrella/excess liability limits of up to $15 million.

ll Risks, Ltd., the nation’s largest independent insurance wholesaler, has expanded its operations with www.underwritersinsider.com

the opening of its twentyfourth office in Princeton, New Jersey. Yasser Hussein, Vice President with All Risks, relocated from its Wayne, PA office to launch this new location with a full suite of property and casualty products. As Branch Manager of Property & Casualty, Yasser will be building out the office with both MGA/binding authority operations as well as large account brokerage placements.

usiness Insurance reports that “The Florida Workers’ Compensation Act no longer provides adequate benefits to injured workers and is therefore unconstitutional, a Miami-Dade County, Florida, judge has ruled. Due to the exclusive remedy provision of Florida Workers’ Compensation Act, workers are only able to seek benefits under the workers comp system. Workers can only sue their employers in certain instances — for example, if an employer deliberately intended to injure an employee, according to the provision.”

nsurance Journal reports: “Miami-based brokerdealer Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. said it has acquired Highland Capital Brokerage Inc., an

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independent life, annuities and long term care insurance brokerage, for $42 million.”

ellPoint Announced Intent to Change Corporate Name to Anthem, Inc. Pending approval from shareholders, the change is expected to take place by the end of 2014. A special shareholder meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana for shareholders of record on September 12, 2014. “As consumer engagement is heightened, we recognize that brand—an indicator of trust and a predictor of willingness to engage—is going to be of increasing importance,” said Joseph Swedish, president and CEO of WellPoint. “We believe it is important to call ourselves by the name that people know best—Anthem.”

ASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars’ orbit at 10:24 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere as never done before. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars. 23

Continued from Page 11

ZALMA as well as Mississippi Code Annotated section 73–25–83 (Rev.2012), and reaffirmed its report to the NPDB. Dr. Harron was again ordered to pay the $5,000 in costs. At the hearing conducted in January 2012, Dr. Harron admitted his prior testimony at the Daubert hearing but defended his actions as not being the practice of medicine. He admitted that he had pleaded the Fifth Amendment in testifying before congressional hearings on the silicosis mass-tort litigation, and he volunteered that he was the target of an ongoing criminal grand-jury investigation in New York involving asbestosis.

including but not limited to, allowing or otherwise instructing non-medically trained, nonallied health care personnel to interpret medical records and render medical diagnosis under his signature or signature stamp; Counts five and six—having restrictions imposed on his license to practice medicine in another state or jurisdiction while under disciplinary investigation by a state licensure board in response to allegations related to conduct in silica litigation. By order dated January 19, 2012, the Board permanently barred Dr. Harron from renewing his medical license and ordered him to pay the costs of the investigation, up to $10,000. The Board’s order stated that its previous answer on the NPDB form that Dr. Harron’s actions could have adversely

considered on appeal are: (1) whether the Board had jurisdiction to discipline Dr. Harron for his activities as an expert witness in Texas, and whether its decision was based on substantial evidence, and (2) whether the Board’s findings were arbitrary and capricious.

DISCUSSION Contrary to the chancellor’s ruling, the Board’s jurisdiction to discipline doctors is not limited to situations where the doctor is actually practicing medicine on a particular patient. For example, in Montalvo v. Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, 671 So.2d 53, 57–58 (Miss.1996), the Board’s action in refusing to reinstate the license of a physician who had been convicted in federal court of money laundering was upheld.

The relevant question is whether Dr. Harron’s activities in the Texas litigation were “likely to deceive, defraud or harm Count three— the public.” Although unprofessional conduct the statute is not limited likely to deceive, defraud to the “Mississippi or harm the public, public,” it bears noting including but not limited that a great many of the to, pre-signing blank ILO patients targeted for Dr. forms and allowing them Harron’s unprofessional to be filled out at a later diagnoses were from date (without further Mississippi. Section 73–25–29(8) review): affected the health or welfare (d) authorizes the Board to of the patient would remain regulate any Mississippi-licensed Count four—unprofessional unchanged. physician whose conduct conduct likely to deceive, (medical, ethical, or otherwise) defraud or harm the public, The issues the appellate court At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board found Dr. Harron guilty of:

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poses a threat of harm to the practice of medicine, Dr. Harron public. was, in fact, providing medical services to 2,600 patients. He was The chancellor noted that “[t]he not simply testifying as an outside charges against Dr. Harron involve consultant with no connection his work as an expert witness and to a patient, as when a doctor not as a treating physician to testifies as an expert on the any specific patient.” This ignores standard of care. He was testifying that Dr. Harron’s testimony as the diagnosing physician was as a physician. He was the for thousands of patients. He actual diagnosing physician on issued reports claiming that each a great many of the claims. Even patient whose x-rays he reviewed though Dr. Harron was suffering testified: “[I]t’s a from silicosis. legal standard and not a real The Board had FREE diagnosis,” he jurisdiction CLASSIFIEDS! was presented as to discipline the diagnosing Dr. Harron for HELP WANTED — POSITION physician on his actions in WANTED 4 — SALE ITEMS 2,600 claims. diagnosing CLICK HERE! He specifically thousands of testified at patients with the Daubert silicosis. hearing that each diagnosis The Board’s was based upon: “I feel within a actions were based on substantial reasonable degree of medical evidence. Dr. Harron admitted to certainty that this individual has the conduct the Board found to [the particular disease].” violate counts three and four of the charging affidavit. Although He testified that he stood by Dr. Harron attempts to distinguish his diagnoses. Under direct a “legal” opinion from a “medical” questioning from the district opinion, he was not offered as a judge, referring to his reports legal expert; he was offered as claiming each person had a medical expert. His medical silicosis, Dr. Harron was asked: license gave him the privilege of “Is this the diagnosis to be relied offering that opinion. That license upon by other medical people comes with a responsibility to his and the patient?” Dr. Harron profession and the public at large, answered: “Yes.” His participation which the Board is empowered to in the Texas litigation included oversee. his diagnosing patients. Although the Board has Counts five and six involved authority to discipline a doctor discipline imposed by the Texas for his actions outside the actual www.underwritersinsider.com

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Medical Board. Dr. Harron did not deny counts five and six (having surrendered his license and having been disciplined by the Texas licensing authority). The chancellor acknowledged this. Concerning these counts, the chancellor stated: “This Court does not ignore the undisputed facts that Dr. Harron’s license was restricted in another state.” This alone gives the Board the power to discipline Dr. Harron.

ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS FINDINGS There can be no real dispute that misdiagnosing someone with having a deadly disease such as silicosis has the potential to harm that person. As Judge Jack noted: “Then there is the toll taken on the See ZALMA Page 41

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“The Final Authority on Everything!” For The Love of Diversity Our

ADVISOR

founding fathers established a unique republic a representative, shared power government that has resulted in 43 transitions of presidential power without a coup or a shot being fired. Our Bill of Rights offers guarantees and promises to the governed unparalleled in the civilized world.

our editorial opinion seems to be that “Diversity” is a bad thing. Don’t you realize that America is a melting pot and it is the reason for our greatness? You seem to take the position that only American culture has any merit and that’s wrong. Just an observation. B.T. Columbia, The American culture permits dozens of religions (or no S.C. religion!) to coexist peacefully. Indeed, B.T., America’s current Nobody is beheaded because love affair with “diversity” and of their belief - or lack thereof. “multiculturalism,” spawned by the political left, is really a way While America has always of saying, “America ain’t that special.”

welcomed immigrants who brought their unique cultures with them, these immigrants have historically sought to assimilate - to become proud American citizens - part of that melting pot you reference. It’s changed, B.T. Muslim immigrants have no desire to assimilate. They wish to establish separate enclaves where they can be ruled by Shariah while arrogantly pushing aside traditional American culture and values. This kind of “diversity” will ultimately destroy our country.

But it is. Our free-market capitalist economy has brought more wealth to more people of every socioeconomic class than any other system - by insuring property rights and encouraging investment and innovation the likes of which the world had never before seen. Even our “poor” are wealthy by many international standards.

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2-20 AGENT WANTED! BROWARD COUNTY, FL

Broward County Ins Agency needsan energetic, hardworking, experienced Commercial Lines Producer. Pls fax resume to 954-208-0011. 11-6

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4-40/2-20 Agent Wanted Deerfield/Boca Raton Licensed 440/220 Wanted in the Boca/Deerfield area for Active office. Great opportunity for the right person. Contact:insure4u954@aol.com 11-6

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Position Needed Workers Compensation Orlando - Fl E. Coast Experienced Workers Compensation underwriter/marketing representative. Years of experience in the Florida market. Also experienced in the PEO industry and all casualty lines including Trucking. Please contact Tom @ toogreatt@yahoo.com 11-6

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Orlando or Jacksonville The Marketing Sales Representative is accountable for the daily management and business relationship between the Company and a specific group of independent agents. Responsibilities range from establishing and managing agent’s sales against the Company’s strategic business goals; developing and monitoring sales; to training all levels within the agency regarding specific rating and service functions. Contact: marketing@windhaveninsurance.com 11-6 www.underwritersinsider.com

INSURANCE AGENCY FOR SALE Well known South Florida based insurance agency with over 35 years of experience. Opportunities in Broward, West Palm, Orange and Hillsborough Counties. Great opportunity to get into the business with one of the industry’s most locally recognized brands. 8 week training and ongoing support. Operations Manual, marketing & advertising. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY, INSURANCE EXPERINCE WELCOMED. contact: franchise@estrellainsurance.com or call us at 1-888-511-7722 11-6

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Broward County 2-20 Agent Wanted Broward County Ins Agency needs An energetic, hardworking, experienced Commercial Lines Producer. Pls fax resume to: 954-208-0011 11-6

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Insurance Agent up to $60K 4-40 / 2-20 (Near Boca Raton)

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Position Wanted Worker’s Comp Underwriter Orlando/East Coast of FLA Experienced Workers Compensation underwriter/marketing representative. Years of experience in the Florida market. Also experienced in the PEO industry and all casualty lines including Trucking. Please contact Tom @ toogreatt@yahoo.com 11-5 29

Continued from Page 13

Cont’d... Experienced CSR and/or AgentsFt. Lauderdale area

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-220 or 440 minimum of 1 year exp.in Auto/Home/Commercial -Must have a GREAT “Can Do” attitude -Must be able to multi-task and be a willing and able Team Player -Must have the ability to treat our clients with the respect they deserve and give them the best service they have ever received Please, only happy serious people apply Marlinsii@aol.com or fax 954-587-7778 11-7

Seeking marketing and customer service personnel with life insurance experience to work at office in Oviedo. We are a wholesale Brokerage General Agency serving independent agents and financial advisors across the nation. Contact: info@lifeagents.com 11-7

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OBAMACARE taken, will be the makeup of the 114th Congress, yet to be determined.

Should the GOP wrest control of the Senate from the Democrats, then Mr. Obama and the up ‘till now intransigent congressional Democrats will be forced to finally negotiate and come to consensus with a Republican controlled House and Senate, or look like totally arrogant fools for having wasted six years and over close to Experienced CSR/Agent $2 trillion dollars of the taxpayers money that will have resulted in Boca Raton-Deerfield a total of slightly over two million Established agency seeks uninsured being insured, at the experience CSR/Agent for non-standard agen- cost of millions more Americans cy. Good opportunity to losing their insurance coverage for grow with us.Excellent a number of reasons, most financial working conditions. - not to mention the incredibly Contact: high cost of a failed experiment to insure4u954@aol.com 11-6 the country as a whole. Personal Lines H.O. Underwriters Needed Palm Beach,FL South FL (Palm Beach County)Dynamic growing homeowners ins company looking to grow their underwriting department. Must have a strong knowledge of FL HO market. Prefers insurance company underwriting experience. Minimum 3 years insurance experience in personal lines. Will evaluate risk and determine pricing and coverage. www.linkedin.com/ in/brendonporges/ 11-8

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That said, should the cry for repeal be louder than to amend, the

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members of congress may find themselves in a stickier wicket that now imagined. While polls today indicate that repeal is not what the public desires, that could change after more of the “creatures” moving around just under the surface, come up on top of the ground and start wreaking havoc among the populous. A scenario worse, in this writer’s opinion, will be if the Democrats maintain control of the Senate, in which case the opportunities for amending this seriously broken law, may be moot. Should that be the case, it is highly unlikely that any “fix” to the serious problems arising will take place until after the general election of 2016.

N. CAROLINA DOI CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS SHARE NOTES ON DETECTING INSURANCE FRAUD DOI teams with fire department to demonstrate car fire investigation techniques

detection and investigation of insurance fraud. NCDOI criminal investigations partnered with the Wilmington Fire Department to deliver a presentation about vehicle fire investigations and how they relate to insurance fraud. The presentation - led by ALEIGH -- Insurance NCDOI Criminal Investigator Commissioner Wayne and certified arson investigator Goodwin is proud to Ian Tedder - included a lecture, announce the participation of hands-on training and live the North Carolina Department vehicle burn demonstrations. of Insurance Criminal

That is a very sobering thought. Next month is midterm elections month. It will behoove us all to carefully consider just whom we want to see in the “Winner’s Circle” when we open our papers and turn on the news on November 5th, 2014.

Investigations Division at the recent International Association of Special Investigation Units’ 29th Annual Seminar and Expo on Insurance Fraud. More than 700 special investigative unit and law enforcement investigators from all over the world traveled to Greensboro to attend the seminar, which focused on the www.underwritersinsider.com

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The National Fire Incident Reporting System estimates a monetary loss of approximately $1.7 billion in motor vehicle fire claims annually in the United States. Learn more about the North Carolina Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at www.ncdoi.com/ Investigations. 31

You Want To Know What?

SAY They’re upset. They’re paying this “ astronomical tuition to come here, and WHAT? they’re talking to their parents about these questions, and their parents are getting

Notable Quotes You May Have Missed!

Florida’s Homeowner Sector: More Exposure Than Capital?

“

This is an accident waiting to happen.” - Gavin Magor, Senior Financial Analyst with the national rating agency Weiss based in Jupiter, FL after giving the private home insurance market in Florida a median grade of C- (and that’s without a major storm.)

The Rise of Islam Emboldened By a PC West Foolishly Enamored By Diversity

“

Shariah law will not be tolerated on German soil.” - German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere responding to incidents of self-styled “Shariah Police” comprised of ultrac o n s e r va t i v e Sunni Muslims or Islamic Salafists who stroll through urban areas in orange jerseys attempting to enforce their Islamic restrictions by telling club goers that they should not be drinking alcohol and arcade visitors they should not be playing games for money. Germany is considering a ban on such activity.

upset about having to spend this kind of money at Clemson where their students are being asked these kinds of questions.” - Dr. J. David Woodard, a political science professor at Clemson reacting to the university’s new requirement that students must login, give their student ID, include their first and last names and a detailed sexual history. The wacky program is part of an even wackier Title IX training program, designed to ensure equal opportunity for women in education and sports. Many feel Title IX primarily serves to discriminate against men by utilizing quotas that fail to take into account the genders’ respective levels of interest in participating in athletics.

He’s Only OUR President...

“

Over the last few months, my team has listened to questions and concerns from the community, ranging from location of the building to the naming of the school. We take that community input seriously, which is why – as we continue to look for a thoughtful way to honor President Rahm Emanuel Obama – we will look for other possible names for this future school.” Chicago mayor and former Obama appointee Rahm Emanuel addressing the vocal pushback on his suggestion to name a new elite high school after the president. Ironically, most

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of the ire came from African-Americans who felt the honor inappropriate for a school slated for a wealthy, predominantly white part of the Near North Side. Racist?

Gaffe-Machine Joe Biden Takes A Whack At Jews

“

That’s one of the things that he finds was most in need when he was over there in Iraq for a year. That people would come to him and talk about what was happening to them at home in terms of foreclosures, in terms of bad loans that were being ... I mean these Shylocks who took advantage of, um, these women and men while overseas.” - Loose-lipped VicePresident Joe Biden may have again exposed the rampant anti-Semitism so prevalent in the Democratic Party when he accidentally let slip the stereotypical slur “Shylock,” derived from a despicable Shakespearean character from the play, The Merchant of Venice, a Jewish moneylender who demanded a “pound of flesh” as interest on a loan in default.

Climate Science Anything But “Settled”

“

The idea that “Climate science is settled” runs through today’s popular and policy discussions. Unfortunately, that claim is misguided. It has not only distorted our public and policy debates on issues related to energy, greenhouse-gas emissions and the environment. But it also has inhibited the scientific and policy discussions that we need to have about our climate future. www.underwritersinsider.com

Even though human influences could have serious consequences for the climate, they are physically small in relation to the climate system as a whole. For example, human additions to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by the middle of the 21st century are expected to directly shift the atmosphere’s natural greenhouse effect by only 1% to 2%. Since the climate system is highly variable on its own, that smallness sets a very high bar for confidently projecting the consequences of human Dr. Steven E. Koonin influences.”- Undersecretary for Science in the Energy Department during President Barack Obama’s first term and now director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University, Dr. Steven E. Koonin, joining with many other prominent climate scientists in disagreeing with the farleft, grant-focused scientific community on the controversial issue of Global Warming.

Can a Conservative Be An Atheist?

“

I’m an atheist. An agnostic is someone who is not sure. I’m pretty sure. I see no evidence of God. I majored in religion in college. I was very interested, but I just came to a different conclusion. I’m married to a fierce Presbyterian, and she raised our kids fierce Presbyterians. I’m an amiable, lowvoltage atheist. I think William F. Buckley put it well when he said that a conservative need not be religious, but he cannot despise religion.” - Noted conservative intellectual, author and political pundit George Will in a Real Clear Religion interview coming clean on his spiritual beliefs.

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September 2014

August 2014

July 2014

June 2014

May 2014

April 2014

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

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Continued From Page 19

SECRETS OF ADVERTISING

or effective. That’s why singlerun campaigns are often unsuccessful. Subsequent ads build on past ads. Each campaign becomes more powerful and more effective as ad saturation increases.

When you design your advertising remember: there my be nothing so important in the ad as your company name and logo - the visible or audible symbol of your brand.

mailing! Consumers are not required to pay attention to your ads. If you want to lease that little space in their unconscious reserved for brand identification, you must assert your presence over and over.

I proved this to myself years ago with a direct mail campaign to insurance agents in the Carolinas. Although thousands of mail pieces went out on the first mailing, there were a small percentage of Always advertise consistently responses. The second mailing and from multiple angles. The was slightly better. Many more places and times your advertisers would have called brand appears, the stronger it quits at this point, since the your brand identity will be in campaign had generated an the marketplace. unsatisfactory return. Advertising experts tell us Yet by the 6th mailing, the that an advertising message responses had increased to must make 5-8 "impacts" on a 15 times the what we had consumer before it is noticed experienced on the first

Underwriting Consultant & Marketing Assistant Needed - Central Florida

Creekmore Insurance Group is a life insurance brokerage general agency serving a network of independent agents and financial advisers across the nation. Our mission is to recruit independent agents and advisers to write their life, long term care, and individual disability insurance with the insurers we represent. We have an immediate opening for a full-time underwriting consultant and marketing assistant.

Duties will include: www.underwritersinsider.com

• fielding inquiries from our existing network of agents • running quotes and creating proposals and sales presentations • calling on existing agents to offer support and generate additional business • This position does not involve cold calling. This is a full-time position at our office in Oviedo. For the right candidate, we provide significant career and income growth opportunities, including full time telecommuting and operat-

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ing an independent franchise agency on our network.

Experience Experience in financial services is required, including at least one year of life insurance sales, underwriting, or administration experience. CONTACT: John A. Creekmore, CLU, CFP, ChFC, CEBS Creekmore Insurance Group, Inc. (800) 359-5102 x 340 john@lifeagents.com 365 Aulin Avenue Oviedo, FL 32765 37

Experts and Consultants for Insurance Disputes 4441 Sepulveda Boulevard Culver City, California 90230 310-390-4455 zalma@zalma.com http://www.zalma.com

Consultation from Zalma Insurance Consultants (ZIC) can save you or your client thousands of dollars in the defense or prosecution of an insurance dispute. ZIC provides expert advice and counsel insurers and plaintiffs’ counsel find indispensable. Consultation from ZIC can save you, your counsel or client hundreds of hours of investigative and legal work. ZALMA INSURANCE CONSULTANTS is a service of Barry Zalma, Inc. a California professional corporation. Barry Zalma is an internationally recognized expert on insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith, insurance fraud detection, the defeat of false and fraudulent claims, Barry Zalma, Esq. insurance claims handling, and the resolution of insurance disputes. As a consultant, expert witness, lawyer, author, mediator or arbitrator he serves all parties who need consultation or expert testimony on matters relating to insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance fraud and the tort of bad faith. Barry Zalma founded Zalma Insurance Consultants to help resolve any insurance claim problem faced by you or your clients that do not need Mr. Zalma’s services as a lawyer. His experience and skill as a consultant and expert witness can make the difference before a jury or other trier of fact. For more than 44 years as a claims person and insurance coverage attorney, Barry Zalma has represented insurers, advised insurers on claims handling, interpreted coverages and testified as an insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, insurance claims handling and insurance fraud expert on behalf of insurers and policyholders in state and federal courts.

Expert Testimony

Zalma Insurance Consultants serves insurers, policyholders, underwriters, brokers, agents, adjusters, public insurance adjusters, lawyers and any person involved in an insurance dispute. Because he is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of California M r. Zalma may be prohibited by California case law from acting as a consultant or expert witness and, therefore, refuses to serve in any situation where a past client of his law firm, Barry Zalma, Inc. is adverse to anyone seeking his services.

Y ou can obtain M r. Zalma’s C.V . at http://www.zalma.com and his e-book publications http://www.zalma.com/zalmabooks.htm and blogs daily at Zalma on Insurance, http://zalma.com/blog.

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GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE RECOVER OVER $4.7 MILLION FOR CONSUMERS SO FAR IN 2014

TLANTA – Consumers who filed complaints with the Georgia Department of Insurance during the first nine months of 2014 have received more than $4.7 million from insurance companies, money that was the direct result of the Department’s mediations efforts.

Since the January of this year, the Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division has answered more than 6,000 complaints and helped consumers receive $4,728,419.37 million in claims settlements. Many of these requests by consumers for help involved denial of claims, claims delays, and unsatisfactory offers. In most cases, the Department’s Consumer Specialists were able to obtain a settlement favorable to the consumer. "Sometimes, it’s as simple as helping a consumer understand his or her rights under an insurance policy or under Georgia law," Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens explained. "And in other cases, there are insurers who seek to shortchange consumers by failing to live up to their coverage promises. For consumers in these situations, the Department can of Insurance mean the difference between no coverage and getting the help they legitimately need, deserve and have purchased." Since taking office in 2011, Commissioner Hudgens’ Consumer Services Division has retrieved over $35.4 www.underwritersinsider.com

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a lot of surveys called Taste Consistent quality is actually the Preferences that ask you to rate one area where traditional TV movies, shows and genres you’ve has streaming beat. If you want watched recently. the best possible at all times, speed you’re paying for, call your then you might want to consider Handy tip: If you have several provider and let it know. Once it flipping to regular old TV during people in the house using one gets your speed where it should primetime hours. Netflix account, be sure to set be, Netflix streaming should each person up with their own improve. Consider buying an indoor HD Netflix profile to avoid conflicts. antenna that will let you watch On the Netflix website, click If you are getting the speed local news, syndicated shows and Manage Profiles in the top right you’re paying for, and it’s faster sports. Click here to learn more corner to get started. than the Netflix bit rate, call your about buying HD antennas. provider and let it know there’s a Taste Preferences are important problem with Netflix streaming. to fill out so Netflix can build your 3. Tweak your You might find out that you’re Profile. After a while, you won’t being throttled. recommendations see as many of these, however. Continued From Page 9

KIM KOMANDO

2. Time of day affects video quality

Netflix takes every movie you watch into account when developing your Taste Profile. This helps it recommend videos from Poor video quality and streaming a pool of 76,897 genres. Sound speed might have another cause, like a lot? Well, Netflix has genres though. Remember when I said like Quirky Sci-Fi Comedies and at peak hours Netflix uses 34% Dark Independent Police Dramas. of the U.S. Internet? That’s a lot of information moving around The way to change your at once. Traffic jams are bound recommendations is by rating to happen, which slows things what you watch. When you’re down. first starting Netflix, you’ll see To keep things flowing, Netflix and ISPs might both decide to drop the video quality - and thus the amount of bandwidth needed - a little. So, you might still get HD video from 7 to 9 p.m. in your area, but you probably won’t be getting full 1080p quality. If you are testing Netflix for quality using the methods above, be sure to do it throughout the day. 40

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If you want to revisit your preferences, go to the Netflix site and under Your Account load the Taste Preferences survey. Or click this link and log in. A few minutes tweaking your ratings can mean less time scrolling past movies you’d never watch. Enjoy! Copyright 2014, WestStar MultiMedia Entertainment. All rights reserved. On the Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, newsletters and more, visit her website at http:// www.komando.com. The Underwriter’s Insider

Continued from Page 25

It is possible that some of the patients that Dr. Harron diagnosed with silicosis may actually have that disease. That does not excuse misdiagnosed Plaintiffs. If these his unprofessional conduct in Plaintiffs truly have abnormal cranking out thousands of reports x-rays, then the radiographic diagnosing the disease with findings may be caused by a no real attempt to differentiate number of conditions other than those who actually have the silicosis. And when the diagnosing disease from those with some doctors fail to exclude these other remote possibility of having the conditions, it leaves the Plaintiffs at disease. His actions attacked the risk of having treatable conditions integrity of the legal system, had at least the potential to harm his go undiagnosed and untreated. claimant/patients, and were a In the case of the Plaintiffs who discredit to his profession, and to are healthy, at least some of them his Mississippi medical license. can be expected to have taken their diagnoses seriously. They The court of appeal found that can be expected to have reported the Chancery court erred in ruling the diagnoses when applying that the Board lacked jurisdiction for health insurance and life and further erred in ruling that insurance—potentially resulting the Board lacked substantial in higher premiums or even the evidence to discipline Dr. Harron denial of coverage altogether. and that its ruling was arbitrary They can be expected to report and capricious. Accordingly, the diagnoses to their employers the order was reversed and Dr. and to the Social Security Harron’s license was permanently Administration. And they can be removed. expected to report the diagnoses of this incurable disease to their ZALMA OPINION families and friends. Dr. Harron participated in These people have been told a massive fraud finding that they have a life-threatening impossibilities like a single condition…. When dealing with patient suffering from silicosis this MDL and its 10,000 Plaintiffs, and asbestosis, after admitting to it is easy to forget that ‘statistics the fraud in a deposition before are human beings with the tears Judge Jack in Texas, decided wiped off.’ … But it should not he needed a lawyer; voluntarily be forgotten that a misdiagnosis gave up his license in Texas as a potentially imposes an emotional result, and then tried to keep his cost on the Plaintiff and the license in Mississippi. When that Plaintiff’s family that no court can effort failed he continued to act calculate.” as an expert witness – claiming

ZALMA

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with utmost chutzpah – that the testimony was not medical but was legal even though he was testifying to a diagnosis of a disease. Litigation continues with regard to the silicosis cases and one can only wonder at the quality of a lawyer who, with his record, would retain the services of Dr. Harron as an expert witness since defense counsel would destroy his credibility with reference to the silicosis cases and the record from that case. One can only wonder what the U.S. Attorneys in Texas are thinking to allow Dr. Harron to continue to provide expert testimony about any medical diagnosis.

CARLOS VARGAS, CPIA, ELECTED TO AIMS SOCIETY BOARD

initiatives. He also is the founder of Boston's Best Neighbor program, now in its sixth year. The purpose of the annual Boston's Best Neighbor Award is to honor an individual who has demonstrated special care, concern and volunteer hours to make their neighborhood a safer, more pleasant and more friendly community for all the residents.

IMS Society, a professional organization dedicated to building insurance sales, marketing and technical expertise. He has been an insurance agent serving businesses and individuals in the greater Boston area since 1980.

"As independent agents, we have a tremendous ability to serve our communities and to influence them for the better," Vargas said. "When the AIMS Society offered me an opportunity to help other growth-oriented insurance professionals, I jumped at the chance."

Housing Alliance (MAHA) Board of Directors, the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA) Agents Advisory Board and the Stoughton Redevelopment Authority. In 2012, he received the University of MassachusettsBoston Chancellor’s Award for Longstanding Community Commitment and Service.

About AIMS Society: Founded in 1968 as The Firemark Society, the AIMS Society (www.AIMSSociety. org) is a national, memberdriven organization that provides training, information and networking services designed to increase the personal and agency sales production of Vargas is active in his local AIMS Society President June property and casualty insurance church, as well as numerous civic Taylor, CPIA, CIC, CPIW, DAE, agents. AIMS Society was the first principal at Wilkinson Insurance organization to honor property Agency in White House, Tenn., and casualty agents for sales Why Do Ad said, "Carlos is a terrific example excellence and to establish of how independent agents the industry's only sales-based Agencies Hate The Underwriter’s Insider? can engage their communities insurance designation -- the to build their business. We're Certified Professional Insurance pleased to have him join our Agent (CPIA). Completion of the Because Our Total board as we work to enhance CPIA designation requirements Ad Cost is Less than insurance sales and marketing is not necessary to qualify for Then They Normally excellence throughout the membership. Lifetime CPIAs Earn in Commission! country." are recognized with the initials "CPIAL." "We work in an amazing industry," Pay Yourself - Not Vargas added. "I want to do The Ad Agencies! FREE whatever I can to help fellow CLASSIFIEDS! independent agents grow their INFO HERE HELP WANTED — POSITION businesses and their careers and WANTED 4 — SALE ITEMS make a positive impact on their own local communities." CLICK HERE! Vargas also serves on the Massachusetts Affordable

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