Delay, Deny, Defend
Delay, Deny, Defend

Author: Jay M. Feinman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2010-03-18

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1101196289

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An expose of insurance injustice and a plan for consumers and lawmakers to fight it Over the last two decades, insurance has become less of a safety net and more of a spider's web: sticky and complicated, designed to ensnare as much as to aid. Insurance companies now often try to delay payment of justified claims, deny payment altogether, and defend these actions by forcing claimants to enter litigation. Jay M. Feinman, a legal scholar and insurance expert, explains how these trends developed, how the government ought to fix the system, and what the rest of us can do to protect ourselves. He shows that the denial of valid claims is not occasional or accidental or the fault of a few bad employees. It's the result of an increasing and systematic focus on maximizing profits by major companies such as Allstate and State Farm. Citing dozens of stories of victims who were unfairly denied payment, Feinman explains how people can be more cautious when shopping for policies and what to do when pursuing a disputed claim. He also lays out a plan for the legal reforms needed to prevent future abuses. This exposé will help drive the discussion of this increasingly hot- button issue.

Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina

Author: Nessa P. Godfrey

Publisher: Nova Science Publishers

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13:

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Hurricane Katrina was the largest and most costly disaster in American history. More than 1,400 Louisiana residents lost their lives. Katrina produced the first mandatory evacuation in New Orleans history, and the largest displacement of people in U.S. history; 1.3 million. More than 200,000 New Orleanians remain displaced. While federal and state governments continue to respond to this disaster, this book has identified significant control weaknesses, specifically in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Individuals and Households Program (IHP), and in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s purchase card program which has resulted in significant fraud, waste, and abuse. These lessons are particularly important because funding that is lost to fraud, waste, and abuse reduces the amount of money that could be delivered to victims in need. This book looks at the many challenges facing New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including the rebuilding efforts, insurance losses, re-establishing the health care system and hospitals within the system, and the federal government's liability depending on the theory of the levee failures in New Orleans. The authors summarise the impact of the hurricane, report on the status of recovery efforts, explore the reasons why the recovery has proceeded as it has, and suggest issues that Congress might wish to consider in order to better plan for future disasters and to improve the capability of all levels of government to respond effectively.