It Figures
$15 Million
Iowa officials estimate it will cost $15 million to bring the state up to speed on flood plain maps. Only 50 of Iowa’s 99 counties have complete maps that meet federal standards. The outdated or incomplete maps are problems because large parts of the state face unknown risks and don’t qualify for federal flood insurance. Some families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by this year’s flood say they couldn’t buy flood insurance because they didn’t live in communities or counties covered by the National Flood Insurance Program.
1,429
The Ohio Department of Insurance consumer hot line can help when Ohioans have trouble with their insurance companies. In the first six months of 2008, 1,429 complaints were filed concerning health plans. The Columbus Dispatch found that about half the complaints were from people who said their insurers refused to pay medical claims. The consumer won’t always win, however. The department agreed with insurers about 300 times during the first half of 2008. Department Director Mary Jo Hudson encourages people to call the hot line because it doesn’t get enough use. Callers must be fully insured and complaints must involve disputes of at least $500.
$50,000
A Dubuque, Iowa, woman must pay nearly $50,000 in a lawsuit filed by a man who was bitten by her dog. A judge ruled that Michelle Kissee is responsible for Jon Gruetzmacher’s injuries. Court records show that Gruetzmacher was bitten by Kissee’s dog near his home in May 2007. Records show that Kissee didn’t respond to the lawsuit that claimed she didn’t surrender her dog for quarantine after it was loose and bit Gruetzmacher. Judge Lawrence Fautsch ordered Kissee to pay $5,000 for future physical and mental pain, $5,000 for attorney’s fees and almost $40,000 for punitive damages, medical expenses, pain and suffering and loss of bodily function.
$225 Million
Virginia-based Amerigroup and its Illinois subsidiary have agreed to pay $225 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of discriminating against pregnant women and other high-risk patients in Illinois. The agreement resolves allegations that the company defrauded the state’s Medicaid program. Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the settlement sends a clear message that Illinois won’t tolerate such conduct.