As reported on IFAwebnews.com, broker Steve Salamon and other professionals – including business owners – have launched the Health Insurance Buyers & Brokers Coalition (HIBBC) of Maryland to ensure brokers still have a place in the health insurance distribution chain.  Read Story

Company fined $25,000; Pa. agent put on supervision over sales

A Florida company was ordered to pay $25,000 in fines and its agent from Cranberry Township, Pa., was placed on five years of license supervision because the man acted as a surplus lines agent even though he was not licensed.  Read Story

Md. workgroup, brokers disagree on setup of health insurance exchanges

Maryland’s federally mandated health insurance exchange should be a public, government-run agency with a board tasked with overseeing its operations, according to a state task force.  Read Story

When you talk to people, are you focused on the transaction or your interaction? A transactional encounter is one where you're going through the motions to get the task or the discourse done. Maybe you are texting, talking on the phone to someone else or just dazed and confused, but the bottom line is that you're not engaged with the other person or the process. Interaction occurs when two people are engaged in a dialogue or actively participating in the process.  Read Story

A Morris County, N.J., man was sentenced to state prison for falsely reporting that his car had been stolen as part of an “auto give-up” scheme.  Read Story

A New York Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of an insurance company in a personal injury lawsuit by validating the release of claims it acquired from the plaintiff.  Read Story

Two property-casualty insurance companies aligned to launch a liability insurance program for lawyers in New Jersey.  Read Story

A worldwide insurer with its U.S. operations based in New York announced its acquisition of a U.S. insurance operation to further diversify its business.   Read Story

Former executive admits role in alleged $100 million life settlement scam

A Houston man, one of the seven men charged in a $100 million life insurance fraud scheme earlier this year, pleaded guilty to a pair of conspiracy charges.  Read Story

The CEO of Passport Health Plan is stepping down. The move was announced Thursday following a state audit that revealed wasteful spending by the Medicaid managed care plan.