“Slip and fall” insurance claims are starting to undergo tougher scrutiny as businesses and their insurance companies seek to combat a 57% increase in questionable claims in the last 2 ½ years.

New York insurance regulators clamped down on 20 health insurers and HMOs operating in the state by fining them a total of $716,800 for failing to promptly pay claims.

A Spring City, Pa., paralegal who stole more than $100,000 from two estates handled by the law firm with which she was employed was sentences to 21 months to seven years in prison.

New York Gov. David A. Paterson signed “Ian’s Law” into law, expanding the protections for consumers in case a health insurer or HMO discontinues a class of policies or contracts.

Charges, including driving with lapsed auto insurance, were dropped against hip hop artist Ice-T Aug. 17 because motor vehicle records were incorrect, prosecutors said.

Federal authorities have granted more than $46 million to 45 states and Washington, D.C., to “improve the oversight of proposed health insurance premium increases.”

New Jersey insurance regulators say an insurance company based in the state properly handle life insurance benefits in a case involving a soldier that has sparked several reviews of how insurers pay out benefits to members of the military.

Brownyard Group recently formed a new division, Brownyard Client Services, dedicated to serving as a facilitator between agents and brokers, and its underwriting claims team.

Empire BlueCross BlueShield, New York’s largest insurer by medical membership, “significantly expanded” its HMO and PPO/EPO and Indemnity Reference Laboratory networks, according to the company.

An insurance company has filed suit to prevent the family of a Long Island, N.Y., motivational speaker from collecting on the $4 million life insurance policy he took out a month before his allegedly staged death.