Life Insurance

Life Insurance

Here at OtermLife we have simplified the process in to five quick and easy steps.  In just five easy steps you can insure the protection of your family’s future.  Listed below is a detailed outline of our process.  Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call us toll free at 1-866-684-1186 to speak with a licensed agent to help you protect your family.

Step 1. Get a Quote.

And by ‘quote’ we mean a side-by-side comparison of several bids from some of the most trusted carriers in the industry.

You can start the quote process online, or give us a call at 1-866-684-1186 to speak with one of our licensed agents. Either way, it takes only about 9 minutes of your time, because we do all the hard work for you.

If you start the process online you have the option to view a ballpark quote almost instantly, but we’ll still need to give you a quick call to further customize the quote and help you evaluate your options. Its 9 minutes well spent.

One last thing, remember that quotes are only an estimate and are subject to a medical exam.

Step 2. Choose your insurance.

Now that you have your personalized quote with bids from a variety of carriers, it’s time to choose the plan that suits you best. We’re happy to discuss the options with you in detail if you’d like a bit of experienced and unbiased perspective. We say ‘unbiased’ because we’re one of the only companies who really doesn’t care which carrier you choose. We do not favor any of them, as we only have eyes for you.

If you’re feeling frisky, all of this can be done on that first call we mention in step 1. But we’re more than happy to take things slowly if that’s more your speed.

Step 3. Get a Medical Checkup.

You will meet with a technician for a mini medical exam in the convenience of your home or office. Our exam technician will measure your height and weight, as well as take blood and urine samples. The exam typically takes just 15 to 20 minutes, and your results will be strictly confidential.

Want to ace your exam?

Follow these tips to get the best results possible:

1. Schedule for early in the day at a time and place you feel relaxed

2. Avoid fatty foods, rich desserts, and alcohol for several days beforehand

3. Do not eat or drink anything but water for 8 to 12 hours beforehand

Step 4. Receive a decision.

It’s decision time. Your selected Life Insurance carrier will give you their final decision on issuing you a term life insurance policy. Assuming you’re accepted, your first premium payment will be due by this time. If, for some reason, you aren’t accepted by a particular carrier, we’ll work with you to find coverage through another.

Step 5. Start your coverage.

Congratulations! You’ll receive your term life insurance policy in the mail, along with the peace of mind that goes with it. You’ll also begin making your monthly or annual premium payments.

And don’t think you’re getting rid of us that easy. We’ll be around as long as you need us. Anytime you have any questions or concerns about your Term Life Insurance policy, all you have to do is give us a call at 1-866-684-1186.

 

 

 

By Gaurav Kuthari :- Term Life Insurance

Injury Claims Cause Car Insurance Premiums to Soar

Injury Claims Cause Car Insurance Premiums to Soar

Statistics from the Department of Transport have provided welcome news to motorists with road casualties down by eight per cent compared to the previous 12 months.

Yet despite this, the AA British Insurance Premium Index reports that there has been a 3.5 per cent rise in the average cost of a comprehensive car insurance premium during the April-June 2009 quarter. This is the fastest rate rise for nearly a decade.

Why premiums are rising

Despite the encouraging figures and the falling accident rates on the UK’s roads, the number of personal injury claims received by insurers has continued to soar.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) there has been a steady, and often unnecessary, increase in the number of claims, which topped £9.6billion last year – up from £8.8billion in 2006. Its statistics show that there were 1,200 whiplash claims per day last year – costing £1.9billion in personal injury payouts.

It seems that drivers are more inclined to make personal injury claims primarily due to the ongoing recession. With fuel prices rising, and more people out of work, traffic volumes actually fell by two per cent last year. Yet those that are involved in accidents are more likely to make a claim even for relatively minor injuries such as whiplash that could be cleared within a few days.

How to stop your premiums soaring

Ironically it is unnecessary claims that could have a direct impact on a motorist’s car insurance premiums. Most insurers offer no-claims discounts which get higher the longer you go without making a claim – so making an unnecessary claim could wipe out this discount.

Safe drivers are rewarded by insurers – most offer cheaper premiums to those who stay accident and conviction free. Further savings can be made by enhancing the security of your vehicle; driving a car with a smaller engine; agreeing to a mileage limit; and increasing your voluntary excess.

Motorists are also advised to shop around for cheap car insurance every year rather than accepting a renewal quote from an existing provider. Most car insurance companies hike their prices every year while offering discounts to new customers – so it makes sense to capitalise on these deals.

Tips For Buying Life Insurance

Tips For Buying Life Insurance

Individuals buy an insurance policy because they can get benefits from death through them. The accumulated amount being non-taxable is made available to a beneficiary in case of some dangerous illness or on the death of the policy owner. Not only is the future monetary security to beneficiaries specified is assured under a permanent plan, the option for cash savings are also available.

Large debts like outstanding medical payments, loans on purchase of a car, debts from credit cards and so on may sometimes be left behind by people. The families of such people would have to deal with the payment of these debts from funds they can generate by selling assets of the expired person. In such case, the family may experience a large depletion of their monetary resources. So, in order to avert such depletion of money and losses of cheap desperate disposal of assets people should think about buying life insurance.

To be able to avail extensive benefits and returns from investments help yourselves to some important pointers that experts advice based on whatever your needs be for buying a policy – if it is to provide an estate for your successors, give monetary security to beneficiaries on your demise or if you wish to make charitable donations.

Important points are enumerated in this article, which helps you to buy the correct plan to meet your monetary targets without any worries.

You can start with making an initial assessment of needs for a policy and then proceed to research different types of plans, their different features and extra benefits available. You should also study any riders that may accompany some plan types.

You should also conduct comparisons of same types of policies available from different insurers easily by researching online. You can clear your doubts by consulting experts about what amount of coverage to invest, absence of required features and riders, if any.

Exercise great caution when you fill in a form by yourself and also do not provide the insuring agent with a blank form with just your sign. It is imperative to put down facts accurately and avoid losing plan benefits caused by wrong representation of facts. Similar rules apply if you provide incorrect facts about your age, family history and health conditions. So, ensure that you always state facts correctly even on a wrong advice of the agent to provide you with low costs.

By following these useful pointers you can make your policy purchasing activity most pleasant and beneficial.

Denny is a Top Insurance Traffic Producer in the US. He drives traffic to top insurance carriers across the country. If you need any type of insurance or would like a free quote then get your Free Online Insurance Quote Today and check out our national insurance leaders Get Yours Now

Tips For Buying Life Insurance

Motor Trade Insurance For Chauffeurs

Motor Trade Insurance For Chauffeurs

Operating in the chauffeur business means that whenever you are working, you are going to have at least one passenger in your vehicle with you. This in turn means that you are ultimately responsible for their safety whilst they are in your vehicle. In order for you to be prepared for all possible outcomes you must make sure that you are covered with the right motor trade insurance policy. Getting the right cover can be the difference between your business surviving in the event of a claim or being forced to go under. Anybody who works within the trade in any capacity should make sure that the policy that they take out is tailored to their specific industry. The right cover for a chauffeur should take into account the factors that are directly linked with their line of work.

 

One of the most important aspects of your policy when you are carrying passengers is public liability cover. With this level of protection you will be covered in the event of anyone who is in your vehicle being injured in an accident. Without this you could be faced with a potentially huge claim being made against you with no form of cover available. If this happens then this can be one of the ways in which your business may be crippled by the financial cost of having to meet any claim.

 

With the right policy you will also have a number of other benefits that come in extremely handy for your general day to day trading. The replacement vehicle cover is one of the most beneficial aspects as this means that if you are involved in an accident that was not your fault, you can get another vehicle while your is getting repaired. This obviously means that you do not have to be out of work while your car is in the garage getting fixed. If you have a number of different drivers who are operating the same vehicles then this is also covered with the right policy.

 

No matter if you are working as an upper market chauffeur for rich businessmen or operating a limousine business ferrying party passengers, you have got to make sure that you are fully protected in the event of an accident. If you are carrying multiple passengers then you could be faced with numerous claims so the right motor trade insurance policy can literally save your business.

Written by E-Commerce Manager of Think Insurance, Chris Roche. For more information on motor trade insurance , taxi insurance or property insurance take a look at our site and give us a call for a chauffeur insurance quote.

Auto Insurance Deductible - What it is and Choosing the Right Amount

Auto Insurance Deductible – What it is and Choosing the Right Amount

Deductibles are what the insured is responsible for paying in the event that a claim is filed. Not all policies require a deductible such as liability and the amount chosen can affect the prices of premiums. For example, comprehensive and collision policies have a predetermined amount that the insured pays if they file a claim. So if their vehicle sustains damages in the amount of $ 3,500 and the insured chose a deductible of $ 1,000, the insurer will give compensation in the amount of $ 2,500 and the policyholder is responsible for paying the rest for the repairs. One should compare auto insurance quotes with different amounts to help them determine which is the best amount for their particular situation.

Before deciding what to pay in case of having to file claims, one should first make the determination of what coverage they need. If one is intending on insuring an older vehicle it may not be wise to opt for “full coverage” and their state’s requirements may be sufficient. This is because the amount of the premium and the deductible may amount to more than the value of the automobile.

Now on the other hand, if an individual is driving a luxury or higher end vehicle than they should definitely consider comprehensive and collision coverage. If a person is financing their automobile, the financial institute most likely will insist that they have this protection included on their plan. The cost of repairing cars can be very expensive and only being responsible for a small portion of the repairs in the unfortunate event of an accident can be quite beneficial.

Choosing the amount to pay at the time of a claim should be determined by each insured depending on their preference.

The first item to consider is what can be affordable if they did have to pay for damages sustained by their vehicle. If one does not have the resources to pay $ 1,000 after an accident they may want to opt for a lower amount.

Also, when making a choice, one needs to understand that the higher the deductible than the lower the premium and vice versa. So a wise move to make before choosing would be to obtain quotes from various insurers with the different amounts that they offer to choose from. This can help determine whether the savings monthly are worth opting for higher deductibles.

An auto insurance deductible should be chosen wisely. Although choosing a higher amount may help find the cheapest car insurance it can cause a financial burden if it were needed to be paid. Also if one lacks the funds and needs to wait until the money is available it will delay the repair process causing them to drive a damaged vehicle or if the damage is substantial they may not be able operate the automobile at all.

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Cheap Life Insurance Quote For Elderly Humans

Cheap Life Insurance Quote For Elderly Humans

Inexpensive Life Assurance Quote For Seniors Seniors do need life assurance. Because the kids are all grown up and moved away doesn’t imply older people do not need life assurance. Older people may not need as much life assurance as a young couple with youngsters and a mortgage, they should still have some.

Naturally, if you have got no one who is dependent upon you financially, and all of your bills are paid before your death and you have enough in your savings to handle your funeral costs, you may not need life assurance. Whether or not the children are gong and the bills are paid, you’ll still need life assurance if one of the following applies to you : Now days, dying has become extremely costly. If you don’t have $ 10,000 put away for funeral costs, the duty will be passed along to your folks.

If you happen to have got a big estate. Estate taxes can be high. Having a tax differed savings in your policy can pay for these taxes so that the burden doesn’t fall on your beneficiaries. Although your surviving family might not be dependent upon you now, your death could be a grim blow to them where they are unable to generate earnings for themselves for a bit. Your policy would confirm they are sorted in this recovery period. It’s far easier to have a $ 10,000 life assurance policy than it is to keep $ 10,000 money available.

Although a pair might be older, they each sometimes have some type of revenue. This revenue might have them conform to a selected way of living. If one of them should die, they may struggle to keep up this lifestyle.

Particularly with the ever skyrocketing cost of inflation. A little term life policy could be all it would probably take to make certain the survivor can maintain the approach to life they became conform to. An entire life or permanent life assurance has it’s advantages also. It’s got a tax differed savings that grows with the policy. A little of your premium payments are used to back this. In time, this may build up to a very pleasant money value. This is often turned into a pension or drawn on if necessary.

A supplement term life assurance policy could be a security blanket for you and family members even if you’ve got an entire life assurance policy. With the price of living continually rising, you are existing life policy won’t be enough to pay your last costs and help your surviving family members how you had planned. Hence when deciding on your policy, consider the life fashions of your surviving family members, the future cost-of-living walks, the skyrocketing cost of funeral costs, and the constantly growing life expectancies of folk now days.

You’ll find an inexpensive life assurance quote if you take time to compare.

If you want more free detailed info on how it’s possible for you to find an inexpensive life assurance quote please feel free to visit our lifeinsurancegroup.com. Whether you’re attempting to find a term of cheap life insurance quotes a complete life assurance quote or perhaps universal life assurance quote we are going to help you compare.

How Mortgage Insurance Works

How Mortgage Insurance Works

Its а finаnсiаl guаrаntу that insures lenders аgаinst loss in the еvеnt а bоrrоwеr defaults on а mоrtgаgе. If the bоrrоwеr defaults and the lender takes title to the рrореrtу, the mоrtgаgе insurer (MGIС, for еxаmрlе) rеduсеs or еliminаtеs the loss to the lender. In еffесt, the mоrtgаgе insurer shares the risk of lending the mоnеу to the bоrrоwеr. (Mоrtgаgе insurаnсе should not be соnfusеd with mоrtgаgе life insurаnсе, which рrоvidеs соvеrаgе in the еvеnt of а bоrrоwеr’s dеаth, or hоmеоwnеr’s insurаnсе, which рrоtесts the hоmеоwnеr from loss due to dаmаgе from fire, flооd or оthеr disaster.

Who is mоrtgаgе insurаnсе for?

All home buуеrs саn benefit. It аllоws them to bесоmе hоmеоwnеrs sооnеr, and it drаmаtiсаllу inсrеаsеs their buying роwеr — еxсеllеnt benefits from а buуеr’s реrsресtivе. First-time buуеrs саn use а low down рауmеnt to help them аffоrd their first home, or to рurсhаsе а more еxреnsivе home sооnеr. Rереаt home buуеrs саn put less mоnеу down and gain signifiсаnt tax аdvаntаgеs bесаusе thеу will have more dеduсtiblе interest to сlаim. Thеу саn also use the саsh thеу would have usеd for а large down рауmеnt for invеstmеnts, moving соsts or оthеr еxреnsеs.

What dоеs mоrtgаgе insurаnсе do for bоrrоwеrs?

Without the guаrаntу of mоrtgаgе insurаnсе, lenders nоrmаllу require а bоrrоwеr to make а down рауmеnt of at lеаst 20% of а home’s рurсhаsе рriсе, which саn mеаn уеаrs of saving for some bоrrоwеrs.

This large down рауmеnt аssurеs the lender that the bоrrоwеr is соmmittеd to the investment and will try to mееt the оbligаtiоn of mоnthlу mоrtgаgе рауmеnts to рrоtесt his investment. With the guаrаntу of mоrtgаgе insurаnсе, lenders are willing to ассерt as little as 5% or 10% down from bоrrоwеrs. Mоrtgаgе insurаnсе fills the gар bеtwееn the standard rеquirеmеnt of 20% down and an amount the bоrrоwеr саn more еаsilу аffоrd to put down on а рurсhаsе. А low down рауmеnt also аllоws bоrrоwеrs to рurсhаsе more home than thеу might оthеrwisе be able to аffоrd. Without mоrtgаgе insurаnсе, а bоrrоwеr who has saved $ 10,000 for the required minimum 20% down рауmеnt would only be able to рurсhаsе а $ 50,000 home. With mоrtgаgе insurаnсе (and inсоmе and сrеdit реrmitting), the bоrrоwеr соuld make а down рауmеnt of only 10% and рurсhаsе а $ 100,000 home with the $ 10,000! Or put $ 7,500 down on а $ 75,000 home and use the remaining $ 2,500 for dесоrаting, investing, or buying а саr or major аррliаnсе. Mоrtgаgе insurаnсе brоаdеns а bоrrоwеr’s орtiоns!

Who рауs for mоrtgаgе insurаnсе?

Gеnеrаllу bоrrоwеrs do. An initial рrеmium is соllесtеd at сlоsing and, dереnding on the рrеmium рlаn сhоsеn, а mоnthlу аmоunt mау be included in the house рауmеnt made to the lender, who remits рауmеnt to the mоrtgаgе insurer. MGIС оffеrs flexible рrеmium рlаns for bоrrоwеrs:

•   Аnnuаls:The bоrrоwеr рауs the first-уеаr рrеmium at сlоsing; an аnnuаl rеnеwаl рrеmium is соllесtеd mоnthlу as раrt of the total mоnthlу house рауmеnt.

•   Mоnthlу Рrеmiums:The соst is slightly more than trаditiоnаl mоrtgаgе insurаnсе рlаns but mоnthlу рrеmiums drаmаtiсаllу rеduсе mоrtgаgе insurаnсе сlоsing соsts. Bоrrоwеrs рау for mоrtgаgе insurаnсе mоnthlу as раrt of their total mоnthlу house рауmеnt but only nееd to рау оnе month’s mоrtgаgе insurаnсе рrеmium at сlоsing, rаthеr than оnе уеаr’s!

•   Singles:The bоrrоwеr рауs а оnе-time single рrеmium (instеаd of an initial рrеmium and rеnеwаl рrеmiums) Sinсе single рrеmiums are tурiсаllу finаnсеd as раrt of the mоrtgаgе lоаn аmоunt; no оut-оf-росkеt саsh is usеd for mоrtgаgе insurаnсе at сlоsing.

These рlаns оffеr the сhоiсе of rеfundаblе or nоnrеfundаblе рrеmiums- А rеfundаblе рrеmium аllоws the bоrrоwеr the орроrtunitу to rесеivе mоnеу bасk on any unused роrtiоn, in the еvеnt that mоrtgаgе insurаnсе соvеrаgе is disсоntinuеd bеfоrе the lоаn is раid in full. The соst for а nоnrеfundаblе рrеmium is slightly less than that of а rеfundаblе рrеmium, thеrеbу giving the bоrrоwеr а small savings. If соvеrаgе is disсоntinuеd on а lоаn with а nоnrеfundаblе рrеmium, the bоrrоwеr has no орроrtunitу for а refund.

mоrtgаgе insurаnсе

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Approaches To Lessen Land Lords Insurance Premiums

Approaches To Lessen Land Lords Insurance Premiums

Landlords Insurance may be the crucial but you can find a large number of items that the property manager are capable of doing to be able to slow up the level of premium that they will be paying monthly. A number of them include the following.

Choosing the proper form of tenants;

Various types of insurance businesses offer you their customers a lower landlord’s Insurance price when they select the renters who will end up being staying in your home usually. This provides safety towards the consumer since the significantly lessen the risk regarding break in or perhaps fire. One other sets of tenants that will help the consumers in reducing their particular expenses are the type along with stable earnings. The actual consumers will discover a large number of procedures that go over this kind of party.

Installment and upgrading associated with safety measures;

By installing or improving the safety of the property, the owner will probably be decreasing the hazards associated with vandalism as well as robbery. A number of the features they can put in consist of security systems and mounting bolts. It has a couple of key advantages: 1, the particular customers are certain to get reduce landlord’s Insurance premium since they’re guarding the actual contents within the home as well as second of all, the protection functions will certainly attract more renters and they’ll hold the chance to select from a broad group and in addition ask for a higher hire.

Stating the insurance building amount correctly;

In the event the clients need reduce property owners insurance, it is necessary that they supply the exact value of the property. One important thing they need to bear in mind is that the insured building sum is not the same as the actual property’s rate, instead oahu is the quantity it’ll cost you these phones replace the entire creating when it is entirely destroyed. Which means it is usually lower than the high cost from the home because it doesn’t include the actual terrain on which the house is. When they overstate this particular sum, they’ll end up paying more premiums as compared to required.

Find The Cheapest Rates Here – Insurance Advice Home Insurance Teenage Car Insurance

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Important Consideration to affordable Health Insurance

Important Consideration to affordable Health Insurance

Prior to the development of health insurance,patients undertake medical expenses,and other cost from their pockets.And this was a huge burden financially.

Today,health,or medical insurance,is a means for people to provide and plan towards healthy life.It is a step to protect yourself from unexpected health care expenses,and emergency  cases.

Putting into consideration the daily rise in life threatening challenges,many of which are expensive to manage,or incurable.It’s advised for any discerning mind to get a policy.

Unfortunately,very few percentage of Americans are covered.The reason usually given,is that of high cost.

No matter how genuine the reason is,it’s not enough to deprive yourself of protection.Laying the blame on cost is not right,because I know you can have affordable cover,without compromising the quality of medicare you receive.

All you need is information on how to explore ways to buy low cost policy.

In the market,there are affordable choices you can pick from.These include,the consolidated omnibus budget reconciliation act,populerly called,cobra.You have also the health savings account,temporary health insurance,group health insurance,and the state risk pool.All these programs are not expensive.

Some of them take care of the unemployed,and low income earners.So,you have no excuse of leaving yourself vulnerable.

In buying any of these plans,find out the terms and conditions,because they vary.

You can unhindered access to any information you need through a service provider.This you can do through the internet with ease.Online,you will be exposed to several insurers,and health plans to choose from.

In order to get affordable cost,compare programs of several providers,the amount of health care cost,what is insured,and uninsured in relation to the medical case you are living with.Find out the level of coverage of various plans,and be sure what you are buying is right for you.

Prior to endorsing your contract document,verify the reputation of the insurance company you wish to buy from.Cross check their integrity and past response to customer claims.This is a bid to ensure you are in same hands.

In the past,many have suffered claims denial,because they ignored these precautional measures during buying,and at last regretted their actions.Think intelligently.

A health cover is beneficial in the short and long run.It is a great decision to living life to the fullest.You can’t ignore it.Take a step today to secure your future.

 

Visit my recommended site:Http://healthlife4sure.com for Affordable Health Insurance  and Quality Health Products.

 

Important Consideration to affordable Health Insurance

Man denied life-saving surgery over 26-cent insurance dispute

Sergio Blanco nearly lost access to life-saving medical treatment over a 26-cent dispute (GoFundMe)
A man seeking treatment for a life-threatening illness had his health further jeopardized when his employer and health insurance company tried to cancel his coverage over a 26-cent dispute.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that in January, 33-year-old Sergio Branco was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Left untreated, the illness can be fatal.

When the truck driver took time off work to seek treatment under the Family and Medical Leave Act, he was told that treatment for the leukemia required a bone-marrow transplant that would cost about $500,000, even with insurance.

To make matters worse, when Branco returned to work after his federally guaranteed leave time, he was promptly laid off.

Branco and his family weren’t worried, because they knew he was eligible for extended coverage under the government’s COBRA program.

The family also launched a fundraising site for Branco’s leukemia treatments.

The monthly fee for Branco’s COBRA insurance is $518.26. When his wife sent in the first payment, she erroneously made out the check for $518, forgetting to add the 26 cents.

Thus began an extended feud among the family, Branco's former employer Russell Reid, the insurance company handling his COBRA and even the Department of Labor.

Paychex, the company handling the COBRA payments, cashed the check but did not notify the Branco family of the payment error. In the middle of Branco’s treatment, he was informed by the hospital that he didn’t have insurance.

"They’re playing with my husband’s life," Mara Branco told the Star-Ledger.

Technically, the payment was still not due. So the Brancos offered to make up the difference, but they were told that his former employer had instructed Paychex to not accept any further payments — meaning that his COBRA insurance would be canceled.

"The whole time he said Paychex is giving me false information," Mara Branco told the Star-Ledger after she contacted Branco’s former employer. "I told him if he’d just make a phone call everything would be all right. He said he’d see what he could do."

Branco’s wife even enlisted the help of the Department of Labor, whose representatives made four calls to her husband’s former employer.

Eventually, the family hired a lawyer and Branco’s physician got involved, sending a letter pleading for Branco to be added back onto his COBRA plan. Branco “will most certainly die in the very near future if he does not proceed to transplant; therefore I am writing to request that every effort be made to reinstate his health care insurance coverage," the doctor wrote.

"They know he’s literally in a life and death situation and for 26 cents, they’re denying him the right to get the health insurance coverage he needs," attorney Jeffrey Resnick told the Star-Ledger.

It took several months, but on Aug. 9, the parties involved finally agreed to put Blanco back on the COBRA coverage. Blanco’s surgery is now scheduled to take place on Friday.

"The Department of Labor said the company will reinstate him from May 'til now," Mara Branco told the paper. "They said the company did it wrong. I am super happy. It’s like a weight has lifted off my shoulder. It’s better than winning the lottery."

If you'd like to donate to the Blanco's medical fund, you can find more information here.

View the original article here

Man repays insurance money with 4 tons of coins

ST. LOUIS (AP) — An Illinois businessman outraged by a court order that he return more than $500,000 in insurance money related to a 2001 wreck that killed his teenage son wanted to pay the money back in pennies in protest, only to recognize that was unfeasible.

So, Roger Herrin settled on quarters — four tons of them.

Packed in 150 transparent sacks each weighing about 50 pounds, the $150,000 in coins were nearly one-third of the money an appellate court required Herrin to pay back to resolve years-long legal feuding among the crash's survivors over how $800,000 in insurance proceeds were apportioned.

Obtained from the Federal Reserve in St. Louis, the backbreaking load of change was brought in Wednesday by an armored vehicle and delivered on a flatbed truck to two law firms that represented other victims of the wreck.

"There was no satisfaction from doing that," Herrin, who also serves on the Southern Illinois University system's governing board, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "The loss of a child is the loss of a child, and all the money doesn't replace that.

"I just wanted to draw attention to what went on here," the 76-year-old man added before mustering a laugh. "I really wanted to do it in pennies."

It ended the legal wrangling that's happened since Herrin's 15-year-old son, Michael, was killed in June 2001. He was a passenger in a Jeep Cherokee that was broadsided by a truck that blew through a stop sign near Raleigh in southern Illinois' Saline County. Three other occupants of the Jeep were injured.

Roger Herrin got $1.6 million compensation through his own coverage. Of an additional $800,000 paid out through other insurance, the Herrin estate got the bulk of it because of Michael Herrin's death, with the remainder of that money distributed to survivors.

Those survivors appealed and won when the Mount Vernon, Ill.-based 5th District Appellate Court ruled against Roger Herrin, a retired foot surgeon whose business holdings include three southern Illinois nursing homes. Herrin has owned seven community banks, but he's sold those off in recent years.

Herrin complied in paying back the money, but "obviously in protest" with the plastic-sacked quarters he called "heavy as hell."

"I've had 10 years to think about this a little bit, and I'm very, very bitter at this ruling," he said. "It's wrong, and everybody knows it's wrong."

Mark Prince, an attorney for the Jeep's driver and her son, who was also a passenger, declined to discuss the case's merits Thursday, calling that "counterproductive" and a potential violation of a confidentiality agreement.

While saying Herrin's choice of repayment method was his prerogative, Prince said he did find the unannounced delivery "surprising" — and a burglary risk for his law firm in Marion, Ill., given the media attention instantly foisted onto the thousands of dollars in coins.

"We've been on pins and needles because we had a lot of cash suddenly laying around, it was publicized," Prince said. "We don't have safes or vaults, and we lock our front door. Advance notice would have been nice, because we could have made arrangements to have it delivered to the bank."

Douglas Dorris, an attorney for the Jeep's fourth occupant, agreed.

"I am not going to criticize a man who lost his son, who is obviously upset with the decisions of the court," he said. "But I believe the decisions of the appellate court follow the law correctly."

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Doctor stops accepting insurance, lowers prices and posts costs online

File photo of doctor's exam room (Thinkstock)

A family practice doctor in Maine is refusing all forms of health insurance, including Medicare, in order, he says, to provide better service to his patients.

Dr. Michael Ciampi told the Bangor Daily News that he wants to practice medicine without being dictated to by insurance companies.

On April 1, Ciampi lowered his prices and posted the costs online. For example, an office visit in which patients discuss "one issue of moderate complexity or 2-3 simple issues" costs $75. When Ciampi accepted insurance, the visit would run $160, according to the Bangor Daily News.

The fact that Ciampi lists the prices, he says, means no surprises for his patients.

Say you're an established patient who can't make it to the doctor's office but wish to speak to him over the phone? A 10-minute conversation will run you $20. Each additional five-minute block will cost you $10. A minor surgery, like the draining of a boil will cost between $100 and $150.

Dr. Ciampi told the paper that some patients have left his practice, but that all seem to understand what motivated him to make the change.

Via the Banger Daily News:

Insurance companies no longer dictate how much he charges. He can offer discounts to patients struggling with their medical bills.

He can make house calls. "I’m freed up to do what I think is right for the patients," Ciampi said. "If I’m providing them a service that they value, they can pay me, and we cut the insurance out as the middleman and cut out a lot of the expense."

Ciampi told the paper that he collects payment at the end of each session (he doesn't send bills), and he sees each patient himself. Patients with insurance can submit their receipts for reimbursement, if the insurance company allows for that, according to Ciampi's family practice site.

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