Insurance

Mike Gast knew that a fire station closer to Maize, would mean a few changes. "You hear sirens more often, but you know, they're closer to help if you need it, so that's good. " But the one thing that he hoped would change, that hasn't, is his home insurance. "I had to inquire on it and I need to check on it again because I don't know if it has lowered it or not. " That is, until now. After three years at it's new location, Sedgwick County Fire Station 33 has lowered Maize's fire protection rating by one point.

"It has restored my faith in mankind. "  That was hard to do after Connie Mobley lost $3,000 in a roofing scam.  But right now, she and her husband Charlie have a new roof after waiting almost a year.  They company they paid, American Shingle didn't do the work.  In fact, their insurance company The Hartford wanted to drop them because of it.  But another local roofer stepped up, hoping to solve the problem. Every shingle put into place, takes a little stress off of Connie and Charlie Mobley.  "They've told me don't worry about it Connie, we're going to take care of you.  And they are obviously," she said.  But that wasn't the case last September, when the couple heard those same words.  "It just ain't right.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The cost of smoking is going up even more for Kansans who work for certain employers. A growing number of Kansas employers are requiring workers who use tobacco to pay higher health care premiums. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Newton Medical Center recently told employees they will have to pay a "tobacco-user surcharge" beginning July 1. The $35 for every two-week pay period will apply to smokers and employees who have a spouse or dependents who smoke.

TOPEKA, Kan. - Sandy Praeger, Commissioner of Insurance, is urging Kansas insurance consumers who have had to leave their homes because of tornado and storm damage to contact their insurance companies and agents to let them know their situation. “With that contact, together they can quickly resolve their potential concerns regarding late premium payments, cancellations or renewals, coverage of items, health and drug coverage and loss of income,” Commissioner Praeger said. The department issued an electronic message to insurance companies, alerting them to the need for claims adjusters in the areas hit by the tornadoes, hail and wind.

For the second time this year, Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would require insurance companies cover Autism treatments for all Kansans.  Click here to lean about HB 2395 "They've got to realize that these kids are going to be coming into the system and it's expensive," said Jana Bleakley, a mother with a son on the Autism Spectrum. Parents and therapists say passing HB 2395 would be good for all of us.  "One in 88 children are diagnosed with autism, one in 54 boys," said Connie Erbert, an Autism therapist and expert who works at Heartspring in Wichita.

The insurance check is in. That means the City of Winfield can move forward with rebuilding its playground. Last month it burned to the ground for the second time. 5-year old Alyvea Bolges can only look at the park she once played on through an orange construction fence. "There used to be castles and swings and a lot of stuff," Bolges said. "Beautiful Sunday day like this, we would have had hundreds of children out here enjoying the playground," said Winfield City Manager Warren Porter.

Hurricane Sandy could drive up insurance costs, but Kansas shouldn't be affected. The Kansas Insurance Commissioner's Office says state law requires insurance companies to rate risks based only on what happens in Kansas. Just because rates here aren't affected by hurricanes, insurance providers can increase rates based on other natural disasters. “They can and they do,” says assistant commissioner Bob Tomlinson. Hail damage has been more severe in recent years.

Kansas Farmers claim nearly $1 billion in insurance to offset crop losses due to drought.  The $987 million in claims breaks the old record of $447 million set in 2002. Last year, the state struggled with a lack of rainfall and a record number of triple-digit temperatures.  The USDA expects more claims as drought conditions worsen.  The U.S. Drought monitor continues to list most areas south of I-70 with some sort of drought condition.

Life for the Green family in Hutchinson goes on, but things have changed the last three years. Andy Green was bitten by a tick and soon developed flu-like symptoms.  He was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease.  "The most frustrating part is, I'm supposed to be the provider for the family," Green says. Lyme disease is traditionally rare in Kansas.  Although, the number of confirmed cases has been increasing steadily.  Many sufferers contend it often goes undiagnosed.

How much can you expect your insurance to cover for chairs/scooters and vans? What is the process? How do I get started? 1) Medicare sets an allowable for each piece of equipment supplied to them by DME Suppliers. These allowables are slightly different in different parts of the US. The standard allowable for a Group 2 Standard power Wheelchair that will hold a person up to 300 pounds is $3,641.40 plus batteries at $199.66 for a total allowable of $3,841.06. The power wheelchair in our line that fits into this category is the Pride Jazzy Select which has a Manufactures Suggested Retail Price of $5,995.