INSURANCE

More than 60 people became ill after a funeral reception in Texas. Two years later, some of them are still coping with the financial and medical consequences.

Over the years, KPRC 2 has provided information on how to file a claim related to hurricane and freeze damage. The winter thunderstorm and tornado that hit the Houston area this weekend once again have people cleaning up and making calls to insurance companies.

Untreated medical conditions, lack of access to testing and limited paid time off leave uninsured Texans particularly vulnerable to the disease.

If you’re not getting health insurance from your employer -- did you know you can still get covered with a wallet-friendly option?

If you’re not getting health insurance from your employer -- did you know you can still get covered with a wallet-friendly option?

If you’re not getting health insurance from your employer -- did you know you can still get covered with a wallet-friendly option?

Many homeowners can expect to see a change in their flood insurance premiums very soon.

You think you are doing the right thing planning long-term for your future. But one Deer Park family is learning that long-term care insurance isn't the safety net they thought it was. KPRC 2 Investigates is helping one viewer looking for answers to why his mom can’t get the help she needs.

Many Americans are rethinking fall travel plans amid a surge in COVID cases.

The University of Houston College of Medicine will open a low-cost direct primary care clinic with a $1 million gift from The Cullen Trust for Health Care. The clinic will be located on the campus of Memorial Herman Southwest Hospital.

Imagine shopping online for a colonoscopy or heart surgery just like we shop for airline tickets. You type in what procedure you need and you get a list of prices from hospitals that show what you would pay with and without insurance. That is the idea behind the Hospital Price Transparency Rule. The federal law that took effect in January says hospitals must release pricing information before providing service.

Her medical insurance at the time was provided by the Texas Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, which provides health care to adolescents whose families are low-income but make too much to qualify for Medicaid. CHIP provided coverage for her medicine, doctors appointments and other medical needs but unlike Medicaid, it typically does not cover the cost of birth control — something that Johnson needed to regulate her menstrual cycle.

Amazon jumped into the pharmacy business late last year with Amazon Pharmacy. AdThey are also big Amazon shoppers, so they wanted to see if they could save some money by getting their refills with Amazon Pharmacy instead of Costco. An Amazon representative told KPRC 2 News Pam could call her insurance company to ask what her co-pay will be with Amazon Pharmacy. AdPioglitazone, for example, is more than five times the price at Amazon Pharmacy at $88.34 compared to Costco’s price of $17.10. If you don’t have insurance, Amazon Pharmacy prices are lower for Prime members versus non-Prime customers.

HOUSTON – Over the past several days, people across the Houston area have been dealing with broken water pipes and damage after last week’s winter storm. On Thursday, a group of residents came out for a town hall in the Heights. Others don’t know how the process works and some haven’t even received responses from their insurance providers. They have the right to seek help.”AdThere are likely thousands seeking that same help right now: cleaning up the damage, navigating the paperwork. “Asking questions and making sure that I am taking the right steps to get my house taken care of,” Mullinax said.

Before you switch, some insurance companies plan to raise rates over the next couple of months. KPRC2 Investigates got the data from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) about which companies are getting ready to raise their rates in March 2021 for new policies. Chubbs Lloyds Insurance Company of Texas will increase 17.8%. Those were filed long ago.”AdCompare coverageWhen you’re looking to switch, shop around and make sure you’re comparing the same amount of coverage. “Ask us to correspond with that insurance company... or maybe it’s a formal complaint,” said Gonzalez.

HOUSTON – The state of Texas has 60,000 licensed plumbers and the challenge they are all facing is “overwhelming,” according to Frank Denton, the Chairman of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Greg Abbott on Friday eased plumbing restrictions, allowing former licensed plumbers who left the industry in recent years to once again enter the system. AdAll being done to speed the process up with more licensed plumbers. Repair mistakes also are made by homeowners who opt to do it themselves without the professional experience that comes with being a licensed plumber. Denton said a licensed plumber has invested much time to get recognized by the state and is not going to cut corners.

Spoiled foodSome people lost hundreds of dollars of food that spoiled in their fridges and freezers when the power went out. Your insurance company may not tell you, but if you request reimbursement for the groceries you lost, you can probably get up to $500. On the first page of your homeowners’ policy, called the declarations page, look for a “food endorsement.” Not all policies include this. We asked if the insurance company would reimburse for hotel costs if there was no damage in the home, but it was unlivable because there was no power. And it was $700 this month.’ Well, the insurance company will reimburse you for that.

Pet insurance can help take burden off these costs, but do you know which plan best fits your four-legged friends? Here’s what you need to know when shopping for pet insurance. “Just like having insurance coverage for a person and being prepared for that situation that hopefully never happens, you can do the same for your pets,” said Jason Levine, Vice President of Harry Levine Insurance. But unlike human health insurance, pet health insurance typically only covers accidents, illnesses, and other unusual health events. You can buy health insurance for your pet at any age, but just like human health insurance, it’s going to be less expensive the younger the animal.

Medicare open enrollment is here. Medicare open enrollment is the time of year when your parents get the chance to shop around for a new plan to save money on prescriptions or change up doctors. Agent/broker prohibited behaviorsAgents may not state they are from Medicare or use the term “Medicare” in a misleading manner. Cannot ask beneficiaries for a referral list (list of friends or family who may be interested in a plan). Tips on how to stop fraud during open enrollment

HOUSTON – Houston is home to the largest medical complex in the world, with more than 100,000 healthcare workers. But it’s still a struggle for many to find affordable healthcare options because they don’t have insurance. AdBut KPRC 2 found there are options for good healthcare for those without insurance. Legacy offers adult primary care, pediatric care, dental, vision, mental health and OB/GYN care, as well as low-cost prescription drugs. Express Family Clinic has offices in Spring, Conroe and New Caney, and offers low-cost healthcare without insurance.

HOUSTON – Auto insurers are sitting on a COVID windfall of at least $600 million dollars because of reduced driving during the pandemic. KPRC 2 reported in April how several car insurance companies offered rebates to customers averaging about $60. Nearly one in three of the top 40 auto insurers in Texas are offering no credit or refund to customers. Most of those offering no refund are companies serving higher-risk drivers with no credit or low credit scores. These are the auto insurance companies in Texas’ top 40 auto insurers who haven’t given consumers any sort of refund during the pandemic:

HOUSTON – Houston Methodist and UnitedHealthcare finalized an agreement that will ensure UnitedHealthcare members enrolled in employer-sponsored, individual and Medicare Advantage plans will continue to receive care at Houston Methodist hospitals and its physicians. The new agreement is effective June 1, meaning UnitedHealthcare members are currently in-network with all Houston Methodist hospitals and facilities. BACKGROUND: 100,000 patients could lose access to doctors at Houston Methodist hospitals due to insurance company’s contract dispute“Our top priority throughout this process was ensuring the more than 1 million members we’re honored to serve in Houston have access to quality, affordable health care, and this new agreement accomplishes that goal. We appreciate Houston Methodist’s collaboration in helping achieve this outcome,” UnitedHealthcare wrote on its website. “We are honored to continue supporting the more than 3.9 million people throughout Texas who depend on us for access to quality and affordable health care.”The previous contract expired on Jan. 1 and hundreds of thousands of people were left scrambling to find new doctors as a result of the dispute between the insurance company and the hospital system.

The U.S. communications regulator on Tuesday proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers. The Federal Communications Commission said John Spiller and Jakob Mears made the calls through two businesses. The FCC said the robocalls offered plans from major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth with an automated message. The telemarketers faked their calls to make them appear they came from other companies, which then received angry calls and were named in lawsuits from consumers. He declined to provide contact information for Mears and said neither would speak before talking to an attorney.

HOUSTON If your car is collecting more dust and pollen than miles these days because you're working from home, there are a couple of ways you can save some money. Suspend your policyCall your insurer and ask if you can suspend your policy if youre working from home and not driving at all. Switch to a Pleasure PolicyMims says switch to a pleasure policy is a safer option. SavingsKPRC 2 discovered that switching a Geico policy insuring a 2017 BMW X1 from a commuter vehicle to a pleasure vehicle, driving 5,000 miles annually, we would save $121.60 a year. If you do switch your policy status while youre working from home, dont forget to change it back when you return to your normal commute.

Now, many of those ticket holders are left waiting on refunds that may never come. When Live Nation or Ticketmaster canceled shows and concerts, instead of using the word “canceled,” the ticket sellers said the events were just “postponed.” Once rescheduled, even if the customer cannot attend on the new date, the companies won’t always refund the ticket price. Canceled concerts, refunds deniedIt happened to Houstonian Phyllis Bailey. When Bailey contacted Live Nation to get a refund of the $222.14, a representative told her the show was simply postponed until August 11. Live Nation told her she could get a refund.

Your insurance company will likely go after Watson Grinding & Manufacturing to get all of the money back they paid for repairing your home. This means that your insurance company should not factor your home’s depreciation into the money you will receive for repairs. You can hire a public insurance adjuster at any time. Cal Spoon, a public insurance adjuster and owner of InsuranceBusters.net said there is a 2 year statute of limitations after you receive your offer from your insurance company to dispute it with a public insurance adjuster. To do business in Texas, public insurance adjusters must be licensed with the Texas Department of Insurance.

HOUSTON – A hundred-thousand people insured by UnitedHealthcare are scrambling to find new doctors and hospitals after the insurance company and Houston Methodist Hospital could not come to terms over reimbursement rates. The contract expired at midnight, meaning the seven Houston Methodist hospitals and its outpatient clinics are no longer in-network as of Jan. 1, 2020. "90%, probably more than that, of the doctors (in Baytown) are Methodist doctors," Thompson said. UnitedHealthcare released the following statement:“Care at Houston Methodist Hospital is significantly more expensive than care at other top-ranked hospitals in Texas as well as some of the most prestigious hospitals in the entire country. United’s unfortunate decision – and disruption to their members’ in-network access to Houston Methodist -- is forcing employers and consumers to pick different health care options for this year.