A View from the Press Box

Often in this space I scold the insurance industry for short-sighted actions or outright misbehavior that undermines an already tarnished reputation. But what is equally unfortunate is that insurers are not adept enough in spreading the news about the good they do for society–such as their efforts to help combat global warming, or at least mitigate the effects of recent climate change trends.

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I don’t think I have ever been more shocked than I was to hear today that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer–the former crusading attorney general who brought insurance giants Marsh and AIG to their knees, and toppled titans such as Maurice Greenberg–had been linked as a client to a prostitution ring. Where does the sullied white knight go from here?

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When I order a meal in a restaurant, I expect to be handed a bill. I’ll even give a generous tip for good service. But I don’t expect to have to pick up the check when a cop shows up at the scene of an accident, or a fire fighter drops by to put out a blaze. Yet such fees are becoming more prevalent as municipal governments struggle to balance their budgets without raising taxes. Insurers are fighting to discourage what they call “double-taxation,” but it might be a losing battle as the economy tanks.

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It was a disappointing night for Obama-backers, but I have to hand it to Sen. Hillary Clinton for refusing to be written off by the pundits and for rebounding so strongly in Ohio, while holding on for a tight win in Texas. Now what?

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One of the dirty little secrets about the uninsured that went unmentioned in Michael Moore’s documentary, “Sicko,” is that a significant percentage of those going bare appear to be making enough money to afford health insurance, but for some reason choose not to buy it. The question for those backing universal coverage is whether these “free riders” should be forced to pay premiums or penalized if they show up for care without a policy.

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Writing ain’t easy–not even for professionals, like me, who craft stories for a living. So it’s no surprise that relative “amateurs” in the insurance industry called upon to compose press releases, claim letters, proposals, reports or simple e-mail correspondence are often undermined by a lack of fundamental skills. My old friend and former colleague, Jack Appleman, offers invaluable help with his new book on the basics of business writing.

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