Pet Health Insurance: Let the Buyer Beware

The Mercury News reports that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB2411, a bill that would have forced pet insurance providers to openly disclose coverage limits of their policies. Thwarted at the executive level, California (and nationwide) animal lovers must undertake personal pet insurance comparisons; let the buyer beware!

Pet Insurance Comparison: Exclusions Spell Big Bucks

It is not always easy to ferret out the limitations of animal health insurance plans. Frequently there are copious links, downloads and further restrictions. Consider these examples:

Pets Best Insurance

Without the addition of a “Best Wellness” plan, routine pet care (i.e. exams, dental cleanings, altering and vaccines) is not covered. Pre-existing conditions (such as congenital defects) are not limited to those that crop up during the waiting period, but may also be those ailments where “your pet had no signs or symptoms and wasn’t diagnosed.” Parasite treatments, such as heartworm testing or removal, is not covered.

Other sticking points are hereditary problems, most notably hip dysplasia. Pet lovers should peruse the list of pet health insurance exclusions by breed, since this further limits protection. For example, glaucoma is considered hereditary in beagles, Welsh Springer spaniels and Siberian huskies, while epilepsy is not covered for beagles, Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and a few others. Also excluded, by breed, are pregnancy and breeding related costs.

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI)

VPI pet health insurance does not cover some musculoskeletal conditions, such as hip dysplasia and cervical vertebral instability. The company does not pay for treatments related to cystine or urate urolithiasis, some ocular and blood disorders as well as hereditary or congenital conditions.

Purina Care

A pet insurance comparison reveals that pre-existing conditions, breeding and pregnancy services and also elective alternative care are services that are not covered. Also not covered are preventable conditions (when the animal’s owner did not provide the pet with the preventative care). Keep in mind that this could very well refer to heartworm treatments as well.

Before deciding on a pet insurance company, the consumer must compare pet insurance policies and – depending on the animal’s breed – believe carefully which view is the least or most restrictive.

Sources

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16173733? nclick_check=1

http://www.petsbest.com/whatsnotcovered.aspx

http://www.petsbest.com/plans/limitations.aspx

http://www.petsbest.com/plans/excluded.aspx

http://www.petinsurance.com/Pet-Insurance-Buyers-Guide/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx

http://www.petinsurance.com/Pet-Insurance-Buyers-Guide/~/media/pdfs/Conditions_not_Covered.ashx

http://www.purinacare.com/our_plans_faqs.aspx

The auto insurance process is filled with terms that are not used by the general public. Collision auto insurance is one of these terms. Collision auto insurance is one of the most popular types of automobile insurance coverage. Collision insurance is often confused with liability and comprehensive insurance coverage. Let’s look at all three.

Collision insurance refers to coverage of your car or truck when you are in a collision. Comprehensive insurance refers to coverage of your vehicle against theft, vandalism, and other similar events. Liability insurance refers to coverage of other vehicles, people, and property when the collision was your fault. There are of course many different types of insurance, varying covered situations, and different levels of coverage.

One thing to hold in mind is that normally collision auto insurance coverage will only pay for repairs to your vehicle up to the current actual value of the vehicle. The actual value of your vehicle is obvious by the insurance provider considering the age, mileage, condition, and other variables. Collision auto insurance is also normally subject to a deductible as well. Remember, while a high deductible will lower your premium you need to be prepared to pay that deductible out of pocket in case of a claim.

Consumers of auto insurance should use this information to make an educated decision when selecting collision auto insurance coverage for their car or truck. Specific information on your collision auto insurance is found in your auto insurance policy.

Personally, I would wait until you have settled the property damage on your vehicle before filing a personal injury claim. You will receive “FREE” money simply because you have NOT filed a personal injury claim. Most likely the amount you will receive for your property damage will be about $1000.00 or higher than the actual cost of your vehicle worth, simply because they are in panic of a personal injury claim, which could possibly lead to legal litigation, which will cost State Farm or any other auto accident insurance company legal experts years and thousands of dollars because of legal fees.

To me, this is what I call “FREE” money. After you settle the property wound on your vehicle, you can always start a personal injury claim against State Farm or any other insurance company. In most states, you have up to (2) two years to determine your personal injury claim before hiring an attorney and filing a lawsuit or litigation proceedings.

Also, in most states in the USA. You also have (18) eighteen months to settle your property damage before hiring an attorney for litigation or lawsuit process, because you have tried to handle this claim yourself and working with the insurance adjuster without hiring an attorney which looks “Great” in front of a jury.

But, remember these insurance adjusters are also looking for “Dummies” or any fraudulent activity, whenever you talk to them. They will also record your initial conversation just so they can use it against you during their deposition if lawsuit is filed. They will write down every word you say during your conversation and situation this is what you said during your first conversation after your accident.

Recorded conversations are NOT permissible during insurance adjuster depositions, but most likely the insurance attorney has listened to your original conversation and told the insurance adjuster exactly what to say during their deposition.

Another way of “FREE” money with State Farm Insurance is to get them with the rental car? Even if your vehicle is drivable, you can tell the adjuster that it’s NOT? And still obtain your rental car for free, mileage free, but you will have to pay for the gas. I would suggest keeping this rental vehicle as long as possible, until they come out and recall it up! If State Farm tries to charge you for the mileage, because of your loss of vehicle, you can always show this during your deposition, which caused you “pain & suffering” out of your ever day way of life and you did NOT have another drivable vehicle?

Please remember, this accident was probably not your fault? Why should you have to be the one that suffers because of this accident? Why should you have to suffer everyday because someone else is just a “Bad Driver? ” You did NOT ask for this accident?

My advice for any auto accident victim with Station Farm Insurance, would be to select it “slow” with the State Farm adjusters and appraisers, and just simply wait and see what they are doing before hiring legal counsel or any attorney? These State Farm employee’s are “Experts” and they know their jobs, and they will also ” wait and see” what you will do first before paying you any money and if you are going to file a personal injury claim.

And always remember, lawsuits are filed against the other driver and NOT the insurance company.

Unfortunately, auto accident payments are based on time and calculations. And as simply put with any insurance claim. If “You play your cards right” with these adjusters and appraisers with any insurance company. You can form some “FREE” money with these insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, Geico, Nationwide, etc. provided that you allow enough time for the plan process.

Thanks for reading,

Phillip Chambley.

In order to win a plot on the list, the vehicle had to have at least of the two following: Consumer Report’s highest possible accident avoidance rating, Perfect crash test scores from NHTSA, Perfect atomize test scores from IIHS and lower that average frequency of insurance injury claim filing according to the HLDI.

Forbes only considered vehicles that had been tested in all available categories.

Following are Forbes Safest Cars of 2007, along with some of the safety features on the individual models.

Acura RDX SUV. Base Price $32,995. The RDX safety features include a sophisticated body structure, standard front, side and side curtain air bags. Brake assist and Vehicle Stability Assist help prevent impacts. (acura.com)

Acura RL Sedan. Base Price $45,780. Braking system, Active Front Lighting System and Vehicle Stability Assist. (acura.com).

Audi A4 Family. Base Price $28,240. Winner of the overall World Car of the Year Award. (audiusa.com)

Audi A6 Sedan and Wagon. Nasty Price $41,950.

BMW Z4 Convertible and Coupe. Defective Price $36,400. Precision handling, agility, and responsiveness help drivers to react to unexpected driving situations (bmwusa.com)

Chevrolet Corvette Convertible and Coupe. Base Mark $44,995. safety features include driver and passenger dual stage frontal and side-impact air bags, passenger sensing air bag system, Z06 brakes, anti lock brakes, active handling, OnStar, traction control and driver information center. (www.chevrolet.com)

Ford Freestyle SUV. Infamous Price $26,670.

Honda Civic Coupe and Sedan. Base Price $14,810.

Jaguar XJ Sedan. Sinful Price $64,250.

Lexus SC Convertible. Base Price $64.455. Safety feature include airbags, run0flat tires, theft deterrent system, ABS with brake assist, three point seat belts, daytime running lights, tire pressure sensors, and side impact door beams. (lexus.com).

Lincoln Town Car Sedan. Base Price $43,045.

Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible. Base Sign $21,180. Safety features include anti theft alarm, dual front airbags with passenger deactivating switch, engine immobilizer, side impact airbags, side impact door beams, three point safety belts and tire pressure monitor system.

Mercedes-Benz SL Class convertible. Base Designate $95,575.

Mercury Titanic Marquis Sedan. Base Price $25,735.

Porsche 911 Convertible and Coupe. Base Price $72,400. Porsche ceramic composite brake, passive safety, airbag, Porsche stability system. (porsche.com/usa)

Porsche Boxter Convertible. Base Price $45,600. Head and thorax airbags.

Saab 9-3 Convertible, Sedan and Wagon. Base Price $26,995.

Saab 9-5 Sedan and Wagon. $35,440.

Subaru Forester SUV. Base Price $21,195.

Volkswagen Passat Sedan and Wagon. Base Price $23,180.

Volvo XC90 SUV. Depraved Stamp $36,135.

For the complete story, see Forbes.com.

As witnesses to a serene America before the wars and the baby-boomer era, they obsessively believed each American was entitled to the same aloof lives of their youth. Those three elders were almost like mayors of a two-block community that spanned either side of a two-mile street. Not even a cat could whisk without their knowledge. Needless to say, youngsters felt suffocated by the overbearing presence and peril of the three seniors.

Now, one of those guardian angels was leaving. I too helped the couple pack their belongings before the moving truck came. Their basement was full of antiques and collectibles. One of the framed used prints was interesting. It showed a physician getting out of a horse buggy with his medicine chest and an anxious family waiting for him at the door of a home.

Though in shaded and white, the picture vividly portrayed the mixed feelings of the subjects – the comforting, assuring demeanor of the doctor, the anxiety-turning-to-relief faces of the family. One of the ladies in the picture was half-turned toward the interior of the house shouting something. I believe it should be “The Doc has come. The Doc is here.”

Then that was the stature of a physician in our society in the past. A confidante and insider of every American family. And our forefathers knew the docs had to keep up a higher status in the society and made it a point to pay them nicely. Those who couldn’t pay in cash, made it up in kind. The physicians, on their part, had no room for complaints about their reasonable remuneration.

No, I m not saying our present day docs should travel in horse buggies. I am talking about a bygone era where doctor-patient relationship was above the mundane levels of payment worries or malpractice suits.

Then, who broke up that dazzling relationship?

Sorry to say, doctors themselves started the vicious cycle. Not all of them, but a few of them.

Those were the days when insurance companies, on the lookout for greener pastures, unfortunately decided health industry was inviting enough to be grazed.

That move was against all principles of actuarial science. Insurance is provided against infrequent emergencies in our lives – be it home, car, accident or death. Not against frequent incidents like illness or sickness.

What sustains the insurance industry is the “infrequency” of covered conditions and situations because they are not allowed to invest their funds in risky, high-profit ventures.

Still over-smart insurance mavens started covering illnesses, conveniently ignoring the cardinal principles of actuarial science.

Insurance agents, under pressure to meet deadlines and targets, viewed health insurance and professionals on a par with the automobile insurance and auto mechanics respectively.

Soon a felonious nexus sprang up. A small coterie of medics and agents colluded in jacking up health insurance claims to ridiculous levels. Though only a handful of the professionals of that era were in this racket, that was enough to start a vicious cascade that finally mothballed into the present unmanageable mess.

As the racketeers and their families started flying Cessnas and Beechcrafts (some parked on airstrips hundreds of miles away from their homes), some jealous lawyers jumped into the fray with malpractice suits even if God created one member of your paired organs shorter than the other.

Medium- and small-sized insurance companies started folding up due to mounting losses from unscrupulous claims.

Finally, a handful of major players were left in the health insurance arena. Cheated by their own agents and by accredited professionals, they banded together to stomp out the mischief.

Thus were born today’s confusing jumble of managed care: HPOs, PPOs, IPAs and all that jazz- all hooplas aimed at meeting less and less of the insurance industry’s commitments to the society and to shortchange it.

Doctors, due to the dishonesty of a handful of their predecessors, thus lost control of their hospitals and their preeminent situation in the society. Insurance companies and law firms started “lording” it over them – including diagnosis, therapy and prognosis.

Now a new group also entered the fray. The medical equipment manufacturers! In a hurry to recoup their R&D expenses within the first few months of sales, they started charging exorbitant prices to the hospitals. Their excuse is,”Why you bother, insurance will pay.” But insurance doesn’t pay full or pays nothing at all.

Today’s young physicians may not believe that this quagmire was started by a few, unethical predecessors. The situation has worsened to such levels that soon a person with a high school diploma and a two-year certificate will be prescribing medicines and doing surgeries, so that insurance industry can set money.

Sluggish insurance company staff found a new way to flog an already tired health industry. They didn’t want to do the verification of the bills even when provided with fast computers; so, they created new categories of jobs for a circuitous way of verification – coding. I have no objection to the job of coders. The more our people have jobs, the better for the society.

But after passing the buck to the health care industry, if insurance is not paying the hospitals to believe those jobs, the hospital system has no choice but to cave in under the weight of a disproportionately- bloated administrative section with the actual patient care piece becoming leaner and leaner.

Self-serving ineptitude on the part of the insurance industry has rocketed premiums to astronomical levels that businesses can no more afford even group insurances for their employees.

Some health care bosses appoint sycophantic cronies to top posts ignoring the claims of hardworking personnel who have been serving the hospitals for decades.

Recently I heard a middle-level departmental head in one hospital lamenting the departure of a long-serving technician elsewhere. The tech quit after being ignored for promotion the sixth time. That guy seemed to be the only one (out of some twenty around) who could be depended on even in the dead of the night to repair one of their critical systems. The only one to do it good!

Silent hardworking staff get ignored, while vociferous lazy bums get promoted.

Some state-funded hospitals in New York City have already closed. Luckily, some hospitals in the suburbs have some funds left from grants bestowed by rich philanthropists. How long will that last? God alone knows.

I was elated when I heard on TV that some physicians in New Jersey and Kentucky are trying the stale system of house visits bypassing the insurance system.

No, not on horse buggies.

A good beginning!

Anything to regain rid of the middle men and to bring health care back to affordable levels is better than the prove day denial of basic rights despite all the technological advances.

Unfortunately, the bee business isn’t going so well. A original phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been taking a great toll on our honey bees. During fall 2006, beekeepers in many countries around the world noticed a sudden disappearance of managed honey bee colonies, and for no apparent reason. These hives were formerly healthy, but for some reason bees simply abandoned their hives, often leaving unprejudiced the queen and a few caretakers. In February 2007, the syndrome had been named (Kaplan). Congress recognized Colony Collapse Disorder as a threat in 2007 and granted emergency funds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explore honey bee disappearances. The 2008 Farm Bill granted the Department of Agriculture $20 million each year to aid bee research and related work (NRDC). Research is underway to try to determine the causes of CCD, and how to prevent it from occurring. Possibilities involve combinations of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, inadequate food supply, transportation, and many different viruses. As the cause is believed to be from multiple sources, pinpointing them will be difficult. Many viruses are believed to be passed on by the mites, which in of themselves are devastating enough.

At an apiculture conference, a commercial beekeeper cries in front of the audience. In 6 months, he was broke, loosing his house, and his entire beekeeping operation had been wiped out. The cause of his disaster was two little parasites. One, the varroa mite, is described by James Tew, a specialist in beekeeping at Ohio State University, as the “biggest catastrophe to befall apiculture since its establishment in this country in the 1600s… In only a few years, the varroa mite redesigned nearly 300 years of North American apiculture in ways akin to the dramatic way the boll weevil restructured the cotton-producing industry … in the early 1920s.” Varroa mites are large enough to be seen by the ogle. Female varroa mites attach to bees between abdominal segments, feeding on a substance similar to our blood, called hemolmph. When females enter a nursery cell, called a brood cell, the mites lay eggs. The mite nymphs then feed on the developing bees. The mites and bees leave the brood cell together, as adults. The mites cause many birth defects, such as shortened abdomens, deformed wings and legs, or sometimes cause death. Colonies infested with varroa mites that are not treated can survive for about 8-18 months. Scott Camazine, an entomologist at Penn State University, believes that the mites aren’t the main quandary. He says that the mites are simply making viral transmission faster (Doebler).

The other mite feeding on honeybees are tracheal mites. These mites are much smaller than varroa mites and believed to be less risky. These parasites live and feed in the bee’s trachea, clogging the airway and limiting respiration. The major effect of this is that bees cannot raise their metabolic rate to keep warm while they skim. Beekeepers frequently area grease patties or menthol chips inside the hives when honey is not being produced to slow the spread of tracheal mites.

Many studies trying to determine the cause of CCD are built on a project started for the California almond crops. The study started as a plan to artificially supplement the honeybee’s diets in order to fabricate larger colonies (Flores). As California is a major consumer of honeybee use for pollination, it is not surprising that the first effort to fight CCD have started there.

Entomologist Jeff Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is working on several collaborations to try to determine the cause of CCD. One sight is looking at the combination of pesticide use and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), found in a previous stare with university researcher Jay D. Evans, to be strongly associated with CCD. The second experiment will stare at the effects of varroa mites and pesticides combined. If these two studies fail, other combinations will be explored. One of the issues with these and other CCD studies is that samples have only been taken after CCD has been reported. Therefore, Pettis has begun his behold with three different beekeepers one both healthy and affected hives. Hopefully, the samples will give information to previous signs and causes of CCD (Kaplan). John Adamczyk, the acting research leader for ARS’s Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, explains the hope for the study: “At the end of the 5-year cycle we’ll have specific recommendations that the beekeeper could utilize on how to manage bees more efficiently during long-range transport for pollination. We want to be able to transfer that technology to be useful by the end user” (Flores).

A major issue is the huge outburst of IAPV. Some thought that importation of bees from Australia and China had brought the disease with them, but entomologists Yanping (Judy) Chen and Evans, both also with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory, found otherwise. Chen said that “Our study shows that, without question, IAPV has been in this country since at least 2002. This work makes it clear that IAPV is not a recent introduction from Australia” (Kaplan). This however, does not rule out IAPV as a cause of CCD.

American foulbrood a bacterial disease of the honey bee, which is very devastating to bee colonies. The most obvious symptom is a creamy or dark brown glue-like larval remain that can be pulled out in a rope. This test is known as the ‘matchstick test.’ It affects the brood cells, killing bees before they are productive, usually while pupae, and occasionally with larvae. Brood cells may be spotted, showing early signs (de Graaf). Introduction of American foulbrood, or any other foulbrood, can kill off all future generations of honey bees is not spotted and treated immediately. A original drug, tylosin tartrate (TYLAN Soluble), has been accepted for use to treat foulbrood (Honey Bees). If treated, colonies can continue to thrive.

A very large study involving pesticides has been conducted. 158 pesticides were tested among the honey bee, the leaf cutting bee, and the alkali bee. The leaf cutting bee is a solitary nesting bee that mainly foraging on alfalfa plants. Nests are built in narrow tube-like cavities, and separate cells are made for each egg and lined with alfalfa. The cell is then plugged with alfalfa leaves, and a recent nest is made in the area. The alkali bee is also a solitary, bee that builds nests in soil. This western bee likes alkaline soils near water. The nest is between five and twenty centimeters deep, with many oval cells branching off the main shaft. This bee pollinates mainly alfalfa, onion, clover, celery, and mints. A smaller pesticide study has also been conducted on the bumble bee. Bumble bees are social insects, like honey bees. They make smaller nests, consisting of only 100-500 individuals. They take to nest underground, like the alkali bee, and need undisturbed meadows, old barns or woodlots. Bumble bees work harder than honeybees at cooler temperatures. They pollinate a larger variety of plants, but do particularly well on tomatoes and berries. The results were very similar for all species, although determined bees do better than others with different pesticides (Devillers).

Many researchers have found a completely different solution to the problem of CCD, that is, to simply not have honey bee hives. Wild bees, also known as non-honey bees, have been shown to be better pollinators than the honeybee, although it is level-headed unclear as to whether non-native honey bees are negatively effecting wild native bee populations. Studies are conflicting, and tremendous pollination results have occurred when used together, yet the large numbers of honeybees could have a large impact on native species if food supplies are limited (Paini). Entomologist James Cane has found that a recent native bee, called the Osmia bee, or the Mason bee, is a astonishing pollinator of berries. Cane learned of the bee from bee enthusiast Ron yon der Hellen, who told Cane of the quarter-inch long metallic green bee that had housed itself in his wooden nesting boards that he keeps as housing for leaf cutting bees. Cane borrowed several hundred of these bees and found that they visited as many red raspberry flowers as did honey bees in the same amount of time,, and nearly as many blackberry flowers. While red raspberries and blackberries are self-pollinating, bee visits made berries better. Cane found that red raspberry flowers visited by honey bees or the Osmia bees bore berries that were 30% heavier. The Osmia bee however, always gathered pollen, while honeybees did not. Even better, these bees are resistant to the devastating mites. After 5 years of perceive, Cane plans to give these emerald-green bees to growers and beekeepers (Wood).

Another study shows that native bees are up to five times more efficient at pollinating sunflowers than honeybees alone. Researchers at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University of California found that wild bees play a crucial role in the pollinating process. Sarah Greenleaf, the study’s leader, says that, “Up until now, we have belief that honey bees alone were doing most of the pollination, but now we know that a lot of honey bee pollination happens because of their interaction with wild native bees. This means that wild bees are great, much more significant that we previously thought.” She and Claire Kremen observed the behavior of honey bees and wild native bees in sunflower fields during two different growing seasons. They found that in fields where wild bees were rare, one honeybee visit produced, on average, three seeds. As the number of wild bees increased, so did the number of seeds produced, up to 15 seeds per visit. To keep their data clean, each flower was bagged before it bloomed, allowed one visit, and then re-bagged until the seeds were produced (Two Bees). The drastic difference shows that native bees are a vital section of the pollination process.

Native bees are shown to be the most notable cut pollinators in a recent study of watermelon crops. This study showed that native bees alone are sufficient to pollinate the watermelon. The study interested 46 species of wild bees, and showed that native bees, given capable habitat, could replace the honey bee if needed. Natural habitat must be provided, commence soil for soil-dwelling species, and year round food supply must be available within 0.3 kilometers, although further distances may suffice (Winfree).

Native bees are a possible, and currently the best, solution to the problem of CCD. To encourage native bees to live around your home, farm, or orchard, plant native plants. Native plants will thrive without much care and native bees are already well safe to them. Use diversity in color, shape, and flowering times to attract many species to make permanent homes. Not all bees like the same colors or the same shape flowers, so be sure to get a variety. Avoid pesticides, or read the Devillers study to choose what would be safest to use, and when. Certain pesticides can only be mature safely on different parts of plants; however there are a few pesticides which have been shown to be completely safe for the studied bees. Nesting sites are a must, so leave so open ground undisturbed, and consider making nesting boxes (NRDC). All these things combined can help a farm or orchard keep money by not renting out honeybees, and as CCD becomes more of an issue, these prices may rise.

Although native bees seem to be a solution to the CCD plight, other issues arise. Most wild bees are solitary, making transportation to large crops like the California almonds nearly impossible. If you of honeybees stopped in the United States, the millions of dollars received from honey and beeswax would no longer exist. These products would need to be imported, and prices would rise drastically. As CCD affects the world, these products may someday be completely eliminated if we do not get a handle on CCD. Also, the different native bees have other diseases they are susceptible to, and share many of the same diseases with honeybees.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious spot effecting beekeepers, farmers, and consumers. If we cannot gather a handle on what is causing this, the world may fall into a greater depression, and food prices will soar. To combat this, we need to stop abusing our honey bees and succor native bees to lift residence near farms and orchards. Pesticide use needs to be cut down, used in safer ways, or altogether eliminated. Mass transportation of hives over hundreds of miles needs to be stopped, as this likely causes great stress to the honeybees, making them more susceptible to disease.

de Graaf, D. C., “Diagnosis of American Foulbrood in Honey Bees: a Synthesis and Proposed Analytical Protocols.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 43.6 (Dec. 2006): 583-590. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 .

Devillers, J., “Comparative toxicity and hazards of pesticides to Apis and non- Apis bees. A chemometrical study.” SAR & QSAR in Environmental Research 14.5/6 (Oct. 2003): 389-403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. [University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 1 Nov. 2008 .

Doebler, Stefanie A. "The Rise and Fall of the Honeybee." Bioscience 50.9 (Sep. 2000): 738. Environment Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 3 Nov. 2008 .

Flores, Alfredo. "Improving Honey Bee Health." Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 7-7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=28748594&site=ehost-live.

Honey Bees Get a New Antibiotic." Agricultural Research 54.7 (July 2006): 23-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

Kaplan, J. Kim. "A Complex Buzz." Agricultural Research 56.5 (May 2008): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .

NRDC: Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder. Sept. 2008. National Resources Defense Council. 2 Nov. 2008

Paini, D. R. "Impact of the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on native bees: A review." Austral Ecology 29.4 (Aug. 2004): 399-407. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

"Two Bees Better Than One." Science & Children 44.3 (Nov. 2006): 8-9. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM.]. 14 Nov. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22885757&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Wood, Marcia. “Wonderful Wild Bees. (Mask story).” Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

Winfree, Rachael, et al. “Native bees provide insurance against ongoing honey bee losses.” Ecology Letters
10.11 (Nov. 2007): 1105-1113. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .

Three cavemen commercials by GEICO aired in 2004, but after two years of cavemen absence, GEICO decided to bring back the commercials and the fourth aired in September of 2006. In the fourth commercial, a caveman on a moving airport sidewalk sees a billboard for GEICO featuring a stereotypical caveman along with the GEICO slogan, “So easy a caveman can do it.” The product the commercial is advertising for is GEICO Auto Insurance, but the advertisement is also selling an experience and a lifestyle. The experience that one gets with GEICO insurance is an easy one, while the lifestyle one gets with GEICO is a safe and insured one.

The commercial entertains the audience by using the familiar and likeable character of the caveman, and also uses an upbeat electronic song, “Remind Me” by Röyksopp, that plays in the background. The ad is also a parody of the opening scene of the 1967 film, The Graduate. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman’s character, Ben Braddock, walks on a moving sidewalk at an airport, demonstrating the ability to allude to different forms of media in a single advertisement.

By insisting that GEICO Insurance is “So easy a caveman can do it,” the ad creators are reaching out to customers who are either uninsured or melancholy with their current auto insurance. These are also customers who are not necessarily lacking in intelligence, but ones who value necessary tasks, such as obtaining auto insurance, to be simple, fast and easy. The geographic region that this commercial is geared towards is the District of Columbia and all of the United States, except Massachusetts, the only places where GEICO writes auto insurance.

The commercial succeeds in reaching this audience by using widely known stereotypes. The stereotype of the caveman contrasts with the “real-life caveman” because the billboard ad within the commercial depicts an image of a caveman that is hairy, wearing fur and holding a club. This image projects the stereotypical behavior of a caveman onto the viewer as well, behavior that is aggressive and has a difficulty adapting. The caveman in the commercial is depicted as completely regular and normal, despite his facial features and excess hair. Because of the opposition, the “regular” caveman in today’s society becomes offended at the determined degradation of cavemen.

This advertisement uses the dissimilarity to stress its honesty about how easy GEICO auto insurance is to obtain and use. The “caveman” stereotype is one that was intelligently selected by GEICO because although it is widely known and understood by a variety of different ages and ethnicities, it is a stereotype that is rather uncontroversial to people of all backgrounds. A slur against Asian, African-American or female stereotypes would undoubtedly cause an uproar against people of those ethnicities or genders. Since there are no cavemen in today’s society, the commercials are completely fictional and are not used to slander any living human being.

This commercial definitely succeeded as an ad as GEICO continued to make more cavemen oriented commercials following this one. The popularity of these commercials was so great that in 2007, an interactive Web plot about the characters was created. “Caveman Crib” features the inside of a technologically savvy and modern apartment of cavemen. The apartment comes complete with a laptop, a flat screen TV and even an IPod. When you enter the kitchen of the picturesque bachelor pad, you are able to click and hear voice messages left on the modern, cordless telephone. One message even refers to the caveman airport commercial when the fictional GEICO advertiser addresses the caveman’s questions about the offensive display, but suggests “we’re not positively positive you saw one of our ads or not.” This sentence reaffirms the world’s blindness to the cavemen stereotype as depicted in the commercials. In October of 2007, a spin-off TV series on ABC was made titled, Cavemen. The expose is described by ABC as a “unique buddy comedy that offers a clever twist on stereotypes and turns race relations on its head,” a statement that adequately describes not only the show and the interactive Web site, but also the entire message conveyed in all of the GEICO cavemen commercials.

Many Americans pay too remarkable for their auto insurance for one simple reason, lack of research. If you are looking to lower your insurance premiums, it is distinguished that you shop around and peruse at multiple offers. Finding the right auto insurance company ultimately depends on the following factors.

Having a clean driving record: The best way to save on auto insurance is to be able to prove to insurance companies that you are not a liability. This can be done by maintaining a clean driving record. Avoid having multiple traffic violations at all costs.

Shop for quotes: If you are serious about saving money on your auto insurance, you are going to have to shop around and gather competing quotes. There are two ways that you can shop for quotes. You can either visit your local insurance offices, or you can opt to do your research online. Obtain at least ten price quotes before you start to narrow down your search.

Ask for available discounts: Many auto insurance companies offer a wide variety of discounts for new and existing members. You can save extra for example, if you insure your home and car with the same company. The possibility for discounts are endless. Execute sure to ask your insurance agent about all the possible ways that you can save.

Understanding your coverage: Before signing an auto insurance policy, make sure you understand the coverage that you are receiving. You want to avoid signing a policy that is charging you for services that are not necessarily needed.

Finding a balance: Although your main intent is to save money, you want to make positive not to sacrifice price for quality. You eventually want to find a balance between a reputable company and one that saves you the most money.

Whether you are currently insured or plan on getting an insurance policy in the near future, it is always a good belief to find the best auto insurance rates available. By doing so you can potentially build hundreds a year on auto insurance premiums.

1. Safe Drivers

Being a top-notch driver has its advantages: You don’t have to pay for costly repairs to a damaged vehicle, no one ever gets hurt on your watch and you might qualify for unique auto insurance discounts. Specifically, some states require that insurers provide premium discounts to consumers who complete driver safety courses, according to the AARP.

Thirty-six states require the discount if you take the Driver Safety Program in a classroom with an approved instructor, and 10 states even require it if you retract the course online. This can mean a serious auto insurance reduction even if you’ve had tickets or accidents in the past.

2. Retirees

Did you know that there are unique auto insurance discounts for retirees? Some car insurance companies give reduced rates to seniors who are at least 55-years-old and are no longer employed full-time.

This is not a requirement, of course, and all insurance providers are different. However, if you can find a provider in your area who offers this discount, you’ll establish a bundle on car insurance.

3. Students

Younger drivers aren’t left in the dust. Other unique auto insurance discounts include reduced rates for full-time students. If you’re getting your education, you probably don’t have extra money to throw around, and with the discount you might be able to afford a few non-Ramen meals outside the dorm.

In most cases, unique auto insurance discounts for students require that the consumer be under 24 or 25 years of age and maintain a certain grade point average. You might not qualify if you are married or included on your parents’ insurance coverage.

4. Students’ Parents

One of the most recent auto insurance discounts available is the reduced rate for students’ parents. If you support a child (he or she lives with you, in other words) you might qualify for a discount. However, there are always lots of stipulations, so you’ll want to check with your insurance agent for details.

5. Farmers & Ranchers

Many farmers and ranchers own dedicated vehicles that never leave their property. In this case, you might qualify for a unique auto insurance discount that insures your truck for less.

Remember that in order to qualify for this discount, you will need to own an applicable vehicle that follows the rules on the policy. Otherwise, you might wind up paying much more.

There are plenty of other unique auto insurance discounts that you might not have heard about. If you want to lift advantage of them, you’ll need to sit down with your insurance agent and discuss the options available to you.

It is also a good idea to research other insurance providers from time to time. You never know when a unique auto insurance discount is going to reduce up that would save you money on car insurance.

Source:

AARP

First, you want to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If your current policy has liability limits of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident and you get a new noteworthy lower quote with liability coverages at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, these quotes are not really comparable. Obviously the one with the powerful lower coverages is going to be cheaper, but maybe not the best fit to cover your financial needs. If your liability levels are at 25/50 and you cause an accident with more than $50,000 dollars worth of damage, you can be held personally liable for the remainder of the damage.

Next you should compare the deductible. Lower deductibles mean more money for premiums and less at the time of the accident. Higher deductibles mean less money for premiums and more money at the time of the accident. Again, you want to make sure you are quoting apples to apples. If you determine that you would like to increase or decrease your deductible while you are shopping for auto quotes, it would be in your best interest to get a quote from your fresh company with the deductible you have decided on, so you can compare the auto insurance quotes more evenly.

Also you will need to construct sure that the companies you are quoting with have your complete driving history, meaning they need to know about any accidents, violations, or comprehensive claims in the last three years. If they are not aware of your driving record, the fresh quotes your have may not be accurate, and you may be in for a surprise when they pull your motor vehicle report and your quote increases.

Comparing auto insurance quotes is very important to get the most for your money. If in doubt, find an insurance agent whom you trust and ask them to go over the quotes with you to insure that you are comparing your quotes correctly.