Breaking the monopoly: Previous attempts failed - Birmingham Business Journal:

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, , and made attempts in the 1990s to set up theit own healthinsurance programs, but the companieds found it hard to break stronghold on the state health insurances industry, saying their efforts were undermined by swift reactionm by BlueCross and consumer apathy. Consumers, they were pleased with BCBS’ service and reluctant to leavd a company they liked forunknownj commodities, industry experts said. When UAB gave it a try in the late the state’s largest employer with more than 20,00p employees figured it had a significant client base that wouldc prefer to use the university’s facilities, accordingf to former UAB Public Healt h Professor Eric Ford.
Ford said UAB’s plan offerex cheaper premium rates than BCBS but overestimated employee participation and enthusiasnm for anew “The consumers liked having said Ford, now a health care managementr professor. “UAB tried. They thoughtf they had a large enougg employee base to put into the system and most employeesz would prefer to usetheir Today, BCBS holds an estimated 90 percenr commercial health insurance market share acros the state. UAB’s efforts to grab a portionj of BCBS’ market share failed, but it stilll operates an HMO known as VivaHealtyh Inc. Viva’s 2007 revenues totaled just $332.
3 according to financial filings available from theNationalo Assoc-iation of . In 2007, BCBS of Alabama reportef $3.5 billion in tota revenue. It reported net incomr of $71.6 million that year. In the was formed by the CEOs of severaklmajor corporations, including Alabama Power, Drummond Co. and SouthTrust The council solicited health insurance proposals and receives bids from ofAlabamwa Inc. and of Alabama, the formedr insurance arm of .
When BCBS learned the council wasmovinh forward, it offered the council a 20 percen discount in their current rateds for three years and they However, Drummond filed a lawsuit at the turn of the millennium claiming BCBS failed to deliver promised Drummond reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement. One changde that did surface from the incidentg was eliminatingthe “favored nation” provisioh BCBS included in contract. A source familia r with BCBS’ contracts said that provision forced providerw contracted with BCBS to notify the insurer if they were negotiatingf with another firm and give BCBS a chance to undercutg thethird party’s offer.
BCBS denied it require d notification or a chance to offer a better deal andsaid “thde so-called Most Favored Natioh clauses were removed from our contracts in in a written United and Viva remain options in United reported $384.5 million in total revenur and $58 million in net income in 2007. UAB publi c health professor Mike Morriseyattributed BCBS’ market share dominancde to a lack of interest by competitors to entef Alabama. He said in the 1980s, at the height of the HMO Alabama didn’t fit the demographics national firms werelookin for. HMOs managed businessex with largeemployee bases.
“That has to do with the fact we had so many smalpl businesses and not so manybig corporations,” Morrisey said. Despite BCBS’ market Morrisey said there are opportunities for other national carriers toented Alabama. Self-insured administration operations could be competitivw for a company willingto try. “It’s a lot easiert to get into the administrative servicees than it is to enter asa full-blown insurer,” Morrisey said.

Woodland Corporate Center building gets LEED gold certification - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The building, which opened earlg last year, was designed and built to meet the seconr highest ranking ofthe Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmentap Design. was the generakl contractor. Liberty Property Trust Vice President Jody Johnstonm estimates the cost of building to green standarda added an additional 5 percent to the overalkdevelopment costs, but that will be more than offsegt by lower energy costs. Special features include showers and lockers for workers who need to wash or changwe clothes after they bike or jog to A deck made of recycled plastic borderzs the back ofthe building, overlooking a wetlands area that providews shade.
Landscaping incorporates drought-resistant plants nativer to Florida. A white reflective roof deflectdthe sun. Bins for recycling are placed near trasbh binsfor accessibility. Restroom urinals conserve water by relyin on gravity and a filter instead of That feature is expected tosave 360,00 gallons annually since each urinal uses an estimated 40,0090 gallons annually, Johnston said. Grass surrounding the parkinhg lot soaksup rainwater. And a recycled rubber, was used instea of asphalt around the larges oak trees that linethe lots. The porouw rubber allows water to soak intothe ground. The located at 4631 Woodland Blvd.
, received the “Office Building of the Award from the Tampaq Bay Chapter of the andthe “Gree Building Design Award” from the Hillsborough City-Count Planning Commission in Tampa. Liberty (NYSE: LRY) has develope and leased 19 buildings with nearly 1 million square feet of spac e in the parksince 1996. Key park tenantw include , Travelers, Travel and .

WWE News: The Miz Was The Breakout Star Of 2010 - Bleacher Report

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Bleacher Report

WWE News: The Miz Was The Breakout Star Of 2010 Bleacher Report Perhaps the biggest change was The Miz, who really elevated his performance in all aspects to become the breakout star in WWE this past year. ... and more »

Hal Turner, Right-Wing Blogger, Going to Prison for Threatening Federal Judges - CBS News

http://www.peacon.net/article/An-Introduction-to-Alexs-Lemonade-Stand.html

New York Daily News

Hal Turner, Right-Wing Blogger, Going to Prison for Threatening Federal Judges CBS News NEW YORK (CBS/WCBS/AP) Hal Turner, a right-wing New Jersey blogger, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for making death threats against three federal ... Right-wing blogger Hal Turner gets 33-month prison sentence Chicago Tribune Right-Wing Radio Host Jailed For Threatening Judges Democracy Now 33-Month Prison Term for Radio Threats New York Times Reuters -W »

SK Energy Says Operations Normal After Explosion at Oil Refinery Kills One - Bloomberg

http://www.psdrawing.com/archive/november/shiny_bass_guitar.html

SK Energy Says Operations Normal After Explosion at Oil Refinery Kills One Bloomberg The company is investigating the cause of the explosion at the heavy oil upgrading unit at its Ulsan plant in the southeast of the country, Chung said. ... and more »

Md. Reaches Settlement with DirecTV Over Marketing, Billing Practices - Southern Maryland Online

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Md. Reaches Settlement with DirecTV Over Marketing, Billing Practices Southern Maryland Online BALTIMORE (December 15, 2010) â€" Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that his Consumer Protection Division has entered into a settlement ... and more »

Senate passes bill for vet-owned firms - Cherry Hill Courier Post

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Senate passes bill for vet-owned firms Cherry Hill Courier Post TRENTON â€" The state Senate's budget committee Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that would set aside 3 percent of all state contracts for veteran-owned ... and more »