Blast from the Past Present: Insurance Commercials

Allstate's "Mayhem" character (Dean Winters).

Every Sunday, I run a feature on the blog called Blast from the Past, usually populated by YouTube videos on a single topic. It can be classic commercials, "lost" hits of the 80s, whatever strikes my fancy. Sometimes, it's even relevant to current events! This one is not on the weekend, it's not from the past, and it's relevant only to current events in my life.

When I got my most recent car insurance bill from my insurer (hint, their jingle goes, "We are ______, buh-ba-duh-bum-bump-bump-bump!"), the cost for half a year was--by far--the highest it's ever been. I have a 4-1/2-year-old mid-sized sedan. Entry level, four-cylinder, basic transportation. Nothing fancy. So why was the price climbing? My insurance company--let's call them Charmer's---said it was going up for everyone, especially in Nevada, and yada yada. So why was The Other Half's insurance on his 1/2-year-old Scion xB more than $150 cheaper than mine? Well, we decided not to take it anymore. We did a little research, and found another company--let's call them Flibberty Smoochual--and managed to get a rate for both cars that was less than just mine before! Crazy, right?

Crazier is how much money insurance companies--including my old and new ones--spend on advertising. And since we went through this transition, I'm noticing them more. If you pay attention, you'll notice it too. Here are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. All of them are long-running campaigns, very recognizable, with regular characters, themes and/or jingles. Some have more than one concurrent campaigns. How much cheaper would our rates be if they cut back on the commercials by about half?

And that is just off the top of my head. Of course, these companies cover cars, homes, life and other things, and have many other commercials. As I said, I never noticed how many until it was at the forefront of my mind. I wonder what percentage of prime time advertising is just insurance companies?

Insurers Get Around Health Care Reform: They Just Won't Insure Children!

Image from portrait.gov.au

Whatever your feelings about health care reform, most people would agree that getting rid of a "preexisting condition" being a disqualifier for insurance is a good thing. Particularly for children.  But the ingenious insurance companies have found a way around that: don't insure children at all!  Brilliant! And diabolical.

[Excerpt]

Health Insurers Up The Ante Over Pre-existing Conditions Rule By Denying Coverage To Children. What Next?

Well! That worked well, didn't it? (As opposed to Medicare for all, I mean.) Possibly the president and our congressional leadership is beginning to understand just what happens when you invite the health insurance vampires into your house: . .

Read more at: Crooks and Liars

Fired GEICO Voice Guy, D.C.Douglas, Fires Back at Tea Baggers

Good for him!

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on Health Care Reform

It's been a while since Keith Olbermann had a spirited "Special Comment," but this one is a doozy. And before the inevitable "he only picks on Republicans" comments, you should know he lays into the Democrats as well. This will make progressives and Olbermann fans happy, but the blue dogs are not gonna like it.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Insurance Company Rules!

There's a line in Ruthless People, a great comedy from the eighties, that goes something like this: "What the hell's the sense of being a decent person when nobody else is? Let's be assholes and get rich!" That might be what the world would degenerate to if we all played by "Insurance Company Rules." Check it out!



Found at: AmericaBlog