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Fuel prices could be reduced this week as the government conducts a crisis meeting with stakeholders in the energy sector.

The meeting will be chaired by CS Fred Matiang’i and will focus on the high cost of electricity according to the findings of the report of the presidential task force on the review of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

The team will discuss the challenges facing the energy sector and create a strategy to reduce the prices that have increased the cost of living.

Details of the meeting were revealed by the Super CS on Sunday when he stated the overhaul of scandalous Kenya Power will be among the key issues to be discussed.

While presiding over a fundraiser in support of Seventh-day Adventist Church in Isinya Kajiado County, Matiang’i said, “In light of the challenges facing the Ministry of Energy announced by the President, we shall this week start an aggressive programme to reduce the cost of fuel and electricity.”

The announcement comes a day after ODM leader Raila Odinga, while addressing a crowd in Bungoma hinted that the government would reduce the cost of fuel this week.

Dr. Matiangi’i said he would ensure the recommendations of the stakeholders’ meeting are implemented. The task force which is chaired by John Ngumi suggested an overhaul of Kenya Power and review of the PPAs between the company and private firms.

The task force noted the great difference between KenGen and IPP tariffs and electricity dispatch allocations and and lack of proper demand forecasting and planning as some some of the issues contributing to losses at Kenya Power.

Last week, Preident Uhuru Kenyata directed the Ministry of Energy to establish a path towards the reduction of the cost of electricity by over 33 percent within four months. In this anyone who spent Sh 500 per month for electricity shall by end of December 2021, pay shillings 330 per month.

On Wednesday, the President redeployed Energy CS Charles Keter and his PS Joseph Njoroge hours after receiving the report of the task force.

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The Energy and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has released a list of 14 fuel stations that sells adulterated fuel in various town of the country. The authority has also released names of Liquefied Petroleum Gas dealers who have been operating illegally.

EPRA began a 3-month investigation in July 2021, carrying out over 5000 tests. As a result, they discovered 1151 petroleum sites were selling fuel meant for exportation. The sites were identified after a close monitoring of the quality of petroleum motor fuels on sale, storage and transport throughout the country.

The various stations are located in Nakuru, Homa Bay, Nairobi, Bungoma, Busia, Marsabit and Kakamega. The stations situated in Nairobi include; Spareman Trading Limited Home Gas found along Enterprise Road, Alfa Gs Limited in Makadara, Easi Cooking Gas Limited off Lunga Lunga Road, Unregistered Site along Rangwe Road, More Gas Limited in Indistrial Area and Menengai Engeneering and Petroleum in Makadara.

Others are Tydes General Merchants Limited at Nyeri Ragati in Market, Depar Limited in Sagana town, Kirinyaga, Saxiib Filling Station in Murang’a, Street Travellers SACCO Filling Station at Kanu Street in Nakuru, Jasho Filling Station in Homa Bay, Saifa Filling Station in Kemera, Nyamira and Nyang’inja Filling Station in Kendu Bay.

The rest are Homa Bay, Ola Energy Kakamega A service station in Kakamega, Geoffery Omenda Filling Station at Kimwanga Kanu in Bungoma.

Also those who didn’t miss out are; Bahari Filling Station in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta, Habiba Adan Fuel Samples at Moyale Police Station in Marsabit, Mariam Ibrahim Adan Fuel Sample at Moyale and Fatuma Hassan Adan Fuel Sample at Moyale Police Station.

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Fly 748 Air Services (K) Ltd, a reliable aviation company that provides both air charter services and scheduled services has launched cheap daily flights from Nairobi to Malindi.

The flights will be taking off from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Kenya’s Coastal town.

The route will now see passengers enjoy a very competitive return ticket cost starting from as low as KEs 10,700.

Fly 748’s fast and versatile Dash 8-Q400 fleet with a capacity of 78 passengers will be flying the route.

The new Nairobi-Malindi route comes just a month after the airline opened its Mombasa offices.

The opening of the Mombasa offices aimed at supporting recovery of hospitality sector that bore the biggest brunt of COVID-19 pandemic.

According to 748 Air Services Chairman Ahmed Jibril, the new route will help more domestic travellers experience the best of Malindi at very competitive rates.

Speaking during the launch of the Nairobi-Malindi route on Friday October 1, 2021, Mr. Jibril said 748 Air will also be contributing significantly to full recovery of hotel establishments in the Coastal areas by boosting their foot traffic.

The new routes first flight departed JKIA in Nairobi at 12:00p.m. on Friday for Malindi and left the coastal city for the capital at 02:00 p.m.

To allow you plan well ahead and have much more time to enjoy the splendour of Malindi, 748 Air Services Managing Director Moses Mwangi said the airline will work to ensure zero flight cancellations and delays.

Malindi now brings the airline’s domestic routes to five, having already operations to Mombasa, Kisumu, Ukunda and Maasai Mara.

The airline started its aggressive expansion of its domestic scheduled flights in May, with two daily flights between Nairobi and Kisumu and later on started operations in Mombasa and Diani.

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In the year ending March 2021, Teleco Company Safaricom PLC fired 28 of its staff over various fraud related allegations.

This was an increase compared to 16 dismissals in 2020.

According to the company’s latest sustainability report released on Wednesday, it indicated that 36 investigations were conducted into the alleged fraud and made 28 dismissals.

All the same, 19 employees were warned. One of the cases was forwarded to government agencies for further action.

Most of these cases, 22, involved data privacy while eight was breach of policy and four SIM swap and two cases of asset misappropriation.

The Teleco Company has said that it has established fraud management team specializing in analytics, customer awareness and process reviews to drive safety of its clients.

Data protection has become a vital area since the government instituted rules restricting the State and companies handling information from misuse, imposing a fine of up to 5 million or one percent of annual turnover for corporations.

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As Kenya is struggling with the high costs of fuel, drivers in Britain encountered frustrations as they hunted petrol for hours or sat stuck in queues wanting to fill their tanks in gas stations. This is was as a result of major gas stations running dry as a result of trucker shortage, this compelled the government to deploy the army to out the army on standby.

According to Reuters, dozens of forecourts had been closed with signs that saying they had no petrol or diesel. This was exasberated by a shortage of lorry drivers and a halt to truck-driving license testing during COVID-19 lockdowns. This has resulted in chaos through supply chains and increasing the spectre of shortages and increase in prices up to Christmas.

Kwasi kwareteng, the Business Secretary said that a limited number of military tanker drivers are ready to be deployed to deliver fuel if necessary.

Reports say that fights broke out in some fuel stations as drivers struggled for fuel. Medics have said that health workers should be given a priority to fill their cars.

Chaos erupted in the world’s fifth largest economy as shortage of truck drivers grio the nation, straining the supply chain and an increase in European wholesale natural gas prices tipped energy companies into bankruptcy.

Retailers, truckers and logistics companies have warned that prices for everything from energy to Christmas gifts ought to rise.

Ministers in the country, fuel companies and petrol stations claim that there are sufficient supply of fuel but the lack of drivers coupled with panic buying has drained the system.

On Sunday, the government announced that it was making plans to issue 5000 visas to foreign truck drivers. Polish hauliers have however seen this as a joke arguing that only fee might take it up. Hauliers and petrol dealers in Britain have argued that there are no quick solutions as the shortage of drivers is estimated at 100,000, they said this is serious and transporting fuel needs extra training and licensing.

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Infinix today announced the new ZERO X Pro smartphone in Kenya featuring a remarkable camera and visual capabilities that allow users to create a masterpiece out of every moment captured. The ZERO X Series includes three variants – the ZERO X Pro, ZERO X and ZERO X NEO – which all include breakthrough visual technologies such as a Dual-Chip flagship gaming processor, 60X periscope moonshot camera and Infinix’s Galileo Algorithm Engine, a top-notch software feature allowing a high resolution looking shot of the Moon.

Infinix Zero X

“Infinix is not only a brand that combines quality performance, cutting-edge technology and innovative design at accessible prices in comparison to other smartphone devices in today’s market but also known for creating devices to cater to the needs of consumers in the emerging markets.” shared Charles Ding, Deputy Product Director of ZERO X Series at Infinix Mobility. “The ZERO X Pro will feature the latest camera technology and image optimization to inspire young adults and emerging professionals to explore their creativity and place the power of professional photography firmly in their hands.”

Shoot the Moon

The ZERO X Series offers users a high-performing full focal length camera technology through a complete end-to-end imaging system that enhances any visual content.

Infinix equipped the ZERO X Pro with the 108MP OIS ultra-night Venti camera comprising of an 8MP periscope moonshot lens with 5X optical zoom and 60X hybrid zoom and a 120° field of view (FOV) 8MP ultra-wide & macro lens. The cameras are enhanced with Quad-LED flash and Infinix’s innovative Hybrid Image Stabilization (including OIS+EIS) solution to capture every detail in a larger field of view smoothly while reducing blurred images.

The ZERO X Pro features a 64MP super-night camera lens.

The ZERO X Pro also comes equipped with the Super Moon Mode, which combines a 60X periscope moonshot camera and the Galileo Algorithm Engine developed by Infinix. The Galileo Algorithm Engine combines lunar exposure and focus locking systems to quickly adjust the focus motor to the clearest predicted position, while revolution elimination algorithms calculate and eliminate the influence of natural tidal forces enabling a clear shot of the Moon. Simultaneously, lunar detail protection algorithms retain detailed textures and artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning enhancement algorithms improve the details and effects of the image subject. When turned on, users can achieve one of the clearest and detailed smartphone images of the night sky.

For the selfie camera, the ZERO X Pro offers a 16MP dual front flash and enhanced AI shooting technology to capture the perfect selfies. In addition, all ZERO X Pro smartphones offer high-quality videos with 960 FPS super slow-motion and 4K time-lapse. 

Much More Power with Dual-Chip Technology

To power the smartphones with efficient in-game accelerations and data processing, the ZERO X Series features a Dual-Chip flagship gaming processor, which combines the MediaTek Helio G95 chipset with the MediaTek Intelligent Display chipset.

The MediaTek Helio G95 processor is a 64-bit octa-core processor with two performance core ARM Cortex-A76, six power-efficient core Cortex-A55 CPUs clocked at 2.05GHz and 2GHz respectively and one of the fastest GPUs, the ARM Mali-G76 MP4(-900 MHz). The processor integrates MediaTek’s HyperEngine Technology to enable a faster response between smartphone and cell-tower, while also enabling connection to two Wi-Fi bands or routers simultaneously for lower game latency and reduced lag. The MediaTek Helio G95 chipset is paired with an individual Intelligent Display chipset to create the Dual-Chip flagship gaming processor that further boosts the smartphone’s visual capabilities. 

Consumers can also enjoy a comfortable and immersive viewing experience day and night with the ZERO X Pro and ZERO X’s 6.67” active matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLED) display with 240Hz touch sampling rate and 120Hz refresh rate. With low blue light eye comfort certification, accredited by TÜV Rheinland, users can enjoy hours of use with less eye fatigue no matter the time of day. 

Other key features of the Infinix ZERO X Series include:

  • 4500mAh Battery with 45W Fast Charge Technology: The ZERO X Pro and ZERO X are equipped with a 4500mAh battery with 45W quick charge technology and TÜV Rheinland safe fast-charge technology, which charges the device to 40% in 15 minutes with added safety and assurance. The ZERO X NEO has a large 5000mAh battery with fully optimized TÜV Rheinland 18W Safe Fast-Charge Technology empowering today’s youth to do more on their smartphones.
  • Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.2 with Write Booster: Infinix’s Write Booster feature improves the writing and reading speed to accelerate application and cache loading and reduce delay or lag when switching and opening different apps.  
  • Audio Technology: The powerful combination of Smart PA and DTS technology enhances the amplitude and loudness to create a surround sound experience. 
  • Infinix’s Dar-Link 2.0: The software improves the image stability and the sensitivity of touch control that is based on an AI algorithm, while simultaneously bringing down the temperature of the device to provide a fully immersive gaming experience.
  • XOS 7.6 Software: Infinix’s latest operating system integrates applications designed for a smarter life, such as the Phone Cloner to transfer all data to a new device with ease, Game Zone to intelligently manage games by blocking distractions like incoming messages and calls and Doc Correction to auto-correct documents and adjust as needed for easier viewing. Infinix keeps software regularly updated so stay tuned for future updates.

Availability

ZERO X Pro, is available in Infinix outlets countrywide and online on Xpark here https://bit.ly/3AtqHT. The ZERO X Pro will be available in two colors in Kenya: Nebula Black and Starry Silver, at a retail price of Ksh 36,999. 

Infinix also released the XE25 Earbuds and XE20 Earbuds. The XE20 Earbuds offers 60ms super low latency, 10mm high efficiency composite diaphragm and auto-pairing to your mobile phone. The XE25 Earbuds pumps out high-quality sound with a graphene diaphragm, ENC(Environmental Noise Cancellation), super low-latency, over 100 hours playback time, LCD display and more. 

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Sugar factories in Kenya have for a long time struggled to revive, with mismanagement and lack of funds being pointed out as the main hurdle.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has opened up on why these factories have been struggling all along.

The county chief who spoke spoke on Thursday at Bukura Agricultural Training Collage while meeting sugarcane farmers said efforts to revive the factories are hindered by cartels with selfish interests.

“They want to ensure the factories don’t revive. They want the industry dead so that they can continue smuggling cheap imports into the country,” he said.

He added that the cartels have been using their illegally acquired money to ensure revival efforts don’t succeed.

He revealed that these cartels are working with elected leaders to further their selfish interests at the expense of the industry and farmers.

Oparanya accused some local leaders of working with cartels to kill the local sugar sector.

He said that politics have contributed to the collapse of Mumias Sugar Factory and the government currently has no say in the management of the company after it was put under receivership.

He has urged members of the public to avoid electing leaders who have selfish interests.

Oparanya served as a co-chairman to a task force created by Uhuru Kenyatta to investigate what was ailing the sector and suggest solutions.

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Lloyd’s of London reported pre-tax profit of £1.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) for the first half of 2021 compared to a £400 million (US$550.8 million) loss during H1 2020.

The market’s profit was driven by a “substantially improved” underwriting result of £1 billion ($1.4 billion), compared to an underwriting loss of £1.3 billion ($1.8 billion) in H1 2020.

Lloyd’s combined ratio of 92.2% was described as a “solid improvement” over H1 2020 when it reported a combined ratio of 110.4%. (A combined ratio below 100% indicates an underwriting profit).

The market has paid €2.2 billion ($3.04 billion) in COVID-19 claims, which represents 80% of the notified validated gross claims, according to Burkhard Keese, Lloyd’s CFO, during a media briefing to discuss the results. “The majority of the losses are first party property and event cancellation.”

During H1, Lloyd’s paid £9.4 billion ($12.9 billion) for overall claims.

Gross written premiums increased to £20.5 billion, (US$28.2 billion), compared to £20.0 billion ($27.5 billion) in H1 2020.

The growth in GWP was attributed to an increase in premium rates, high customer retention and new growth for the first time in four years.

During H1, premium rates increased by 9.9%, continuing the trend of 15 consecutive quarters of positive rate movement.

Improvements to the combined ratio were driven by notable reductions to both the attritional loss ratio and the expense ratio, said Lloyd’s.

An attritional loss ratio of 50.5% (H1 2020: 52.6%), is a 2.1 percentage point reduction from the ratio reported for the first six months of 2020.

The expense ratio of 35.8% (H1 2020: 37.7%) is a 1.9 percentage point improvement, and 3.7 percentage points improvement since 2017, said Lloyd’s, noting that the reduction in operating expenses remains a focus of its digital transformation program.

Lloyd’s said it maintains strong capital and solvency positions, with net resources increasing by £2.6 billion ($3.6 billion) to £36.5 billion ($50.3 billion), with central solvency and market solvency ratios of 218% and 170%, respectively. (Full-year 2020: 209% and 147%).

“Lloyd’s has successfully repositioned the market for sustainable, profitable growth as evidenced in this strong set of financial results,” said John Neal, Lloyd’s CEO, in a statement.

“I am encouraged to see that market performance has improved as a result of our ongoing remediation efforts. This, as well as our exceptionally strong balance sheet, brings Lloyd’s performance in line with our global peer group,” he added.

“Alongside performance, we are making great strides on all our strategic priorities which focus on improving the culture in the market, the Future at Lloyd’s digital transformation, and sustainability, climate and inclusion which underpin our purpose,” he said.

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Although there are many factors that may affect coverage for flood claims under the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (“SFIP”) forms, coverage issues typically fall into two categories: 1) is the property for which a claim is being made considered “covered property” under the policy; and 2) has there been “direct physical loss by or from flood.

Determining whether property is considered “covered property” under the SFIP is a matter of verifying the list of covered property in Section III of the SFIP.

While Section III sets forth the list of covered property, policyholders should be aware that there are some specific provisions which function to exclude or limit coverage based on the property’s location, age, and even design.

The second category, determining whether there has been “direct physical loss by or from flood,” carries the most potential for policy interpretation disputes.

The SFIP defines “direct physical loss by or from flood” as being “[l]oss or damage to insured property, directly caused by a flood.”

Generally, definitions which use or restate the phrases that they define are not particularly helpful—and this SFIP definition is no exception.

The SFIP further explains, however, that in order for there to be “direct physical loss by or from flood,” “[t]here must be evidence of physical changes to the property.”

The fact that the SFIP stops short of defining “physical changes” should not scare policyholders. Rather, the open-ended definition allows policyholders to make the argument in favor of coverage using other National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) resources such as the NFIP Claims Manual.3

The NFIP Claims Manual is designed to “improve clarity of claims guidance” for the benefit of policyholders.

In fact, FEMA intends for the NFIP Claims Manual to “assist NFIP insurers, adjusters, vendors, and policyholders apply applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, as well as the terms and conditions of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.”

 So, does the most recent publication of the NFIP Claims Manual clarify what is considered “evidence of physical changes?”

The answer is…not entirely. The May 2020 NFIP Claims Manual does, however, include a variety of factors that adjusters must generally consider in determining coverage for flood claims.

Two factors are particularly helpful in assisting adjusters and policyholders apply the SFIP “direct physical loss by or from flood” language.

First, the NFIP Claims Manual acknowledges that certain materials are not salvageable once they have come in contact with floodwaters. For instance, the NFIP Claims Manual classifies certain types of perimeter wall sheathing based on the amount of damage presumed once the sheathing has come into contact with floodwaters.

 Specifically, the NFIP Claims Manual indicates that Class 1 or 2 Sheathing is “damaged directly by contact with floodwaters” and thus “is not salvageable.”

Although this guidance is for specific types of wall sheathing, a more general application of the principle—focusing on the type of material that was damaged—provides policyholders and adjusters with the clarity that the NFIP Claims Manual is designed to achieve.

Second, the NFIP Claims Manual recognizes the effect that floodwater contact has on the useful lifespan of certain items.

The NFIP Claims Manual provides adjusters with guidance on calculating depreciation and instructs them to remember that “[b]uilding materials and personal property have a certain useful life or life expectancy.”

 Notably, this instruction falls within Section 5 of the Claims Manual, which is titled “Claims Adjustment.” Section 5 states that an adjuster “must understand what factors may be involved with the claim that may or may not affect the covered scope of loss and the dollar amount to repair or replace an item . . . .”

A proper adjustment of a flood claim requires an adjuster to assess the “useful life” or “life expectancy” of an item not just for purposes of calculating “the dollar amount to repair or replace an item,” but also as a factor which affects “the covered scope of loss.”

If you are a policyholder uncertain as to whether your claim under such a policy was wrongfully denied, reach out to an attorney at Merlin Law Group to take a look.

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AXIS Insurance, the specialty insurance business segment of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (“AXIS Capital”) (NYSE:AXS), has announced three appointments within its US Renewables team, effective immediately.

Becky Nace-Grover joins AXIS as a Senior Underwriter, Kamran Hameed joins as a Cross-Class Underwriter, and German Torres joins as an Underwriter.

Their responsibilities will include strengthening new and existing broker and partner relationships, as well as developing new business opportunities to continue delivering high-level customer service.

“Given the continued growth of wind, solar and battery energy storage projects in the United States, we are expanding the size of our underwriting team to meet the needs of our insureds and broker partners alike. With their combined industry knowledge and expertise, Becky, Kamran and German will play a vital role in helping us meet the demands of the growing renewable energy market. I am delighted to welcome them to the team,” said Sam Walsh, Head of US Renewable Energy.

Ms. Nace-Grover was previously President of Niche Underwriting at ProSight Specialty Insurance where she oversaw various specialty portfolios, including the Solar Contractor program.

Prior to that, she spent six years at GCube Insurance Services as an Underwriter focusing on Wind and Solar clients. She will be based in New York and report to Mr. Walsh.

Mr. Hameed was most recently a Senior Underwriter at Alta Risk LLC, where he worked with an array of renewable energy contractors.

Prior to that, he was an Underwriter at AIG for six years. In his new role, Mr. Hameed will be based in Kansas City and report to Mr. Walsh.

Mr. Torres is transferring internally from the AXIS Property and Energy team, where he has underwritten property, political risk and renewable energy business based in Latin America.

Prior to joining AXIS in 2019, Mr. Torres was a Property Underwriter at Hannover Re for five years. He is based in San Francisco and also reports to Mr. Walsh.

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The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) will soon offer a new insurance option for ‘conservation-minded’ corn farmers who split-apply nitrogen.

Split-application is done throughout the growing season rather than a single treatment before or during planting.

RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy says the Post Application Coverage Endorsement will provide payments for the projected yield lost when farmers are not able to apply the in-season nitrogen.

“This is important. A lot of folks are already doing this at least to lower input costs. And also cover the environmental side to help prevent nutrient runoff into waterways and ground water. And so we think it’s really good for producers as well as good for the environment.”

It’s for corn farmers with non-irrigated acreage.

“It’ll be available for the 2022 crop year. There will be more details that will come out here in the next couple of months.”

Flournoy says the coverage option was submitted by Illinois Corn Growers, National Corn Growers, Ag-Analytics Technology Company and Meridian Institute and was recently approved.

He says it builds on RMA’s efforts to encourage use of conservation practices including cover crops – through pandemic assistance –  and irrigation practices.

“You know, we came out with a new rice coverage, alternate wetting and drying to cover that type of irrigation practice in rice.”

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The state Department of Insurance has approved an average rate hike of 5.6% for individual health plans in 2022.

The carriers had requested an average increase of 8.6%.

For small group policies, the insurance department authorized an average rate hike of 6.7%. The insurers had asked for 12.9%.

State Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais said Friday that his department had saved consumers a collective $76 million next year by approving smaller rate hikes.

“Working on behalf of consumers, the department was able to reduce the health insurance rate increase requests … but we need to work to address the skyrocketing health care costs these premiums cover,” he said in a statement.

“The unit cost of hospital inpatient and outpatient care has historically risen about 10% per year. Prescription drug prices have risen even higher. I will continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to find long-term solutions that promote access and eliminate barriers to coverage here in Connecticut.”

Anthem Health Plans and ConnectiCare Benefits Inc., which sell individual and small group policies on the state’s Affordable Care Act exchange, Access Health CT, both sought higher rates.

Anthem asked for an average increase of 12.3% for individual plans that cover 28,071 people. The insurance department approved an average hike of 5.8% (the increases range from -.55% to 15.61%, depending on the plan).

Anthem also proposed an average rate hike of 11.5% on small group policies that cover 25,529 people. The state signed off on 2.9%.

ConnectiCare requested an average increase of 7.4% for individual plans that support 81,852 residents. The state authorized 5.5% (the increases range from -.6% to 14.8%, depending on the plan).

The company also suggested an average hike of 13.6% on small group policies. The state approved 10.3%.

Ten insurers are also selling policies off the exchange. The approved increases vary by plan.

“The department has exercised its authority as intended under state statute. The carriers may not concur with all the final determinations, but they respect the process,” said Susan Halpin, executive director for the Connecticut Association of Health Plans, which lobbies on behalf of insurers.

“Ultimately, premiums merely reflect underlying healthcare costs, and we couldn’t agree more with the Commissioner’s call for continued work by all stakeholders to lower the unit costs of care.”

The rate hikes drew criticism from several state officials.

“I’m disappointed,” said Comptroller Kevin Lembo, a former state health care advocate. “The cost of health insurance is going to go up for so many … at a time when people can least afford it.”

“The requested rate increases were completely unjustified and intended only to extract more money from Connecticut families and small businesses. … The rate review process is not sufficiently protecting consumers and needs to be completely rewritten.”

Even though the insurance department approved lower increases than those requested, Health Care Advocate Ted Doolittle said they still are high.

“The fact that the insurance department had to make big cuts to some of the requested rates does not inspire confidence that the carriers have all the tools they need to hold down medical costs,” he said. 

“The carriers are right that high medical prices are driving premium hikes. But that just leads to the question of why the carriers are not able to negotiate better prices.”

“If our insurers are not able to negotiate fair, sustainable medical prices, this is something the state needs to know about, and help with.”

Attorney General William Tong called the higher rates “one more strain” on residents during an already challenging time.

“While I recognize that the Connecticut Insurance Department did not give insurers all that they asked for, these rate hikes are still far too high,” he said.

“I am not convinced that any increase was warranted based on trends we are seeing in our own state and nationwide.”

The rate hikes are larger than those approved last year by the insurance department. In 2020, the department kept the rates essentially flat for carriers on the exchange.

In 2019, Anthem had asked for a 15.2% average increase on individual policies. The department authorized 6.5%.

The same year, ConnectiCare proposed a 4.9% hike on individual plans. The department signed off on 2%.

The carriers have cited several reasons for seeking higher rates, including rising demand for medical services and the swelling cost of prescription drugs, among other trends.

They also pointed to an increase in morbidity and expected severity of claims because of delays in care during the pandemic.

Insurers said recent legislation, such as a bill adopted last year that caps a 30-day supply of insulin at $25, was also behind the recommended hikes.

“What we consider to be the most significant challenge facing the market [is] the increasing cost of health care,” Steven Ribeiro, regional vice president of sales for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, told state officials at a public hearing last month.

“One of the key factors driving up the overall cost is the ever-escalating cost of prescription drugs, particularly new drugs and those that treat serious conditions. While Anthem appreciates their importance, these extraordinary, expensive treatments, like cell and gene therapies, bring additional costs into the health care system that must be reflected in our premiums.”

At the same hearing, residents, advocates and lawmakers asked the state to reject the proposed increases.

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Now that a significant portion of the public has been vaccinated for COVID-19, insurance companies are reconsidering their stance on fee waivers.

Early in the pandemic, insurance companies waived fees associated with treating the virus.

Now, with the availability of vaccines and the belief those who continue to go unvaccinated will remain unvaccinated into the future coupled with the high costs of COVID-19 treatments, has caused many in the industry to reconsider their previous stance.

Healthcare Costs

In 2020 most insurers waived out of pocket fees associated with hospitalization for COVID- 19. The fee waivers had different expiration dates depending on the provider.

Those costs, on average, have been determined to range between twenty thousand dollars to over twenty-two thousand dollars per patient with complications.

The CARES Act passed in March 2020, provided for testing as well as reimbursement to health care providers for the costs of hospitalization for low income individuals.

Vaccination

With the development of effective vaccines, the hope was to reach herd immunity before variants could circulate through the populace.

While the definition of herd immunity–the point at which a large enough percentage of the community becomes immune to a pathogen, varies.

According to some, the percentage needing to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity can be as low as “..seventy percent of the world-wide population…”

COVID- 19 variants and the breakthrough infections they spread have caused those numbers to be reconsidered.

Herd immunity is based on the infectious nature of the disease–how easily transmitted it is– and the development of natural immunity through exposure and natural immunity.

Breakthrough infections complicate the ability to determine immunity thresholds. Breakthrough infections are infections which occur in individuals who have been vaccinated against previous forms of the disease.

Mutations

Mutations or changes which occur in the virus which can render vaccines designed to control infection in previous forms, less or not effective. These changes in the form of the virus may be contributing to vaccine resistance.

The most recent variant of concern is the Mu variant. Mu, which is under observation, may  “avoid certain antibodies” which include those created by current vaccines which still are effective against the virus and the Delta variant.

Although the Mu variant has been identified in several states,  the Delta variant is currently the most prevalent variant in the United States.

The growth and spread of variants continues to cause much concern for public health officials.

There are groups who have the potential to be made seriously ill by breakthrough infections including the immunocompromised, elderly and transplant patients.

The current recommendation is that these groups consider receiving booster shots.

Vaccine Hesitancy

On September 7, White House COVID-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar marked a vaccination milestone in a tweet, which stated the country “just hit” 75 percent of adults with at least one shot.

Even with this achievement still only about 53 percent of the nation’s population is fully vaccinated. 

In the second year of the pandemic, it is becoming clear that some will not be vaccinated, making the idea of herd immunity unfeasible. 

Those who are currently being hospitalized for COVID-19 are overwhelmingly unvaccinated. With the cost of hospitalization becoming more expensive many insurance companies have discontinued fee waivers.

Each insurer has their own policy for waivers. For example, Aetna’s waiver program was in effect until the end of January this year, while Blue Cross Blue Shield ended its fee waiver program at the end of February

In mid August, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported about 72 percent of large health insurance plans were no longer providing waivers as of August, and another 10 percent were expected to eliminate waivers by the end of October.

The best way to know which costs are covered and which waivers are in effect is to contact your insurance provider.

 

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Global smartphone brand Infinix has embarked on a corporate partnership with the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London as part of the company’s commitment and pursuit towards science and innovation, and is an exciting way to bring the public closer to astronomy using groundbreaking new technology from Infinix.

As part of their support, Infinix is also making a sizable donation to the Annie Maunder
Astrographic Telescope at the Royal Observatory so that people can learn about the universe and get inspired to explore for generations to come.

Skye Chen, Head of Infinix Global Public Relations said, “Infinix is proud to be on the list
of donors to the Greenwich Observatory as a supporter of astronomy.

As a supporter of astronomy, Infinix has kept a true to heart brand spirit of empowering today’s youth in the emerging markets to explore themselves, that has deeply resonated with space exploration and Greenwich’s philosophy in exploring astronomy.

Lucy Cooke, Head of Development at Royal Museums Greenwich said, “We are very
grateful for Infinix’s generous support and commitment to increasing access to astronomy.

“The collaboration is a natural fit for both our organisations and we are delighted that together, we can give more people the opportunity to explore and experience the Moon and universe.”

As part of the corporate partnership, Infinix will be holding an online workshop at the worldfamous UNESCO world heritage site at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, titled “Infinix presents: See beyond”, on September 13th, 2021, which will bring together a unique panel of experts, hailing from both the astronomy and technology fields.

Starting from where the eastern and western hemispheres meet, the Observatory will also be
the launch location of Infinix’s brand new smartphone that features ground-breaking
photography technology, aiming to provide a creative platform for the younger generation, and take them from ZERO to hero.

Stay tuned to social media and website updates for more information on the corporate
partnership and the Infinix presents: See beyond event.
https://www.infinixmobility.com/
Facebook: @InfinixMobile
Instagram: @infinixglobal
Twitter: @Infinix_Mobile

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Fastest emerging smartphone brand Infinix has announced the release of their Limited Edition Sauti Sol Infinix Note 10 Pro smartphone.

The phone pays homage to the infinix brand ambassadors Sauti Sol, an Afro pop music band from Kenya.

The phone is a customized version of their Note series that rolled out in June 2021.

It is a representation of the collaboration between Infinix and Sauti Sol in promoting diversity and inclusivity in every aspect.

According to the smartphone brand, the just releases smartphone is the embodiment of what young people can achieve regardless of the challenges they face along the way.

It is also a true vision of the partnership between Infinix and Sauti Sol which is aimed at creating a transformative model of technology companies working with the creative industry.

With its sleek design and unique features, the Limited Edition Sauti Sol Infinix Note 10 pro manages to creatively bring together Sauti Sol’s artistic flare and Infinix’s innovative technology.

A bold and unparalleled move by both brands, a powerful display that indeed The Future Is Now.

The Infinix Note 10 Pro Sauti Sol edition 128+8 is available at selected outlets https://bit.ly/3mjvEKM and online on Xpark here https://bit.ly/2SautiSolNote10 for Ksh 25,999.

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The row between Kenya Airways and renown Airline 748 air services and African express Airways may lead to contempt Proceedings against KQ Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka and Board Chairman, Michael Joseph.

This is after the duo defied court orders preventing the KQ agents from causing disturbance and executing evictions orders against 748 Air Services and African Express Airways.

According to African Express lawyers, KQ has refused to grant access to AFEX and the CEO and Chairman are likely to be cited for contempt of court orders if this continues.

In a letter dated August 7th 2021, African Express Airways(AFEX) Managing Director, Captain Musa Bulhan has requested Kenya Airports Authority to provide it with new alternative access gate after Kenya Airways blocked them from accessing their offices.

According to Captain Bulhan, their workforce have been unable to access AFEX facilities due to an ongoing legal tussle between Kenya Airways and 748 air services over a parcel of land owned by African Airlines International.

“We are unable to access our premises on L.R. No.9042/584 because KQ has denied us access even after the court order was given,” said Captain Bulhan in the letter.

On August 5th 2021, AFEX obtained a high court order directing KQ to allow AFEX use the KAA gate at the Airport North Road.

AFEX argued that it was not party to the lower court matter filed by Kenya Airways against 748 Air services but the national carrier visited its premises on July 23rd 2021 with its agents to vandalize offices.

“Pending the delivery of the said ruling, the defendant shall on a temporary basis restore the plaintiff forthwith into L.R. No. 9042/584 and shall ensure that their agents, contractors, employees and workmen vacate and remove themselves from the premises immediately and unconditionally,” said Justice S. Okongo in the order.

The court ordered against any acts of disobedience and non-observance until it makes a ruling on the matter in September, 23rd, 2021.

Failure to observe the orders, it said would attract penal consequences.

“It is on this background that we are requesting JKIA to facilitate an independent gate to enable us access our premises on L.R. No. 9042/584, “said Captain Bulhan.

African Express Airways has even pleaded with the airports authority to allow it pre-finance construction of the independent gate upon approval.

In another offensive, Kenya Airways has repainted 748 Plaza in continued defiance of court orders.

748 air services managing director Moses Mwangi said KQ repainted the building despite court orders issued against them.

In July 26th, 2021, Chief Magistrate Court granted 748 Air services staying orders, preventing Kenya Airways and its agents from further executing eviction orders.

This followed a legal suit filed by the airline against Kenya Airways for malicious damage of its property worth millions of shillings and harassment of employees.

In July 23rd 2021, around 15 armed police and more than 50 men raided 748 plaza along Airport North Road in Embakasi broke the premises entrance glassdoor, broke other doors, removed and extremely damaged office furniture and fittings.

In an affidavit dated July 26th, 2021,Mwangi said the raid had disrupted normal operations at the Embakasi office and left the airline with significant losses.

Following the incident, 748 Air services personnel of over two hundred (200) employees were unable to access the same premises and could not be able to trace important documents, records and machinery.

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