A Pennsylvania woman is believed to have faked a cancer diagnosis in order to receive thousands in insurance money. The Pennsylvania state attorney general’s office charged the woman on Monday with altering hospital paperwork and filing fraudulent insurance claims. Authorities say 50-year-old Deborah Brown of Canonsburg told her insurance company she got treatments that she never got for an illness she never had in order to pocket nearly $100,000 in insurance money.

Officials say Brown submitted the fake documents to AFLAC, a policy she opened in 2003. Between August of 2006 and May of 2008, Brown turned in altered documents to the insurance company in order to receive money for cancer treatments for both she and her husband, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Officials say Brown’s husband did have surgery for prostate cancer in 2006, but didn’t receive any care after that.

According to news reports, Brown was diagnosed with lipoma, a non-cancerous fatty tissue, but she altered official hospital paperwork to make it appear that she had been given a diagnosis of liposarcoma which is a form of cancer. She was released on a $25,000 bond and her hearing is scheduled for February 3.

A powerful storm rolling through the Midwest on to the east coast is creating winds equal to those of a category 3 hurricane, according to weather experts. ABC news says the storm developed gusts up to 81 miles per hour, impacting residents spanning from Illinois to Tennessee. Funnel clouds, forceful winds and powerful rain were all a part of the system.

Because of this strong weather, Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson told the state’s residents to take precautionary measures and review steps for filing insurance claims. According to Cincinnati.com, Hudson advises those with damage to:

* Call your insurance company as soon as possible.

* Protect your property and salvage what you are able to.

* Inspect property and cars for damage following the storm.

* Photoraph any damage in case you decide to file claims.

* Provide your insurance company with up-to-date contact information.

* Use written estimates to back-up claims.

* Only use reputable contractors.

* Don’t pay for repairs entirely up front.

* Review contractors with the Better Business Bureau to make sure they don’t have any outstanding complaints.

In an update, it seems that Prudential Financial Inc., the largest life insurance company currently approved for U.S. bailout funds has officially refused government aid. The issuer has decided to raise $1.25 billion by selling shares after better than expected performance during a recent share rally that allowed the company to approach private investors.

Dealing with your insurance company is a wonderful experience. Their amicable nature as they help you to select and purchase a policy inspires confidence and satisfaction. You continue to pay your premiums and feel confident that you are completely protected.

In the wake of a monumental move by six major insurance firms to become thrift institutions, speculation is rising what this will mean to the insurance industry as whole. The question is one of federal regulation and everyone is wondering how it will take shape if the applications are approved.

Whole life insurance is one of the two main categories of life insurance policies available today. Term life insurance is the other main category. Each of these main categories also has subcategories of different kinds of life insurance.

Term life insurance is more familiar to most people, as more seem to choose it because of the price. It does not cost as much, and you can choose a policy that exactly suits your needs. Nevertheless, Whole life insurance is a little different, and when you know about these differences, you may decide that it is a type of insurance that will best suit your needs and the needs of those in your family.

Vancouver activists are criticizing the Canadian government-run Insurance Corp. of British Columbia, one of the biggest auto insurance providers in Canada. In the wake of a scandal a involving an illegal money-making project among ICBC employees, activists demand large-scale changes in the way the company oversees its operations.