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Hawaii Personal Injury and Accident Law News and Cases
In an action in California, the "for profit" health insurance company Health Net was recently stung by a $9 million award for having cut off the medical and health benefits of Patsy Bates, a policy-holder undergoing cancer treatment. Like many insurance companies these days, Health Net was found to be concerned only about its own financial interests and giving little concern to the interests of its insured. The failure of an insurance company to give the same weight to the interests of its insureds as it gives to its own interests is a breach of the insurance contract. For Mrs. Bates, it resulted in a punitive damages of $8.4 million - in addition to her compensatory damages. In re: Bates v. Health Net, Inc.