"It's the reality of the situation," said Peter Schulteis, executive vice president of Global Underwriters in Cincinnati, a company that advises insurers on providing coverage for operations in Iraq.
It was initially intended as a cost-savings tool by which large corporations could get coverage for operations and liabilities that would have resulted in higher premiums had they sought coverage from traditional insurance companies.
If the agency approves the change, the number of Americans eligible for the Lap-Band operation could easily double, ensuring more sales for Allergan and probably more insurance coverage for such operations.
The aircraft losses pose another challenge for the Air Force as it struggles to provide sufficient drone coverage for counterterrorism operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Mali and Cameroon, among other countries.
For example, $50 million of comprehensive political risk coverage can easily cost $625,000 to $1.75 million a year, compared with $75,000 to $175,000 for the same amount of standard property and casualty coverage for international operations.
Nearly $100,000 of that goes to insurance, which he keeps cheap by limiting the motion coverage (for flight operations and liability) to three planes.
But the supporting evidence is dated: 1996 Congressional testimony by a former health insurance executive, who denied coverage for an operation that could have saved a man's life.
Merkle was turned down for healthcare coverage for the operation.
His last major logo was for coverage of Operation Desert Storm.
It's mounted on a robotic helicopter, the Hummingbird, which can hover at high altitudes for a long period of time, providing coverage for an entire operation.
While disconcerting for fans of a free press, Israel's reaction to the media coverage of Operation Protective Edge is not surprising as condemnation for the attacks and calls for an immediate ceasefire grow.
