Where are Insurance Jobs Located? (Iowa, Tom Harkins state, is big...)

Insuranceworkforce.com ^ | 03/06/10

[Recovering_Democrat]

I don’t blame you if you’re thinking ” New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Des Moines. Yes – Des Moines, Iowa. You see, not every corporate insurance job is where you might expect it to be. Des Moines is a fine example of that. Unless you’re an insurance “insider,” Iowa is probably the last place you’d think to go to find a high-powered insurance career, but you’d be making a big mistake by not looking there.

As amazing as it seems, over 60 major insurance companies have chosen Des Moines to locate their corporate headquarters. On top of that, another 100 insurance companies have sited a regional, state or local insurance company operation in or near the city. When it comes to measuring the size of its insurance center per capita, Des Moines is ranked an amazing #3 in the world coming in behind #1 London, England and #2 Hartford, Connecticut. That’s some pretty good company!

The insurance company listings in Des Moines reads like a who’s-who of the insurance industry. Many of the biggest name insurance companies are located in Des Moines including:

American Republic Insurance Company
Farmers Insurance Group of Companies

Allied Insurance

EMC Insurance Companies

State Farm Insurance

[Recovering_Democrat]

TOM HARKIN

is an Iowa senator. Why aren't the people of Iowa kicking his ASS over the health care bill?

[Vigilanteman]

One reason is that insurance jobs are highly portable and very good at taking over the functions of a government bureaucracy if the price is right.

Another is that Iowa is full of fools who think they are "progressive." A lot of them have had their hand in the federal cookie jar ever since ethanol was mandated back in the 1980's.

[cranked]

Hartford, Conn.

[re_nortex]

Why aren't the people of Iowa kicking [Tom Harkin] over the health care bill?

Business takes me frequently to the upper midwest (Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas). Don't get me wrong -- most are good, solid, salt-of-the-earth people.

But, in my estimation, there's still a streak of that progressive populism (Floyd Olson, Fighting Bob La Fallotte, George Norris and many others) that just refuses to die in that part of the country -- think Tom Daschle and George McGovern as well as the obvious Al Franken as Tom Vilsack. This is not to overlook Michelle Bachmann or Steve King.

I'm really at a loss to explain it since I encounter it with my business contacts and colleagues up there. Even culturally there are strands that extend from Sinclair Lewis to Garrison Keillor. Maybe there's some sense of collectivism that emerged from the days of the grange and farmer co-ops. And (since I'm of of Scandinavian descent -- so I get a pass on this), it just might be the demographics. Regretfully, some of the Scandinavian traditions of a well-intentioned ``helping the other guy out'' became the role of government.

Iowa -- 94.2% white -- launched Obama's as a serious candidate. Dare it say it. Could there be also be white guilt involved? Or is it just what's sometimes called ``Minnesota Nice'' at play? :-)

[RaceBannon]

Connecticut is heavily dependent on Insurance jobs

Hartford is THE INSURANCE CAPITAL of thr world

[givemELL]

Each private practice MD supports the jobs, directly and indirectly of about 10 other people not related to the ins. industry. Take away the insurance industry that makes it possible for him/her to practice and not only do several hundred thousand MDs fall by the wayside, but the people who support them also disappear from the employed workforce.

[VanShuyten]

Agrarian communalism. While they are pretty tolerant of what their neighbors do (you can't anger a neighbor when there's no one else closer than a mile), they expect their neighbors to help out when times are bad. That's a good thing.

Expand that to state and federal rule, and you get people willing to force others to help those in need. From that, you get farm subsidies, free medical, trade restrictions, and isolationism.

Iowans, of course, expect that those in need really work and are trying to better themselves and others around them even if they know that's not quite true for all Iowans. They believe all others in America who aren't doing well are, too. They just don't know.

I know. I was raised there.

[re_nortex]

Iowans, of course, expect that those in need really work and are trying to better themselves and others around them even if they know that's not quite true for all Iowans. They believe all others in America who aren't doing well are, too. They just don't know. I know. I was raised there.

Thanks for the insider information from the Hawkeye state. While not wanting to paint with too-broad strokes, when I'm in Iowa and Minnesota, I feel that I have to very carefully parse my words because there's a strain of PC-ism that perhaps is part of that ``Minnesota Nice'' I cited.

In particular, and this is of course just an anecdotal snapshot -- when I question the policies of the current administration, it's sometimes met with a very kind smile but with words like ``...well, I suppose you Texans just want another cowboy like Bush back in change...''.

All of the disclaimers apply to this -- Tea Parties can and do occur in the upper midwest. Steve King, Michelle Bachmann... :-)

[2ndDivisionVet]

If you move to Des Moines for one of these jobs, I have some advice: Most of the insurance jobs are downtown, but you’ll want to live in the suburbs, especially West Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale, Ankeny, Beaverdale, Windsor Heights, Norwalk or Indianola. If you have the cash, look at what’s called “South of Grand” within Des Moines proper. Places not to look at: The South Side, the East Side, downtown (except for the lofts, if you like that sort of thing) and the near North Side. Over by the airport in the 50321 zip code is okay, but remember—there’s an airport there.

[RaceBannon]

I tell ya, when we became dependant upon Insurance, it is like you said!

Someone gained a job, but at the furture expense of medical care.

I am not against insurance, it is a ponzi scheme in itself, but it pays off NOW when you need catastrophic care and aren’t rich.

Doctors charge like any other service: they charge what the rates will pay. I have ZERO insurance because I am unemployed now. My doctor bills are dramatically lower now than if I had insurance.

Paying up front is cheaper because it omits middlemen who had nothing to do with my medical care.

[givemELL]

The govt. wants the money you privately negotiate with a medical service to go to them, enforcably, by forcing the uninsured to buy their insurance. The cost will be higher, and the options of serivce more limited than you privately negotiate now. As an uninsured, there will be no private service to go to, and only a big takeover of your life, time, and earned money will ensue to a much greater extent. Uninsured, when they negotiate a “plan” or payment for service, usually pay enough so the provider can “stay at least” in the black...as is not the case with govt. reimbursement scales now or those to be in the intended future. Only salaried doctors will be chooseable from 8-5 as they are on duty....appointments will be rigid and compliance penalties will result both for scheduling variations and performance of the patient in complying with the regimen not offered, but “dictated”. Medical appointment “tickets” my become as unrefundable as airline tickets. Not so bright a future.