THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170180
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield next month will send out refund checks totaling $28 million to customers overbilled during a 10-year period because Trigon did not pass along discounts it negotiated with hospitals, the State Corporation Commission said. The SCC approved a repayment plan that could result in Trigon refunding more than $70 million. About $18 million in refunds cannot be mailed out because Trigon does not have addresses for some policyholders. About $46 million remains unclaimed because a large number of policyholders did not file for a refund. These people have until April 24, 1996, to request a claim form. Policyholders can call 1-800-313-6224 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the week for further information. (Staff) Hampton Roads port growth slows in October
The port of Hampton Roads grew more slowly in October than it had in every previous month this year, but last October was a ``super month,'' said Joseph A. Dorto, chief executive and general manager of Virginia International Terminals Inc. ``Anything that comes close to (last October) is great,'' Dorto said. VIT operates the state-owned terminals in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News. Those terminals handled 608,000 tons of general cargo in October, up from 600,000 last October when tonnage surged nearly 15 percent in all the port's public and private terminals. Newport News Marine Terminal and the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal each handled record container volumes in October, Dorto said. (Staff) Children's safety bed rail is recalled by company
Consumers who own a certain model of safety rail for children's beds should quit using it and contact the maker for a free replacement, a government agency said Thursday. Blue support arms on the white plastic Bed Rail and Flashlight may appear locked when they are not, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The product is manufactured by Safety 1st of Chestnut Hill, Mass. The company says it has received more than 50 reports of bumps, scrapes and broken limbs in children who fell out of bed because the supports separated. A removable red plastic flashlight is attached to the top of the rail. Safety 1st said it will replace the defective rails with a newer model. Consumers may contact Safety 1st at 1-800-366-1282 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST for return instructions. (AP) Port of Richmond dedicates new wharf
The Port of Richmond dedicated its newly built wharf on Thursday. The $8.8 million project started in 1990 involved the construction of a new wharf and renovations to existing wharfs. The expansion gives the port an additional berth to handle another vessel at its terminal on the James River. The project also boosted the small port's container handling and storage capacity and improved its gate and traffic flow on the terminal. (Staff) Smithfield Foods profit tumbles 43 percent
Smithfield Foods Inc. said fiscal second-quarter earnings fell 43 percent, less than Wall Street forecasts, as higher prices on its processed hogs partly offset profit declines in its other pork products. The company said net income fell to $4.62 million, or 26 cents a share, from profit from continuing operations of $8.08 million, or 47 cents, a year ago. A loss of $278,000, or 2 cents a share, from the company's discontinued Ed Kelly Inc. unit, made year-ago net income $7.80 million, or 45 cents. Revenue rose 22 percent for the quarter ended Oct. 29 to $455.8 million from $373.8 million. (Bloomberg) by CNB