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Prepping for Fall: It Is Time for Everyone to Get Their Annual Respiratory Virus Vaccines

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American Lung Association launches campaign to educate people living with lung disease and other risk factors about critical vaccines

CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — September marks the unofficial start of the respiratory virus season and the potential for related spikes in influenza (flu), COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), so the American Lung Association is urging everyone to talk to their healthcare provider now about recommended vaccines to protect themselves from severe illness, complications and hospitalization.

Each year, respiratory viruses cause hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, which significantly impact a person’s work, school and family time. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network:

There was an estimated 32 million illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths during the 2025-2026 influenza season. From October 1, 2025, through July 18, 2026, as many as 2.3 million COVID-19 outpatient visits and 240,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations.From October 1, 2025, through June 6, 2026, there have been an estimated 2.8 million RSV outpatient visits and as many as 340,000 RSV hospitalizations.

“Fortunately, vaccines are available and effective in keeping people healthy, active and out of the hospital. Vaccines are especially important for the 35 million individuals in the United States with lung disease, like asthma or COPD, because respiratory infections can worsen existing lung disease symptoms,” said Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association. “As families look ahead to the winter and the holiday season, the best thing they can do to protect their health is to make sure everyone is up to date on their recommended vaccinations.”

The Lung Association encourages individuals to speak to a healthcare provider about receiving the following recommended vaccines to prevent severe illness this respiratory virus season, which typically peaks from October through March:

Flu: Everyone ages six months and older is recommended to get a flu shot annually.  COVID-19: Everyone six months and older or their caregiver should discuss COVID-19 vaccination with a healthcare provider.RSV: Adults ages 50 to 74 who are at an increased risk of developing severe RSV illness, like adults living with chronic lung or heart disease, and all adults ages 75 or older are recommended to get a single RSV vaccine if they have not received one previously. Additional doses are not recommended at this time.

For the millions of people in the U.S. living with asthma, respiratory viruses like flu, COVID-19 and RSV can place added stress on the lungs even when asthma is mild or well controlled. Respiratory viruses are the leading cause of asthma flare-ups, or exacerbations, accounting for up to 80% of asthma attacks, according to the CDC. Adults with asthma are more likely to develop pneumonia after getting sick with the flu than people who do not have asthma.

In addition, respiratory illnesses pose a serious risk to individuals with lung cancer because their body, including their lungs, is already vulnerable from cancer and its treatments, such as radiation and surgery. Many people with lung cancer may have weakened immune systems, meaning that they may not be able to easily fight off viral infections which can quickly become severe and lead to complications like pneumonia or hospitalization.

People living with COPD are also at increased risk of serious complications from respiratory viruses. Respiratory infections are a leading cause of COPD flare-ups, or exacerbations, which can worsen symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing and excess mucus production. These flare-ups can take weeks or longer to recover from and increase the risk of hospitalization and other serious complications.

Educating adults about vaccine-preventable disease is essential to reducing severe illness and hospitalizations. The Lung Association is working to achieve this by: 

Sharing trusted, science-based information about vaccine safety, effectiveness and accessibility.Raising awareness about surveillance trends during the 2026-2027 fall and winter respiratory virus season.Educating people about factors that increase risk for severe symptoms and hospitalization from respiratory viruses, especially resources for people living with lung disease and lung cancer.Encouraging people to talk to their healthcare provider about risk factors for severe respiratory illness and recommended prevention strategies.

For more information on vaccines that protect against infectious respiratory diseases, visit Lung.org/vaccines.

Support for this campaign is provided by Moderna.

About the American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Platinum-Level GuideStar Member, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. To support the work of the American Lung Association, find a local event at Lung.org/events or donate today at Lung.org/donate. 

CONTACT:
Jill Dale | American Lung Association
P: 312-940-7001 M: 720-438-8289E: Jill.Dale@Lung.org

 

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SOURCE American Lung Association

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Convr® Launches Scout to Help Insurers Underwrite Small Commercial Faster with Greater Insights

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September 29, 2026

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CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Convr®, the leader in AI for commercial insurance, today announced Scout, a new feature within the Convr AI Underwriting Workbench Answers module that helps insurers uncover hard-to-find business data and write small commercial risks faster.

Many small businesses such as landscapers, contractors, food trucks, and other Main Street operations have limited digital footprint. That absence of information has traditionally meant slower reviews, more manual research, and higher uncertainty about whether a business and its exposures are what the submission claims.

“Scout closes the knowledge gap on insureds, from open question to decision-ready,” said Harish Neelamana, Founder, President and Chief Product Officer at Convr. “It’s built for insurers writing small commercial risk that want to scale without sacrificing the diligence that comes with truly knowing the account.”

Scout completes an advanced web search with just a business name and address and dives into the Convr Risk Context Engine’s data lake to glean hard to find risk insights in instances where teams lack the supporting forms and documents needed to assess a small business.

Firmographic and exposure items such as business metrics, hours of operation, classifications, property and locations, liens, licenses and violations and more are all generated into a single record with commercial insurance context quickly organized and ready for review.

“You can’t get this data and delivery just anywhere. The information is generated within a single record with commercial insurance context and ready for quote, instead of data hunting and digging through search engines,” said Eli O’Donohue, Head of Data and AI Underwriting Solutions at Convr. “We’re surfacing hard to find data, determining whether the risk fits appetite, and putting a complete view of the risk in a single view, with real commercial insurance context.”

Brokers, carriers, MGAs/MGUs are already adopting Scout to speed up small commercial underwriting without sacrificing the diligence needed to write these accounts confidently. If you too would like to experience Scout within the Convr Answers module, schedule a demo on convr.com, today.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/convr-launches-scout-to-help-insurers-underwrite-small-commercial-faster-with-greater-insights-302892287.html

SOURCE Convr

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Insurify Car Surpasses 100,000 Policies as Drivers Turn to Weekly Car Insurance Payments

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September 29, 2026

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As rising costs squeeze budgets, demand climbs for flexible payment, state-minimum coverage that lets drivers get insured from $29 down*

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Insurify, the leading online insurance marketplace, today announced that Insurify Car, its weekly-pay, state-minimum car insurance program underwritten by partner carriers, has sold more than 100,000 policies since launch.

Rising costs are putting pressure on household budgets and prompting nearly half of financially struggling Americans to adjust the timing of bill payments. Insurify Car removes one of the most common barriers to getting covered: a large down payment. Instead of paying for a month or more of coverage up front, drivers pay for just the first seven days of their policy and can start coverage with as little as $29 down.

“Drivers are juggling monthly and weekly expenses like housing, food, and gas,” said Snejina Zacharia, founder and co-CEO of Insurify. “Nearly a third have income that varies from month to month. After 250 million quotes, we learned that frequently, the barrier to coverage isn’t the rate — it’s paying a month or more up front. Insurify Car lets drivers pay for a week of coverage at a time so they can get insured today and stay insured on a schedule that matches how they actually get paid.”

The states where Insurify Car has sold the most policies, including Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Georgia, are also among those with some of the highest car insurance rates in the country. Many customers are drivers balancing coverage against tight budgets. Peyton C., a recent Insurify Car customer, put it simply in their review: “Insurify was there when I needed them at the last minute. Getting insured was simple, quick, and did I mention the price? Affordable and flexible, which is great for someone like me who lives paycheck to paycheck. 10/10 would recommend.”

Insurify Car is now available in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, representing nearly half of the national driving population. Additional markets are expected to follow.

Drivers can get an Insurify Car quote in approximately two minutes and often buy coverage online in approximately four minutes on Insurify.com, receiving instant proof of insurance. Customers see their policy rate, pay for the first seven days at purchase, and can then enroll in auto pay or pay manually each week through their Insurify Car account. They can manage their policy, access documents, start claims with the underwriting carrier, and cancel coverage at any time.

“We built Insurify Car to allow drivers to get the insurance they need immediately, at a rate that fits their budget and life,” Zacharia said. “Reaching 100,000 distinct policies tells us how many drivers were waiting for exactly that.”

About Insurify:

Insurify is America’s top-rated online insurance marketplace, offering a secure, spam-free way to compare and buy coverage. With a network of 120-plus carrier partners, Insurify empowers consumers to compare auto, home, pet, and renters insurance in minutes, online or with the help of a licensed agent. Since 2016, Insurify’s AI-powered technology has served over 250 million quotes. By using Insurify, customers can save hundreds of dollars annually, with some saving up to 50% on their premiums.

For more information, contact:
jessica.edmondson@insurify.com
Press@Insurify.com
https://Insurify.com

*Price reflects the average of the lowest 10% of down payments and first weekly installments (inclusive of applicable policy fees, whether assessed at binding or within recurring payments) on actual policies bound through Insurify Car between 5/18/26 and 9/15/26. Actual rates, initial payments, weekly installments, fee structures, and billing schedules vary depending on state of residence, individual driver profile, coverage selections, and underwriting insurance provider. Lowest rates do not reflect typical results.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insurify-car-surpasses-100-000-policies-as-drivers-turn-to-weekly-car-insurance-payments-302892600.html

SOURCE INSURIFY, Inc.

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$1 Billion Paid to Agents: How United Real Estate Rewrote the Economics of the Brokerage Industry

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32 minutes ago

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September 29, 2026

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United has paid $1 billion more to its agents from their transaction earnings than commission-split brokerages would have paid

DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — United Real Estate today announced a major milestone: Since their founding, United and its affiliated offices have cumulatively paid $1 billion more in commission earnings to its agents than what those agents would have been paid had they closed transactions at a typical commission-split brokerage.

United calculates that its compensation model returns 21% – 45% more to its agents from real estate transactions.  This is made possible by its model that does not charge agents a commission, but rather takes a flat fee from each transaction, paying agents almost all of the commission earned at closing — 96% to be exact. 

At its core, United Real Estate is built on a simple mission: to improve the financial trajectories of agents’ careers and lives.

“This isn’t theoretical value. It is not a hollow promise of downstream riches that only inure to a few people at the top of the pyramid or worthless restricted stock. It is more cash in our agents’ pockets now,” says United Real Estate Group CEO Dan Duffy.

“This is real money, earned through hard work and paid directly to agents at closing — strengthening families, accelerating long-term wealth creation and supporting retirement security. There is not a more direct, efficient or equitable way to invest in agents and communities than paying agents more of what they earn. Additionally, our agents are best positioned to be the most cost-effective service provider for the buying and selling public. That’s the United difference — and it’s measurable,” added Duffy.

United simply redirects value where it belongs: to the agents who earn it. The firm’s model eliminates financial and operational inefficiencies that bog down a brokerage’s ability to maximize agents’ retained earnings and compete for clients selling and buying residential real estate.

Agents working at typical 70/30 or 80/20 commission-split brokerages earn 26% – 46% less than peers at flat-fee brokerages when performing the same work at the same production levels.

The economics of United’s flat-fee model is simple, yet elegant. Economic research consistently shows that earned income paid directly to workers generates additional economic activity in their communities. Using conservative income‑multiplier assumptions commonly applied by economists and federal agencies, $1 billion in direct payouts can reasonably support approximately $2.0 billion in total local economic activity.

These are dollars that:

Pay mortgagesFund college educationSupport local businessesCreate jobsBuild retirement portfoliosSupport the communityExpand the tax base

About United Real Estate

United Real Estate (United) – a division of United Real Estate Group – was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to real estate brokers and agents in the rapidly changing real estate brokerage industry. United provides the latest training, marketing and technology tools to agents and brokers under a flat-fee, transaction-based agent compensation model. By leveraging the company’s proprietary cloud-based Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, United delivers a more profitable outcome for agents and brokers. United Real Estate operates in 37 states with 170 offices and more than 22,600 agents. The company produced over 74,000 transactions and $30.3 billion in sales volume in 2025. For more information, visit our official newsroom and access the full press release, multimedia assets and our latest news at the official United Newsroom.

About United Real Estate Group

United Real Estate Group (UREG) operates United Real Estate and United Country Real Estate, addressing the unique market needs of suburban, major metropolitan, urban and rural markets. Utilizing the cloud-based and recently AI-enabled Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, UREG offers the latest training, marketing and technology tools, producing a significant competitive advantage. The platform realizes over a decade-long investment in data and brokerage technology services and is powered by a 2.6 million listings data warehouse, generating over 3 million monthly visitors and 30,000+ leads per year. Together, the United Real Estate Group supports more than 600 offices and 24,500 real estate and auction professionals across four continents. United Real Estate Group produced 91,700 transactions and $37.0 billion in sales volume in 2025. Through its in-house advertising agency, UREG offers differentiating marketing support and collateral for specialized lifestyle property websites as well as access to a 800,000+ opt-in buyer database. For more information about United Real Estate or United Country Real Estate, please visit UnitedRealEstate.com or UnitedCountry.com.

To learn more about United Real Estate, brokerage succession planning, brokerage valuation and sale or franchising opportunities, visit GrowWithUnited.com. Agents interested in learning about career opportunities with United Real Estate can visit JoinUnitedRealEstate.com.

Media contact:

April Gonzalez
Media & Investor Relations
AGonzalez@UnitedRealEstate.com
504-237-3500

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1-billion-paid-to-agents-how-united-real-estate-rewrote-the-economics-of-the-brokerage-industry-302892001.html

SOURCE United Real Estate

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