The California Association of Public Insurance Adjusters will hold a continuing education session followed by legislative day next week. It will fittingly be held in Sacramento, California, so that public adjusters can visit government leaders. Assuming that I finish and do not sink during the Islands Race to San Diego on Merlin this weekend, I will be making a presentation with Amy Bach of United Policyholders next Tuesday, February 27.
United Policyholders Executive Director Amy Bach and I discussed how difficult and disastrous the coverage battles have been for policyholders regarding business income losses involving the pandemic. Some of the best policyholder lawyers in the United States have volunteered considerable time to support United Policyholders Covid Loss Recovery Initiative.
Amy Bach of United Policyholders has a feel for the pulse of property insurance coverage trends that impact policyholders throughout the United States. She has a seat at the table with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) when discussing topics impacting insurance consumers. I was fascinated with the content of her speech at the California Association of Public Insurance Adjusters Annual Conference yesterday. If there is a macro view of the current coverage trend in standard insurance property insurance, it has to be one of shrinkage and fewer benefits for policyholders while insurance rates increase.
Continue Reading Property Insurance Policy Coverage Trends Point to Less Coverage at Greater Cost
United Policyholders has supported and educated policyholders following catastrophes for three decades. It is the largest and oldest non-profit organization solely supporting policyholders’ rights in the United States.
Continue Reading Learn Hurricane Recovery Tips From Non-Profit United Policyholders on November 2nd
Nowhere to be found. That is the answer.
It is quite proper to warn people about unscrupulous scoundrels without licenses who are gauging Florida’s Hurricane Ian victims. Trying to ferret out those individuals and asking the public for information and to turn them in is something everybody supports.
Continue Reading Where Are Florida’s Leaders Explaining How Floridians Can Fully Get Paid and Not Get Ripped Off By Their Own Insurance Companies?
The insurance landscape in California has become more precarious as a result of the severe and incessant wildfires. The great urban fires of the 19th century caused many insurers to become insolvent. These great wildfires, not even in urban areas, are having similar property insurance market impacts—especially in California.
Continue Reading California Thoughts and United Policyholders
Scott Walden wrote an excellent article, The Squeeze, in Cleaning & Restoration Magazine. While I encourage those to read the full article, he stated in part how managed care has morphed into a win situation for only the insurance carriers and third-party administrators:
Continue Reading The Managed Repair and Third Party Administrator Problem
Yesterday’s post, Will Citizens Property Insurance Disputes Be Handled By Government Administrative Judges?, ended with the hope that Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation would respond to Citizens request for an endorsement by looking out of policyholder interests. In a comment to the blog post, Mike Cappelli commented by saying that Florida’s OIR was a “rubber stamp.”
Continue Reading The Revolving Door Connecting Insurance Regulators with the Supposedly Regulated Insurance Industry
Smoke damage claims are unique. Special claims training is needed to properly and safely adjust smoke losses. Most policyholders are entirely unaware of the personal dangers created by smoke. These claims are often overlooked and not reported due to ignorance.
Continue Reading Smoke Damage Claims—Are Insurers Handling Smoke Claims Properly and Trying to Reduce Smoke Coverage Through New Policy Language?
The gut answer to the post question is: “Of course not, Chip, that would not be fair and would encourage insurance companies to underpay and deny claims.” Still, this is the result when courts follow the literal contract language found in most “replacement cost’ policies and require policyholders to prove the amount paid above actual cash value benefits – even if the insurer failed to pay all the actual cash value benefits because of underpayment or wrongful denial.
Continue Reading Should Underpaying and Wrongfully Denying Insurance Companies Get Away With Not Paying Replacement Cost Benefits?