Summer 2018 Newsletter
Summer 2018 Newsletter

Hard work lies ahead in Colorado Our Roadmap to Recovery services will be in high demand again in Colorado when this summer’s horrendous wildfires are contained. Just as we did in Boulder in 2010, we’ll be deploying staff and volunteers and partnering with local government…
Ain’t it good to know, you’ve got a friend
Ain’t it good to know, you’ve got a friend

The destruction from the wildfires that are raging in Colorado and elsewhere this summer is unspeakably sad. Hard work lies ahead. To those who will soon begin the excruciating process of inventorying and documenting their losses and those who just want to be educated; the…
Health care law saves consumers over $1 billion
Health care law saves consumers over $1 billion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 21, 2012 Health care law saves consumers over $1 billion Health care law provides rebates to more than 12 million consumers Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that 12.8 million Americans will benefit from $1.1 billion…
Parent Power
Parent Power

Parents’ options for insuring their kids, especially those with pre-existing conditions, have improved considerably in recent years, though more in some states than in others. An increasing number of states are now requiring insurers to cover treatment related to Autism. In the states that are…
Greater Expectations
Greater Expectations

If you weren’t thrilled with the way your insurer handled an auto accident claim, you’re not alone. Consumer satisfaction with auto claims is dropping, according to a recent study by J.D. Powers. Given how aggressively insurers compete for your auto business, you have the power…
Insurers say EQ Insurance an affordable option in Ohio to cover fracking damage
Insurers say EQ Insurance an affordable option in Ohio to cover fracking damage

April 16, 2012 – Last year’s uptick in the state’s seismic activity may have some Ohioans rethinking about the overall risk for earthquakes and the need for earthquake (EQ) insurance coverage. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Geological Survey Ohio Seismic Network reports…
Allstate Doubles Profits in Q4
Allstate Doubles Profits in Q4

Allstate Corp. reported that its profit more than doubled in the fourth quarter thanks to lower catastrophe losses and improved homeowners business.The big insurance company posted a fourth quarter net profit of $724 million compared to a fourth quarter profit of $296 million a year…
Life insurers settle with regulators and agree to be more pro-active in seeking out beneficiaries
Life insurers settle with regulators and agree to be more pro-active in seeking out beneficiaries

The California Department of Insurance and six other states have negotiated a $17 million settlement with Prudential Insurance Co. to speed up payouts to life insurance beneficiaries.The settlement requires Prudential to regularly check the Social Security “Death Master” file to determine whether any of its…
One homeowner’s travails: Even after more than six years, family can’t move back into “new” house
One homeowner’s travails: Even after more than six years, family can’t move back into “new” house

By Bob Butler, Fellow, G.W. Williams Center for Independent Journalism, and Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer |Each day, after wrapping up work as a streetcar operator, Kisa Holmes drives by to check on the house she bought in the Upper 9th Ward just weeks…
CFA: Insurers Becoming Experts at Risk-Avoidance
CFA: Insurers Becoming Experts at Risk-Avoidance

Insurers are shifting the cost of risk to consumers and taxpayers, side stepping their traditional role of risk-takers and becoming experts at risk-avoidance, according to a report from the Consumer Federation of America.The study titled, “The Insurance Industry’s Incredible Disappearing Weather Catastrophe Risk,” asserts that…
Car repair shops getting squeezed by insurers: Consumers Beware
Car repair shops getting squeezed by insurers: Consumers Beware

Car repair shops across the country say insurance companies are controlling their prices by steering customers toward preferred businesses that do their bidding.Several business owners in Central Iowa took their complaint to the governor’s office in September, and state legislators will likely address the issue…
New York Insurance Department acts to protect consumers against unfair practices related to Retained Asset Accounts (Life Insurance policy features)
New York Insurance Department acts to protect consumers against unfair practices related to Retained Asset Accounts (Life Insurance policy features)

CUOMO ADMINISTRATION MOVES TO PROTECT INSURANCE BENEFITS OF NEW YORK SOLDIERS, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES Superintendent Lawsky Announces Life Insurers Should Pay Full Benefits Owed To Survivors And Not Hold Funds In Their Own Accounts Unless Soldiers And Their Families Expressly Choose That OptionBenjamin M.…
Costs of long-term care insurance on the rise; policies also changing
Costs of long-term care insurance on the rise; policies also changing

By Christine Dugas, USA TODAYJust as aging Baby Boomers are realizing they may need long-term care insurance, the marketplace is shrinking, the cost of premiums is soaring, and providers are altering the policies they offer.Long-term care insurance helps cover expenses that typical health insurance doesn’t,…
Roadmap to Preparedness – On the Road
Roadmap to Preparedness – On the Road

Our Roadmap to Preparedness program has expanded beyond the Bay Area and into Southern, California and most recently, the mountains outside Boulder, Colorado at the request of the United Way. UP staff members are increasingly in demand as featured speakers at events aimed at helping…
Advocacy and Action UPdate
Advocacy and Action UPdate

Amicus Victories in Hawai’i and Utah UP one step closer to expanding post-disaster consumer protections nationwide: NAIC grants request for a public hearing Helping shape the future of insurance law in America: UP a voice for policyholders in the American Law Institute’s Principles of Liability Insurance…
A Terrific Texas Tool
A Terrific Texas Tool

The quality of your insurance policy really does matter, but figuring out which company sells better protection is tricky. Ads are often misleading, and most insurance companies don’t show you a copy of their policy until after you’ve bought it. Then…good luck reading the fine…
Advocacy in Alabama
Advocacy in Alabama

Property owners in coastal areas in the southeastern United States and as far north as Massachusetts continue to struggle to find home insurance they can afford through a company they can trust. UP recently addressed this issue before Alabama Governor Bentley’s Affordable Homeowners Insurance Commission.…
Consumer Groups Denounce Attack on Consumer Watchdog
Consumer Groups Denounce Attack on Consumer Watchdog

Mercury Insurance is only beneficiary of smear campaign The latest attack on Consumer Watchdog proves that when you take on powerful corporate interests and beat them, you make enemies. Consumer Watchdog is a courageous and remarkably successful advocate for consumer rights. An attack dog website…