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This is a reminder to all households impacted by the 2017 North Bay Fires. Policies typically contain deadlines for submitting documentation of your losses and for filing a lawsuit against your insurer. You’ll most likely find language in your policies that require you to submit…

With the hot summer months approaching, and grim predictions of droughts in California and other western states, we’re anticipating a bad wildfire season. The wildfire that just destroyed 80 more homes in Santa Barbara is proof. Read UP’s new “Preparedness Tips from the Trenches” for…

By Guy O. Kornblum, San Francisco, California Anyone who has been involved in the dispute-resolution mechanism knows what a laborious and often mysterious process it can be.  Mediation allows the parties involved in the dispute to sidestep the litigation process, while also getting results.  Because…

We’re excited to report that UP is partnering with Red Cross chapters in San Bernardino County and in the Bay Area.  The goal of the partnerships is to encourage property owners to be insurance/disaster prepared and take advantage UP’s free tools to inventory property and…

After many trips to the State Capital, New York Attorney Jon Wilkofsky, (Wilkofsky, Friedman, Karel and Cummins along with Ron Papa (Nat’l Fire Adjustment Co.) and others, finally succeeded in getting an appraisal bill passed and signed in the Empire State.  The bill allows a policyholder to go to…

If you’re in the market to buy a home, So Cal Farmers Agent Ross Allen Veckey offers this advice: Research insurance costs BEFORE submitting an offer, get comparison quotes, and don’t rely on your realtor or loan officer to arrange for the coverage. Veckey writes: Buying a…

The official title of the law that’s being referred to as “health care reform” is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (“PPACA”).   Some of PPACA’s provisions are on a fast track toward implementation; others will be phased in more gradually.  The fast…

The changes we’ll see in our health care and insurance system as a result of the historic PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) legislation that was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010 will be implemented in phases. State insurance regulators, the…

UP has now filed 292 amicus briefs advocating for policyholders big and small since our Amicus Project was launched. Below are the summaries of briefs we’ve filed this year in the US Supreme Court, and high courts in California, New York, Texas and Utah. Visit…

This year the NAIC welcomed a historically large group of highly qualified participants into its consumer representative program.  Not a moment too soon. Some of the “near term” (fast track) provisions of PPACA (health care reform) have to be implemented as early as this coming…

May 2010 Kim Card A graduate of Stanford University Law School, Kim Card heads up her own law practice in Berkeley, California. She recently wrote UP’s brief pro bono for Davis v. Ford Motor Credit Company and Fairbanks v. Superior Court of California (2008). February…

UP has put together practical guidance for property owners who are torn over whether or not to buy earthquake insurance. We have gathered advice from financial planners, insurance agents, and damage repair experts. We have created a series of easy-to-follow tips, articles and home inventory aids.…

Last month UP helped score wins for business policyholders in New York and in Florida. In Griffith Oil Co. v. National Union Fire Ins. Co., the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York overturned a trial court and found indemnity…

The only good thing about the recent 39% rate increase by Anthem Blue Cross (California) is that it helped refocus attention on the crippling impact of spiraling health insurance premiums.   Our February Tip of the Month offers practical tips for people who are getting hit with rising…

by David E. Young Buying homeowners insurance is one of the most important financial decisions a family can make. However, it is also an area in which many people lose by default. Many people do not know how much insurance is placed on their home,…

The recent earthquake in Haiti raised awareness about the devastation that earthquakes can inflict on communities, and our hearts go out to all the victims. But the extensive media coverage of the Haiti quake overshadowed the fact that a 6.5 earthquake in Eureka, California also…

Outreach Coordinator Karen Reimus coordinated a November 2009 press conference in Orange County with 2008 “Freeway Complex” wildfire families still struggling to settle with their insurers a full year after their losses. Six speakers shared personal stories of underinsurance, low-balling and poor claims handling. Insurance…

“Rebuild or Buy” educational program in Santa Barbara a success In July, United Policyholders organized a panel of experts and coordinated a free program with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services and the Mission Canyon Association for property owners impacted by the winter 2008…