In Support of Insurance Reform in Hawaii
In Support of Insurance Reform in Hawaii

United Policyholders is working part to advance Insurance Reform in Hawaii.  Below is the recent testimony from UP’s Roadmap to Recovery Liaison on Maui: Aloha Chair and Members of the Committee, My name is Sherry Peterson, and I am here in strong support of SB…
Eye in the Sky: How a Connecticut insurance company is using third party data to help deny claims
Eye in the Sky: How a Connecticut insurance company is using third party data to help deny claims

When Anthony Cusano filed a claim after storm damage to his late mother’s home, he didn’t expect it to be denied based on a historical image. But experts say insurers are increasingly relying on data such as aerial images to deny claims. The claim was…
Short term gain, long term pain
Short term gain, long term pain

It clearly serves the best interests of policyholders (consumers), lenders, and our economy generally when property insurance policies cover the cost of replacing destroyed homes and restoring damaged homes to pre-loss condition with as little additional financial burden on the policyholder (beyond the premium they paid)…
Santa Ana homeowner says insurance company used drone to inspect her roof without telling her
Santa Ana homeowner says insurance company used drone to inspect her roof without telling her

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — More insurance companies are using drones to help decide whether to renew policies. One Orange County woman says she believes her home insurance company did this before telling her she needed to make some pricey repairs to her roof. Linda…
California’s next insurance commissioner will have ‘brutal’ balancing act
California’s next insurance commissioner will have ‘brutal’ balancing act

In November, Californians will vote for “the second-hardest job in the state behind the governor.” That’s according to someone who has held the job twice: John Garamendi, who was the state’s first elected insurance commissioner in the 1990s and served again in the early 2000s.…
CA insurance commissioner Challenges facing next person to hold office
CA insurance commissioner Challenges facing next person to hold office

In November, Californians will vote for “the second-hardest job in the state behind the governor.” That’s according to someone who has held the job twice: John Garamendi, who was the state’s first elected insurance commissioner in the 1990s and served again in the early 2000s.…
Homeowners Urged to Avoid Underinsurance as Rebuilding Costs Rise
Homeowners Urged to Avoid Underinsurance as Rebuilding Costs Rise

A new study found that 74% of homeowners who filed insurance claims after the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado were underinsured by an average of $139,000. With rebuilding costs rising due to inflation, labor shortages, and natural disasters, homeowners are being urged to review their…
Close to Home: Weighing a mandate to insure fire-safe homes – The Press Democrat
Close to Home: Weighing a mandate to insure fire-safe homes – The Press Democrat

As a region that’s been impacted by past wildfires, North Bay communities know firsthand that insurance matters — a lot. Today’s insurance marketplace is more complicated and challenging for property owners than ever before, and there’s a lot of work and thought going into solutions.…
AI and Insurance Policy Interpretation After Snell v. United Specialty: What Policyholders Need to Know
AI and Insurance Policy Interpretation After Snell v. United Specialty: What Policyholders Need to Know

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance Co. will be cited often for its holdings on policy interpretation and insurance applications under Alabama law. Perhaps the most groundbreaking analysis, likely to have long-term ramifications…
Homeowners left in lurch as insurance companies make dramatic policy change: ‘It does expose it and amplify it’
Homeowners left in lurch as insurance companies make dramatic policy change: ‘It does expose it and amplify it’

A year after devastating wildfires tore through the Los Angeles, California, area, many survivors are still dealing with insurance policies that won’t cover the full cost of rebuilding their homes. It’s a problem that has been quietly growing since the 1990s. What’s happening? For decades,…
Insurance Reform in Hawaii
Insurance Reform in Hawaii

This blog was written by Sherry Peterson, UP’s Roadmap to Recovery Liaison on Maui I began working with United Policyholders in March 2024 as the Roadmap to Recovery (R2R) Liaison and an Equal Justice Fellow. My work focused on helping Maui wildfire survivors navigate insurance…
Oklahoma homeowners put up massive sign in front yard accusing State Farm of denials, delays after fire: ‘All we have gotten is lies’
Oklahoma homeowners put up massive sign in front yard accusing State Farm of denials, delays after fire: ‘All we have gotten is lies’

Kenny Cox and his wife had been married for 42 years when they pulled into their driveway one afternoon last May to find Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, firefighters still dousing their home with water. Fire officials later determined a squirrel had chewed through wiring in the…
Sonoma County homeowners who have dealt with damage after a storm on what to expect
Sonoma County homeowners who have dealt with damage after a storm on what to expect

Several weeks passed before Connie Cloak and her husband settled a home insurance claim they filed in August 2024 when a large tree branch fell and damaged their Santa Rosa home. The wait was frustrating. But, according to Cloak, hardly a reflection of an otherwise…
Insurance rates could go up under new homeowners bill
Insurance rates could go up under new homeowners bill

Under Senate Bill 876, Californians who lose their homes to natural disasters like wildfires would get the full cash value of their lost house paid to them by insurance companies. The new bill aims to ensure full compensation for homeowners like the ones who lost…
Will Disaster Insurance Overhaul Increase Protections For Future Survivors?
Will Disaster Insurance Overhaul Increase Protections For Future Survivors?

Hawaiʻi consumers would have additional protections folded into their insurance coverage after a disaster declaration if a bundle of new Senate bills introduced this session are codified into law. While the reforms would not provide immediate help to policyholders still navigating the labyrinth of insurance…
NAIC ANNOUNCES 2026 CONSUMER LIAISON REPRESENTATIVES
NAIC ANNOUNCES 2026 CONSUMER LIAISON REPRESENTATIVES

he National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recently named 43 consumer liaison representatives for 2026. NAIC Members have long valued the voices of consumer representatives, who provide unique perspectives and insights in the NAIC’s proceedings. Regulatory policy work informed by a variety of stakeholders leads…
Cover Your ASSets
Cover Your ASSets

As UP begins our 35th year(!) helping insurance consumers before and after disasters, we know that even the savviest people can find themselves underinsured after a loss…learning the hard way that you can’t blindly trust that your home insurance is current with the value of…
US homeowners face chronic underinsurance as LA wildfire losses mount
US homeowners face chronic underinsurance as LA wildfire losses mount

A year after the Los Angeles wildfires, many survivors still face the same hard math. Insurance payouts fall short of rebuilding costs. Homes stand gone. Coverage caps don’t stretch far enough. Multiple studies show many policies never promised full replacement, despite what policyholders often assume.…