Justices Back Calif. Insurance Commissioner in Feud With Industry
Justices Back Calif. Insurance Commissioner in Feud With Industry

The California Supreme Court dealt property insurers a blow on Monday, reversing lower court rulings that had limited the state insurance commissioner’s authority and blocked a rule the industry had slammed as overly prescriptive and burdensome. The lawsuit by two state industry trade associations challenged…
NAIC Announces 35 Consumer Representatives for 2017
NAIC Announces 35 Consumer Representatives for 2017

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners NAIC) recently named 35 consumer liaison representatives for 2017. The 22 funded and 13 unfunded consumer representatives began their terms Jan. 1. Eighteen of the funded consumer representatives participated in the program in 2017. Established in 1992, the Consumer…
Wildfire Risk Reduction and Insurability
Wildfire Risk Reduction and Insurability

In the age of big data and GPS mapping, insurers are increasingly using complicated and opaque models to set their rates. FireLine is one name brand model created and sold to insurers by Verisk/Insurance Services Office. FireLine looks at a number of criteria (slope, access,…
Consumer Watchdog collects millions, but does it lower your insurance rates?
Consumer Watchdog collects millions, but does it lower your insurance rates?

Nearly 30 years ago, consumer activist Harvey Rosenfield wrote and helped qualify Proposition 103, the November 1988 ballot measure that overhauled state regulation of home and auto insurance rates. The initiative, dubbed by supporters as the “Voter Revolt to Cut Insurance Rates,” also contained a…
Prepared, not scared
Prepared, not scared

No, we’re not talking about doomsday predictions… We’re talking about the simple things you can do to create your own financial safety net to prepare for extreme weather and what that weather can do to the roof over your head or your source of income.…
Reforming Disability Claim Procedures Under ERISA
Reforming Disability Claim Procedures Under ERISA

On Dec. 19, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor published in the Federal Register sweeping reforms to the regulations it issues under Section 503 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, aimed at eliminating bias in the ERISA disability claims and review process. Despite ERISA’s…
Keeping “Affordable” in the ACA
Keeping “Affordable” in the ACA

Before Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as “PPACA”) and President Obama signed it into law, Americans with pre-existing medical conditions were struggling mightily to find and pay for essential health insurance.  The ACA solved that problem for a large number of…
United Policyholders filed amicus briefs in four of the top five most important insurance cases of 2016
United Policyholders filed amicus briefs in four of the top five most important insurance cases of 2016

2016 was an outstanding year for the United Policyholders Amicus Project. Thanks to the generosity of our volunteers, UP was able to file briefs in four of the five most important insurance cases of 2016 (In re: Viking Pump and Warren Pumps Insurance Appeals, Cypress Point Condominium…
Viking Pump Tops Biggest Insurance Decisions Of 2016
Viking Pump Tops Biggest Insurance Decisions Of 2016

New York’s highest court sent shockwaves through the insurance industry this year when it ruled that Viking Pump and Warren Pumps could hold policies in a single year liable for their entire loss from scores of asbestos claims while other courts issued key guidance on…
Commissioner Jones receives national consumer advocacy award
Commissioner Jones receives national consumer advocacy award

Today California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones received the Excellence in Consumer Advocacy award at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ NAIC) Fall National Meeting. The award, from consumer representatives, honors the insurance regulator found to most effectively represent and advance the interest of consumers. “I…
Florida Supreme Court rejects shift in insurance claims law
Florida Supreme Court rejects shift in insurance claims law

The Florida Supreme Court has overturned a lower-court ruling that would have made it harder for policyholders to collect on insurance policies when there is more than one cause for their losses. At issue in Sebo v. American Home Assurance Co. was competing doctrines for…
Court rules against insurer in property damage fight
Court rules against insurer in property damage fight

In a case watched by insurance-industry groups, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against an insurer in a dispute about paying for damage to a multimillion-dollar Naples home that had to be demolished after a combination of construction defects and water intrusion. The case…
Speaking UP works
Speaking UP works

Our final tip of the month this year is simple: When it comes to insurance, have a pro-active mindset. If you’ve had a loss, ask for a cash advance while your claim is being processed. If you’ve got property insurance, ask the agent or insurer…
2016 Advocacy and Action Wrap UP
2016 Advocacy and Action Wrap UP

Post-election predictions suggest our consumer protection work will get even harder and safeguards Congress put in place after the 2008 meltdown to prevent financial abuse may be in jeopardy. But UP scored some very significant gains this year through our Advocacy and Action program and…
Big Data and Privacy
Big Data and Privacy

In the past, insurance companies used straightforward objective criteria and actuarial science to evaluate risks and calculate how much to charge a consumer for an insurance policy. Age, address, income, claim history and education were the main factors. Today, insurers are using subjective factors such…
CLUE Report: This Surprising Database Can Drive Up Your Homeowners Insurance Premiums
CLUE Report: This Surprising Database Can Drive Up Your Homeowners Insurance Premiums

If you’re about to buy a home you’re also probably trying to save money wherever you can, which includes finding an affordable homeowners insurance policy. But guess what? If the seller has a history of one or more insurance claims on that property, you could…
Engaged Couple Learns Definition Of ‘Relative’ The Hard Way
Engaged Couple Learns Definition Of ‘Relative’ The Hard Way

SAN FRANCISCO CBS SF) — What is a relative? When it comes to insurance companies, the word can have different definitions. With their wedding only months away, Scott Garvey and Katie Fredrickson already consider themselves a family. “In the eyes of my parents, he’s already…
Rutgers Law School in New Jersey Launches Project to Improve Homeowners’ Insurance
Rutgers Law School in New Jersey Launches Project to Improve Homeowners’ Insurance

Rutgers Law School’s Camden, N.J., location, in collaboration with United Policyholders, is seeking to improve homeowners’ insurance nationally through its recently launched project. The Rutgers Center for Risk and Responsibility at Rutgers Law School in Camden and United Policyholders have launched a national project that…