Right where we’re needed: Advocacy and Action Program UPdate
Right where we’re needed: Advocacy and Action Program UPdate

UP has been a powerful voice for insureds in 7 of the 10 biggest insurance rulings of the year so far and in the ones to watch for the balance of the year. In Washington D.C. we’re working hard on extending and reforming the National Flood Insurance program…
Louisiana Supreme Court gives ‘duty to defend’ new meaning for insurance lawyers
Louisiana Supreme Court gives ‘duty to defend’ new meaning for insurance lawyers

For decades, Louisiana law maintained that—under standard language found in most commercial general liability policies—insurers who had a duty to defend their policyholders must defend the entire lawsuit, including in long-latency cases. In other words, your defense attorney was on the case—at the insurance company’s…
If you’re on a spouse’s health plan, what happens if the worst should happen?
If you’re on a spouse’s health plan, what happens if the worst should happen?

My wife and I were chatting the other night about Republican efforts to reboot the U.S. healthcare system as a horror movie — stripping health coverage from more than 20 million Americans, boosting premiums for many and gutting Medicaid. She finally brought the conversation home…
11th Circ. Set To Weigh Insurance Bad Faith Standard
11th Circ. Set To Weigh Insurance Bad Faith Standard

The Eleventh Circuit will hear arguments Thursday on whether Nationwide’s mere negligence in failing to settle claims against a policyholder is sufficient to hold the insurer liable for a judgment exceeding policy limits, in a case that could have a widespread impact on insurance bad…
New York Regulator Seeks Details From Life Insurers Using Algorithms to Issue Policies
New York Regulator Seeks Details From Life Insurers Using Algorithms to Issue Policies

New York’s top financial regulator is investigating life insurers’ use of big data, complicating the industry’s efforts to boost sales by forgoing medical examinations in favor of algorithms for sizing up risk. New York’s top financial regulator is investigating life insurers’ use of big data,…
Guest Blog: United Policyholders Amicus Project Scores Victory For Texas Homeowners and Businesses
Guest Blog: United Policyholders Amicus Project Scores Victory For Texas Homeowners and Businesses

The availability of insurance coverage for loss or damage can hinge on the smallest details.  Did your insurer record that it received your notice letter?  Did your insurer’s investigator take note of those small but critical facts you pointed out during the investigation?  Did you…
Insurance companies dropping homeowners in Nevada County
Insurance companies dropping homeowners in Nevada County

Ted Peach, a Nevada County resident who lives on Banner Mountain, said the rate for his home insurance policy recently went up from $1,200 to $3,800. “The house has cementboard siding, metal roof, ironwood deck and has very good vegetation clearance,” he said. “Our rates…
House Committee Adds 5 More Bills to Its Flood Insurance Reform Package
House Committee Adds 5 More Bills to Its Flood Insurance Reform Package

The House Financial Services Committee advanced five flood insurance proposals on Wednesday, adding to the two bills it passed last week. The House measures seek to reform and reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is set to expire on September 30, for five…
Insurance Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2017
Insurance Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2017

Courts around the country will have their hands full with key insurance issues over the next six months, with the California Supreme Court considering whether a company’s negligent supervision of an employee is an accidental occurrence and the New York high court weighing the scope…
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance

If your car is in an accident, or your house is damaged in a storm, the insurance claims you file will wind up in your CLUE report. The trouble is most people have never heard of a CLUE report, even though the data in it…
The Biggest Insurance Rulings Of 2017: Midyear Report
The Biggest Insurance Rulings Of 2017: Midyear Report

The first half of 2017 was rife with major insurance law rulings, with the Texas Supreme Court issuing key guidance on the requirements for maintaining statutory claims against insurers for deceptive practices, and with Washington’s high court limiting policyholders’ ability to sue for bad faith…
House Committee Advances 2 Flood Insurance Bills; More to Come
House Committee Advances 2 Flood Insurance Bills; More to Come

The House Financial Services Committee on Thursday passed two bills to reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). One is a broad reform proposal that seeks to encourage more private insurance and move the program toward actuarial-based rates, while the other addresses premium credits for…
A Bipartisan Plan for Flood Insurance
A Bipartisan Plan for Flood Insurance

Six U.S. senators agree to fix the troubled federal program. Powerful floods devastate communities across America every year. After these catastrophic natural disasters, too many Americans find themselves facing a man-made calamity: a National Flood Insurance Program that overcharges and underdelivers for policyholders and for…
Will private insurers rescue leaking flood insurance program – or drown it?
Will private insurers rescue leaking flood insurance program – or drown it?

Privatizing federal programs is a mantra of President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. The National Flood Insurance Program NFIP) — up for renewal at the end of September — is a perfect target. Already in debt to the tune of $25 billion, plagued by scandals,…
Meet Your New Claims Inspector: A Drone
Meet Your New Claims Inspector: A Drone

After an April windstorm tore roof shingles off his house, Nick Ragone of Rochester, New York, figured it would be a routine claim process. But then his insurance company asked if it could use a new tool to inspect the damage. Instead of a ladder,…
Flood Program Reauthorization: Why Congress Must Act
Flood Program Reauthorization: Why Congress Must Act

As the clock ticks down toward expiration of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the task ahead is clear. Congress must pass an on-time, multi-year reauthorization bill that simplifies the overly complicated NFIP, improves its financial stability and encourages private flood insurance before the NFIP…
NFIP extension pitch draws praise and concern
NFIP extension pitch draws praise and concern

A draft proposal floated by two U.S. senators to extend the National Flood Insurance Program for 10 years is drawing some initial positive feedback, but stakeholders caution that some provisions are potential causes for concern. The draft legislation released by Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Kirsten…
Lawmakers To FEMA: Flood Plan Overhaul Is ‘Too Little, Too Late’
Lawmakers To FEMA: Flood Plan Overhaul Is ‘Too Little, Too Late’

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making sweeping reforms to the nation’s flood insurance program in the wake of a series of critical reports on NPR and the PBS series Frontline. But lawmakers say this isn’t enough when private insurance companies are profiting millions of…