To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, April 27, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
INSURERS’ PUBLIC RELATIONS COUNCIL (IPRC) TO MEET ON MAY 4-5 IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
The Wednesday, May 4–Thursday, May 5, session is being held at the Hyatt Place. For additional information, contact IPRC president Jay Verner of COUNTRY Financial (jay.verner@countryfinancial.com).
CBS’S 60 MINUTES FOCUSES ON THE FATE OF UNCLAIMED LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES
The I.I.I.’s Steven Weisbart appeared in the segment, which was watched by more than 10 million viewers on Sunday evening, April 17. To brief reporters who wanted additional information about the issue, the I.I.I. developed a Fact Sheet and a media advisory.
DEADLY FLOODING IN HOUSTON GENERATES NATIONAL HEADLINES
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian spoke with Houston’s ABC affiliate and NBC’s Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate about the coverage issues arising out of the city’s deadly flooding. Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall have damaged nearly 1,000 homes in the Houston area (Harris County) since Sunday, April 17.
EARTHQUAKES IN ECUADOR, JAPAN HIGHLIGHT THE LOW LEVEL OF QUAKE COVERAGE IN THE U.S. The I.I.I. pointed to the recent devastating quakes in those two countries to discuss earthquake insurance in the United States.
U.S. MOTORCYCLE THEFTS ROSE 6 PERCENT IN 2015
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) documented the uptick in motorcycle thefts, and in a separate release chronicled the recovery of a stolen 1981 Ferrari.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Weisbart spoke today (April 20) with The Orlando Sentinel’s Susan Jacobson about life insurer processing of unclaimed policies.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters reports The Wall Street Journal’s Leslie Scism may develop a piece on high-risk drivers while Bloomberg BNA’s Brandon Ross is examining U.S. earthquake insurance trends.
The I.I.I.’s McChristian arranged for a Friday, April 22, ride-along between an I.I.I. member company and The Houston Chronicle to view the company’s flood response.
Money’s Kara Brandeisky is preparing a story for the magazine’s June 2016 print edition on how pay-as-you-drive policies can potentially save drivers money on their auto insurance.
CAPITOL HILL
The National Weather Service is moving to mixed-case from upper-case letters when issuing its reports effective Wednesday, May 11.
STATES
California
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced after the aforementioned 60 Minutes program aired that more than $400 million in unclaimed life insurance proceeds were paid to California beneficiaries due to multi-state regulatory efforts.
Colorado
Dr. William Gray, emeritus professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, and a renowned hurricane forecaster, died on Saturday, April 16. He was 86.
Florida
The I.I.I.’s Elianne González appeared on Univision in Miami on Friday, April 15, and discussed the Cuban insurance market.
Georgia
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against Credit Nation, a life settlement company Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens heard complaints about, but declined to investigate, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Louisiana
If FEMA approves Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon’s request, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders will have more than 60 days from when they incurred flood damage to file a claim.
Motorists would be allowed to keep their drivers license, and pay in installments the fines they received for having a lapsed auto insurance policy, if House Bill 245 became law.
Maine
To combat opioid abuse, the state Legislature passed a bill (LD 1646) limiting opioid prescription recipients to no more than a 30-day supply within a 30-day period.
New York
The state Senate’s Democrats now hold a numerical majority (32-31) in that chamber after Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky’s win yesterday (April 19) in a special election on Long Island.
State Senator James Seward (R-Otsego County), chair of the Insurance Committee, underwent successful surgery last week and said he will seek re-election in November.
North Carolina
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry spoke with Greensboro’s Fox affiliate about a state law requiring auto insurers to raise a policyholder’s rate 300-plus percent after a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI).
Oklahoma
Insurance Commissioner John Doak is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, May 24, from 8 to 10 a.m. in Oklahoma City, to discuss the rising cost of earthquake insurance.
Texas
Baseball-sized hail caused extensive damage to property in northern San Antonio on Tuesday evening, April 12, making it one of the costliest events of its type in Texas’ history.
Virginia
Since the call, the wildfire in Shenandoah National Park has grown significantly, with its reach now covering nearly 6,000 acres.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
60 Minutes
CBS’s story on unclaimed life insurance policies gained heavy attention from social media users during the Sunday night hour in which it was first broadcast; however the conversation around the topic has been slowly decreasing. Viewer reactions to the segment can be found at the program’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The I.I.I.’s I’s on Insurance Life Insurance video is posted at the I.I.I’s main website and another one, Finding a Lost Life Insurance Policy, can be found at the I.I.I.’s YouTube channel.
Houston Flooding
The flooding in Houston in Harris County, Texas is being discussed extensively this week on social media. Use the hashtag #Houston and #HoustonFlood to follow the conversation.
Drone footage of flooded areas can be found on YouTube.
Visit readyharris.org to receive timely and accurate information on emergency conditions in the greater Harris County area.
Harris County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is also providing flood response updates on Facebook and on Twitter at @HCOHSEM.
Texas Hailstorms
The Texas hailstorms are getting a fair amount of attention on social.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) discusses the risks hail poses to residential and commercial properties at disastersafety.org/hail.
Further updates to IBHS hail studies are on Twitter at @IBHSHailStudy.
Farmers Legislative Day
You can follow the I.I.I.’s Janet Ruiz at @InsuringCAL as she and the I.I.I.’s Hartwig attend Farmers Legislative Day today (April 20) in Sacramento, California.
MEDIA MATTERS
The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz won a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her story last summer on the Cascadia fault line’s threat to the Pacific Northwest.
The Weather Channel was named TV News Brand of the Year in a Harris poll.
Fox Business Network anchor Gerri Willis’ Rich Is Not a Four-Letter Word was published yesterday (April 19) by Crown Forum.
Michael Strahan is joining Good Morning America on a full-time basis in September 2016.
Steven Lynch will become editor-in-chief of The New York Post effective Sunday, May 1, succeeding the retiring Col Allan.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here
