To recap the issues raised during last 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 12, please email Lynne McChristian at lynnem@iii.org
PROPUBLICA AND CONSUMER REPORTS POST STORY ON AUTO INSURER PRICING IN 4 STATES; I.I.I. CHALLENGES ITS FINDINGS
The I.I.I.’s James Lynch spoke to the Associated Press and appeared on PBS’s NewsHour to rebut ProPublica’s Wednesday, April 5, report on auto insurer pricing in California, Illinois, Missouri and Texas.
SEVERE WEATHER CAUSES FIVE DEATHS IN THREE SOUTHEASTERN STATES
An EF-1 tornado killed two people near Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday, April 1. In the days following, severe weather caused fatalities in Mississippi and South Carolina, The Weather Channel reports.
ALASKA, DELAWARE AND ILLINOIS HOLD HEARINGS ON USE OF CREDIT-BASED INSURANCE SCORES
Alaska’s Senate Bill 98, Delaware’s House Bill 80 and Illinois’ Senate Bill 1706 were discussed at legislative sessions on Tuesday, April 4, (Alaska) and Wednesday, April 5 (Delaware and Illinois).
STORIES IN THE WORKS
Kelli Grant from CNBC is doing a story on potential coverage gaps in homeowners and auto insurance.
MarketWatch’s Morey Stettner is writing an article on buying life insurance for either a parent or grandparent.
The New Jersey Star-Ledger’s Karin Mueller, a consumer affairs columnist, is readying a piece on insurer use of credit-based insurance scores.
CAPITOL HILL
The National Association of Realtors wants FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to be renewed before the NFIP expires on September 30, 2017.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Congressional changes to Dodd-Frank may be considered in the summer, and the focus will likely be on changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
STATES
California
Municipalities in 42 counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance. The monies will be used to repair or replace facilities damaged by the winter storms, flooding and mudslides which occurred from February 1-23, 2017.
State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Los Angeles) and Dr. Paul Song, husband of CNN’s Lisa Ling, plan on running in the June 2018 Democratic primary election for Insurance Commissioner.
CastlePoint, the Tower Group’s sole remaining insurance company, will be liquidated to protect policyholders and injured workers covered under CastlePoint’s policies, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced.
Florida
Pointing to a Wall Street Journal editorial that mentioned her by name, state Senator Anitere Flores (R-Miami) said “the insurance industry is smearing someone” who has always fought for consumers.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation reported a net loss for 2016 as water loss claims, assignment of benefits (AOB) abuse and litigation costs increasingly impact the company’s bottom line. A Citizens press release said it will post a $27.1 million net loss for 2016, its first since 2005.
The Florida Insurance Council’s president wrote an opinion column opposing the proposal to remove the insurance industry tax credit. It was published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Georgia
The fire-damaged portions of the I-85 highway in downtown Atlanta will be repaired by mid-June, according to the state Department of Transportation. An arson arrest was made soon after the blaze.
A 35-year-old Darien (McIntosh County) insurance agent was arrested this week and charged with fraudulently converting for his personal use premium payments that should have been allocated to auto insurers.
Kansas
Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer said the state’s Insurance Department is assisting Kansans impacted by either the wildfires or the March 20 blaze in Overland Park.
Louisiana
The state’s plan to spend $1.2 billion in federal flood recovery monies has been approved by the U.S. government.
In an interview with New Orleans public radio, former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate discussed his agency’s response to last year’s Baton Rouge flooding and the Trump administration’s proposed FEMA budget cuts.
Mississippi
Fifteen people have filed lawsuits and are asking for more than $250 million for damages arising out of the March 7 train-bus crash that killed four individuals in Biloxi.
Vermont
The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) is concerned about fraudulent telephone surveys that are being conducting by individuals who say they are affiliated with DFR’s Insurance Division.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
ProPublica and Consumer Reports story
I.I.I. is closely monitoring the ProPublica and Consumer Reports stories online and on social. So far the story, including an Insurance Journal op-ed piece by the I.I.I.’s Lynch, has received about 650 media mentions.
The media outlets with the largest reach to picked up on ProPublica’s findings were Yahoo! Finance, the Houston Chronicle, CBS News and the Chicago Tribune.
ProPublica and Consumer Reports have tweeted the findings of the report multiple times on their respective pages. To date, no social hashtag associated with the story has been created.
Dog Bite Prevention Week
You can follow @iiiorg for dog bite prevention tips during Dog Bite Prevention Awareness Week. It begins on Sunday, April 9, and the I.I.I. issued a news release on the issue on Thursday, April 6. Follow the conversation using the hashtag #PreventDogBites.
MEDIA MATTERS
A Nielsen study found U.S. news consumption soared in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Showtime will air a miniseries based on former Fox News Channel (FNC) chairman Roger Ailes’ last days at FNC.
