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 13, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
I.I.I. TO HELP NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER (NHC) COMMUNICATE INSURANCE MESSAGES TO MEDIA, GENERAL PUBLIC IN 2016
NHC Director Richard Knabb told the I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore and Elianne Gonzalez after a meeting in Florida this week that the NHC will incorporate I.I.I. editorial content and subject matter experts into its communication efforts during 2016’s Atlantic hurricane season.
I.I.I. TO PRODUCE VIDEO AIMED AT RECRUITING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS INTO THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY
The I.I.I. is seeking people aged 35 and under, from diverse backgrounds, who can tell us in a taped interview about their insurance careers. Have a candidate? E-mail either Jeanne Salvatore at jeannes@iii.org or Jamey Ballot at jamesb@iii.org.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S (DOL) FIDUCIARY RULE TO TAKE EFFECT IN APRIL 2017
Retirement investment advisers must then meet a “fiduciary” standard—putting their clients’ best interests before their own profits, according to a new DOL rule.
The I.I.I.’s Steven Weisbart briefed CNBC’s Mary Thompson today (April 6) on how the rule could impact insurers prior to Thompson’s 1:15 p.m., ET, live segment on the issue.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Gonzalez gave an interview about business insurance to Houston’s Univision 45. The story also aired in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, and San Antonio.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry provided information to Consumer Reports’ Cheryl Jensen (seat belt usage and insurance) and Cars.com’s Julie Halpert (rear back-up cameras and insurance).
The I.I.I.’s James Lynch furnished Auto Insurance Reports’ Leslie Hann with recent data on auto insurer loss trends in Georgia.
CAPITOL HILL
The Financial Stability Oversight Council’s (FSOC) next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 18, the first time it’ll convene since the release of Judge Collyer’s MetLife decision.
STATES
Alabama
Seven tornadoes touched down on Thursday, March 31, the strongest an EF-2 tornado in Morgan County. Three of the seven twisters swept through Fayette County.
California
A 38-year-old woman was killed after a small plane made an emergency landing on a highway north of San Diego on Saturday, April 2. The victim was a passenger in a parked car.
September 2015’s Butte Fire prompted some home insurers either to raise rates or non-renew policies in a few northern counties, such as Calaveras.
El Nino was expected to generate record rainfall, and thousands then purchased FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies. Yet the rains and floods never materialized.
Regulators are meeting to weigh new rules for transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft.
A Bakersfield insurance agent was arrested on embezzlement charges, according to the state’s Department of Insurance.
Georgia
Former Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine wants a judge to reverse state ethics commission decisions which alleged Oxendine accepted illegal campaign donations.
Kansas
Northeastern counties such as Barber, Comanche, Geary, Morton, Pottawatomie, Riley, and Wabaunsee were hit this week by wildfires.
Louisiana
Traffic fatalities have dropped dramatically statewide while seat-belt usage has grown, according to a Saturday, April 2, front-page print edition story in The New Orleans Advocate.
New York
The state’s no-fault laws do not require auto insurers to pay office-based surgery (OBS) center facility fees, New York’s highest court ruled.
Oklahoma
The 350 Fire Complex (Woodward County) has burned tens of thousands of acres, and the residents of Freedom (Woods County) were evacuated this week due to wildfires.
Governor Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency in seven northeastern counties after they were hit by tornadoes and severe windstorms.
Pennsylvania
Two Amtrak construction workers died and 30-plus passengers were injured on Sunday, April 3, after a southbound Amtrak train crashed into a backhoe on the tracks near Philadelphia.
Tennessee
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a helicopter crashed in Pigeon Forge on Monday, April 4, killing the five people who were on board.
Wisconsin
Justice Rebecca Bradley was elected to a 10-year term on the state’s highest court.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
The I.I.I.’s 6 Questions to Ask Before Buying Travel Insurance
The I.I.I. issued today (April 6) a press release on travel insurance. You can share it by retweeting our tweet from earlier today.
Amtrak
Last weekend’s fatal Amtrak derailment is getting heavy attention on social media. To follow the conversation, use the hashtag #AmtrakCrash.
#WildfirePrepDay
Saturday, May 7, has been designated Wildfire Community Preparedness Day by the National Fire Protection Association. More about the campaign can be learned by watching this video.
#2Steps2Minutes
The American Red Cross is promoting its 2Steps2Minutes campaign. Their goal is to reduce home fire-caused deaths and injuries. Use the hashtag #2Steps2Minutes to join the conversation.
Check20 – Flood Insurance
The I.I.I. emailed to its Check20 subscribers consumer information on flood insurance. The content is also on the I.I.I. Facebook page’s Check20 tab, and the hashtag is #Check20.
MEDIA MATTERS
Bob Wright, the former chairman and CEO of NBC Universal, co-authored a just-published memoir, The Wright Stuff.
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
