To recap the issues raised during Wednesday’s conference call, here are some of the key media stories, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, March 6, please email me at michaelb@iii.org
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY’S SANDY HEARING DRAWS LAWMAKERS BUT LITTLE MEDIA COVERAGE
The New York Insurance Association and the American Insurance Association were among the advocacy trades who issued news releases about their Tuesday, February 26, testimony. The I.I.I. attended the five-plus hour session in lower Manhattan, and live-tweeted its observations about the public hearing to I.I.I. member companies. The day before the hearing, the Cuomo administration announced the establishment of a mediation program for policyholders with a disputed or denied Sandy claim.
SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CAUSES EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN NUMEROUS CENTRAL PLAIN STATES
USA Today posted on Tuesday, February 26, a story on how snow and high winds have damaged properties and slowed travel in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.
I.I.I. QUOTED IN NEW YORK TIMES STORY ON GUN LIABILITY AND INSURANCE; PARTICIPATES IN HUFFINGTON POST LIVE INTERVIEW
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig was quoted in this Friday, February 22, New York Times print edition story on gun ownership and insurance; the I.I.I.’s Mike Barry spoke about the same issue as part of an online discussion on Tuesday, February 26, with Huffington Post Live. One viewer who saw Barry sent him the link to a blog he writes on the subject.
TEENAGE DRIVER DEATHS INCREASED 19 PERCENT IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2012 AS COMPARED TO THE FIRST HALF OF 2011
USA Today reports in this Tuesday, February 26, story on a study which found that 240 drivers aged 16 and 17 were killed in the U.S. between January and June of 2012.
I.I.I. ISSUES MEDIA ADVISORY TO INFORM REPORTERS OF LIGHTNING PROTECTION INSTITUTE (LPI) CONFERENCE, I.I.I. RESOURCES
The I.I.I.’s media advisory was issued on Tuesday, February 26, and the I.I.I.’s Salvatore delivered this PowerPoint presentation to the LPI on Thursday, February 28.
CONNING SAYS WEAK ECONOMIC GROWTH, LOW INTEREST RATES, AND RISING REGULATORY DEMANDS WILL CHALLENGE INSURERS
U.S. and Global Insurance Industry Outlook: Economic, Capital Markets, and Regulatory Challenges Continue—Nothing to Be Gained by Waiting for Things to Get Better is available for purchase from Conning by calling 888-707-1177 or from the company’s website at www.conningresearch.com.
THE RECORD, MONEY MAGAZINE, PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AND ST. LOUIS TV STATION HAVE STORIES IN THE WORKS
The New Jersey Record is asking its readers, “Have you complained to your homeowners or business insurance company, or to insurance regulators, about your carrier’s service or claims payouts in the aftermath of Sandy? Has the response been satisfactory? Tell us [the Record] about your experience to help with our ongoing coverage of the impact of the October storm. Please contact Staff Writer Richard Newman at newman@northjersey.com or 973-569-7062.”….Money’sLisa Gibbs circled back to the I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore this week to fact-check passages on extended replacement and law and ordinance coverages for Gibbs’ upcoming story on the U.S. homeowners insurance market….Since the call, Sarah Watson of the Press in Atlantic City interviewed the I.I.I.’s Steve Weisbart for an article Watson is preparing on how insurers are adapting to the post-Sandy environment in southern New Jersey….Connecticut-based Associated Press reporter John Christoffersen is readying a piece on the financial assistance programs available to coastal homeowners who either must, or want, to elevate their residences….I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters did a Skype interview with St. Louis’ KMOV-TV on homeowners insurance policies and dog bite liability coverage. It is slated to air early next week.
CAPITOL HILL
The U.S. Transportation Secretary offered a White House press briefing on Friday, February 22, on how sequestration-induced budget reductions could adversely impact his agency.
STATES
New Jersey
Mantoloking, New Jersey, residents returned to their homes this week for the first time since Sandy struck, according to this Friday, February 22, WCBS News story.
The Star Ledger reported last weekend that many New Jersey homeowners whose properties incurred flooding damage from Hurricane Sandy have had difficulty obtaining payouts on their National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies but FEMA told the paper that the NFIP has resolved more than half of the nearly 74,000 NFIP claims filed by New Jersey homeowners.
California
The controversial $150 fee levied on about 750,000 rural properties statewide, with the monies going to Cal Fire, may be overhauled, or repealed outright, according to this Saturday, February 23, San Diego Union Tribune story. In its place, some legislators support a small tax on all property insurance bills to fund a variety of firefighting programs.
The U.S. Geological Survey is warning that more fatalities will result from catastrophic earthquakes in the future because populations in quake-prone parts of the world are increasing, according to this Tuesday, February 26, San Francisco Chronicle article.
Oklahoma
A 260-page bill unveiled last week is touted by its legislative backers as a permanent fix to what some lawmakers see as an inefficient and adversarial workers compensation system that puts the state at a competitive disadvantage in attracting and retaining businesses, according to this Sunday, February 24, article in The Oklahoman.
Tennessee
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a report stating that 2011’s Mississippi River flooding between March and August of that year caused $2.8 billion in damage and tested the Corps’ system of levees, reservoirs and floodways like never before in multiple states, according to this Monday, February 25, Associated Press article, distributed by the AP’s Memphis bureau.
Tennessee House and Senate bills call for giving local governments the power to adopt building code amendments that would be less severe than codes used by the state Fire Marshal’s Office. But the House measure has already been shelved because of opposition from insurers and other groups, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported on Sunday, February 24.
Michigan
Insurance Commissioner Kevin Clinton distributed a statement to the media on Friday, February 22, saying no governmental effort is underway to dismantle Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system, even as Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson implied that was the case, the Detroit News reports.
Texas
Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman will appear before the state Senate’s Nominations committee in early March. An issue legislators will likely raise is a $1.5 million consulting contract Kitzman approved for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), according to this Sunday, February 24, Austin American-Statesman article.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
The topic of gun owner liability is creating buzz on Twitter this week with journalists and consumer groups sharing information and opinions about potential legislation that would require gun owners to purchase more liability coverage. Mike Barry and the I.I.I. are mentioned in some of these conversations since Barry has been interviewed several times on the topic. The issue is creating some debate with people having both positive and negative reactions to various legislative proposals.
Another trending topic on Twitter is the cost of homeowners insurance. Florida is the primary focus of the discussion since, despite no major hurricanes have made landfall there in recent years, homeowners insurance rates are still going up. The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian is quoted in a few of the stories that are circulating, explaining why premiums are rising.
MEDIA MATTERS
Berkshire Hathaway is buying Tulsa World, a daily newspaper in Oklahoma.
CNBC acquired Nightly Business Report, according to the New York Times.
Tribune has hired investment advisors to sell off some of its marquee assets, such as The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times.
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
For an I.I.I. Blog search, click here.
