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, June 15, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
NBC’s TODAY SHOW, NIGHTLY NEWS READYING SEPARATE SEGMENTS ON RISING COST OF U.S. AUTO INSURANCE
The Today show story is set to air on Monday, June 13. The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore taped an interview with that program today (June 8). Since the call, the I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig was asked to discuss the same issue next week as part of an on-camera interview with NBC Nightly News’ Olivia Sterns. This CBS MoneyWatch story sparked NBC’s interest in the topic.
AUTOMATIC BRAKING DEVICES RARELY LEAD TO A PREMIUM DISCOUNT, ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP) FINDS
Only two of the 11 U.S. auto insurers the AP surveyed offered a premium discount to policyholders who drive cars equipped with an automatic braking devices.
I.I.I.’s SALVATORE CONDUCTED LIVE INTERVIEW ABOUT FLOOD INSURANCE WITH A MAJOR NEW ORLEANS RADIO STATION
The Monday, June 6, conversation on WWL, 870AM, focused on FEMA’s redrawn flood maps, which reduced the number of New Orleans property owners required to purchase flood insurance.
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR) REPORTS NEW JERSEY’S U.S. SENATORS ARE UNIMPRESSED WITH FEMA’S FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM PROPOSALS
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig is mentioned briefly in this Friday, June 3, NPR All Things Considered story on the National Flood Insurance Program’s plans to tighten its oversight of Write Your Own insurers.
CALIFORNIA WAS HOME TO EIGHT OF THE TOP 10 METRO AREAS FOR 2015 U.S. AUTO THEFTS, STUDY FINDS
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released its 2015 Hot Wheels report, with Modesto, California taking the top spot. The Los Angeles Times published an article on the NICB’s findings.
NEWEST EDITION OF I.I.I.’s IMPACT MAGAZINE IS NOW ONLINE
IMPACT is published twice a year by the I.I.I. and spotlights the insurance industry’s many contributions to the communities in which they do business.
CAPITOL HILL
U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, plans to propose legislation intended to repeal significant provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.
Insurance trade groups responded favorably to the Federal Reserve’s proposed new capital rules for large insurance companies designated as systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs).
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Hartwig spoke with CNBC’s Mary Thompson about the recent rise in the cost of auto insurance, a subject the I.I.I.’s James Lynch discussed previously with CNBC.com.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters was interviewed by Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine’s Pat Esswein for an article about determining how much homeowners insurance coverage a property owner needs.
WalletHub is updating its annual Car Insurance by Credit Score Report. It assesses how transparent auto insurers are when explaining their use of credit-based insurance scores to prospective customers.
The I.I.I.’s Steve Weisbart briefed LifeHealthPro.com’s Elana Ashanti Jefferson on insurance industry employment trends.
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian taped an interview on Tuesday, June 7, with Fort Myers’ CBS affiliate. Reporter Lindsey Sablan is focusing on home insurers’ preferred contractor networks. No air date has as yet been determined for the WINK-TV segment.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry sent Move.com’s Judy Dutton a list of standard homeowners insurance policy exclusions for a story Dutton is writing on crumbling foundations in Connecticut.
STATES
Arizona
The I.I.I.’s Salvatore participated in a Facebook Live question and answer session with Phoenix ABC affiliate reporter Joe Ducey (Let Joe Know) about auto, homeowners, and flood insurance on Thursday, June 2. The video received around 14,000 views and generated strong engagement among Facebook users. The video is retrievable at Joe Ducey’s Facebook page.
California
Thousands were evacuated from their homes in Calabasas, Malibu Canyon, and Topanga (Los Angeles County) on the weekend of June 4-5 after the Old Fire burned more than 500 acres.
Seven individuals were arraigned this week in Riverside County and charged with operating a multi-million dollar workers compensation insurance fraud scheme.
The I.I.I.’s Janet Ruiz blogged about the ongoing debate regarding insurer investments in fossil fuel-related companies.
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones promoted Joel Laucher to chief deputy and announced the new chair and co-chair of the 2016–2017 Insurance Diversity Task Force.
Connecticut
The New York Times (subscription required) published in its print edition today (June 8) a detailed story on the difficulties homeowners face when they learn that the foundation of their house is cracking.
The Hartford Courant’s editorial board criticized Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade’s handling of two health insurance merger applications.
Florida
The Fort Myers News-Press says the arrival of hurricane season requires Floridians to open their eyes before a disaster. The I.I.I’s McChristian contributed extensively to the article.
The state’s population has grown by two million people since 2005, the last year a major hurricane made landfall in Florida. The Lakeland Ledger notes the growing concern that people are not prepared.
West Palm Beach’s CBS affiliate explained why the typical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholder saw a 9 percent rate hike this year.
The state’s insurance consumer advocate is holding a public forum at Boca Raton’s Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday, June 14. The goal is to discuss ways to curb the growing number of water loss claims.
Georgia
Atlanta scored poorly in a Nerd Wallet study that assessed driver fatality and auto theft trends, among the reasons Atlanta residents pay so much for auto insurance, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist writes.
Louisiana
Baton Rouge-based Cellcontrol, which has partnered with auto insurers, is hoping its technology can reduce distraction-caused accidents. The I.I.I.’s Lynch is quoted in the Baton Rouge Advocate article.
Mississippi
Zach Scruggs is moving back to Oxford next month to serve as the unpaid executive director of Second Chance Mississippi, the not-for-profit started by his father, Katrina plaintiff’s attorney Dickie Scruggs.
New Jersey
Sandy subcontractor Vernon Call Center (VCC) has a court-ordered settlement conference with Hammerman & Gainer International (HGI) on Thursday, June 23, to resolve a dispute over what VCC is owed by HGI.
New York
Nearly a dozen autos in Manhattan’s East Village were damaged after police canceled a late-night, unscheduled Kayne West concert because of crowd control concerns.
Oklahoma
Insurance Commissioner John Doak declared the state’s earthquake insurance market noncompetitive.
Six earthquakes occurred over a 24-hour period in the western and central part of the state on Sunday, June 5, and Monday, June 6.
Oregon
A Union Pacific train carrying crude oil partially derailed on Friday, June 3, creating water and sewerage problems in Mosier. Mosier is about 70 miles east of Portland.
Rhode Island
House Bill 8058 and its Senate counterpart, S. 3012, would if enacted reduce insurers’ premium taxes if an insurer either created a certain number of jobs or moved into the state, A.M. Best reports (subscription required).
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
California’s Old Fire
The wildfires that occurred in Los Angeles County last weekend are getting heavy social media attention. You can follow the hashtags #OldFire and #CalabasasFire to track the online conversation.
The I.I.I. Ruiz’s recent blog post at InsuringCalifornia.org discusses the Old Fire from the angle of wildfire mitigation and brush clearance. You can follow Ruiz on Twitter at @InsuringCAL.
In addition, check out the Ready Set Go! wildfire awareness campaign, which seeks to develop improved dialogue between fire departments and the residents they serve. You can follow the campaign on Twitter at @RSGProgram.
Tropical Storm Colin
TS Colin received heavy social media attention this week as it brought torrential rainfall to Florida and the Carolinas. The National Hurricane Center declared Colin a “post-tropical” storm and issued its final advisory on Tuesday, June 7.
The I.I.I.’s McChristian wrote a recent blog post on the start of the Atlantic hurricane season at InsuringFlorida. You can follow McChristian on Twitter at @InsuringFLA. For more hurricane updates, follow the National Hurricane Center on Twitter at @NWSNHC, as well as the hashtag #HurricaneSeason.
MEDIA MATTERS
Erica Hill is rejoining Headline News/CNN, an organization she left in 2010.
The Tribune Publishing Company has changed its name to tronc, Inc. [tribune online content].
Scott Pelley marked this week his fifth year as anchor of the CBS Evening News.
Ben Berkowitz has been named vice president, Digital, at New York City’s NBC affiliate (WNBC). He was most recently CNBC Digital’s deputy managing editor of news.
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.
