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, May 14, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
U.S. P/C CARRIER EMPLOYMENT ROSE OVER THE PAST YEAR WHILE THE NUMBER OF LIFE AND ANNUITY EMPLOYEES FELL, I.I.I. ANALYSIS FINDS
Federal data indicates P/C carrier employment rose 2.1 percent between March 2013-March 2014 while life insurance carrier and annuity employment fell 0.6 percent, the I.I.I. found.
U.S. REPORTS THE RATE OF OKLAHOMA EARTHQUAKES HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT 50 PERCENT SINCE OCTOBER 2013
The Monday, May 5, statement from the U.S. and Oklahoma Geological Surveys says wastewater disposal by injection into deep geologic formations is likely a contributing factor.
WALL STREET JOURNAL SCRUTINIZES OFFER OF ‘FREE’ LIFE INSURANCE MADE TO PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA, SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES
The offer came from Ohio-based Pollock Financial Group, and is being examined by Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation, this Tuesday, May 6, WSJ article states.
NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU (NICB) REPORT FINDS U.S. METAL THEFT CLAIMS DROPPED 26 PERCENT BETWEEN 2011-2013
The NICB’s Thursday, May 8, news release offers details on this favorable trend, and notes that copper is by far the most stolen metal.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I. is developing its annual dog bite liability claim numbers with State Farm as part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 18-24). The numbers will be announced at a press conference of the National Dog Bite Prevention Coalition, of which the I.I.I. is a member, on Thursday, May 15, at 10:30 a.m. at Washington, D.C.’s National Press Club.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters talked to The Hartford Courant’s Matt Sturdevant after Connecticut issued a consumer alert on ride-sharing services and insurance coverage.
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore gave Kiplinger.com’s Cameron Huddleston a list of Top 10 states for natural disaster losses in 2013. Oklahoma ranked first; Texas was second.
The I.I.I.’s Salvatore also spoke with Washington, D.C.’s NBC affiliate regarding residential landslide coverage in the wake of this one a few days ago in Maryland.
CAPITOL HILL
Hurricanes: An Urban Perspective, a panel discussion on mitigation, was held on Monday, May 12, at D.C.’s National Building Museum as part of its Designing for Disaster exhibition.
The White House released on Tuesday, May 6, its Third U.S. National Climate Assessment.
STATES
Alabama
Federal funding is available to individuals impacted by last week’s tornadoes in Baldwin, Jefferson, Lee, and Limestone counties after a Friday, May 2, presidential disaster declaration.
Governor Robert Bentley requested additional federal disaster assistance from FEMA for Blount, DeKalb, Etowah, Mobile and Tuscaloosa counties on Tuesday, May 6.
California
Cal Fire has already responded to more than 1,200 wildfires in 2014, more than twice the average for the last five years, the Los Angeles Times reports
Los Angeles property owners fear a legal liability will emerge for them after a quake hits, if the city assesses their buildings’ seismic risks, according to this LA Times article.
Florida
Federal funding is available to individuals impacted by last week’s flooding in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties after a Tuesday, May 6, presidential disaster declaration.
The Associated Press says Governor Rick Scott will decide the fate of SB 708, a “homeowner claims bill of rights,” which has the support of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.
Jacksonville-based Southern Oak Insurance Company will assume up to 10,000 multi-peril residential policies from Citizens, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.
Kansas
Home insurers raised rates a combined 21 percent in 2012-2013, on average, after incurring $1 billion-plus in disaster losses in 2011, The Wichita Eagle reported, on Sunday, May 4.
Mississippi
Governor Phil Bryant has called the Legislature into special session to help pay the state’s share of tornado recovery costs, the Associated Press reported, on Tuesday, May 6.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney estimates insured losses from April’s tornadoes could reach $100 million, The Clarion Ledger reported, in its Saturday, May 3, print edition.
About one in five residents live in mobile homes which, while providing inexpensive shelter, are more vulnerable to tornadoes, according to this Monday, May 5, Clarion Ledger article.
New Jersey
The acting attorney general announced a 45-count indictment on Thursday, May 1, charging 12 individuals with participating in an alleged auto insurance fraud scheme.
Ohio
House Bill 526 would “prohibit auto insurers from requiring, recommending or suggesting” that claimants have vehicles repaired at a specific repair shop, according to a Monday, May 5, story.
Oklahoma
One person died, and hundreds of acres were scorched in Logan County, after a controlled burn became a wildfire, the CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City reported on Sunday, May 4.
Rhode Island
Ride-sharing service drivers need to have the right coverage, the Department of Business Regulation’s Division of Insurance stated, in this Thursday, April 30, consumer bulletin.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
Flood insurance is back in the social media headlines as Florida’s Legislature passed, on Thursday, May 1, a bill aimed at making it easier for private companies to sell flood insurance. While the majority of the online reactions were neutral, the R Street Institute was not only supportive of the proposal but posted a press release about the significance of the legislation.
The recent earthquakes in Oklahoma have prompted many news blog discussions about the potential dangers of fracking, and its possible link to the state’s growing number of temblors. National Public Radio, The Washington Post, and other national media outlets have been posting stories related to the matter while the public has taken to Twitter to share their reactions.
Finally, May is National Bike Month and I.I.I. has supported the event’s social media campaign by using the hashtag #BikeMonth to educate the public on the benefits of biking, and the importance of properly insuring your bike. The I.I.I. also has a Green Transportation Pinterest board, where we share infographics and articles on the topic.
MEDIA MATTERS
Steve Capus, the former president of NBC News, has been named executive producer of the CBS Evening Newswith Scott Pelley.
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.
