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, September 17, please email Mike Barry at michaelb@iii.org.
I.I.I. RELEASES ITS UPDATED RESIDUAL PROPERTY INSURANCE MARKET WHITE PAPER
The report focuses on the state-run plans for high-risk policyholders in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, North and South Carolina and Texas.
I.I.I. OFFERS INSIGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE ACT (TRIA) DAYS BEFORE 9/11 ANNIVERSARY
The year-end expiration of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (TRIPRA), and its uncertain future, is creating capacity and pricing issues for terrorism insurance buyers.
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES SUBCOMMITTEE CONVENED THIS WEEK AS INDUSTRY MARKS LIFE INSURANCE AWARENESS MONTH
The presentations by the president and CEO of Life Happens, the research director at LIMRA, and the I.I.I.’s Steven Weisbart are in the Communications Meetings section of the I.I.I. website.
I.I.I. CONDUCTS CONFERENCE CALL ON FLORIDA’S GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN AND THE ISSUE OF PROPERTY INSURANCE
The Tuesday, September 9, call took place after former Governor Charlie Crist issued this policy paper on the topic.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Bob Hartwig was interviewed by Boston radio station WGBH for a story on the anniversary of 9/11, the Boston marathon bombing and TRIA’s future
Susan Tompor of the Detroit Free Press is preparing a column on the factors driving the high cost of auto insurance in Detroit.
Susan Jacobson of the Orlando Sentinel is exploring whether insurers have eliminated, or reduced, the discounts offered to teenagers who have completed high school driver education courses.
Since the call, Seattle’s KING-5 broadcast a story on the popularity of Relay Rides. The reporter mentions near the very end the service’s insurance coverage implications.
CAPITOL HILL
The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board commended MetLife’s CEO for his efforts to prevent the Financial Stability Oversight Council from treating life insurers like national banks.
STATES
Arizona
Three-plus inches of rain fell in and around Phoenix on Monday, September 8. NBC’s Evening News offered additional details on that night’s broadcast.
California
The Happy Camp Complex Fire (Siskiyou County) is still only 30 percent contained, and has burned more than 100,000 acres since it began on August 12.
The Bridge Fire (Mariposa County) is now 80 percent contained, having burned about 300 acres 40 miles north of Fresno. Ponderosa Basin was the community most at risk.
Florida
A 2014 insurance industry audit requested by the state’s Chief Financial Officer indicated the majority of in-state property insurers are lowering their rates, USA Today reports.
FEMA held four Open Houses this week (September 8-11) to provide Palm Beach County residents with the opportunity to see FEMA’s preliminary flood maps.
Hawaii
Residential properties on the Big Island are being threatened by lava flowing from Kilauea, one of the state’s active volcanoes.
Governor Neil Abercrombie is appealing the federal disaster declaration denial made in the wake of last month’s Tropical Storm Iselle.
Illinois and Michigan
Strong thunderstorms and winds moved through the two states from Friday, September 5, to Saturday, September 6, causing widespread power outages.
Minnesota
Stuart Henderson, chairman-elect of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, had a pro-TRIA extension op-ed published in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Mississippi
NBC’s Tupelo affiliate examined the plight of a Lee County resident who has been unable to return to her home since it was damaged by a tornado in late April 2014.
Nevada
Rain-caused flooding in the southeastern part of the state closed portions of Interstate 15 for nearly three days. The Moapa River Indian Reservation was the most impacted community.
New York
Nassau County’s District Attorney believes auto insurers should give discounts to motorists who install disabling apps into their iPhones (see the second item listed in the 5-point plan).
Governor Andrew Cuomo won a three-candidate Democratic primary with 62 percent of the vote. He’ll face Rob Astorino, the Westchester County executive, in the general election.
Oklahoma
The I.I.I.’s Hartwig was interviewed by KOSU Radio about the property insurance market implications of the state’s May 2013 tornadoes. The station reaches central and eastern Oklahoma.
Texas
State lawmakers held on Tuesday, September 9, a public hearing on how “to improve the resiliency of the Texas coast to withstand tropical storms.”
Vermont
The state is seeking a major federal disaster declaration for the severe storms and flooding that hit Windham and Windsor counties on July 28, 2014.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
Given the 9/11 anniversary, TRIA items, such as this PC360 article, are making the rounds in social media.
Daimler acquired RideScout, one of Uber’s biggest rivals in the ride-sharing market, and Mytaxi, according to an article posted by The Wall Street Journal.
In I.I.I. news, the Check20 consumer email campaign has been doing very well. In addition to sending out timely newsletters, the I.I.I. has created a Facebook tab, highlighting each week’s email. Consumers can also sign up for the emails through the tab.
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.
