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 30, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH
The I.I.I. will release a white paper, Cyber Risks: Threat and Opportunity, in October 2015. For its part, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is also marking the occasion. The Wall Street Journal notes identity theft (ID) coverage is included in most standard homeowners policies.
SWISS RE, I.I.I. ‘PROTECTION GAP’ WEBINAR TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, AT NOON, ET
The global problem of property underinsurance against perils such as earthquake and flood, especially in the U.S. and Japan, will be discussed by Swiss Re economists Thomas Holzheu and Ginger Turner as well as I.I.I. president Bob Hartwig.
NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION SPONSORING VIRTUAL WORKSHOP ON ITS FIREWISE PROGRAM
The Colorado State Forest Service’s Courtney Peterson and the Nevada County, California, Fire Safe Council’s Joanne Drummond will discuss wildfire preparedness on Tuesday, September 29, at 1 p.m., ET.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015, IS THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAMES DEAN’S DEATH
The I.I.I. will issue a news release prior to the anniversary to highlight U.S. highway safety and youth driving trends.
IBHS, I.I.I. ISSUES NEWS RELEASE, INFOGRAPHIC TARGETING BUSINESSES DURING NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
“Don’t Let a Storm Blow Away Your Profits: Is Your Business Ready for Peak Hurricane Season?” is a joint initiative of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the I.I.I.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Hartwig briefed Business Insurance’s Donna Mahoney on aviation insurance for a story she is writing on an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) proposal prompted by last year’s disappearance of a commercial Malaysian airplane.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters dispelled some myths about auto insurance in an interview with CNBC.com’s Sarah Whitten.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry provided information on the issue of uninsured motorists to Billings, Montana, CBS affiliate reporter Patricia Gooden. Gooden is seeking an industry source in Billings for an in-person, taped interview.
Sacramento NBC affiliate reporter Brian Heap is readying a segment on an Uber driver who got into an accident without having the proper insurance coverage.
The Miami Herald’s Elizabeth Koh is preparing an article for publication this weekend (September 26-27) on motorcycle crashes and how they are more likely to result in fatalities compared to crashes involving private-passenger vehicles.
CAPITOL HILL
The I.I.I. is offering to a U.S. House subcommittee its insights on the insurance implications of the sharing economy in advance of a Tuesday, September 29, D.C. hearing on “How the Sharing Economy Creates Jobs, Benefits Consumers, and Raises Policy Questions.”
STATES
California
The Tassajara Fire (Monterey County) began on Saturday afternoon, September 19, and was blamed for one fatality and damaging or destroying about 10 residences.
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones met with Valley Fire evacuees at Kelseyville High School (Lake County) on Friday, September 18.
In a live interview with Sacramento’s NBC affiliate, Commissioner Jones said the Department of Insurance sent investigators to wildfire sites to make sure public adjusters were following state law and staying out of disaster zones for at least seven days.
The I.I.I.’s Janet Ruiz was quoted throughout a Saturday, September 19, New York Times print edition article on how a standard homeowners policy provides coverage to those impacted by this month’s northern California wildfires.
Florida
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian was quoted in a Sun-Sentinel article on how the Davie, Miramar, and Pembroke Pines (Broward County) police departments joined forces with insurers to verify whether drivers stopped for speeding or involved in a crash had auto insurance coverage.
The I.I.I’s McChristian was interviewed live on WIOD-AM in Miami on Wednesday, September 23, to discuss an InsuranceQuotes.com survey on common auto insurance myths.
Georgia
Richard Bentley, the former mayor of Milledgeville (Baldwin County), was sentenced to 10 years’ probation and ordered to pay $20,000 in fines and restitution for committing insurance fraud.
Kansas
A tornado destroyed homes and injured people near Hillsdale Lake (Miami County), about 40 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday evening, September 18. The tornado’s path extended into Cass County, Missouri.
Louisiana
The Associated Press posted a story in advance of the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Rita; the Category 3 storm made landfall on September 24, 2005. Rita destroyed 40 percent of all structures in Cameron Parish, a coastal community next to the Texas border.
Missouri
The Insurance Department is now allowed to issue informal bulletins for the purpose of educating the insurance industry and the public about regulatory matters. Prior to the enactment of House Bill 709, a Missouri Supreme Court decision prevented the Department from doing this.
New Jersey
The Asbury Park Press reports FEMA has issued only 27 checks to Sandy flood claimants who have asked the agency to revisit their claims. About 825 out of 14,201 reviewed Sandy claims have reached the payment stage, the article notes.
Massachusetts
The Boston Globe says state Senator Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) will propose a law requiring the Division of Insurance to provide consumers with more information about proposed rate hikes and to allow the state’s attorney general to review rate filings.
Texas
The state’s Department of Insurance will hold on Thursday, October 8, at 10:30 a.m., in Austin, a public hearing on the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s (TWIA) request to increase maximum policy limits on TWIA’s residential windstorm and hail policies.
MEDIA MATTERS
Twenty-two Hearst TV stations are partnering with The Weather Channel. Under the arrangement, these stations will be able to target The Weather Channel’s online and mobile applications based on the user’s location or on the weather.
Long Island, New York-based Cablevision, whose media assets include Newsday and the 24-hour News 12 TV outlets, is being sold to Altice, a French company.
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.
