LMA NEWSLETTER December 2, 2019

Our Dogs

Adopted dogs saying

So many of our readers are like family to us and as such, I thought I would share this message about adopted dogs that was submitted by a devoted follower.  Our firm is a proud sponsor of Last Hope (Dog) Rescue (www.lasthoperescue.org).

In the past 30 days, I lost two of my three …

Florida Insurers Consistent in Paying Hurricane Michael Claims

While fraud alleged on recent government officials

Property insurance companies that do most of their business in Florida are taking care of business when it comes to handling Hurricane Michael claims efficiently.  A new study by Demotech shows our domestic companies are closing those claims at the same consistent rate they’ve done for the past …

Insurance Digest

AOB cases shrinking; bad faith targeted

From talking with Hurricane Michael victims at recent insurance villages in Florida’s Panhandle, I know that Assignment of Benefits (AOB) abuse is one of the reasons for delays in getting needed repairs.  There is encouraging news from Citizens Insurance that the AOB reform passed last spring is already having …

NAIC, NCOIL Tackling Private Flood Insurance Option

One agent’s push for consumer education

As we count down to the next short-term expiration of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on December 20, two regulatory groups are moving ahead this month with efforts to encourage development of a private flood insurance market in all 50 states.  Plus, how some insurance agents and one …

Disaster Management Digest

Florida coral reef

Spending mitigation money

As the old expression goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  In the case of flooding and other natural disasters, both FEMA and the IBHS tell us that a dollar of effective mitigation saves $6 in insurance claim costs.  Here’s the latest on where FEMA and other federal …

Environment & Engineering Digest

Stony coral tissue loss disease map

Coral disease, re-birth, and personal pollution injury

A deadly coral disease is spreading across the Great Florida Reef, Tampa scientists announce a breakthrough in reproducing coral in a lab, a huge solar energy project comes to Central Florida, and the state Supreme Court ponders the question: can someone sue for personal injury under pollution laws?   …

Healthcare Digest

Expensive health insurance, marijuana updates

The growing unaffordability of health insurance, more medical marijuana users choosing smokeable pot, and organized opposition emerges to legalizing recreational pot in the Sunshine State.  All this, plus a growing number of Obamacare sign-ups in this Healthcare Digest.

Costly Health Insurance:  Employer-provided health insurance is becoming increasingly expensive for many …

For Cow’s Sake

A bit of post-Thanksgiving thanks for the survival instinct and resiliency of all creatures great and small.  A few stray cows have been discovered wandering around Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina.  Officials believe they were swept up in a “mini-tsunami” on nearby Cedar Island that carried them out to sea.  About 20 cows …