PIANY meets with DFS to discuss post-Sandy issues

Yesterday your association, represented by PIANY Government Affairs Committee Chair Justin Fries, CIC, CPCU, CPIA, committee member Peter Resnick, legislative representative Allison Lee, and PIANY staff Matthew F. Guilbault, Esq., and Dan Corbin, met with Executive Deputy Superintendent of the Insurance Division Robert Easton, Esq., and his top staff to discuss post-Sandy insurance issues. The issues included the continued need for standardization of hurricane deductible triggers, the DFS moratorium on cancellations and nonrenewals, and Federal Emergency Management Agency flood claims being affected by the handling of claims checks by financial institutions. For more details on the meeting, click here.  

PIANY to testify at Insurance Committee hearing on Sandy

PIANY was invited to testify at a hearing held by the Assembly Insurance Committee to examine the claims settlement practices of insurers related to Superstorm Sandy, to examine the types of coverage available to consumers and to ensure they are properly informed of their coverage needs and options to deal with future disasters. The hearing will be Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, 11 a.m., at Assembly Hearing Room 1923, 19th floor, 250 Broadway, New York, N.Y. If you have input you would like us to raise, email govaffairs@pia.org.  More…

PIANY met with new Assembly Insurance Committee chair

PIANY met with newly appointed Assembly Insurance Committee Chair Kevin Cahill, D-103, to discuss PIANY’s 2013 legislative agenda as well as post-Sandy insurance issues. Pictured (clockwise from the top) are: PIANY past President Kevin Ryan, CIC, CPIA; Assemblyman Cahill; District Office Liaison Kristin Murphy; legislative representatives Allison Lee and Andrew Marocco (bottom front). PIANY Director of Government & Industry Affairs Matthew F. Guilbault, Esq., also attended the meeting.   

More members meet legislators through PIANY District Office Visit Program

PIANY member and New York Young Insurance Professionals representative Gino Orrino met with Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, D-26, and Sen. Tony Avella, D-11, to discuss agents’ role in the new health insurance exchange, fraud, standardized windstorm deductible triggers and other insurance issues. Orrino and Avella are pictured at right. If you would like to participate in PIANY’s District Office Visit Program, email govaffairs@pia.org or call the Government & Industry Affairs Department at (800) 424-4244, ext. 319, to get more information or join the effort.  

PIANY legislative hot lists

Want to see the status of an important bill? Think PIA first. Select PIANY Priority Bills for bill status. Select Recent Actions for any movement in the past week affecting any bill PIANY is tracking. More information, including summaries and bill texts, can be viewed by clicking on the bill number in the chart.  

Superstorm Sandy round-up

Sandy lawsuit trends. PIA Management Services President and CEO Mark J. LaLonde, CPIA, CIC, AAI, was interviewed in a BestWeek article (a subscription-only website), which discussed the likelihood of errors-and-omissions claims spurred by Sandy being successful in court or not. For a report on the article, click here. FEMA addresses mold claim expectations. In Bulletin W-13009, FEMA reminds insurers and adjusters that the handling of mold and mildew claims in the National Flood Insurance Program is still governed by Bulletin W-04020, dated May 7, 2004, which states: "Water, Moisture, Mildew or Mold Damage—When this damage occurs in connection with a covered direct physical loss by or from flood, it will be covered unless there is clear evidence of the policyholder’s failure to inspect and maintain the insured property, where it was feasible to do so. If such damage is the result of wicking, it is covered."  

Utility critics seek advocate for customers in New York

In the wake of Sandy, New Yorkers have harshly criticized their utilities, saying they are poorly prepared for big storms and respond too slowly to repair the damage. Some consumer advocates are calling for the governor to create a public advocate’s office to represent customers of utilities like Con Edison that are owned by shareholders. New York is one of only 10 states—and by far the biggest of them—that lack public advocates for utility customers. In many states, the advocates’ offices are financed by surcharges on utility bills.  More…

Third annual CE Marathon, April 10-11, at PIA Headquarters, Glenmont

PIANY's third annual CE Marathon delivers four CE-approved sessions and networking luncheons. The four seminars cover both personal-lines and commercial-lines content—earn up to 15 NYCE credits. On Wednesday, April 10, Sheldon Hansen, CIC, CRM, CPIA, will teach Property Exposure Lessons Learned from Natural Disasters and Cyber Liability: What Do You Mean I'm Not Covered? On Thursday, April 11, Mishell Magnusson, CIC, CISR, AAI, FIPC, CPIA, will teach Exploring Workers’ Compensation & Health Insurance and Commercial Lines Exposure Pitfalls. Register for all four CE sessions and save. For more information, or to register, click here, or call PIA for more information at (800) 424-4244.  

NY-YIP presenting Night at the Theater tonight

It’s not too late to register for tonight’s NY-YIP’s a Night at the Theater at John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, N.Y. Tickets include a reception with lite fare, cash bar and the show "Wait Until Dark." A reception will start at 6 p.m., with the show beginning at 8 p.m. For tickets, please call the theater directly at (631) 261-2900 and tell them you are with the NY-YIP party. Registration at the box office also is available.  

Risk retention placement reports due March 15

New York State Insurance Law Section 5904 requires producers placing New York business with risk-retention groups not chartered in New York to report this business annually. Reporting materials (QuickSource document No. QS31073) are available by logging on to the PIANY website and typing QS31073 in the Google-facilitated search box, or by faxing a request to PIANY’s Industry Resource Center at (888) 225-6935.  

This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. If you prefer not to receive ANY e-mail communication from PIA click here.