claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] December - Vol. XXIV, No. 25

Things must be getting nasty in New York. Late last week, Governor Cuomo announced a change in insurance rules for handling hurricane Sandy claims. He’s reduced the time limit for insurers to contact claimants from 15 days to 6 days, authorized the issuance of temporary adjuster licenses to out-of-state public adjusters (I’m sure that will help), and created an Insurers’ Report Card so consumers can “evaluate” how these insurers are doing. He’s obviously trying to bully insurers into handling claims more quickly, presumably by paying every claim without inspection, so he can appear more responsive.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, complaints of gouging by public adjusters is taking center stage. NJ Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore, Jerry Green, has announced plans to cap the amount that a public adjuster can charge a homeowner for services. This comes after complaints by some homeowners that they have been charged as much as 50 percent of the insurance payment.

And the pot is just starting to boil…

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] November - Vol. XXIV, No. 24

I don’t know what’s scarier, watching two good old boys deep frying a turkey in the great outdoors… or hearing William Shatner singingabout his love of deep fried turkey.

Before trying it yourself this Thanksgiving (the cooking, not the singing), I’d suggest checking out these “Turkey Basics”.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] November - Vol. XXIV, No. 23

The governors of several Mid-Atlantic and New England states have unilaterally declared that their residents will not be charged a hurricane deductible from the “post-tropical storm” that essentially everyone else refers to as Hurricane Sandy. Apparently, they are relying on some sort of Jedi mind control… pay no attention to the insurance policy language… I wonder if that works in elections as well?

By the way, if you’re an adjuster who needs a service provider directory for Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia, just email adjusters@claimspages.com or call Adjuster Services at 800-290-1347.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] October - Vol. XXIV, No. 21

You may not have noticed it yet, but “The Institutes” have introduced two new courses, Workers Compensation Claim Practices (AIC 44) and Catastrophe Claim Fundamentals (CLM 201). While both are available in print or as an online self-study course, AIC 44 is required to earn the AIC designation through the Workers Compensation Track. You can check them out at AICPCU.org.

By the way, can anyone tell me how Felix Baumgartner can plunge 128,000 feet without receiving a scratch while my “smart” phone can’t fall two feet without cracking the screen?

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] October - Vol. XXIV, No. 20

It’s been quite a while since I mentioned this, but anyone can add events and career listings to our website. Just click the + Add link to access the form. After a cursory “meets our approval” review by our staff, the listings will appear on our website in the careers area, calendar section and home page. It’s also featured twice a month in the Claims Intelligence Report, which is delivered to more than 65,000 staff adjusters, independent adjusters and service providers.

And speaking of events… I’ll be at the 2012 Large Loss Conference from October 29-31 in Washington, DC. I hope to see you there!

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] September - Vol. XXIV, No. 19

If a weeble were to wobble into your local grocery store, you’d know that he could have only gotten there on his Lit Motors’ C-1, the world’s first gyroscopically stabilized, two-wheeled electric vehicle. According to the manufacturer, it won’t tip over, even in an accident. Next story… Weeble meets Oversize Load on highway.

On a completely unrelated note, someone at the Regional Adjusters Conference in Schaumburg introduced me to the NAIC/State Based Systems tool for looking up adjuster licenses. Not all states participate yet, but it’s growing.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] September - Vol. XXIV, No. 18

Over the weekend, we launched a new version of our online service provider directory. It automatically recognizes your location and selects the county for you. If you need to change it, just type in the first few characters of any city, county or zip code and select from the dropdown list that mysteriously appears.

Besides the location, we’ve also been tinkering with our county “results” page. We’ve included new graphics, larger fonts, and phone numbers in a sans-serif font for easier reading. We hope that you’ll find these changes beneficial as you are searching for service providers.

If you’re at the PLRB Regional Adjusters Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois tomorrow, I hope you’ll stop by our internet kiosks and let me know what you think of the new design.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] August - Vol. XXIV, No. 17

In the wake of Hurricane Isaac, this special report was created to provide you with information and resources to assist in the handling of storm-related losses in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] August - Vol. XXIV, No. 16

On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit Florida with such force that it forever changed the insurance marketplace and resulted in the creation of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Now on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, the Insurance Information Institute has released a white paper which details the impact that this catastrophic event has had on private insurers and government in Florida. If you’re like me, you’ll be pleased to know that they also included a lot of pictures (tables and pie charts).

Despite the disruptions that Hurricane Andrew may have caused, the jobs market for insurance adjusters in Florida appears to strong. Anybody interested in being a Catastrophe Claims Unit Manager in Florida?

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

claims-pages editors-note 2012

A TEXT POST

[2012] August - Vol. XXIV, No. 15

Two tropical storms are heading our way. Ernesto, already in the Gulf, is expected to hit Mexico with tropical storm force winds on Tuesday while Florence is expected to turn toward the U.S. East Coast later this week. Fortunately, neither are expected to have much impact. The hurricane season doesn’t really turn deadly until September based on a study of the deadliest Atlantic tropical storms.

In other totally-unrelated news, the robotic explorer Curiosity landed safely on Mars after traveling 352 million miles and enduring “seven minutes of terror” as it plunged through the Martian atmosphere. Meanwhile, Michelin, Toyota and Hyundai issued recalls for products that don’t work.

Michael W. Kay, CPCU, AIC

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