All Churches Together - is a faith based, Christ-centered, organization
which operates on principles of truth, respect and fairness to all races
and classes.
THE GOALS OF HHII
1. Significant reduction in premiums
2. Reliability of Insurance Companies
3. Just payment of claims
4. Sustainable solutions
Meet the AHIC Commissioners
Minutes of 12/12/11 Educational Meeting
Citizens' letters to AHIC
Read minutes of previous AHIC meetings HERE
Follow Commission on
The education session planned for Monday, January 30, in Montgomery is officially postponed. A reschedule date will be provided very soon.
The one speaker scheduled to present in-person at the session has an unexpected conflict that prevents him from being in Montgomery that day. In addition, several AHIC members, including legislators critical to the AHIC efforts, have reported they will also be unable to attend on Monday. Chairman Russell believes asking the other AHIC members to drive several hours for one videoconference presentation and discussion without a significant number of participants is unfair.
Chairman Russell is currently attempting to reschedule for the first or second week of the legislative session, which begins February 7. He is extending invitations to legislators in leadership positions to join that session. Both speakers originally scheduled for the January 30 session will be included in the rescheduled session.
Signed: Renee Carter
Updated1/27/2012
Silver bullet insurance plan
JD Crowe 1/19/12
TELL REP. FAUST WHAT YOU THINK
Read the articles posted below and published in the
1/18/2011 MPR, and consider calling Rep. Joe Faust's office
(990-4615) with your reaction. Ask him why he is not supporting the Clarity Bill? Let him know that you are disappointed and that he has said to our faces that he supports the bill, but he is not doing it publicly.
If you just want to leave a message, try calling after 5pm.
$15,000 DEDUCTIBLE!!! Another loan and a mortgage!!!! Would this work for you?
THE BALDWIN County Commission is boldly leading the way on homeowners insurance reform, and the rest of Alabama should take notice.
Commissioners this week voted unanimously to adopt updated international building codes, which can strengthen homes, increase competition among insurers and eventually help lower premiums for consumers.
In addition, Baldwin municipalities signed on to the higher standards, signaling that they, along with the commissioners, understand the significance of the insurance crisis and are willing to enact real reforms that can right the market.
The governor's Affordable Homeowners Insurance Commission can be credited with raising the level of conversation concerning homeowners insurance. It has held a number of listening forums statewide, which has spotlighted the need for reform.
The new code in Baldwin requires, for instance, that roofs be sealed at the time of construction or replacement. Homeowners will have to pay a small inspection fee, but in return they will get proof that their home has been upgraded. This can result in insurer discounts and lower premiums.
Indeed, implementing higher building standards can go a long way toward lowering the risk of property damage. This is a far better, and less expensive, approach than empowering governments to bail out communities after a hurricane or some other catastrophe hits.
Building stronger not only prevents damage, but by lowering the risk, it can attract more insurance companies to do business in the area. The ensuing competition, along with homeowner discounts, can result in much-needed savings. The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, a trade organization, has even called for steps to improve competition and reduce rates.
Coastal Alabamians could certainly use a break on the premiums they pay. This past August, homeowners from the two-county area voiced anger and frustration at a forum held at the Mobile Convention Center. Many of them said they were at a breaking point financially because of policy cancellations, rising premiums and the inability to cover deductibles. Addressing such concerns can go along way toward making communities across the Gulf Coast more resilient.
There have been other proposed reforms, too. One suggestion is to create a countywide insurance authority to help homeowners meet their wind deductibles. Also, the local legislative delegation is expected to roll out a list of reforms by the start of the regular session in February.
Baldwin County's action this week is just a single piece of the reform puzzle, as one commissioner pointed out, but it's a big one that deserves a round of applause.
Baldwin County homeowners could finally get some relief from high hurricane deductibles under a proposal from legislators and local members of the Affordable Homeowners Insurance Commission.
The group proposes to create a countywide insurance authority that would help cover wind deductibles for homeowners. The plan could also lead to lower premiums on homeowners’ policies.
“It’s going to be up to us to find a solution to the insurance problems we have here,” state Rep. Joe Faust, R-Fairhope, said Tuesday during an Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce legislative briefing.
Probate Judge Tim Russell, who chairs the homeowners commission, said later Tuesday that the county authority is not a formal proposal of the commission but an initiative involving legislators and local members of the panel, who include Faust. According to Russell, this is how it would work:
• The authority would be created by the Legislature through a local bill. It would, supporters hope, get initial funding from the distribution of BP fines for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Baldwin County Commission has requested some $575 million for several projects.
• The authority would have the power to issue so-called “cat bonds,” which are bonds issued to cover catastrophic events such as hurricanes. Russell said cat bonds are sold worldwide, so there is not one buyer or one group holding all of them.
• Homeowner insurance deductibles generally are 5 percent of the value of a home. On a $100,000 home, 5 percent would be $5,000. But the minimum deductible would be $15,000 for assistance from the authority, Russell said.
• Homeowners could buy a separate policy through the insurance authority to cover the deductible. Or, they could apply for a loan after a wind disaster to cover their losses up to the amount of the deductible. And people with low incomes could be eligible for grants to cover the deductible.
• Because a major hurricane brings on a large number of relatively smaller claims in addition to large-scale damage, insurance companies should be able to reduce premiums because of the larger deductibles. “It takes a lot of their catastrophic exposure away,” Russell said.
• The authority would not be able to take on all of the homeowners in Baldwin County immediately, but would use actuarial studies to ensure that it could cover any claims. The authority would also serve as a model for other Alabama counties to adopt.
Faust said homeowners’ premiums could be lowered by as much as 35 percent.
Implementation depends on Congress awarding enough BP fine money so the County Commission can fulfill its “wish list” of projects. It also depends on local support, Faust said.
Russell said that it’s possible to get the necessary bill passed in the upcoming session. “I think it’s going to gain a lot of support,” he said.
Both Faust and Russell said Tuesday that the special session discussed by Gov. Robert Bentley for insurance matters is unlikely to take place anytime soon. Faust said he doesn’t think there will be a special session. Russell said that while a special session has not been ruled out, he thinks the legislation necessary for the authority could be handled in the regular session.
Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said the proposal made sense to him because the coastal insurance crisis holds back economic development and full recovery from the oil spill.
“There’s no better use of that BP fine money than to solve the wind insurance problem,” Kennon said.
Faust said the affordable insurance commission has found that those parts of northern Alabama not affected by the April tornadoes continue to be indifferent to the crisis on the coast and its impact on the statewide economy through the loss of revenue from the tourism industry. The insurance authority approach lets counties take care of themselves.
“If there is a silver bullet, this is it,” Faust said.
Posted 1/19/2012
HHII NEEDS YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
HHII, the three-year-old, coastal Homeowners Hurricane Insurance Initiative, serves on Governor Robert Bentley’s Affordable Homeowners Insurance Commission. Governor Bentley asked the Commission to solve the wind-and-hail insurance crisis. He vowed to call a special session of the Legislature if the Commission crafts workable legislation.
Even though Commission meetings are upstate and some require overnight stays, the state will not pay member costs. It won’t pay the costs of bringing in outside experts, either, nor for attendance of the HHII advisory team. As part of its strategy for leveraging real solutions, HHII is committed to bringing into public light as much about Commission activities as possible.
HHII is the only Alabama grassroots organization exclusively focused on getting this crisis fixed. It’s committed to representing the interests of families only. HHII member and advisory board attendance at Commission meetings, the need for outside expert testimony, and aggressive publication of Commission activities -- these costs will run several thousand dollars.
Revised 8/21/2011
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR POLICY COVERS?
Homeowner
insurance policies can contain really important qualifying adjectives that
could easily be used to justify expansive claims denials.
For example, some carriers insure against what they call "risk
of accidental direct physical loss" and others against
"sudden and accidental direct physical loss."
Work with
an experienced and reputable insurance agent to cut through all the confusing language,
to be sure you have the coverage you want.
HHII has heard reports of homeowners who have dropped
all
insurance coverage because of unaffordable premiums. HHII urges
homeowners to maintain mult-peril (fire & theft) coverage even if they
can no longer afford wind coverage.
All HHII meetings are open to everyone interested in HHII's goals.
You do not have to be invited or a member of a committee to participate.
All good hearts and minds are welcome
(Last update 1/27/2012)
Call Michelle 251-928-3430 for more information about
any of these meetingsbr
Click on location link for map
Get to Know HHII Chats
This is the time when people who are new to HHII can ask all their
questions, tell us all their ideas and catch up on what has been
happening. Everyone is welcome!
ACT-II was developed by Baldwin County pastors in conjunction
with Ecumenical Ministries, Inc. Together we work on a wide variety of
problems in both poor and affluent communities around the county. Our
mission is to develop leaders and empower people to take democratic
action to improve the quality of life in our communities using our
dialogue to action church-based model and principles.
This site is maintained for HHII by Colin Keleher, who is solely
responsible for its content. In general, posts with upper case headings
originate with HHII; posts with lower case headings are aggregated from
the cited sources. Please report errors and make suggestions to colinkeleher@ieee.org
Homeowner
insurance policies can contain really important qualifying adjectives that
could easily be used to justify expansive claims denials.
