A long strange week – plus a “shout out” to Ben Winters!

Joe Hudgins and I have been working most on HB 1607 where USAA wants to be able to cancel policies by e-mail (or “electronic means”… you say tomato….).  The bill was placed on the House Commerce and Labor Committee agenda three times and passed by for the day twice this week.  I want to thank our members who have contacted their legislators who sit on the House Commerce and Labor Committee.  Our sense is that we have made our point and legislators will accept our amendment where agents will not have to review each and every e-mail received to see if it’s a new e-mail address for the customer.  In fact, I sense that some legislators are not excited about the cancellation of insurance through e-mail is a good idea in the first place.

I suspect that HB 1607 will again be on the committee agenda for this coming Tuesday afternoon.  If you can re-contact your legislators if they are on the Commerce and Labor Committee, it probably would not be a bad idea.  Again, ask them to support the “Big I” amendment to HB 1607.

PIA objected to a Bureau bill that would prohibit felons from having ownership interest in insurance agencies – HB 1838.  They felt that the bill would have unintended consequences and their argument prevailed over the Bureau’s objections and the bill was tabled.  We hope to work with the Bureau on replacement language that would pass committee objections.

Also on the agenda this coming week are hearings on IIAV and VAHU’s legislation related to regulation of navigators.  Whether we have a state or federal health care exchange, the Affordable Care Act calls for “navigators” who will help facilitate enrollment in the exchange.  The Bureau doesn’t believe that they could meet the deadlines required by our legislation by October 2013.  We’ll be working with VAHU, some consumer groups and the Bureau on this legislation that is on the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee agenda for Monday.  I think we’ll need this bill to go by for the week.

Finally, young agent Ben Winters with Winters Oliver Agency in Mechanicsville, Virginia joined us last Thursday to testify on three bills.  Two related to nursing homes and the third related Home Care Organizations – HB 1445 – which clarifies liability insurance coverage for home care organizations.  After waiting for over an hour the committee “passed by for the day” the two bills related to nursing homes. Then it was a wait until 5:00 (with the threat of snow in the air) for the health subcommittee to take up HB 1445.  An earlier visit by Joe Hudgins and Ben with the bill’s sponsor Delegate Chris Head proved to be productive when the proposed language was shown to be technically flawed. 

Our thanks to Ben for helping the legislature actually redraft legislation so our industry can respond to Code requirements.  We will of course follow up with the regulators following the session to help clarify the resultant regulations.

Accompanying this report is our updated legislative table.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.  AND – don’t forget to sign up for the Insurance Day on the Hill.  We need YOU to come visit with your legislators.

Until next week:

Robert N. Bradshaw
IIAV President & CEO
804-929-4134