NEWS: Sanders, Welch, Balint Call On Federally-Backed and Private Insurers to Act Quickly and Fairly During Vermont Flood Recovery
BURLINGTON, Vt., July 24 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) today sent letters to 95 insurance companies holding federally-backed and private insurance policies across Vermont – including the top flood, homeowner, and auto insurance companies – calling on them to act quickly and fairly when assessing what damage from the recent floods can be covered under their individual policies. While most individuals and small businesses in Vermont have no flood insurance, the vast majority of those who do are covered through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NFIP is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with policies operated by private insurance companies.
In the letters, the congressional delegation called on these companies to take specific and critical steps to help insured Vermonters get back on their feet, including temporarily suspending premium payments, promptly processing all claims, providing advanced payments when possible, and properly investigating all claims to determine if coverage exists. They also asked them to respond to the delegation no later than July 31, 2023, to confirm whether their respective companies are taking these steps and to detail any additional actions they have planned to help impacted Vermonters recover from this crisis.
“It is imperative that impacted Vermonters know how to best avoid incorrect insurance claim denials,” Sanders, Welch, and Balint wrote in the letters. “To achieve this, we are counting on your company to take the steps outlined below to ensure that Vermonters receive all the help to which they are entitled to rebuild their lives following this catastrophic flooding. This is the time for showing compassion and flexibility for working families and small business owners so that disaster survivors in Vermont can get back on their feet as quickly as possible. As an insurance provider, you play an important role in this recovery process, and your actions today will decide the state’s trajectory for years to come.”
Sanders, Welch, and Balint concluded the letters by making clear to the insurance companies that each of their offices are in continuous and direct contact with impacted Vermonters, and that the delegation will be notifying the Department of Financial Regulation of any problems that arise, as well as following up directly with the insurers to address them.
Sanders, Welch, and Balint wrote: “We are closely tracking incoming correspondence from Vermonters regarding their insurance claims and payments by company, insurance type, and monitoring specific issues that constituents are experiencing. Should we notice any problematic patterns, we will be notifying the Department of Financial Regulation, as well as contacting your company directly to talk through possible solutions. Thank you in advance for doing the right thing by those Vermont families and businesses you insure as they, and our state, recovers from catastrophic flooding.”
Read the full letter, here.
