Major Job Cuts Reported at Miami Insurtech HealthCare.com

 

As the economy shows signs of slowing, many tech companies are making difficult decisions to cut costs. While layoffs are never good news, they sometimes become necessary for businesses to adapt in uncertain times. Recently, another Florida tech company was forced to make major job cuts to do just that.

HealthCare.com, the online insurance marketplace based in Miami, announced that it would be letting go of 149 employees. While large in scale, the job cuts were likely a difficult decision for the insurtech's leadership to make. However, with concerns growing about a potential recession, cutting costs had probably become one of the top priorities.

The layoffs were reported in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) that HealthCare.com filed with Florida officials. According to the filing, the affected employees worked in various roles and were largely remote workers located across multiple states. Unfortunately, the job cuts were also described as being permanent in nature.

It's worth noting that HealthCare.com had raised a $180 million series C funding round just last December. At that time, the insurtech planned to use the new financing to hire additional employees and further expand its operations. However, the economic outlook changed rapidly over the following months. Rising inflation and interest rate hikes started to impact consumer spending and business confidence.

While HealthCare.com hasn't disclosed the specific reasons behind its decision for job cuts, it's easy to connect the dots. With the economy appearing increasingly unstable and a potential recession looming on the horizon, prudent fiscal management had likely become a top priority. Making permanent reductions to payroll is often one of the first steps companies take to cut costs in tough times. Doing so also helps reduce expenses as revenue projections become less certain.

In addition, HealthCare.com likely saw softening demand and needed to right-size various business functions that had grown rapidly after its large funding round less than a year ago. The insurtech probably had to recalibrate staffing levels across different departments like sales, marketing, customer support and others based on changing market dynamics. While painful in the short-term, the layoffs should help optimize operations and prepare the company for weathering an economic downturn, if one does materialize.

Interestingly, layoffs in the tech sector have become fairly common of late. In just the past month, several high-profile tech companies like Twitter, Amazon, Stripe and others announced major job cuts as concerns about a potential recession increased. These companies are usually well capitalized and successful. Therefore, their layoff decisions often serve as leading indicators of harder times ahead for the broader economy.

Closer to home, Miami insurtech Appgate also made the difficult choice to cut around 22% of its staff just last week. Together, the recent layoff moves by HealthCare.com and Appgate suggest that even fast growing local tech firms are battening down the hatches and minimizing risk as macro headwinds strengthen. Many other companies across industries are likely following suit behind the scenes.

While never an ideal scenario, job cuts are sometimes a necessary part of business in uncertain economic periods. The layoffs announced by HealthCare.com, Appgate and others seem aimed at rightsizing operations and ensuring financial flexibility in case a downturn materializes. With solid management and vision, many affected employees will hopefully find new opportunities soon as well. But these signs of belt-tightening from the tech sector serve as yet another reminder that choppy times may lie ahead. Only time will tell how deep and long-lasting any economic troubles end up being.

In conclusion, the 149 job cuts reported at Miami's HealthCare.com were a difficult decision brought on by growing uncertainties. However, prudent cost-cutting should help the insurtech weather potential economic storms. With experienced leadership and strong products, HealthCare.com seems well positioned to emerge from this challenge and continue innovating in the future. For now, online healthcare will remain a critical need regardless of economic conditions. The road ahead may be bumpy, but with resilience and focus on their mission, HealthCare.com and other local tech companies stand a good chance of maneuvering through turbulence successfully.

 

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Farmers Bails on Florida: 100,000 Homeowners Left High and Dry

 

In yet another blow to Florida homeowners, Farmers Insurance announced this week that it will drop policies for around 100,000 customers across the state. The decision is the latest evidence that state reforms have failed to stabilize the troubled property insurance market.

Farmers said it will not renew home, auto, and umbrella policies covering roughly 26.6% of its Florida customers. The company cited the need to "effectively manage risk exposure" in a statement.

The announcement comes just weeks after another major insurer, Florida Peninsula Insurance Company, announced that it would be exiting the state altogether. This is the latest in a series of departures from the Florida market by insurers, who have been struggling to keep up with rising claims costs.

The state's property insurance market has been under strain for years, due to a number of factors, including the increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes. In recent years, insurers have also been hit with a wave of lawsuits from homeowners who allege that their policies did not adequately cover damage caused by storms.

In an effort to stabilize the market, the Florida Legislature passed a number of reforms in 2021. However, these reforms have not yet had a significant impact, and many insurers are still struggling to make a profit.

The decision by Farmers Insurance to drop policies for 100,000 customers is a major setback for the state's property insurance market. It is likely to lead to even higher rates for homeowners, and it could make it even more difficult for people to find affordable coverage.

 

 

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Here are some additional details about the decision by Farmers Insurance:

The affected policies were all issued through Farmers' exclusive agency distribution channel.
The non-renewals will take effect over several months, beginning in August 2023.

Customers who are affected will be notified by mail and will be given the opportunity to purchase coverage from another insurer.
Farmers Insurance is the third major insurer to announce that it will be exiting the Florida market in recent months.
The decision by Farmers Insurance is a sign that the state's property insurance market is still in a state of crisis. It is unclear what the long-term impact of this decision will be, but it is likely to make it even more difficult for homeowners to find affordable coverage.

But what Farmers didn't specify was that sky-high claims costs, excessive lawsuit payouts and high administrative fees are the real drivers forcing insurers out of Florida. Financially struggling companies often have excessive overhead that eats into profits, leaving them vulnerable during storm seasons.

The move comes despite changes passed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature meant to shore up the market. But insurance rates continue to climb sharply - up 5% to 9.5% in the first quarter alone, far outpacing the national average of $1,700. Many Floridians now pay over $5,000 annually.

Critics argue the reforms focused on the wrong issues, prioritizing culture war bills over solutions Democrats proposed like a state-run insurer and reinsurance fund.

Farmers' exit leaves 100,000 customers searching for new coverage in a depleted market with few options and astronomical prices. Many vulnerable homeowners will likely struggle to find an affordable policy - if they can find one at all.

For years, Florida homeowners have faced ballooning rates even as insurers raked in massive profits. As more insurers abandon the state, the onus is on DeSantis and lawmakers to finally take meaningful action that addresses the root problems driving the crisis. If not, millions more Floridians risk losing any ability to insure their homes and property.

Floridians deserve solutions that stabilize the market and make insurance policies affordable and accessible again. It's time for Florida's leaders to step up before more insurers bail - and leave even more homeowners high and dry.

Anthony Fauci The Vac Peddler tests positive for COVID-19

 

-Dr. Anthony Fauci tested positive for COVID-19.

Dr. Anthony Fauci after telling people to mask up, wash your hands and get vaccinated
has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Anthony is the US top infectious disease expert and he heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. According to the agency he has been vaccinated and boosted twice and as of now he has mild symptoms. He will isolate and continue to work from home, according to the the statement.

Fauci who is now 81 was appointed director of NIAID in 1984. He is currently the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. Under President Trump he served on the White House task force for COVID-19 and he continues to advise the federal government on its response to the pandemic.

Source

Allstate life insurance unit Sold to Blackstone Group for $2.8 billion

Blackstone Group acquired Allstate life insurance unit for $2.8 billion. Allstate Life Insurance Co. holds about 80%, or $23 billion, of Allstate’s life and annuity reserves. The companies expect to close the deal in the second half of the year.

Allstate Life Insurance posted a net income of $467 million in 2019 but incurred a net loss of $23 million for the first nine months of 2020. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and could close in the second half of 2021.

Past deals that involves financial companies, the company wants to
In many deals involving financial buyers, the newcomers aim to profit from investment-management fees and by savvy investments of the premiums paid by customers. Many deals have involved a basic savings product known as a fixed annuity, similar to a bank certificate of deposit.

 

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Happy New Year! 2021

 

Wishing you a very joyful New Year despite these difficult times. We really wish things were different and that we could visit our friends and loved ones! We hope that the new year brings your family much happiness and prosperity, and that in time the world will be a safe place again. Happy New Year! I hope all your endeavors in 2021 are successful.

Merry Christmas! 2020

 

I hope your holiday season is full of peace, joy, and happiness. Merry Christmas! May God's love be with you.

Happy Halloween 2020 to Everyone!!!

Happy Howl-o-ween! No matter were you are on October 31, I’m sure you will wolf down a lot of candy. Wishing you a spook-tacular Halloween, despite the craziness! 

Billionaires' Keeps On Amassing Wealth Even on a Covid19 Pandemic

According to a research done by Swiss bank UBS and PwC (Accounting firm) the world's billionaire has added $10.2 trillion between April and July this year that is more than the $8 trillion at the start of April despite the Covid19 Pandemic where millions of people worldwide lost their jobs or were struggling to get by on government help. This data shows that their wealth increase by 27.5% which is more than the previous peak of $8.9 trillion recorded at the end of 2017.

UBS’s global family office department Josef Stadler said that "Billionaires did extremely well during the Covid crisis, not only ride the storm to the downside, but also gained up on the upside [as stock markets rebounded]." He added that the super-rich were able to benefit from the crisis because they had “the stomach” (or obviously money) to buy more company shares when equity markets around the world were crashing. Global stock markets have since rebounded making up much of the losses. The shares in some technology companies which are often owned by billionaires have risen very sharply.     

The Billionaires are getting even richer despite the pandemic is a sign that capitalism isn’t working as it should. Stadler further said that the "fact that billionaire wealth had increased so much at a time when hundreds of millions of people around the world are struggling could lead to public and political anger."

As of now the richest person in the world according to Forbes is https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#50c461003d78  Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, with $186bn followed by Bernard Arnault & family which owns the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton at $117bn. Bill Gates of Microsoft comes in third with $115.8bn, Mark Zuckerberg in 4th with $96.8bn and Elon Musk, the maverick founder of electric car company Tesla at 5th place with $87.9bln.

source






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If Your Car is Financed You Need Full Insurance Coverage

State's requires you to meet the minimum liability insurance coverage to legally drive your car, however if you have a car loan you will need to have full insurance coverage:

Liability insurance – helps pay for the other person's expenses in accidents you cause.
Collision insurance – pays for damage to your car regardless of who caused the accident
Comprehensive insurance – pays for damage to your car from flooding, hail, fire, vandalism, falling objects or animal collisions, and also covers theft

If you are unable to have the required full coverage on a financed car it will violate your finance contract and the lender may force you to pay for single interest coverage which protects the bank from loss or damage to personal property that is the collateral for loans. It is expensive and does not provide any coverage for you.

Do you need to match the value of the vehicle for liability coverage for a financed car?

No, liability insurance has nothing to do with the value of your vehicle. It is for repair of another person’s property or for their medical bills if you are found responsible for causing the damage or injuries. The cost for liability insurance is based on a number of different factors that includes the cost of your coverage. The higher your coverage limit, the more you’ll likely pay for liability insurance.


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How To Get Health Insurance If You Are Jobless?

The number of employed people as a percentage of the U.S. adult population plunged to 52.8% in May as the coronavirus pandemic ravage the labor market that resulted to Americans losing their health insurance. It is important to look for health insurance coverage as quickly as possible and you don't want to remain uninsured under a pandemic.

Here’s how to get health coverage while unemployed:

1. Contact your employment's human resources department and ask when your health coverage technically ends.

2. If you have a diagnosed condition, for example cancer, lupus or diabetes, you may be able to get support deciding on and enrolling in a plan with the National Patient Advocate Foundation https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/case-management-services-and-medcarelines/

3. If you have been recently laid off and uninsured, you have three options: COBRA https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/cobra, the Affordable Care Act subsidized marketplace https://www.healthcare.gov/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgbGyk7276gIVBZSzCh1ZsgD4EAAYAiAAEgJb5PD_BwEor a public plan like Medicaid https://www.usa.gov/medicaid or Medicare https://www.medicare.gov/.

COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, allows people who work at companies with 20 or more employees to pay to continue their workplace insurance plan for certain periods of time. It comes with a high price about $600 monthly on average since you’re now paying the cost of the entire plan. You have 60 days from the loss of your job to sign up for COBRA. You need to make sure that you have the money set aside for this plan.

ACA marketplace can give you some affordable options. However, there are some plans on the marketplace that will be costly, especially if you’re newly unemployed.

If you don't have money you can still turn to Medicaid. Medicaid has zero premiums in most states, so if cost is a problem Medicaid should be the preferred option. Medicaid eligibility is based on monthly income so even a short-run decline in income should make someone eligible for Medicaid for those months.

If you were on your employer’s plan and are over the age of 65, now might be the time to sign up for Medicare.

4.If your spouse still has a job and the company offers family coverage, you can request to join their group health plan. However, you typically have to do this within 30 days. Depending on where you live, you can access either the federal marketplace or your state marketplace. Losing your job will qualify you for a special enrollment period for either option. The enrollment window here lasts 60 days. 




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Insurance Company in New York Wants Double Digit Rate Increase in 2021

According to a news report, insurance companies in New York wants an average rate hike of 11.7% next year (2021) their reason is the increasing cost of the coronavirus pandemic.

The state Department of Financial Services posted the proposed rate hike on its website that can be seen here.

The insurance companies are asking for an increase ranging from 19% for the Manhattan-based Oscar to 1.5% for Excellus, the Rochester-based insurer. Two insurers, IHBC and Healthnow New York, are proposing decreases in rates of 1.9% and 3.7% respectively. For small-group insurance, the companies proposed a similar 11.4% average rate increase. The New York Health Plan Association, which represents insurers, said that the proposed 2021 premium rate requests “reasonable and fair.” According to them the proposed rate hike are needed to address rises in health-care costs, but also to the needs due to COVID-19

“From the outset and throughout the continuing coronavirus crisis, New York’s health plans have made extraordinary efforts to meet the needs of consumers, businesses and our health care partners,” Eric Linzer, the group's president, said in a statement.

“This has included waiving copayments and cost sharing for COVID-19 testing, telehealth services and mental health services for essential workers," he said, "and providing cash advances and other support to hospitals, physician practices and others in the delivery system to address the financial uncertainty they’re facing."

 
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Insurers in New York submitted their proposed rate increases for 2021. Now the state Department of Financial Services will decide this summer whether to approve them or lower them:


Company Name    2021 Requested Rate Change
CDPHP*    4.3%
Emblem (HIP)*    9.5%
Excellus*    1.5%
Fidelis (New York Quality Healthcare Corp)*    18.8%
Healthfirst Insurance Company, Inc.    1.8%
Healthfirst PHSP, Inc.*    2.4%
Healthnow New York*    -1.9%
HealthPlus HP, LLC (Formerly Empire)*    16.6%
IHBC*    -3.7%
MetroPlus*    9.6%
MVP Health Plan*    6.7%
Oscar*    19.1%
UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc*    13.8%
Weighted Average    11.7%

IRS stimulus check! IRS deadline for People to give banking information

How do you get your stimulus check?

In order to receive your coronavirus stimulus check through your bank, if you are eligible you need to submit your banking information on the IRS website's "Get My Payment" page. You need to update it before 12 o'clock nooon Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said: “We’re working hard to get more payments quickly to taxpayers. We want people to visit Get My Payment before the noon Wednesday deadline so they can provide their direct deposit information. Time is running out for a chance to get these payments several weeks earlier through direct deposit.”

There are about 130 million recipients have already received payments amounting to $200 billion, according to IRS. They will start the process of sending paper checks, expected to arrive by mail to millions of people in late May and June.

You can also check the status of your payment on the "Get My Payment page", on the IRS website.

In order to track the status of your payment, you will need to enter the following information:

• Social Security Number
• Date of birth
• Mailing address

To add your bank account information that will speed up the receipt of your payment, you will need to provide the following additional information:

• Their Adjusted Gross Income from their most recent tax return submitted, either 2019 or 2018
• The refund or amount owed from their latest filed tax return
• Bank account type, account and routing numbers

 
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Scary News About Coronavirus: Some Recovered Patients Testing Positive Again

Experts are baffled why some coronavirus patients who have already recovered are testing positive again after weeks.

In Wuhan, China doctors reported that there are some patients that have fully recovered and already tested negative after recovering from the illness, suddenly are testing positive again without symptoms and some of them were testing positive again after 70 days of being cleared according to a report from Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-patients-ins/recovered-almost-chinas-early-patients-unable-to-shed-coronavirus-idUSKCN2240HI. This is not only happening in China since there are also reported incidents in South Korea, Japan and Italy.

In South Korea a Reuters report https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea-idUSKCN21V0JQ, said that at least 116 people have already recovered from novel coronavirus have tested positive for the virus again. Some health experts said that there is a possibility of testing errors and releasing patients from hospitals too early as more likely to be the cause of recovered patients testing positive again. In Italy, health officials said patients could test positive for more than a month. There are cases in Italy involving people with mild or no symptoms who continued to test positive long after the two-week standard according to this report. https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-do-italians-test-positive-after-symptoms-are-long-gone




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Viral Pandemic Coronavirus Insurance

All across the country non-essential business are shuttered because of Stay Home Stay Safe executive order to slow down the coronavirus crisis, and most small businesses are thinking of “Business Interruption Insurance” claim. This is insurance coverage that replaces business income lost in a disaster. However, according to a report from Washington Post majority of the businesses will be disappointed because of policy changes made after the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. Insurance companies learned that the SARS outbreak which affected countries in Asia led to millions of dollars in business-interruption insurance claims.

Because of this event, many insurers added exclusions to standard commercial policies for losses caused by viruses or bacteria. Now is the time to review your policy. With this added policy language insurance companies may avoid billions of dollars in business interruption claims because of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to insurance companies, they are tightly regulated by state authorities and that the policy exclusions is very important to preserve their company given the overwhelming number of claims that can come from a single disease outbreak.

One of the hardest hit are the restaurants and bars since government officials across the country are ordering them to close except for takeout and delivery. The Federal government is thinking ways on how to help struggling small business owners, and want to tap a $300 billion in small business loans to employers with 500 employees or fewer. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6812375-Treasury-Stage-3-Proposal.html

Actually struggling small businesses can take advantage of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)  low-interest disaster loans of up to $2 million for those who got impacted by COVID-19. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.

You can also take advantage of tax deferrals, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said that individuals and many small businesses will have until July 15 to pay the income tax they owe up to $1 million.






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Coronavirus Supplies You Need in case of Emergency

Coronavirus is inching closer to a global pandemic and US has already one known death due to the Coronavirus, a man in his 50s in a Seattle suburb. Another patient who were diagnosed with Covid-19 in Northern California hospital is the first US case of "community spread" of the virus. If this virus spread throughout the country and in your neighborhood, there will be fear of a Wuhan-style lockdown and it could lead to emptying retail store shelves in the coming months and depressing some consumer-facing businesses, according to experts. Government officials are advising families to take measured steps to stock up on certain essentials so you'll be prepared if your community is hit hard by the virus.

According to the Department of Homeland Security families should stock up on the following:

1. Prescription drug
2. Two-week supplies of water and food 
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3. Non-prescription drugs and health supplies like pain relievers, cough and cold medicines and fluids with electrolytes.

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4. It also wise to stock up on soap, alcohol, detergent, and baby supplies to last atleast a month.

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* If you are always in a crowded place or ride the public transportation use wipes or hand sanitizer spray for your hands.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend wearing masks, they said you need to focus on regular hand-washing. However, if you have symptoms you need to wear mask to help prevent them from transmitting the virus. Also front-line health care workers should wear n95 masks . The best mask for bacteria and virus protection is an N95 or N100, regular dust and pollen masks do not offer any protection from viruses.

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Does travel insurance cover Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is no longer concentrated in China, it is fast spreading all over the world. There are now hundred cases reported in Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Croatia, and South Korea. So if you still can cancel your holiday or business trip you should just stay at home instead just to be safe.

According to a study done by travel insurance comparison site InsureMyTrip there is a 60% increase in policies sold since the first travel-related case of coronavirus was detected in the U.S. in January 2020.

So can you cancel your trip and claim from your travel insurance? The answer is it depends on your coverage. If it's not typically covered by the standard policy you're out of luck. You would need a “cancel for any reason” rider, for you to be able to cancel up to 48 hours before departure. The “cancel for any reason” rider will also bump the price of the travel insurance policy by 50%, and you’ll get about 75% of your trip reimbursed.

However if your trip is to mainland China or affected towns in Italy and South Korea or to any  country with a confirmed outbreak you should get a full refund from your airline or travel company.
Airlines around the world including the major three US airlines: American, Delta, and United have suspended routes to China. JetBlue has waive fees for canceling or changing flights for all routes because of the coronavirus. They are the first US airline to waive cancelation and flight-change fees on all of its routes because of the rapidly spreading coronavirus.

Prevention is the best policy so just stay at home and avoid air travel specially with this kind of news, Korean Air flight attendant tested positive for COVID-19.

Credit for Health Insurance Costs extended Through 2020

The health coverage tax credit (HCTC) is an IRS tax credit for 72.5% of health care insurance premiums, which may apply to certain individuals who are 55–65 years of age and are receiving benefits from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation PBGC. It was scheduled to expire at the end of 2019 but since President Donald Trump signed the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2019 (the Act) into law it has been extended for all coverage months beginning in 2020. This means individuals who are eligible can receive a tax credit to offset the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums for 2020 if they have qualified health coverage for the HCTC.

Eligibility for the HCTC is restricted to the following groups of individuals:

• Individuals eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) allowances because of a qualifying job loss
• Individuals between 55 and 64 years old whose defined-benefit pension plans were taken over by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

For more info check this out

Millennials Don't Have Enough Life Insurance

You'll bore millennials to death if you talk to them about life insurance. They might listen to you for 2 minutes then take a snooze. Based on a research done by New York Life https://www.newyorklife.com/newsroom/2018/life-gap-survey-millenials-at-risk , millennials are most at financial risk when it comes to life insurance because they don't have enough insurance coverage. According to the study, millennials who have life insurance have an average of $100,000 in life insurance coverage that is only 22% of their self-reported coverage needs which is $452,000. They are $352,000 short. The Millennial coverage gap is 60% higher than the coverage gap for the general population. It also shows that only 10% of them have enough life insurance to cover 100% of their needs, which can include mortgages, funding retirements or financing a child's college education.   

The survey was composed of 1,738 adults between ages 25-70 from the U.S. in which 1,176 adults who have life insurance and another 562 adults who have no life insurance coverage.

Most life insurance policies fall into one of two basic groups: term life and whole life (permanent life).





Term Life - it gives you protection for the specific, limited amount of like like 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years; or to a maximum age, such as 80. It doesn't have cash value but it has lower premium compared to whole life. It often provide protection for specific times of need, such as mortgage or a child's college tuition.

Whole life- it gives protection for the entire life of the person normally to age 120. It has cash value that accumulates over the life of the policy. Cash value can be borrowed if needed for any reason, and can give you a guaranteed income after retirement.

Happy Halloween 2019

Hope you don’t have a scare in the world this Halloween!

Happy Halloween 

 

Flood Insurance Nightmare

A Houston family's flood insurance premium went from $475 to about $2,600 annually! Umesh and Kimberly Kant moved into the home on Sapphire Circle near FM 1488 in March 2016. Their home were flooded twice in less than two months. The first time was during the Tax Day Floods in April 2016 and again in May. They were spared from Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters.

Since the area where they live is a high-risk flood area they were required to get flood insurance by their mortgage lender. They were able to get a policy though their insurance agent as part of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

They filed claims and fixed up their home. They felt very blessed to avoid flooding again during Harvey until they found out how much is their insurance premium. Their premium went from $475 nearly $2,600 a year.

The National Flood Insurance Program subsidizes flood insurance into what’s called the Preferred Risk Program. However, when you file two claims totaling more than $1,000 each in a 10-year period, you’re no longer eligible for the program. The Kants are now required to buy a standard-rated policy which costs a lot more.

Jim Blackburn is an expert in environmental law and flooding along the Gulf Coast. He’s also a professor at Rice University. No matter the current charges, he strongly urges homeowners to get insurance even if it’s not required.

"It’s a bargain compared to pure actuarial rates,” Blackburn said. “The pure actuarial rates could easily rise to $20,000 a year. No one is paying anything close to that right now.”

For the Kants, their skyrocketing policy feels unfair and way too expensive.

“We owed that money back to the insurance company,” Umesh Kant said. “We will pay that money back but it has to be in a systematic way. We’ve become house poor now to figure out whether to pay the insurance back or we pay for him to go to school or college.”

FEMA is supposed to send a letter if your premium is going up. The Kants say they never got it.

In the end, the Kants managed to get their premium down to $1,600 by adjusting their coverage to exclude contents. They also found a different insurance agent and are hoping for better communication when prices go up and down.


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