Ala. Insurers Must Re-Offer Coverage to Non-Renews

Licensed property and casualty insurers that non-renewed policies on the condition of having other policies with the company must re-offer coverage to the consumers affected, according to a bulletin issued by Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell. Also, insurers are directed to stop offering coverage on a single line such as property on the condition that they consumer also purchase another policy, such as a life or automobile policy. The practice was reportedly used by some insurers in 2007 to drop property insurance policies in Mobile and Baldwin counties in order to reduce hurricane exposure. This was accomplished by choosing a fixed date in the past as to determine whether a customer was a single-line customer or a multi-line customer. At least one company used this measure to decide which policyholders would be non-renewed. Under this method, single-line customers were non-renewed. Insurers have been directed to cease the practices immediately and inform the Alabama Department of Insurance within 10 days whether it has been engaged in such practices.