FLORIDA FILING ACTION
REQUIRED BY MARCH 15th

Insurers writing residential property coverage in Florida, on a personal or commercial lines basis, must submit mandatory rate reduction filings to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR) by next Thursday, March 15th.

Florida House Bill 1A, enacted in January, requires every residential property insurer to make rate filings reflecting presumptive cost savings and loss reductions from state-subsidized reinsurance. To do that, insurers must use "presumed" rating factors promulgated by the FLOIR in calculating new hurricane rates.

A subsequent order from the department set the filing deadline at March 15, and an emergency rule requires that current rates remain unchanged until the filings are made. The rule also prohibits cancellation and non-renewal of personal residential property policies until the filings are made.

AAIS issued a bulletin on March 2 detailing company action required to meet imminent and upcoming deadlines in Florida. That bulletin was issued to companies affiliated with AAIS for use of the following programs, each of which can be used to insure residential property: Agricultural Output, Businessowners, Commercial Properties, Dwelling Properties, Farm Properties, Farmowners, Homeowners, and Mobile-Homeowners.

For information on affiliating with AAIS for use of any of these programs, contact Rick Maka, director of marketing, at rickm@AAISonline.com.

FIRST STATE APPROVALS ANNOUNCED
FOR NEW AAIS HOMEOWNERS FORMS

AAIS has announced approvals in five states of its newly revised Homeowners forms and endorsements. The effective date for use of the forms in those states is July 1, 2007.

Among other things, this comprehensive revision implements refinements in policy provisions that address the evolution of certain exposures, such as:

• The growing frequency and severity of property damage arising from water that leaks, seeps, or escapes within residences;

• Potential liability arising from motorized vehicles and business activities;

• The growth in potential liability for personal injury related to widespread use of electronic communications; and

• Changes in family structure that affect insurance coverage.

More details are available in a press release issued when the countrywide filing of the forms revision was initiated.

For information on "The AAIS Homeowners Program for 2007," contact Rick Maka, director of marketing, at rickm@AAISonline.com, or by calling 800/564-AAIS.

SOUTH DAKOTA REQUIRES SERFF FILINGS,
COMMERCIAL CLAIMS REPORTS

The South Dakota Division of Insurance recently issued a bulletin stating that, as of May 1, 2007, it will no longer accept paper filings of any kind, and that insurers must submit filings using the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF). South Dakota is the third state to require SERFF-only filings, and other states are expected to follow suit in coming months.

As a licensed third-party SERFF filer, AAIS can submit custom filings using SERFF on behalf of any property/casualty insurer, whether it uses AAIS programs or forms and manuals from some other source. Send an e-mail to compliance@AAISonline.com for more information on this custom service.

Also in South Dakota, a new law requires P/C carriers to provide commercial insureds with a report of claims experience upon receipt of a written request. The reports are to include experience up to three years prior to the period for which a request is made, but insurers do not have to provide information for previous carriers that may have covered an account.

TEXAS AND DELAWARE CALL FOR
PARTICIPATION IN RATE SURVEYS

Insurers that are among the top 80% in Texas auto or homeowners market share have until Friday, March 16, 2007, to provide rate estimates using online worksheets developed by the Texas Department of Insurance.

Links to the worksheets and instructions are found in a Feb. 26 bulletin from Commissioner Mike Geeslin.

The Delaware Department of Insurance has issued a bulletin advising insurers where they can find instructions for completing a homeowners rate survey. All companies with more than a .01% share of the state's homeowners market must complete the survey by April 15, 2007. 

MARCH 19th is DEADLINE FOR
'MAIN EVENT' HOTEL ROOM BLOCK

Monday, March 19 is the deadline for the AAIS room block at the Mills House Hotel, the principal setting for the AAIS Main Event, April 22-24 in Charleston, S.C.

The special AAIS room rate expires on March 19, and availability of rooms cannot be guaranteed after that date. Anyone who has not reserved a room can do so using the room reservation form developed for this meeting.

If you have already reserved a room, you should have received a personal e-mail confirmation from the Mills House. If you did not receive a confirmation, you can request one by calling 800-874-9600 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time.

Registration for the event itself is still open. To register,

Those currently registered should have received an e-mail confirmation from AAIS. If you registered or attempted to register and did not receive an e-mail confirmation, call Joseph Harrington, director of corporate communications, at 800-564-AAIS, ext. 217.