Maine News

Travelers Insurance Urges Regional Zones, Federal Role for Wind Coverage

One of the nation’s largest insurers has unveiled a plan to shift the authority for regulating rates for hurricane wind coverage from state regulators to an independent federal commission. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and four state insurance commissioners heard Travelers …

Missouri Joins Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has signed HB 577 to have Missouri become the 36th member of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact (IIPRC). With the addition of Missouri, the current compacting states in the Commission represent close to 60 percent …

Maine’s High Court Rejects Church Officials’ Charitable Immunity Defense

Maine’s highest court has ruled against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland in a sex-abuse case, concluding that a charitable immunity defense cannot be raised if church officials acted intentionally. In a 5-2 decision, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court set …

New Markets

The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com. Fire & Water Restoration Contractors Market Detail: USAssure Insurance Services Inc. offers a fire and …

Florida’s New Insurers Won’t Pick Up State Farm Slack, McCarty Says

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said the 54 property insurers backed by nearly $5 billion in capital that have been admitted to the state since 2006 can’t be expected to absorb all of the policies left behind when State Farm …

Maine Panel to Oversee Response to Juvenile Fire-Setters

A committee formed to oversee the state of Maine’s response to juveniles who set fires will be meeting for the first time Monday. State Fire Marshal John Dean said that since 2000, there have been 2,163 fires in Maine that …

MSO Now Offering Personal Lines Programs in Ohio

New Jersey-based MSO Inc. (The Mutual Service Office Inc.) is now offering its personal lines programs in Ohio. Personal lines programs include homeowners, mobile homeowners, combination dwelling, inland marine and umbrella liability. The company said the offerings complement the MSO …

States Seek to Join Federal Probe Into AIG Bonuses, Alleged ‘Half Truths’

U.S. states probing employee bonuses paid by American International Group Inc. using taxpayer money plan to join federal investigators in the matter, while leaving open the possibility of pursuing the case themselves. Since March, a 19-state coalition has been investigating …

Democrats Eye Health Co-Ops as Health Insurance Option Compromise

With Republicans fighting the idea of a government-run health insurance plan, Obama administration officials said that they are open to a compromise: a cooperative program that would expand coverage with taxpayer money but without direct governmental control. Congress began work …

People

Harleysville Insurance of Pennsylvania has named Jonathan Young senior vice president and chief claims officer. Young will oversee all claims activities for the Harleysville organization, which includes oversight of the company’s home office central claims unit and its four regional …