NYT: Insurers Get an Earful From Senator Lott

[DeepModem Mom]

Insurers Get an Earful From Senator
By JOSEPH B. TREASTER
Published: October 12, 2006

....Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi...a Republican and former majority leader, is one of thousands of homeowners on the Gulf Coast who have been fighting with their insurers over payments for damage in Hurricane Katrina. In an interview yesterday, he said he was angry about the insurers’ “insensitivity and outright meanness” in rejecting many homeowners’ claims.

He said he inserted a provision into legislation, signed by President Bush last week, directing the Department of Homeland Security to investigate potential fraud by the insurance industry. Mr. Lott said he was also drafting legislation to challenge the industry’s exemptions from antitrust laws and had asked his staff to investigate the industry’s tax rates.

“I am outraged,” he said. “I’m concerned there are lots of abuses in the aftermath of the hurricane.”

Mr. Lott’s claim for the loss of his $400,000 house in Pascagoula was rejected by State Farm....

***

Mr. Lott said he was also planning to introduce legislation requiring the insurers to include in their policies a prominent listing in plain English of what they refuse to cover. He said home insurance policies contained “a bunch of subterfuges” difficult for laymen or lawyers to comprehend. “Don’t tell me they don’t do it on purpose,” Mr. Lott said....

***

Mr. Lott and several thousand other Mississippi homeowners are suing State Farm and other insurers, arguing that the winds of Katrina pushed floodwaters across the beaches and that the policies they bought that promise coverage against wind damage should be honored....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/business/12insure.html?hp&ex=1160712000&en=9fbe0c8adc33246f&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[MiniMe]

1. Its all OK until it affects them personally

Typical

[bluestateguy]

2. You see, small government sounds great

until you see how much unchecked power corporations have over ordinary people.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Asshole. He wants Homeland Security to investigate? Piece of shit.

Fuck you, Lott. Homeland Security, evil an abomination as it is, is for HOMELAND SECURITY (in theory, though obviously it's more about spying on Americans like the SS), not investigating insurance companies, you goddamn dumbass piece of racist bigoted shit.

Also, you are a hypocrite fuckbag - if you hadn't lost money, you wouldn't give a tinker's goddamn about any of it.

[lynne]

4. Sorry, Trent, but what's good for the Goose is also good for -

- the Gander. Wind driven water and rain - including storm surge caused by wind - has been specifically excluded from homeowners policies for at least 30 years. Time to read that policy, Mr. Lott.

[sce56]

5. Now if we could just get all those lawmakers to have their children

DRAFTED maybe they might investigate why Bush started this unjust immorral war and get us out of it!

http://web.archive.org/web/20030602211200/
Got Fascism Yet?

[sutz12]

6. "I;m shocked! Shocked that there is gambling going on in this bar!"

"Excuse me, sir. Your winnings."

I would have thought that State Farm would have been smarter than that and covered Lott's house.

[aaronbees]

7. What a big baby....

Boo hoo, Lott, and thanks for helping to prop up the administration that put this unchecked corporate power into place. Way too little (and ineffective) and way too late. This sanctimonous ass should have put himselves in the shoes of shafted homeowners like this a long damn time ago.

[snot]

8. Can't believe State Farm was that stupid. nt

[patrick t. cakes]

9. welcome to the real world trent

that hitler pic is creepy:scared:

[DeSwiss]

10. I'm glad to hear DHS is on the case......

[area51]

11. Pssst, Trent ...

... guess what -- insurance cos. are the problem! That's why we need to get them out of the business of healthcare and have universal healthcare!

[w4rma]

12. This isn't Homeland Security's job. But it is some department's job. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. How does it feel to get porked, you crybaby? Having a bad hair day?

Welcome to the real world, Mr. Out-of-touch.

[primavera]

14. Must be nice...

... to be able to insert language into bills to address one's personal difficulties. Of course, how much does Lott care about everyone else who gets shafted by the insurance industry but are not able to write their own laws to protect themselves?