Are you Prepared for Hurricane Season? Insurance Commissioner Goodwin and DOI Offer Tips and Warnings

This week is national Hurricane Preparedness Week, and next week marks the beginning of hurricane season, June 1-Nov. 30. That's why Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin is reminding North Carolinians to get a head start on disaster preparedness before a storm strikes.

"One of the most basic ways for people to get prepared is to review their insurance policies, inventory their home's contents and compile important documents in a safe place," explains Commissioner Goodwin. "Knowing what your coverage is now gives you the chance to make adjustments and have those adjustments take effect before a storm comes to North Carolina." A lot of homeowners and renters are not familiar with their policies and may think they have more coverage than they really do, Goodwin added.

Because hurricane season is just around the corner, that’s why Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin is reminding North Carolinians to get a head start on disaster preparedness before a storm strikes.

"We want people to have the insurance coverage they need to weather any storm that comes to North Carolina,” said Commissioner Goodwin. “I also encourage North Carolinians to be on the lookout for unscrupulous businesses that take advantage of folks when they need help and are most vulnerable. I’ve heard from criminal investigators on my staff that storm-related scams are on the rise in North Carolina.”

Department investigators have seen an increase in companies who are conning consumers into repair work for damage that isn’t really there. According to investigators here’s how it works:

After a storm, roofing companies learn from news reports which areas may have storm, hail or wind damage. They go to those neighborhoods and travel door-to-door telling homeowners their roof is damaged and needs repairing or in some cases to be replaced. According to investigators, often there is no roof damage and sometimes the damage is even intentionally caused. This can be prosecuted as insurance fraud. At a minimum, unsuspecting homeowners end up paying a deductible for a new roof they did not need.

An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840.

To avoid being the victim of a scam, Commissioner Goodwin and your Department of Insurance suggest that North Carolinians follow these tips:

If you suffer property loss in your home or vehicle, contact your insurance agent or insurance company as soon as possible to arrange a visit from an adjuster. The Department of Insurance will be in close contact with top insurance companies doing business in the state. We will have up-to-date consumer hotline numbers available for those who need to contact their companies.

Before doing any repairs to your house, photograph and make a list of the damage.

Protect your home from further damage by making temporary repairs only, until your insurance company can advise you further. Save any receipts for materials purchased for repairs.

Do not have permanent repairs made until your insurance company has inspected the property and you have reached an agreement on the cost of repairs.

If necessary, rent temporary shelter. If your home is uninhabitable due to physical damage (not lack of power or water), most homeowners policies pay additional living expenses while your property is being repaired. Before renting temporary shelter, check with your insurance company or agent to determine what expenses will be reimbursed.

Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Deal only with licensed agents and companies.

The Department also urges citizens to remember these tips in preparing for hurricane season:

Homeowners should review their insurance policies with their agents annually. Ask, “What exactly does my policy cover, and what needs are not met?” Consider that homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, and some policies in coastal areas may not cover windstorm damage. Don’t wait until the storm is approaching to upgrade your coverage.

Flood insurance can be obtained by qualifying property owners by contacting your local agent or through the National Flood Insurance program. Call 800-638-6620 for more information.

Residents living in rental property should consider purchasing renter’s insurance to cover losses of personal property within the rental unit. Your landlord’s policy will not cover your personal possessions in the event of a loss.

Consider the type of coverage you purchase — actual cash value or replacement value. Replacement value will pay to replace your home at current building costs and with similar materials. This is usually a higher value and can cost a bit more, but this extra coverage can be important if your home is destroyed in a storm.

Make a list of your belongings and take pictures or videotape them. Include a close-up shot of the day’s newspaper to provide the date. Keep your inventory list along with purchase receipts, pictures and your insurance policy in a safe-deposit box or other safe place away from your home. If you are forced to evacuate, take a copy of your policy with you.

If you have any questions or problems concerning your insurance coverage, contact the Department of Insurance’s Consumer Services Division toll-free (in-state) at 800-546-5664.

For more information, go to the official website for the NC Department of Insurance or news media like The Laurinburg Exchange,WRAL-TV (including a brief analysis of the Top 5 hurricanes to strike NC in recent times), New Bern Sun Journal, the Raleigh News & Observer, et al., during hurricane season.

Map and photo: courtesy NOAA.

Watch Short "Operation Medicine Drop" Video

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin reported on "Operation Medicine Drop" here at this site previously.

Now, take approximately three minutes to learn in a nutshell about the program from the accompanying video. You'll hear first-hand from Commissioner Goodwin, and leaders from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the State Capitol Police.



Further details are found at the official NC Department of Insurance website posting at this link.

It is also important to note that safely and securely disposing of unused or expired prescription drugs not only is a public safety protection, but it also prevents contamination of the water supply and funneling of these medicines to the black market, fueled by addiction and criminal activity.

Goodwin Meets With 300+ Eastern NC Leaders, State Safety Experts and Law Enforcement Officers

During an action-packed series of meetings and speeches over two days last week, state Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin met with 300-plus eastern North Carolina leaders, state safety experts and law enforcement officers. Carteret and Craven counties served as the host locations.

In Atlantic Beach he first delivered remarks to the Safe Kids North Carolina statewide annual meeting. (Goodwin serves as chairman of the association.) He and Safe Kids NC officers presented awards for outstanding leadership by county chapters and coalition members. Here at this link are some photographs from the conference.The next day, the Insurance Commissioner addressed sheriffs' deputies, highway patrolmen, police officers, firefighters, and volunteers at the North Carolina Child Passenger Safety Conference. With the theme of "Making a Difference in a Child's Life," the group covered a wide variety of conference topics and reviewed current related laws. Sponsoring this year's conference were the Office of State Fire Marshal, the NC Department of Insurance, the Governor's Highway Safety Program, UNC Highway Safety Research Center, and others.

Insurance Commissioner Goodwin then followed up with a New Bern luncheon with business and community leaders. Young insurance professionals and independent agents welcomed him, and learned from the regulator first-hand the consumer protections he and NCDOI are providing eastern North Carolina and the rest of the State. They were also reminded how the Tar Heel state benefits tremendously from some of the lowest automobile insurance rates and homeowners' insurance rates (whether coast, piedmont, or mountains) compared to most similar states.

Those in attendance further heralded the good government initiatives of Commissioner Goodwin, stressing his and NCDOI's accessibility and their unwavering commitment to public participation, transparency, and prompt constituent service.

"It's always a pleasure to travel across beautiful eastern North Carolina, and to join together with partners dedicated to public safety and consumer protection," said Insurance Commissioner Goodwin.

Operation Medicine Drop Disposes of Unused, Expired Prescriptions; NC Insurance Commissioner Goodwin Encourages Participation

Nearly 200 take-back events statewide offer public safe, secure way to dispose of medications

According to news today from your North Carolina Insurance Commissioner's office, poisoning from prescription medications is on the rise in North Carolina - since 1999 more than 75 percent of all unintentional poisonings were caused by prescription or over-the-counter medications (source N.C. Division of Public Health). Operation Medicine Drop is aimed at providing the public a safe and secure method for disposing of their prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Children ages 1-5 account for 23 percent of all emergency department visits related to poisoning and these types of injuries result in a high death rate of infants younger than 1 year old due to their smaller size (source World Health Organization 2008 Childhood Injury Report).

"During Poison Prevention Week, March 14-20, Operation Medicine Drop will host nearly 200 take-back events statewide where the public can drop off prescriptions or over-the-counter products that may have expired or are unused," said Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. "Every Operation Medicine Drop event will have a law enforcement partner that will help North Carolinians dispose of their medications in a safe and secure way." Goodwin, who serves as the Safe Kids North Carolina state chair, added that additional event information is available on the Safe Kids Web site, www.ncsafekids.org.

The leading primary, public event will be led by Commissioner Goodwin on Halifax Mall in the State Government Complex in Raleigh on Monday, March 15.

While most parents and caregivers are familiar with other poisoning culprits such as cleaning supplies and poisonous plants, most childhood poisonings occur from medications. Whether a person is injured or dies is determined by many factors such as dosing, size of child, condition of child's health, and means of ingestion. The best form of prevention is to remove any risk from a child's environment.

Operation Medicine Drop is sponsored across North Carolina by Safe Kids North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Insurance, State Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration. For more information about Operation Medicine Drop or for a schedule of statewide take-back events, visit www.ncsafekids.org and click on the Operation Medicine Drop logo.

NC Fire and Life Safety Educators Save Lives, Declares Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin delivered the early morning kick-off speech for the annual meeting of the North Carolina Fire and Life Safety Educators Association on Monday.

Appearing at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, he heralded the successes in the past year by both the members of the association and his employees in the Office of State Fire Marshal.

Among his many points and facts were these two:

These professionals provided more than 15,000 hours of safety education in 2009 alone.

They installed 6,200 child car safety seats.

As for the Department of Insurance and its Office of State Fire Marshal division, Commissioner Goodwin reminded the packed crowd about the recent pyrotechnics legislation, the ban on toy (or novelty) cigarette lighters, and regulation of fire-safe cigarettes...

The association alternates its annual meetings between eastern, western and central North Carolina.