Nov/Dec 2008 - AGRR Magazine

I n s u r a n c et a l kpolicy briefsHouse Considers Bill That WouldCreate Federal Insurance OfficeTHE U.S. HOUSE OF REPREsentativesFinancial ServicesCommittee currently is consideringa bill that would establish a federalOffice of Insurance Informationwithin the Department of the Treasury.The office would be formed to:• Collect, analyze and disseminate informationand issue reports regardingall insurance except healthinsurance;• Establish federal policy on internationalinsurance matters and ensurethat state insurance laws are consistentwith agreements between theUnited States and a foreign governmentor regulatory entity; and• Advise the Secretary of the Treasuryon major domestic and internationalinsurance policy issues.The bill, known as the Insurance InformationAct of 2008, also would preemptinconsistent state law and wouldrequire the head of the Office of InsuranceInformation to report to specifiedcongressional committees on the financialstate and meaningful trends ofthe insurance industry.H.R. 5840 was introduced in April byRep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D - Pa.). It beganIIHS Report Argues That Raising Drivers’License Minimum Age Reduces Teen CrashesA recent report by theInsurance Institute forHighway Safety promotesthe benefits of delaying licensureof drivers to laterages in an effort to reducecrashes involving teenagedrivers. According to the report,which is the result ofa study conducted by AllanWilliams, IIHS’ former chiefscientist, teenagers in GreatBritain and Australia are notallowed to obtain drivers’ licensesuntil age 17. ForThe IIHS says raising licensure ages fordrivers will decrease crashes.most countries in the European Union, the required age is 18. However, most U.S.states-with the exception of New Jersey-allow licensure at around the age of 16;the New Jersey age of licensure is 17.The IIHS study argues that delaying the age at which licensure is allowed, andproviding a graduated system (which usually includes a permit period and limitswhen and with whom a new young driver can take the wheel) reduces crash ratesinvolving teenage drivers.During this year’s legislation sessions, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts andGeorgia saw legislation introduced to raise the minimum age to get a driver’s licenseto 17; likewise, a second bill in Massachusetts proposed a required age of18 for licensure, while one in Illinois also suggested 18. None of these bills werepassed, however.in the subcommittee on Capital Markets,Insurance and Government-SponsoredEnterprises, and in July was voted to theHouse Financial Services Committee,where it currently is under review.LYNX to Manage GlassClaims for MercuryInsurance in Six StatesLYNX Services announced recentlythat it will now handle glass claims forMercury Insurance in Arizona, Illinois,Michigan, Nevada, Oklahomaand Texas. The change took effectSeptember 9.Neither Mercury spokesperson ErikThompson nor representatives ofLYNX Services could be reached forcomment.Mercury General Corp. is a multiplelineinsurance organization offeringpredominantly personal automobileand homeowners insurance through anetwork of independent agents andbrokers in 13 states.Amica Mutual SelectsGerber National GlassServices as Auto GlassAdministratorAmica Mutual Insurance Company,based in Lincoln, R.I., has selected GerberNational Glass Services (GNGS), asubsidiary of The Boyd Group Inc., toadminister its glass claims program.“We are excited to have been selectedby Amica to service their customers,”says Eddie Cheskis, chiefexecutive officer of Gerber NationalGlass Services.“We expect Gerber’s glass claimsmanagement program to continue toprovide the superior service our customershave come to expect,” addsSean Welch, assistant vice presidentfor Amica.■24 AGRR November/December 2008 www.agrrmag.com