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Our Carriers’ responses to Covid-19

By April 13, 2020July 18th, 2023No Comments

Each of our carriers are are offering support to customers and or community during these difficult times. Here’s a summary of our various carriers’ responses to the current Corona-virus situation. Although this is a fluid situation, we will do our best to update this regularly for accuracy.

Concord Group Insurance

For Clients: Concord Group will be providing a 15% return of premium for the months of April and May, subject to regulatory approval by the Department of Insurance. THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN APPROVED.

Additional response information: https://www.concordgroupinsurance.com/special-message

Foremost Insurance

For Clients: Foremost is extending a grace period for late payments until at least May 1, 2020. If your payment is late during this time, we will send you a reminder bill with an extended due date (rather than a cancellation notice for non-payment). This process will happen automatically; there is no need for you to call us to request an extension.

Additional response information:https://www.foremost.com/payonline/index.asp

Hanover Insurance

For Clients: They will be:

  • returning 15% of April and May auto premiums to personal lines customers through The Hanover CARES Refund.
  • Offering flexibility on bill payment options for those experiencing financial hardship, without any penalties and fees, including placing a 60-day hold on cancellations and non-renewals for non-payment
  • Extending personal auto coverage to individuals delivering food, medicine and other essential goods at no additional charge
  • Considering a covered premises as “occupied” while mandatory closures are in effect, addressing concerns with vacancy clauses
  • Waiving the limit on additional living expenses for homeowners who are forced from their homes following covered losses, such as a fire, to pay for delayed repairs and the added costs associated with temporary living arrangements
  • Extending the number of days we will reimburse a customer for a rental car if an insured’s vehicle is in the shop and cannot be repaired or returned

Additional response information: https://www.hanover.com/COVID-19/customers.html

Main Street America

For Clients: MSA will return approximately $16.5 million to personal auto policyholders in premium relief funds. The premium relief will come in the form of a one-time full payment of $50 per vehicle covered by an MSA personal auto policy as of March 31, 2020. It includes all MSA affiliated writing companies. Pending regulatory approval, it is anticipated the checks will be mailed to policyholders next week.

MSA is also offering flexibility in several other areas including premium payment deferral (without any penalties or late fees), extending rental car return days, suspending various audit, underwriting, physical inspection and commercial inspection requirements. In addition, we have extended private passenger automobile coverage to food delivery drivers hired by restaurants, as well as offering temporary coverage for restaurant insureds performing first-party food delivery service. MSA’s relief efforts also extend to individuals, families and businesses in communities where we operate.

The Main Street America Group is currently accepting 60-day payment extension requests until April 30, 2020. This means, if requested and approved, premium payments currently due will be suspended for up to 60 days.

American Family Insurance and its group companies (Including Main Street America) along with the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, announced today more than $4 million in support for COVID-19 pandemic relief and other non-profit efforts. Additional support from the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation is expected to push the total support to more than $6.8 million.

Additional response information: https://www.msagroup.com/payment-suspension-request-info

https://newsroom.amfam.com/american-family-insurance-foundations-pledge-support-to-covid-19-relief/#.Xox46Zx7RtM.link

MetLife

For Clients: Billing accommodations are in effect for customers who may have difficulty making payment due to the impacts of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. This includes all states and lines of business as well as both personal and commercial products.

For the Community: Here are some of the actions we’ve taken to help our communities, customers, and employees during this difficult time: 

  • The MetLife Foundation is providing $25 million in grants to support COVID-19 global relief efforts—directed toward people with urgent needs for food, healthcare, and direct financial assistance
  • Donation of thousands of face masks, bottles of hand sanitizer, and canisters of disinfecting wipes to help those in need
  • Reinforcing claims departments to process increased volume in a timely manner

Additional response information: https://www.metlife.com/covid-19-update-ceo-faq/

Plymouth Rock

For Clients: Plymouth Rock plans to offer the following relief to its customers, subject to regulatory approval:

  • A 25% premium credit on Liability and Personal Injury Protection Coverages
  • The option to “pay it forward” by donating auto insurance premium credit to a non-profit organization
  • The waiver of comprehensive and collision deductibles for any health care worker involved in an accident while driving to and from work, or in the line of duty
  • Application of the home insurance Additional Living Expense Coverage to any health care worker required by illness or job requirements caused by COVID-19 to temporarily reside somewhere other than their primary residence when payment for these expenses is not provided by the health worker’s employer or another source
  • Continuation of our payment flexibility, including waiving of late fees and a 60-day grace period (longer in some states), holds on cancellations and non-renewals for non-payment, per state guidelines
  • Extension of our food and legal medicine delivery accommodation

All relief will be available to current policies and new business, effective April 1 and extended until each state’s individual stay-at-home orders are lifted.

Additional response information: https://www.plymouthrock.com/resource-center/insurance-101/covid-19

Progressive

Apron Relief Program:Extra support during the COVID-19 crisis. To us, the apron is a symbol of protection. That’s why we’re assisting our customers, employees, communities, and agents by committing over $1 Billion to them in this time of need.

For Clients:

Assistance with coverage and payments: During this unprecedented time, we know you may be experiencing stress and financial hardship. While you’re doing your part to fight the pandemic, we’re committed to being there in your time of need. With that in mind, here are some steps we’re taking to make things a little easier:

Personal auto premium credit:

  • If you have an active personal auto policy at the end of April, you’ll receive a credit for 20% of your April premium. We’ll offer the same 20% credit to active personal auto customers at the end of May, and we may offer additional credits in the upcoming months.
  • There’s nothing you need to do. We’ll automatically calculate your credit at the end of each month, and then you’ll see it reflected in your account within a few weeks. If you have a balance on your policy, we’ll apply the credit directly to your remaining balance. And if you’re already paid in full, we’ll return the money to the payment account we have on file—so please make sure your payment details are up to date.
  • This credit is subject to approval by state regulators.

Coverage assistance

  • We don’t want you to worry about losing your insurance if you can’t pay right now. Starting April 1, 2020, we’ll waive late fees, pause collections, and hold off on canceling or non-renewing any active policies due to non-payment through May 15, 2020. Some states have already issued leniency guidelines, so we will adjust this timeline to either meet or exceed any state-specific requirements.
  • In the meantime, automatic payments will continue to go through unless you tell us to stop them. And after May 15th, any remaining balance on your policy will become due. If you need more support, please don’t hesitate to call us—we’re happy to work with you to manage payments moving forward.

Billing leniency

  • We encourage you to make a payment right now if you’re able to. But if you need extra time, please give us a call—we’re ready to help.
  • If you’ve already requested billing leniency, please be patient with us. Our systems haven’t caught up quite yet, so you’ll continue to receive bills and your Payment Schedule may not reflect your request.

In addition to helping with payments and coverage, we are:

First responders, health care workers, and delivery drivers are at the front lines of the crisis, and we’re doing everything we can to help by:

  • Providing expedited roadside assistance
  • Expanding coverage for personal auto customers who are temporarily delivering food or medicine
  • Offering meal delivery for our for-hire truckers
  • Providing a full-service claims experience for first responders and health care workers who experience a car accident. We’re providing transportation to work and expediting tow and vehicle repairs. And if needed, we’re deferring deductibles and providing a rental vehicle.

Helping customers get back on the road. We know finances might be tight. To help, we’re deferring deductibles for those who need a personal vehicle repaired and can’t pay out of pocket.

For communities:We’ve funded an $8 million donation by the Progressive Foundation. This donation will go to charities focused on hunger, health, and homelessness, including Feeding America, the American Red Cross, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Providence Mutual

For Clients:If your employment or business has been impacted due to COVID-19 and you are unable to pay your bill, please contact us at 877.763.1800, or email us at CustomerService@ProvidenceMutual.com. Please include your policy number and phone number when emailing us.

We will work with you to adjust or pause billing schedules, accept partial payments, and extend cancellation dates. We are not charging late fees and are not collecting insufficient fund fees.

Additional response information:

Safety Insurance

For Clients: We recognize that many people are facing financial difficulties.

we are announcing the Safety Personal Auto Relief Credit. Any Safety Insurance personal auto policyholder that has a policy in effect as of April 1st will receive a 15% credit off their premium for the months of April and May. Details of the program include:

  • Insureds must have made at least one payment on their policy and maintain continuous coverage to be eligible
  • The credits will be applied automatically, and insureds do not need to take any action
  • Policyholders that have paid in full will receive a refund
  • New business policies are eligible
  • Agent commissions will not be affected
  • This credit is pending regulatory approval

In addition to this credit, Safety’s previously announced initiatives remain ongoing: Cancellation notices issued on or after March 23, 2020 have been rescinded and we have placed a hold on all non -payment policy cancellations until further notice. We have also waived all late and NSF fees.
For the Community: We are making relief efforts through our Charitable Foundation to help support the communities in which we do business. We are providing financial support to the following local charities.
 
Massachusetts COVID -19 Relief Fund
Boston Resiliency Fund
Project Bread
Healthcare Heroes to benefit the Massachusetts General Emergency Response Fund

Additional response information: https://www.safetyinsurance.com/custsupport/covid19.html

Travelers Insurance

For Clients: Personal auto insurance customers will receive a 15% credit on April and May auto premiums,

  • Providing billing relief for all U.S. customers, including suspending cancellation and nonrenewal of coverage due to nonpayment through May 15, 2020 (no interest, late fees or penalties will be charged).
  • Giving U.S. personal auto insurance customers a 15% credit on their April and May premiums.
  • Adjusting the claim inspection process to rely more heavily on state-of-the-art digital and virtual tools.
  • Conducting virtual premium audits for an extra measure of safety.
  • Providing telemedicine options for injured employees through workers compensation, including a temporary telerehabilitation program for those who are concerned about or unable to attend physical therapy visits in person.

For communities: Travelers has pledged $5 million to assist families and communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across North America, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Additional response information: https://www.travelers.com/about-travelers/covid-19-coronavirus-update

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