Georgia’s Kidney Community Praises House Insurance Committee for Advancing Medigap Bill; Strongly Urges Bill Passage Before Close of Legislative Session

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Georgia House Insurance Committee today passed patient-centered legislation (S.B. 316) that will allow more than 2,000 kidney failure patients and those deemed disabled in Georgia to obtain secondary insurance coverage for medical care. Members of the kidney care community, including dialysis patients, caregivers and advocates praised committee members for recognizing the valuable role Medigap reform will have in improving patient access to life-saving care, including dialysis or transplant medications. The bill, which was unanimously passed by the Senate earlier this year, will now advance to a full House vote.

“We encourage state lawmakers to pass Medigap reform before the close of this legislative session to ensure that all patients, regardless of age or financial standing, can obtain the healthcare coverage they need and deserve.”

Georgians of all ages diagnosed with end state renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, currently qualify for insurance coverage under the federal Medicare benefit; however, patients are still responsible to paying additional out of pocket costs such as deductibles and co-pays. Federal law allows patients over age 65 to purchase private secondary coverage – known as Medigap insurance – which enables them to access medical treatment without cost being a barrier to care.

In Georgia, kidney failure and disabled patients under age 65 have limited ability to purchase Medigap insurance; therefore restricting patient access to care and creating financial roadblocks for patients in need of medical attention. In fact, patients unable to afford the cost of care are often time forced to deplete their financial savings in order to qualify for state Medicaid coverage. This legislation would expand the ability of patients in Georgia under age 65 to purchase Medigap coverage; therefore protecting them from having to “spend down” their assets and improving access to health care.

“We applaud the members of the Georgia State Assembly for embracing this smart, patient-focused legislation, which will improve access to care and quality of life for thousands of Georgians,” stated Chad Lennox, Executive Director of Dialysis Patient Citizens, a national patient advocacy organization that represents more than 1,300 kidney community members across the state. “We encourage state lawmakers to pass Medigap reform before the close of this legislative session to ensure that all patients, regardless of age or financial standing, can obtain the healthcare coverage they need and deserve.”

This legislation is also estimated to result in $20 million of Medicaid savings over the next five years for Georgia by reducing the number of patients entering the program. This not only improves patient access, it also protects taxpayers from higher program costs. If passed, Georgia will join 29 other states across the country that have already passed similar reforms.

The bill is available at http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/sum/sb316.htm.

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Georgia Dialysis Patients, Legislators Rally Around Bill to Improve Patient Access to Dialysis and Transplants; Lauded as “Good for Patients, Good for

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dialysis Patient Citizens today praised the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee for unanimously passing legislation – S.B. 316 – which will increase patient access to life-saving dialysis care or transplant medications. Dialysis patients attending yesterday’s hearing encouraged lawmakers to support the bill which, if enacted, would greatly help approximately 2,000 Georgians suffering from kidney failure who are having difficulty accessing health insurance. Twenty-nine states across the country have enacted this popular legislation that is widely embraced by patients, family members and taxpayers.

“I would have better access to preventative care and it would increase my ability to seek treatment early.”

NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning, a kidney transplant patient who returned to the NBA to win the national championship after his transplant, is planning to visit Georgia legislators in March on behalf of dialysis and transplant patients to advocate for this important legislation as he did in Florida in 2009. Similar bipartisan legislation passed in the Florida legislature last year and was signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist. Approximately 500 Florida patients can now purchase MediGap insurance, helping those who can’t afford co-pays and deductibles for medications and dialysis care avoid financial hardship.

Currently, Georgians under age 65 with end state renal disease (ESRD), better known as kidney failure, do not have access to secondary coverage – known as Medigap insurance – to help pay for medical expenses that Medicare does not cover, such as co-insurance, deductibles and co-pays. Under current federal law, only Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 65 are able to purchase this insurance as secondary coverage. This coverage helps patients with kidney failure and those deemed disabled access essential medical treatments, including kidney transplants, without cost being a barrier to care.

“If I had access to secondary coverage, it would alleviate the anxiety I feel when making decisions regarding my health” said Eric Edwards, an Atlanta-area ESRD patient and Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) patient ambassador who attended yesterday’s hearing. “I would have better access to preventative care and it would increase my ability to seek treatment early.”

Additionally, Medigap coverage protects patients from having to “spend down” their income to become eligible for state Medicaid assistance. If enacted, fewer people will be forced to enter the state Medicaid program, resulting in an estimated $20 million of Medicaid savings over the next five years for Georgia and protecting taxpayers from higher program costs.

“It is critical for legislators to understand the vital importance of Medigap access for all kidney failure patients because for thousands of patients throughout the state, life depends on quality kidney care,” added Chad Lennox, Executive Director of DPC. “The patient community is dedicated to working with lawmakers across the state to ensure that this smart, patient-centric legislation is enacted without delay.”

The bill will now advance to the Senate Rules Committee before going to the Senate floor. The full bill is available at http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/sum/sb316.htm.

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U.S. Department of Labor announces more than $164 million for state unemployment insurance technology infrastructure grants

Georgia to receive $8,850,630

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $164.5 million to 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to make technology upgrades that will improve the operation and security of unemployment insurance systems.

"Unemployment insurance programs play a key role in supporting dislocated workers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "I am pleased that these grants will help states improve their technology infrastructure and better serve those in need. Making sure that claims and benefits are processed and paid in a timely, consistent and secure manner is critical to providing workers with the income security needed to actively seek re-employment."

Funds will be used for a variety of projects designed to improve services for both unemployment insurance claimants and employers, including: modernizing systems to improve and speed unemployment insurance benefit payments, tax collections and appeals processing; helping consumers avoid debit card fees when collecting benefits; improvements in information technology contingency and security plans; and strategies to improve overall program integrity.

Today's funding was provided following supplemental budget requests by nearly all states and is made available through the fiscal year 2009 budget and appropriations for state administration of the Unemployment Insurance Program.

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Do Not Wait For Insurance Settlement; SBA Urges Return of Applications – Deadline to Apply June 22

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding victims in eligible Georgia counties they should not wait to settle with their insurance companies before applying for disaster loan assistance. The SBA encourages victims of the March 26, 2009 through April 13, 2009, storms to return their completed applications, even if they have not settled with their insurance company. Waiting to file an SBA application could cause unnecessary delays in receiving disaster assistance.

“Victims are urged to complete and return their SBA disaster loan application by the June 22 deadline,” said Frank Skaggs, Director of SBA Field Operations Center East. “SBA is here to help you with your recovery efforts. I encourage anyone who has not completed their disaster loan application to do so and return it as quickly as possible,” Skaggs added.

If a victim does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, the SBA will consider making a loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay their SBA loan.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses of any size and most private non-profit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, inventory, machinery and equipment and other business assets. The SBA also offers mitigation funds to disaster victims based on 20 percent of the verified physical damage. These funds are designed to help borrowers pay for protective measures to minimize damages of the same kind in the future.

For small businesses, and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loans assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates can be as low as 2.187 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, victims must first call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

Victims unable to visit the Centers may obtain applications and program information by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT, or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Victims may visit SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply for disaster loans.

The deadline for physical loan applications is June 22, 2009; the deadline for economic injury applications is January 23, 2010.

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Former Ft. Stewart Soldier Receives 70 Months Imprisonment for Faking Wife's Death and Collecting Insurance Proceeds

Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced that Ingerberth Baird, age 38, was sentenced on October 14, 2008, in U.S. District Court in Savannah to 70 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge B. Avant Edenfield.

Booth commented that, in imposing sentence, Judge Edenfield made an upward variance from the advisory guidelines range of 44 to 51 months, finding that Baird committed perjury when he testified on his own behalf at trial and noting that Baird remained totally unrepentant of his criminal actions. Baird had been convicted by a jury on January 29, 2008, on one count of conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, one count of making false claims against the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 287, and one count of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341.

Baird had been extradited from Trinidad to face the charges in this case in June 2007. Booth noted that Baird will be transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation to his home country of Trinidad after he completes serving his sentence.

The convictions rested upon the evidence at trial which established the following :Ingerberth Baird and his wife, Nicolette, lived in Hinesville, Georgia, in 2002. Ingerberth Baird was an enlisted officer in the U.S. Army, posted at Ft. Stewart. Nicolette Baird was an elementary school teacher at Joseph Martin Elementary School in Hinesville. In September 2002, Nicolette Baird requested time off to travel to Trinidad, where she had been born, to attend a family funeral. Several days later, a person identifying himself as Nicolette's husband called the principal of Joseph Martin Elementary to report that Nicolette had died in an automobile accident in Trinidad. Ingerberth Baird sought leave from his duties with the United States Army and traveled to Trinidad shortly after Nicolette's reported death, spending eleven days there before returning to the United States. The evidence further showed that in October and November, 2002, Ingerberth Baird applied for benefits under life insurance policies covering Nicolette through the U.S. Army (under the Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program, or "FSGLI") and the Liberty County, Georgia school system.

In connection with those claims, he presented a handwritten death certificate and handwritten police report purportedly describing Nicolette's death in Trinidad. Ingerberth Baird received over $100,000 from the U.S. Army FSGLI policy on Nicolette. The benefit was paid in the form of a checking account funded with the entire benefit amount, and a checkbook drawn on that account was mailed to Ingerberth Baird at his home. Over the course of October and November, 2002, Ingerberth Baird wrote numerous checks that totally depleted the account. In December 2002, Ingerberth Baird left the United States for Trinidad.

Shortly thereafter, it was determined that the death claim was false in that the handwritten death certificate was counterfeit and that no registrar of deaths with the name listed on the death certificate actually existed. In April 2003, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation located Ingerberth Baird and Nicolette Baird, alive, living together in Cunupia, Trinidad. At that time, Ingerberth Baird admitted to the FBI agents that he knew on his first trip to Trinidad in September 2002, right after his wife's reported death, that no accident had occurred and that his wife was alive.

Booth praised the efforts of Special Agents Joseph Swiatek and Freddie Watkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys R. Brian Tanner and Brian F. McEvoy.

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Builders Insurance and Home Builders Association of Georgia Reach Agreement to Resolve Proxy Contest

/PRNewswire/ -- Builders Insurance (a Mutual Captive Company), and the Home Builders Association of Georgia ("HBAG") today announced that they have reached agreement in principle to resolve and conclude HBAG's proxy contest and other outstanding issues between the parties. As part of the resolution, HBAG and HBAG's local associations will enter into endorsement agreements with Builders Insurance.

"We are pleased to have reached these agreements and to be moving forward with the Home Builders Association of Georgia," said Patrick Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Builders Insurance. "We especially want to thank Georgia Commissioner of Insurance John Oxendine for working with the parties through the settlement process."

Allen Richardson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Builders Insurance stated, "Builders Insurance and HBAG have a long history of mutually beneficial cooperation. With the proxy contest behind us, we can continue to offer a choice of products that meet the unique needs of home builders at affordable prices."

"On behalf of HBAG, I am delighted that we were able to reach a resolution that serves the best interests of all parties," said Charles A. Eison, Sr., President and Chief Executive Officer of HBAG. "We are committed to continuing to represent the homebuilders of Georgia and look forward to working together with Builders Insurance to do so."

The settlement agreements are subject to execution of final documentation.

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GMAC Insurance Reduces Rates in Georgia

PRNewswire/ -- GMAC Insurance today announced it is reducing its auto insurance rates in Georgia, effective immediately. Many drivers in the Peach State can expect to save an average of around seven percent when purchasing GMAC Insurance coverage from one of more than 400 Georgia-based independent agencies.

With fuel prices surging, these rate decreases will help customers manage their transportation costs. What's more, Georgia customers can potentially achieve even greater savings through discounts for paying a policy in full at the time of purchase rather than through monthly installments, in addition to GMAC Insurance's exclusive GM Retiree and GM Dealership employee discounts.

"We are committed to providing new and existing customers with outstanding service at affordable prices," said Scott Murphy, vice president of product and pricing, GMAC Insurance. "In addition to the new lower prices, we'll continue to offer the same benefits, such as our outstanding SmartServices, including SmartValet, SmartInspect and the SmartParts Promise, and our 24/7 claim reporting service and emergency expense allowance."

The GMAC Insurance rate reduction is a statewide average that will affect individual customers differently. Overall premium changes for individual motorists will vary depending on factors such as the coverages they carry, the discounts for which they qualify, where they live, the kind of vehicle insured, who drives it and how much it is driven.

Oxendine Revokes Life Company's License, Fines Insurer $214,000

Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine announced recently that he has
revoked the certificate of authority of Trans World Assurance to operate in Georgia, and
has fined the company $214,000. In addition, the Commissioner has ordered the
company to refund monies collected from active duty members of the United States
Armed Forces related to products it has sold in Georgia since September 2007.

“Due to multiple violations of the state insurance code, I feel I have no option but
to revoke Trans World’s license to operate in the state,” Oxendine said. “What makes
these violations particularly egregious is that they targeted our men and women in
uniform.”

The Commissioner held a hearing May 5 and 6 of this year to investigate
allegations that the company sold a life insurance policy containing an illegal component
to military personnel between September 2007 and March 2008. The product, called
“Flexible Dollar Builder,” includes a provision known as an accumulation fund.

The Commissioner found that provisions of the accumulation fund violated Georgia’s
Military Sales Practices Regulation and the Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The company further violated regulations by selling life policies to service
members already covered under Service Members Group Life Insurance (SGLI) without
making the required assessment to determine whether the service member needed
additional life insurance.

Although the company may not sell new policies in Georgia, it must continue to
service existing contracts which were sold before September, 2007. The company must
also honor the contracts issued subsequent to September 1, 2007, until it has made the
refunds required by the order.

Mom and Purple Bus Kick-off VoteHealthcare.org Bandwagon Tour

PRNewswire/ -- Neighbors and friends are gathering June 28th to kick off an unusual bus tour. This bus isn't full of rock stars. It's Kathie McClure, her family and friends, and the VoteHealthcare.org Bandwagon Tour. They're driving across the country gathering stories and talking to people about America's health care system.

Kathie is an Atlanta mom and attorney who learned about the holes in our health care system the hard way. First, her son, Chris, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a genetic illness affecting one million children and adults in the U.S. Then, her daughter, Caitlin, was diagnosed with epilepsy after being hit in the head by a soccer goal. Diabetes and epilepsy are expensive illnesses, with the average annual cost of treatment for each ranging from $4,000 to $10,000.

When Chris and Caitlin entered their 20s, Kathie and her husband, Jay, found it was next to impossible for them to find affordable individual coverage. Most insurers don't offer individual policies to those with "pre-existing conditions" like diabetes and epilepsy, and if they do, most exclude coverage for the very services that are needed.

While they've managed to cover their children's exorbitant medical expenses, it got Kathie thinking -- How would they take care of their children if they earned the national median income of $50,000 a year? The answer is they couldn't. "No parent should have to choose between their kids' health and bankruptcy," said Kathie.

Then she got going. As her friend Mary Lynn tells it, "When Kathie gets mad, she gets active. Whether she's shepherding a family member through an illness or a client through a lawsuit against a Goliath company, she focuses her anger into a laser beam of energy."

Kathie decided that the best way she could make a difference was by telling her story, but she needed a soap-box. So Jay bought a little school bus on eBay and spent the last year fixing it up so Kathie could hit the road. That's how VoteHealthcare.org got started.

Kathie starts her "Bandwagon Tour" on July 3rd. She'll be traveling up and down the country through October, talking to everyday people, community groups, health professionals, and policy experts. Along the way, she'll be asking people to sign a pledge to "Vote Healthcare" -- a pledge that gives citizens the chance to say why health care matters to them.

Her goal to collect one million pledges is ambitious. But as Kathie points out, "If you're going to spend months sleeping on a futon in a little bus without a sink, shower or flushing toilet, you might as well shoot for the stars."

VoteHealthcare.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes quality, affordable healthcare for all U.S. residents through citizen education and a voter registration campaign.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Introduces New Individual Products

PRNewswire/ -- Today, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa) introduced two suites of PPO products called SmartSense and Premier that will provide Georgians with more affordable options for individual insurance.

The SmartSense plan is designed for consumers who are price conscious and want solid protection to cover the essentials. "Georgians who are seeking a health plan that offers affordability and provides coverage for routine services that can help them improve or maintain their health, now have another option, with premiums for SmartSense ranging from as little as $36.82 to $175.64 per month for a healthy 25-year-old male," said Monye Connolly, president of BCBSGa. The SmartSense plans provide coverage for up to three physician office visits a year before a member has to meet a deductible, some preventive benefits and a choice of prescription drug coverage options.

The Premier plan is designed for customers who want the security of a comprehensive benefit design with lower out of pocket costs. This plan is also a good choice for families with children, or those planning to have children. The Premier plan provides unlimited coverage for office visits before having to meet a deductible, provides preventive benefits, comprehensive prescription coverage and offers the ability to add maternity coverage.

SmartSense and Premier provide protection against expensive and unexpected medical bills. "These plans were designed for those consumers who recognize the importance of health coverage, but need flexibility when it comes to cost," said Connolly. "The plans offer a variety of deductibles that will help consumers find a premium they can afford."

"I would like to thank Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia for providing these new and innovative products," said Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine. "I applaud them for giving Georgians additional options when shopping for their health care needs."

SmartSense and Premier, which BCBSGa will begin offering on July 19, are targeted towards Georgians who work for companies that do not offer health care coverage, as well as early retirees and others who want a cost effective option.

Connolly says the availability of SmartSense and Premier will be appealing options for many Georgians who want more control over their health care choices and reflects the company's on-going commitment to reduce the percentage of Americans who are uninsured.

"Our goal is to offer a menu of plans that provide consumers with benefits that address a variety of life stages," said Connolly. "As we move forward, we will continue to focus on providing affordable plans that maintain the high quality and value-added benefits consumers have come to expect."

Members choosing SmartSense and Premier have access to more than 15,000 Georgia PPO network doctors and specialists and nearly 170 hospitals. These plans also provide coverage outside the state of Georgia through the Blue Card program.

In addition to SmartSense and Premier, BCBSGa also offers Tonik -- an individual product targeted toward Georgia's "young invincibles" -- individuals between the ages of 18 and 29. Since introducing the products in 2006, more than 8,000 Georgians are covered by Tonik.

For more information about SmartSense and Premier or other BCBSGa products, contact your authorized Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia agent or call 1-800-896-2583, or visit us at www.BCBSGA.com .

Home Builders Association of Georgia Launches Fight to ''Take Back'' Builders Insurance

BUSINESS WIRE--The Home Builders Association of Georgia (HBAG), comprised of more than 13,000 builders statewide, issued an urgent call today to members who are policyholders/owners of Builders Insurance to “take back” the company and restore it to a fiscally conservative company that serves its policyholders/owners.

Because repeated requests for accountability and transparency have been ignored, HBAG today urged members to support action to amend the Business Insurance Charter to return power to owners/policyholders. Additionally, HBAG urged members to call a special meeting to elect a new board of directors committed to reducing exorbitant director fees, distributing profits fairly and establishing sound corporate governance measures.

HBAG reported that over the last five years Builders Insurance, which provides workers’ compensation and other insurance to builders across the state, has paid excessive salaries, fees and indirect compensation to its directors, reported at more than $1.9 million in 2006 and 2007 alone. HBAG believes that additional unreported payments in 2007 are likely. This is out of line with market compensation for similarly sized companies and as a percentage of revenue far exceeded directors' compensation at large public companies like United Parcel Service and Delta Air Lines during that time.

Moreover, since 2000, premiums have skyrocketed while dividends to policyholders/owners have plummeted from 13.6 percent of premiums to 1.5 percent.

Charlie Eison, president of HBAG, said, “At a time when our industry is fighting for survival in a tough economy, it’s outrageous that Builders Insurance’s board members have padded their pockets with exorbitant payments that rightfully belong to our members who are the policyholders and owners of this company. We need to take control and return Builders Insurance to its rightful mission of serving our members – not creating a financial jackpot for directors.”

Underscoring the need for accountability and transparency, HBAG reported that Builders Insurance has undertaken the following actions:

• stopped reporting a large portion of directors’ compensation in 2007;
• changed the bylaws to increase its control making it virtually impossible for owners/policyholders to remove a director or hold a special meeting;
• attempted to throw out HBAG and replace it with a shell association with little or no accountability to policyholders;
• Supported legislation without consent of the policyholders that would enable them to reorganize the company on terms financially favorable to the directors.

Ed Phillips, executive vice president of HBAG said, “Builders Insurance is not being properly managed and has no accountability or transparency. Feedback from our members shows strong support for taking back the company and cleaning house to protect policyholders’ interests.”

Since owners/policyholders share the liability of a captive mutual company, HBAG considers it paramount for owners/policyholders to control the company’s management.

Below is the reported compensation for Builders Insurance’s directors for 2006 and 2007. HBAG believes there might be more than has been reported.

Name			Directors Fees from 2006 to 2007 more than DOUBLED				Total Reported Compensation
			2006		2007		2006		2007(a)
Troy E. Barber			$35,000		$85,000		$167,748		UNREPORTED(a)
John C. Bowles			$35,000		$80,000		$173,156		UNREPORTED(a)
Frederick E. Fisher			$0		$0		$95,087		UNREPORTED(a)
Guilford E. Hill			$35,000		$75,000		$127,220		UNREPORTED(a)
Gerald A. Kopp			$35,000		$80,000		$198,130		UNREPORTED(a)
Allen M. Richardson			$35,000		$90,000		$190,880		UNREPORTED(a)
Michael F. Ryan			$35,000		$75,000		$186,655		UNREPORTED(a)
William L. Schwanebeck, Jr.			$35,000		$75,000		$186,655		UNREPORTED(a)
TOTAL			$245,000		$560,000		$1,325,531		UNREPORTED(a)

(a) Other than directors’ fees and some minimal additional compensation, the total 2007 compensation is unknown because Builders Insurance has ceased to report it.

Builders Insurance was started by HBAG in the early 1990s to provide affordable workers’ compensation and other types of insurance exclusively to its builder members and local builders associations across the state. As such, Builders Insurance is owned by policyholders, similar to a co-op or credit union.

Oxendine: Insured Losses From Tuesday's Storms Estimated At $6 Million, Expectd To Rise

Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine said insured losses from
Tuesday night’s storms in Cherokee and North Fulton Counties is estimated at $6 million, though that amount will probably rise as more damage reports come in.

“This morning (May 21, 2008) I documented damage in communities north of Atlanta that was quite extensive,” Oxendine said. “As we get more reports from insurance companies, I expect the loss amount will have to be adjusted upward.”

Oxendine reminds Georgians that they can call his Consumer Services Division at 404-
656-2070 or, outside the Metro area, 1-800-656-2298, if they have questions about a claim, or if they are experiencing difficulty reaching their insurance company. Phone lines are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Consumers with damaged property can take the following steps to begin the claims-filing
process:

* Contact your insurance agent immediately if you have had damage to either your house
or car; do not delay. Your agent should provide you with claims forms and arrange for an
insurance adjuster to visit your property or look at your automobile.

* Secure your property. For example, if your roof was damaged or blown off, or a tree
has punctured the roof, cover the affected area with a tarp or plywood to protect your property
from further damage. Keep receipts of materials used for repairs; your insurance company will
reimburse you for repair costs.