Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.–The National Conference of Insurance Legislators went on record as favoring a new look at the way mega-catastrophe risk coverage is funded in this country.

But at the same time it sidestepped a number of controversial areas in which there is wide disagreement in the industry.

Without much comment, NCOIL's Property Casualty Committee approved a resolution Friday at its spring meeting here to work with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in developing a new catastrophe program.

But the same measure also expressed strong concerns with many aspects of the current NAIC proposal that is set for its first formal hearing this week at the regulators' spring meeting in Orlando.

The NAIC proposal itself has undergone a number of drastic revisions since it first appeared on the scene in November in the aftermath of 2005's record insured catastrophe losses.

Once it was clear there would be no industry support for it, the measure's backers for the most part abandoned the concept of an all-perils homeowners policy that would for the first time include flood coverage.

Instead, the program relies first on the private market, and then a state operated fund, and finally a federal backstop for carriers similar to the mechanism that now exists for terrorism risk.

It was clear the lawmakers had grave reservations about including the federal government in the process as NCOIL is currently fighting efforts to impose federal standards on insurance regulation.

“But we recognize there is some role for the federal government in this effort,” said Florida Sen. Steve Geller, D.-Hallandale Beach.

The resolution at first contained language supporting a federal role as long as it did not result in any net increase in consumer insurance premiums, but lawmakers decided to strike that provision for fear it would be unworkable.

The legislators had previously expressed doubts about some sort of proposed federal pricing control that might be needed if Washington assumed a backstop role.

The resolution also expresses support for “further dialogue regarding the appropriateness of merging natural and man-made disaster risks into a single mega-catastrophe system.”

Special Reports /

NCOIL Votes To Work On CAT Program

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