Coronavirus (COVID-19); Industry News

​The New York State Department of Financial Services has confirmed to Big I New York that the moratorium on premium finance companies (PFCs) cancelling policies applies separately to each installment payment. Each installment is also eligible for alternative payment arrangements. An emergency regulation issued by the DFS in late March, on orders from the governor, requires PFCs to delaty cancelling policies when a policyholder misses an installment payment because of financial hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. It also requires them to permit these policyholders to make up the missed payment over a twelve-month period. Big I New York members have reported that PFCs have…

​The emergency restrictions on insurance carriers' ability to terminate coverage and requirements for premium flexibility will stay in place until at least July 6, according to a new executive order. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued the order ​on Saturday. Since March 30, insurers writing business in New York have been required to give an additional 60 days of coverage (90 days for life insurance) to any policyholder who can demonstrate financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic and whose policy the insurer could legally cancel, non-renew or conditionally renew. They have also been required to offer policyholders who missed payments and can demonstrate…

​New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has extended for 30 days an order that prohibits insurance carriers from terminating some policies and requires them to be lenient with policyholders suffering financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. The requirements, which were scheduled to expire on May 7, will now expire on June 6. Big I New York wrote to the governor last week urging him to extend the requirements' duration. The governor issued an executive order on March 29 that required the state Department of Financial Services to issue regulations setting a 60-day moratorium on insurers cancelling, non-renewing or conditionally renewing some policies. The regulations also required insurers…