Various Disputes
Stall Payment Of
Holocaust Claims
By
A commitment to advance payment of unpaid insurance claims of Holocaust survivors continues to be stymied by questions over development of lists of eligible policyholders, says Nat Shapo, Illinois insurance director.
Shapo, who is heading up insurance regulatory efforts of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to make sure that insurance claims are honored, says a recent meeting with International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims and the German Foundation in mid-December produced a clearer understanding of outstanding issues, but little progress.
For Shapo, the issue of paying claims is “fundamental. It goes to the heart of insurance regulation and the insurance business.”
He cites outstanding issues: making lists public, auditing claims procedures, and reimbursing insurance companies for expenses that would otherwise be used to pay survivors’ claims. A proposal is currently being advocated to divert $76 million to cover company expenses.