Winners and Losers of 2003. A Consumer's view from Texas.

Since Governor Perry began fighting for Texas consumers prior to the 2002 election, insurance policyholders received two black eyes: higher rates and less coverage. Once the consumers wake up and take notice, Governor Rick Perry¹s political career will be knocked out cold.

(PRWEB) December 31, 2003 --
And the insurance reform winners and losers of the year are:

Winners:
Texas Insurance Industry. The industry successfully turned a consumer crisis in high insurance rates into a welfare package for the insurance industry. Over a two-year period, mold, foundation, water, and sewer damage was removed from insurance policies without one single cent of rate reduction. Now the industry, their front groups, and the Texas Department of Insurance claim the intent of the wide sweeping insurance reform legislation of 2003 was not to reduce rates, but to reduce rate increases! Later in the year they convinced Texans to change the Texas Constitution with Proposition 12 and limit liability of medical malpractice claims. And yet not one single malpractice rate deduction has been realized. Not one cent of relief for doctors or for patients. This is a perfect example of a win-win situation. The Insurance Industry won twice.

Representative Joe Nixon. What else can someone be called who received a $300,000 mold claim from his insurance company for his house valued at $360,000 especially at a time when mold contamination was considered junk science? $300,000 in this type of environment was clearly a jackpot of gold, based on mold. Another clear winner!

Losers:
Representative Joe Nixon. What else can someone be called who received a $300,000 mold claim from his insurance company for his house valued at $360,000 especially at a time when mold contamination was considered junk science? While homeowners across Texas were testifying at mold hearings about their financial, mental, and physical devastation with mold contamination, Representative Joe Nixon was collecting $300,000 while filing a massive tort reform bill and Proposition 12, on behalf of the insurance industry. He is clearly the big loser of 2003.

Insurance Commissioner Montemayor. The Texas Department of Insurance should protect all citizens and the insurance companies, yet the Commissioner ignored the pleas of consumers and consumer groups and granted every request made by the industry during 2003 including removing mold, allowing HO-A policies and the continued use of credit scoring. The Commissioner cannot, in good faith, point to one single accomplishment of the TDI on behalf of the consumer and for this he is squarely in the losers corner.

Governor Rick Perry. Since Governor Perry began fighting for Texas consumers prior to the 2002 election, insurance policyholders received two black eyes: higher rates and less coverage. Once the consumers wake up and take notice, Governor Rick Perry¹s political career will be knocked out cold. The Governor allowed wide sweeping insurance reform, supported far reaching tort reform and the passage of proposition 12 to benefit the insurance industry while consumers received absolutely no rate relief and broken promises. Besides his complete lack of leadership on insurance and other issues, he is truly one of the most anti-consumer Governor Texas has ever had. And when (if) the citizens of Texas wake up, his game will be over.

Texas Citizens. It takes just one look at an insurance bill to realize Texas consumers are the losers of the year, but they are also bigger losers in other ways. Instead of raising their voices and calling for the resignation of the Insurance Commissioner and Governor Perry for higher rates and less coverage, they raised their deductions to lower their premiums and kept quiet. They are losers because they didn¹t stand up and fight. They just gave up. For those who chose to give up, higher rates and less coverage is well deserved. Maybe one day they will wake up and get in the game. Until then they share the same title. Losers.

Texas Doctors. Not only will they never see any rate relief in medical malpractice insurance as promised, they believed the same insurance industry, the same front groups, and the same politicians who manage the miserable failure of insurance reform. The Texas Doctors who supported Proposition 12 and helped its passage are not only in the losers category, they are also in the dumb category. And it too is well deserved.

So in 2003, some were winners. Some were losers, and some are just dumb.
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John R. Cobarruvias
Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings
14646 Cardinal Creek Ct Houston, TX 77062
281-486-5203 H
281-483-9357 W

John Cobarruvias is President of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, Texas and a long time consumer activist in new home construction, insurance and tort reform. He has testified in many hearings during the 2003 legislation session.