re: Flood insurnce lapse due to dementia

Depending on the servicer, the agent is usually notified the same way as the insured. A renewal notice in the mail (billed and mailed 45 days prior) and a notice a few days before renewal. Then an expiration notice. The agent should be calling at the time of the second and third notice but it's not their responsibility to do so. You won't have any recourse but you should move to a new agent if you're displeased with his service or lack thereof

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So how are agents involved with FEMA flood programs?

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You still go through an insurance agent to purchase flood insurance, just as you would for homeowners.

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It is part of their homeowner's billing or separate?

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Flood is a completely separate policy from homeowners, so its billed separately also.

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Are they notified as well of lapses or cancellations?

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Depends on the insurance carrier. I'm independent, so I write for about 10 different companies that participate in the FEMA-run NFIP. Some carriers mail our office duplicate copies of everything they mail to the insured. Some have reports we can log in and run to track upcoming renewals.

Personally, I don't go around calling people to remind them when a payment is due. They should be responsible enough to check their mail IMO.

When an agent has hundreds and hundreds of policies, its damn near impossible for an agent to try to keep up with reminding insured's to pay the bill they got in the mail....especially since many homeowners and car insurance policies get paid on installment plans and could have a bill every month to keep up with.

I know your relative's situation is a little unusual because of the dementia, but you can't expect the agent to remember that. They may be have 500+ accounts that they service. While I try to remember unique situations for each policyholder as best as I can, its impossible to remember for everyone, especially if we hadn't talked in a while.

ETA: As another poster mentioned, if an agent starts calling insureds to remind them to pay their bill, then it becomes a possible E&O exposure for us because then they expect the agent to always call to remind them. So if the policy cancels for non-pay and the agent had forgotten to call for whatever reason, then the insured wants to hold the agent responsible if something happens to their house after the policy had cancelled.

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Flood insurnce lapse due to dementia

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Congrats on the most random thread in OT history

The agent was aware and has a relationship with the relative, was also administering dementia meds to said relative. Was also given access to checking account at one point.

I'm not accusing, just gathering info to see what if anything can be done

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The agent was aware and has a relationship with the relative, was also administering dementia meds to said relative. Was also given access to checking account at one point

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There's more to your story then besides just wondering why your relative's insurance agent didn't call to tell him a policy lapsed for non-payment.

What kind of relationship did the agent have with them in order to be administering medication and have checking account access? I've seen some unusual situations as an insurance agent, but none of them involved giving clients medication or having access to their checking accounts (beyond a client giving me a check or account info in regards to processing a premium payment).

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The agent was aware and has a relationship with the relative, was also administering dementia meds to said relative. Was also given access to checking account at one point

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There's more to your story then besides just wondering why your relative's insurance agent didn't call to tell him a policy lapsed for non-payment.

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