Reducing insurance paperwork

Small changes could produce fewer papers for insurance agents to shuffle.

The House passed HF895 102-25 April 27. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Hoppe (R-Chaska), would allow insurance companies to send property casualty insurance notices in the form in which an application was made, whether electronically or in writing. The bill now moves to the Senate where Sen. Paul Gazelka (R-Brainerd) is the sponsor.

The bill would also allow verbal authorization in lieu of signed authorization given by a customer to collect and disclose personal information if the verbal authorization is recorded electronically by the company.

Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL-Inver Grove Heights) unsuccessfully offered an amendment to require appraiser jobs be kept in Minnesota. Instead, the bill would allow a qualified appraiser who is not a Minnesota resident to be retained in a property casualty insurance claim.