HOLOCAUST-RELATED INSURANCE CLAIMS FOCUS OF NOV. 10 PUBLIC MEETING

Springfield, IL - Holocaust victims and their heirs will have an opportunity to testify about uncollected insurance claims during a public meeting sponsored by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) on November 10 in Skokie, Illinois.

State insurance regulators were briefed about the refusal of European insurance companies to honor the claims of Holocaust survivors during the Association's national meeting in September. Illinois Director of Insurance Mark Boozell chairs the NAIC's Special Insurance Issues Committee which subsequently appointed a special working group to investigate Holocaust-related insurance claims and problems. The Working Group is headed by Washington Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn.

"Hearing firsthand accounts of the suffering endured by the Jewish community in Nazi Germany was an emotional and humbling experience," Boozell said. "U.S. insurance regulators are outraged at the arrogance of the European insurers and have pledged to help the families of Holocaust victims recover what is rightfully theirs."

The Midwest meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel North Shore in Skokie. Other meetings are set for November 20 in Miami and December 8 in Seattle. Further information can be obtained from the NAIC Meetings Department at 816-889-4400 or from Commissioner Senn's office at (360) 586-4422.