Woman Loses Insurance Coverage for Her Politics

Sorry, this didn't qualify for LBN...

Published on Thursday, January 13, 2005 by the Associated Press
NH Woman Loses Insurance Coverage for Her Politics
Company calls move 'common practice'
by Norma Love

Helen Johnston is an 80-year-old retired pediatrician who hardly considers herself much of a risk for being sued.

That's not how her insurance company sees it, however.

Johnston is losing extra coverage she bought years ago while she still practiced medicine - not because she's a retired doctor, but because she is active in Francestown politics.

The Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Co. sent her a letter last month notifying her it is not renewing her $1 million umbrella policy next month because of "the political positions the insured holds."

"If she was just a retired doctor, it wouldn't be an issue," said Dale Groves, vice president for underwriting for the Providence, R.I., company.

Johnston is vice chairwoman of her town's Democratic committee and a member of the Hillsborough County Democratic Committee. She helps campaigns by distributing posters and making calls, and she held a get-out-the-vote session for Howard Dean at her house.

Groves said that's enough.

"It's a common practice within the industry not to cover that because of libel and slander (risks)," he said.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0113-12.htm

"we don't cover people who might tell the truth about our robber-Baron industry". :grr:

And the corruption is a self rolling wheel...

Redlining used to be a "comon practice" in the insurance industry as well.

edit: they just call it something else now.

land of opportunity

calls many of the shots for B*shco.
This entire "tort reform" business is really about "increasing the profits of insurance companies"

Sen. Joe Lieberman is also an insurance lobby lackey -- Connecticut is controlled by insurance firms.