California Earthquake Authority

Earthquake insurance premiums would fall slightly for residents of Los Angeles and Orange counties but rise for homeowners in other Southland counties under a rate change plan under review by the California Earthquake Authority, which handles most of the state's earthquake coverage. The authority's board will vote on the plan Thursday.

The Assembly on Thursday passed an insurance industry-backed version of a bill to create a $10.6-billion state fund to cover homeowners' earthquake losses. But the vote, the second attempt at approving the bill, was not a victory for the industry but an attempt to advance the bill into a conference committee in order to seek a compromise with a more consumer-friendly version passed by the Senate.

An average 11% decrease in the state's earthquake insurance rates--approved in July by the California Earthquake Authority--won the endorsement of Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush on Thursday and will go into effect in November. Quackenbush said those who have already paid for quake insurance this year will get an average rebate of $62 on their premium, either as a refund or a credit on next year's bill. The decrease came after the state geologist, James F.

We protest! Now it's our state agency, the California Earthquake Authority, that carries discrimination to a new high through adoption of a "redlining" policy. On behalf of Tarzana Property Owners Assn. members, the following letter has been sent to Charles Quackenbush, California state insurance commissioner, with copies to Gov. Pete Wilson, Sens. Tom Hayden and Herschel Rosenthal, Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky: "With earthquake faults crisscrossing the entire state, the San Fernando Valley should not be singled out as 'most vulnerable, therefore most liable financially' (our quote)

More California homeowners are passing on earthquake insurance. Between 1999 and 2003, there was a 52% decline in the number of earthquake policies in the state, according to the California Department of Insurance. Today, less than 15% of California homes have the coverage. Since a standard homeowners' policy doesn't cover earthquake damage, the vast majority of consumers will have to rely on federal grants or loans -- or their own bank accounts -- to pay for any future quake-related repairs.

Although given preliminary approval by the state Legislature and Gov. Pete Wilson, the future of the proposed California Earthquake Authority is in doubt. The privately financed, publicly managed agency would sell earthquake coverage on behalf of insurance companies and limit insurers' losses in the event of a catastrophe such as the Northridge earthquake. Insurance industry experts have predicted the total payout for the 1994 temblor could exceed $12.5 billion.

"Insurers Are Finding a Friend in Quackenbush" (editorial, Aug. 2) mentions that there is more than one way to approach the earthquake insurance problem. That is a given. The Northridge earthquake put 20th Century Fire and Casualty out of business. There is no actuarial method of determining an adequate premium for earthquake insurance as we know it today. Therefore, any company that sells earthquake policies could be put out of business with the next major earthquake. Does it make sense to say the insurance companies have something to gain with the creation of the California Earthquake Authority, when in reality they just want to be able to stay in business after the next earthquake hits?