The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) published a news release on insurance protections provided by the OSI following the Salt Fire and South Fork Fire impacting the state. The fires have destroyed thousands of acres, displaced thousands of people, and as of June 21, are still ongoing.
In an effort to help policyholders impacted by the fires, the OSI requires property insurers and health insurers to follow certain protective measures. New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham issued an Executive Order in response to the fires, which gave the OSI the authority to issue an Emergency Order.
The Emergency Order requires property insurers (including homeowners and auto) to:
- Provide grace periods for premium payment and claims submission
- Waive deductibles
- Postpone cancellations and non-renewals
- Suspend late payment fees
- If ALE is covered in the policy, issue an advanced $5,000 payment to policyholders affected by the fires
Health insurers are required to:
- Provide grace periods for premium payments
- Refill prescriptions early
- Cover out-of-network services
- Waive patient cost-sharing and prior authorizations
- Cover replacements of essential medical supplies and equipment that were left behind due to evacuations
The news release can be found here.
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