By emergency declaration issued August 18, 2016, the Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Insurance adopted Emergency Rule 27. Emergency Rule 27 allows the Department of Insurance to suspend certain statutes in the Louisiana Insurance Code and the rules and regulations promulgated under those statutes that may affect families and business affected by the current flood crisis in Louisiana.
While Emergency Rule 27 suspends many provisions of the Louisiana Insurance Code, most of the suspended provisions affect the ability of an insurer to cancel, terminate, non-renew, or non-reinstate a policy of insurance. One of its most significant provisions provides that an insurer may not terminate, cancel, or non-renew a policy of insurance as a result of the “inability of an insured . . . from complying with any policy provisions,” this includes non-payment of premiums. Insurers are further forbidden from imposing any interest, penalty, or other charge as a result of the enactment of Emergency Rule 27. Furthermore, the rule extends to September 10, 2016, any deadline for the submission of evidence or the completion of any act related to any claim for coverage under a policy of insurance made prior to August 12, 2016.
Emergency Rule 27 currently applies to policy holders residing in the following parishes: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermillion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. Emergency Rule 27 applies to any policy of insurance in effect as of 12:01 a.m. on August 12, 2016, and will remain in effect through September 10, 2016.
Additional information and a copy of Emergency Rule 27 may be found on the Louisiana Department of Insurance’s website.