The Georgia insurance Commissioner, John Oxendine, is now involved in the latest Progressive Insurance Company's scandel over allegations of invasion of privacy, fraud and other misdeeds. Hopefully, this will help Progressive and other insurance companies remember that they have fiduciary duties towards thier own insured's, that is, a duty to place their insured's interests as highly as their own. We will see.
By D.L. BENNETT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/30/07
Georgia's insurance commissioner has begun an investigation of Progressive
Insurance for allegedly sending private investigators into a church
confessional to spy on a couple who had filed suit against the company.
John W. Oxendine ordered a market conduct examination into recent
allegations of invasion of privacy, fraud and other misdeeds by Progressive
Insurance Co.
Oxendine has ordered the company to preserve "all documents, data and
tangible things related to all losses or claims incurred or reported
involving or related to Georgia policyholders since Jan. 1, 2003."
"Georgia policyholders should expect an open and honest relationship with
their insurance company," Oxendine said. "In order to assure truthfulness
within the industry, when we hear of possible wrongdoing, we have to act
promptly to protect the consumer."
The two private detectives allegedly posed as a married couple wanting to
join the church. They talked their way into a private confessional at a
member's home and recorded potentially embarrassing details from several
people there.
The investigators were looking into Bill and Leandra Pitts, a Henry County
couple who were involved in a car crash and later sued Progressive. The
company's president issued an apology on Progressive's website last week.
Progressive has 10 days to request a hearing.
Company spokesman Shawn Fergus could not be reached for comment late
Thursday.
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were involved in a motorcycle accident
we were not at fault! I have never been
subjected to so many problems in one
situation in all of my life (52yrs).
1.The minute that you mention motor -
vehicle accident they (Dr.Office)
start looking for reasons to dismiss
you, They don't want to get involved.
2.When you finally do find one that
will see you they then will not take
your med-pay insurance.
3.Progressive now has demanded Full -
Blanket Access to our medical records
without limitation back to birth I
guess, with a disclaimer saying that
since they are neither a hospital or
a health care org. all of the info
obtained is no longer subject to the
federal privacy guidelines. This is
not only B.S. in a big way but also
bullying by big insurance we all
know that this information can then
be not only shared but also used to
rate future insurance and whatever
else might be convenient use. I would
also like to make one final point and
then I'll get off of my soap-box. I
doubt that this form (for complete-
authorization to release any and all
information to Progressive or any one
of their subsidiaries) is often chall-
enged or even given a second look by
laymen and especially by most of the
nice folks up here in Northeast Ga.