Part of the issue that has led the bill to ldquo;languish in the Senate since late last yearrdquo; is, not surprising: Republicans and Democrats are on opposite sides. ldquo;The GOP-led House voted in favor of the bill 237-189 despite significant opposition from coastal Democrats, who believe premiums on high-risk properties could skyrocket under the reform initiative,rdquo; they said.
So whatrsquo;s really at stake? A lot, potentially.
Premiumsmdash;If the ldquo;21st Century Flood Reform Actrdquo; passed as is, ldquo;premiums, which on average cost homeowners 650 annually but can spin out of control in coastal regions, would be capped at 10,000,rdquo; said Inman.
A lapsemdash;If the program lapses without signoff by November 30, the National Flood Insurance Program wouldnrsquo;t be able to sell or renew flood insurance policies. ldquo;Right now our financial position is okay ndash; but we wouldnrsquo;t be able to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to pay claims for our existing policies,rdquo; said David Maurstad, chief executive of the National Flood Insurance Program, on the Texas Standard.
Even more people could end up without flood insurancemdash;Despite the risks associated with having a home in a coastal area, many people still opt to forgo flood insurance in places where it is not required by law. ldquo;One recent study suggested about two-thirds of people in areas that have a 1 percent chance of flooding in a given year do not have flood insurance,rdquo; said the Citizen-Times.
Common reasons laid out by the publication include: homebuyers ldquo;dont recognize the riskrdquo; because they donrsquo;t understand ldquo;flood maps and may never inquire whether they have anything to worry about; Banks and mortgage companies dont always require it; theres a myth that the governments going to bail you out; and they think their homeowners insurance will cover flood damage. Almost all policies exclude claims from flooding.rdquo;
Flood insurance may ultimately have to look to privatizationmdash;Some say this is a much better answer, anyway. ldquo;The National Flood Insurance Programrsquo;s NFIP financial woes stem from the fact that it consistently fails to charge program participants rates that cover the full risk of flooding to their properties,rdquo; said Inside Sources. ldquo;As a result, the NFIPrsquo;s revenues from premiums donrsquo;t even cover its claims during an average year. The Congressional Budget Office has calculated that the program is bleeding 1.4 billion annually. In years of catastrophic flooding, the NFIP has needed to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to honor its commitments to policyholders. Its debt now stands at about 20.5 billion, and thatrsquo;s after Congress forgave 16 billion of the programrsquo;s debts last fall. Unless action is taken, the NFIPrsquo;s finances will only deteriorate in the wake of the 2018 hurricane season and with each passing year.rdquo;
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