NY Lawmakers To Introduce Bedbug Insurance Legislation

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bedbugsAssemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson have announced that they intend to introduce bedbug insurance legislation. Their bill will requirinsurers who underwrite property and casualty policies in New York State to offer policies which cover the costs associated with bedbug infestations.

“This legislation is long overdue,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “Nearly every day you read another story about a bedbug infestation, be it in an upscale department store, an emergency room, or in a private residence. People should not be forced into financial ruin because of a bedbug infestation. We can no longer allow insurance companies to deny coverage for bedbug infestations by classifying the infestation as a standard maintenance issue. I am proud to sponsor this legislation to give people some peace of mind as they battle this epidemic.”

The legislation provides that insurance companies must reimburse renters, homeowners, co-op and condo owners who experience a bedbug infestation for all infestation-related costs, including: extermination services, cleaning of the insured’s property and personal property (such as clothing and bedding), as well as the cost of replacing items which cannot be treated or cleaned, like mattresses or furniture.

The amount of compensation will vary from case to case depending on the amount of damage sustained.

This bill will also allow residential building owners and condo and co-op associations to purchase bedbug insurance for the entire structure.

Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson remarked, “Bedbug infestations in our homes, stores, and hospitals are an unsafe, unhealthy, and costly nuisance burdening far too many New Yorkers. This legislation will provide common sense protection for families being denied coverage for bedbug infestation by insurance companies. I applaud my friend and colleague, Assemblyman Dov Hikind, for his vision and leadership in sponsoring with me this vital legislation that will correct an injustice which has gone on for far too long.”

If the bill passes, it will take effect 90 days after it has become law, and will be implemented by the New York State Commissioner of Insurance.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


3 COMMENTS

  1. Who is paying for this? The insurance companies won’t lose, they will just raise rates for me and you so this is a tax on everyone to pay for bedbug costs. I can think of better uses for my money.

  2. This is crazy.

    It will send insurance rates through the roof!

    Every fraud will be submitting a “bedbug claim”.

    Think. Please think! There is no such thing as a free ride.

    I had bedbugs. Brought them home from the hospital. Cost me a fortune to get rid of them, mostly because the really good stuff is illegal in NY. (In NY every pest control product needs special testing. Tests done by other labs (National) are not accepted in our wonderful state.)

    Holding landlords responsible for extermination is also not right because they are not in control. The tenants bring them in and then often don’t allow access or follow instructions necessary to get rid of them. They then spread from one apartment to the next, so it is not fair to hold tenants responsible either.

    It is a tough problem with no easy answer.

  3. if insurance covered then maybe people would do what is necessary to eradicate the problem instead of trying stopgap measures and spreading the problem further. It can easily cost many thousands of dollars to get rid of bedbugs and people who can’t afford it often do not bother and they spread it.

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