Redmer

Maryland's top insurance regulator has called an invitation-only meeting to hear concerns of selected industry executives, raising questions of access and influence from some critics. Insurance Commissioner Alfred W. Redmer Jr., a former Republican delegate and an appointee of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., scheduled the meeting for Monday in the Baltimore offices of Funk & Bolton, a prominent law firm specializing in insurance clients. A year ago, Funk & Bolton lawyers were forced to cancel a $2,000-a-head insurance industry fund-raiser for Ehrlich, with Redmer as the featured guest, over inquiries about the propriety of an appearance by the then-newly installed regulator.

The director of the National Flood Insurance Program acknowledged yesterday that his office should do more to educate agents and consumers about flood policies to prevent problems like those complained about by Tropical Storm Isabel victims. But the director, Anthony S. Lowe, defended his agency's response to the storm, saying that the volume of complaints is small compared with the 24,000 claims it has processed since the storm. "Not to lessen the impact of the need to inform consumers and to process in a timely way, in a fair way, their claims, but I think in terms of the big picture, I think we've got to keep it in perspective," Lowe said.

Responding to hundreds of complaints from Tropical Storm Isabel victims, Maryland Insurance Commissioner Alfred W. Redmer Jr. called on Congress yesterday to re-examine the coverage offered under national flood insurance policies, require more training for those who sell them and establish deadlines for the adjustment of claims. Redmer made the recommendations in a meeting with Maryland's U.S. representatives and senators, some of whom are to testify at a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday on the National Flood Insurance Program.

Maryland Insurance Commissioner Alfred W. Redmer Jr. is to meet today with the state's U.S. representatives and senators to argue for changes in the federal flood insurance program, which has faced widespread criticism from Tropical Storm Isabel victims. With a U.S. Senate hearing on the National Flood Insurance Program set for next week, Redmer's office is also conducting a series of investigations into the way flood insurance claims were settled. Redmer would not specify the changes he proposes, and he would not comment yesterday on details of the investigations, other than to say that they should yield preliminary results in the coming week.

After complaining for two months that the Maryland Insurance Administration should do more to help Tropical Storm Isabel victims, Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. is now pushing for a change in state law that he says would force the agency to more aggressively police flood insurance carriers. At Smith's request, Sen. Norman R. Stone Jr., a Dundalk Democrat, has introduced a bill that would require the state insurance commissioner to hold flood insurance carriers to the same standards of conduct that he does for other types of coverage.

Despite protests by victims of Tropical Storm Isabel, a Maryland Senate committee voted unanimously last night to accept the nomination of Alfred W. Redmer Jr. as state insurance commissioner. The senators on the Executive Nominations Committee questioned Redmer for more than an hour about his stance that federal law prevents him from taking aggressive action on consumers' behalf in flood insurance complaints. Although many of the senators accepted Redmer's explanation of his interpretation of the law, some took him to task for not being a more visible and forceful advocate for flood victims.

More than 60 Tropical Storm Isabel victims gathered on flood-ravaged Millers Island yesterday to ask the Maryland Senate to delay confirming the state insurance commissioner until he takes more aggressive action against flood insurance providers. The Senate's Executive Nominations Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing for the commissioner, Alfred W. Redmer Jr., today. Most gubernatorial appointees are confirmed without incident, but Redmer's hearing comes less than a week after his predecessor, Steven B. Larsen, released a report saying the insurance commissioner can and should take aggressive action to make sure companies that sell flood insurance settle claims fairly.

WHEN BALTIMORE County Executive James T. Smith Jr. suggested recently that Alfred W. Redmer Jr. was aloof and uncaring to victims of Tropical Storm Isabel, Maryland's insurance commissioner got mad. Mr. Redmer announced that his agency had done everything it could to help storm victims with their insurance claims. And he even got his own dig in, questioning the wisdom of the county paying $24,000 to his predecessor, Steven B. Larsen, to investigate the problem. It would be easy to chalk this episode up to politics (Mr. Smith is a Democrat, Mr. Redmer a Republican)

Insurance study sticks taxpayers with useless bill The taxpayers of Baltimore County may be footing an unnecessary $24,000 bill mainly for political accusations ("Insurance chief seeks apology in Balto. County," Dec. 19). The responsiveness claimed by Maryland Insurance Commissioner Alfred W. Redmer Jr. is something that can be verified by the record, although the immensity of the Hurricane Isabel disaster no doubt delayed some responses to those who needed help the most. And I do not understand how Mr. Redmer can reasonably be blamed for any deficiencies in coverage.

Maryland's insurance commissioner said yesterday that his staff deserves an apology from Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr., who suggested Tuesday that the state wasn't doing enough to resolve insurance coverage complaints by victims of Tropical Storm Isabel. Flanked by more than 50 Insurance Administration employees at a news conference, Commissioner Alfred W. Redmer Jr. gave an 18-minute description of the efforts his staff has made on behalf of Isabel victims. He said his staff has worked nonstop to resolve insurance problems in the wake of the storm and considers the executive's complaints "absolutely outrageous."