When Suzanne Weiner-Zada was growing up in Hungary, her father, a wealthy lumber merchant, took out eight insurance policies with Assicurazioni Generali of Italy, one of the world\’s largest insurance companies, which operated extensively in the pre-World War II Jewish communities of Central and Eastern Europe.
Because elder care can be an enormous drain on an individual\’s resources, with nursing homes costing in excess of $100 a day and home care costing even more, planning ahead and buying long-term-care insurance is one way of preventing the costs from being too overwhelming.
Holocaust survivors have been waiting decades to reclaim Holocaust-era insurance policies. Unfortunately, the findings of an ongoing congressional investigation I initiated indicate that their wait is far from over.
The word from survivors is clear: The Holocaust insurance claims process doesn\’t work.
Lawmakers joined survivors in their criticism, accusing the international commission charged with resolving Holocaust-era insurance claims of being too slow and not getting money to policyholders or their heirs.
At issue is whether ICHEIC should have sole jurisdiction over such disputes or whether survivors can file separate class action suits in American courts.
About the only words of praise for Chuck Quackenbush, who resigned last week (June 28) as California insurance commissioner in the face of certain impeachment, have come from Holocaust survivors grateful for his dogged attempts to force European insurance companies to pay claims stemming from the Nazi era.
Three out of every four insurance policy claims submitted by Holocaust survivors or heirs of victims are being rejected by European insurers.
To please Holocaust survivors and Jewish advocacy groups or to please the insurance companies.
State Sen. Tom Hayden handed Quackenbush a petition that called for the suspension of 64 insurance companies practicing in California which have failed to honor Holocaust-era claims.
November 1998 will mark the 60th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Sixty years have passed since the beginning of one of human history\’s darkest moments and even now we find ourselves still pursuing justice for the victims of the Holocaust.
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