Mass. FAIR Plan Home Insurer Won’t Appeal Rate Denial

Massachusetts’ insurer of last resort won’t immediately seek a steep premium increase, saving money for 150,000 customers.

The decision by the FAIR Plan comes after Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes rejected its request to raise premiums 13.2 percent statewide, including 25 percent on Cape Cod. Burnes said the rate increase request wasn’t backed by timely or accurate data.

FAIR Plan president John Golembeski told The Boston Globe the company decided not to appeal, but declined to discuss specifics.

The FAIR plan is a state-created insurer for cases where private insurers decline coverage. Its decision not to appeal will be felt most on the Cape, where the plan covers 40 percent of homeowners. They had absorbed a 25 percent increase in 2006.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe