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JEWISH NEWS
2/6
1998
14
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Michigan has joined other states in investigating insurance companies
that may have sold bad policies to Jews in Nazi-era Europe.
JULIE EDGAR
News Editor
id
ichigan's insurance
bureau has joined a
nationwide investigation
of European insurance
companies that may have sold fraudu-
lent insurance policies to Jews during
the Nazi era.
Whether the investigation will bear
fruit is a big question mark; it already
has bumped into difficulties locating
survivors who can remember owning
policies, the legality of investigating
companies located abroad and the
logistics of tracking old records.
In mid-January, Kurt Gallinger,
first deputy commissioner of the
Michigan Insurance Bureau, attended
a meeting of the National Association
of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
in Washington, D.C. A working
group of the NAIC, led by
Washington State Insurance
Commissioner Deborah Senn, is at
the beginning of an investigation of
American affiliates of European insur-
ance companies that may have sold
policies to Jews between 1933 and „
1945. Twenty other states have joined
the NAIC investigation.
Gallinger noted that the investiga-
tion is weighted with a "huge set of
issues," among them a chilly reception
by the Holocaust Museum in
Washington, D.C., which has been
asked to supply a mailing list of sur-
vivors in the United States. The NAIC
would like to ask survivors if they had
policies in Europe or might know of
others who did.
"The museum and some of the
local groups associated with the muse-
um would prefer to work on a more
local basis and do their own internal
mailings," Gallinger said. He acknowl-
edged that a few NAIC commissioners
were rebuffed in their approach to
gathering information "because the
information about names and address-
es is sensitive. There's a mistrust of
government."
Then there are the legalities and
logistics of pursuing records that origi-
nate at overseas companies.
"In Washington, we had representa-
tives from European insurers speak to
Washington State-certified insurance
companies are connected to European
firms with "immense holdings" in the
United States.
The next meeting of the NAIC is
scheduled in March, in Utah.
Gallinger, who plans to attend, said
Michigan's next step may be a formal
outreach program to find Holocaust
survivors who may own outstanding
insurance policies.
"The more we attended the
[NAIC] meetings, the more we
began to believe that our
inquiry is how can we make
information available to
Michigan citizens of this poli-
cy-holder concern or potential
policy-holder concern. It is
something within our grasp to
effect," he said.
State Rep. David Gubow,
D-Huntington Woods, the
chairman of the State House
Insurance Committee, already
has met with several Canada-
based insurance companies that
once had European affiliates.
"I've developed a relation-
ship with these companies,
along with their representatives
in Michigan. Whether the
insurance commissioner gets
involved or not, we do have
the opportunity — either by
way of holding committee
hearings or just in private
meetings — to look into these
issues," Gubow said.
He said there are European- ci\
Rep. David Gubow is interested in helping
Holocaust survivors cash in on outstanding insur- based companies located in
Michigan, including Jackson
ance policies.
National Life, which is owned
by a British company.
Generali representatives spoke to the
Any investigation, whether it is
commissioners in Washington last
through
the NAIC or the state legisla-
month about the effects of the compa-
ture, won't be easy, Gubow said.
ny's nationalization after World War II
"You've got to identify whether
and its attempts to make reparations
there are policies that were written.
to policy-holders. The company does
Then you've got to determine if bene-
not have an affiliate in Michigan,
fitswere paid and to whom they were
Gallinger said.
paid. Hopefully, the companies would
There has been some progress in
be somewhat cooperative with regard
finding Holocaust survivors in
to the records they have. [But,] you've
Washington State who remember
got proof problems as well."
owning insurance policies in Europe,
He said he has not heard from any
according to a member of Insurance
citizens who may be affected. [I
Commissioner Senn's staff. Jim
Stevenson also noted that some
us about outreach efforts they're
involved in and to tell regulators here
some concerns they have about access
to records in European jurisdictions.
That necessarily leads the group into
many legal issues," Gallinger said.
The NAIC believes there are 11 to
13 European companies that may have
outstanding obligations to policy-
holders, but only one — the Italian
Generali Company — has an affiliate
that is licensed in the United States.