As a result of recent flooding in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) issued a notice this week establishing a moratorium on cancellation of policies for non-payment of premiums for individuals who reside in areas of Illinois declared as disaster areas affected by this month's flooding. The moratorium impacts all insured lines of business.

Counties declared disaster areas include: Adams, Calhoun, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Hancock, Henderson, Jasper, Jersey, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Mercer, Pike, Rock Island and Winnebago.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) Response

• Any non-payment cancellation on non-renewal notices issued to our members on or after June 10 will be withdrawn, and affected policies will be reinstated with no lapse in coverage.
• No new non-payment cancellation notices will be issued to affected members until the moratorium expires on August 18, 2008 or later if deemed necessary given individual circumstances.
• Should members have questions about their coverage, or have lost their ID card, they can reach us at (800) 676-BLUE (2583.)
• BCBSIL is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross for disaster recovery services in northern Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. The CareVan was also dispatched to northern Illinois to assist in the disaster response.

Additional Information:

The full DOI notice is located at the following Web address:

http://www.idfpr.com/DOI/General/CB200804ExceptionsforConsumersinDisasterareasDOI.pdf

For the most current list of counties included in the disaster area designation, see
http://www.ready.illinois.gov/ & http://www.fema.gov/news/eventcounties.fema?id=9486.