SageSure, a leading provider of catastrophe-exposed property insurance, today announced the introduction of a new admitted, proprietary residential flood program.
SageSure will distribute flood insurance through its network of contracted producers while also handling all servicing and claims. Initially available in Texas, the program will expand to additional states next year.
“We are excited to offer homeowners flexible options to insure their property for flood damage, which is not covered under standard home insurance policies,” said Paul VanderMarck, chief technology and innovation officer at SageSure. “Hurricane Ian is the most recent reminder of the importance of flood insurance, not only for homeowners in the areas recognized as highest risk but also in lower risk areas where flooding can still cause catastrophic damage.”
SageSure’s new flood program is available through its carrier partner SURE as convenient additional coverage on SURE home insurance policies. SageSure developed the new program in partnership with a leading global reinsurer and is leveraging its decades of flood insurance experience and modeling expertise to offer competitive, risk-based premiums.
Approximately 70% of homeowners affected by flooding from Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2017 did not have flood insurance, according to data from CoreLogic. A recurring pattern of high levels of uninsured losses exists in Texas with other recent events such as the Tax Day Floods in April of 2016 and the July 2021 flash floods in South Texas. Take-up of traditional National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance has historically remained low for multiple reasons, including coverage limitations and pricing that doesn’t reflect individual property risk profiles.
SageSure will offer comprehensive, full limits coverage so that homeowners can fully protect their home and personal property in the same way they do for other perils under their home insurance policies. Policyholders will also be able to choose from less expensive, partial coverage options. A risk-based pricing model for all coverage levels provides homeowners with more affordable alternatives to secure full limits for flood insurance when compared to the cost for limited NFIP coverage.
“SageSure is dedicated to protecting homeowners in catastrophe-exposed markets,” VanderMarck said. “We listened carefully to our producer partners’ concerns about the shortcomings of existing flood insurance options in the market and invested in developing an innovative new product that will make it possible for many more homeowners to affordably insure their property against flood damage. We look forward to working with our producers to help close the protection gap in Texas and beyond.”
About SageSure
SageSure is an insurance-first, tech-forward managing general agent specializing in catastrophe-exposed property markets. SageSure offers more than 50 competitively priced insurance products in 14 coastal states on behalf of its carrier partners, serves more than 400,000 policyholders, and has more than $900 million of in force premium. Since its launch in 2009, SageSure has been pioneering property insurance through its market-leading online quoting and binding platform and its sophisticated risk modeling and scoring technology. Over the last two years, more than 4,000 agency locations have written one or more policies with SageSure across the US to help customers protect their most important asset. To learn more, visit sagesure.com.