Insurance Update February 19, 2014
Gap in Insurance Coverage
On February 11, 2014 IMBA’s Board of Directors voted to cancel their national insurance program, affecting all its chapter programs, including MORE.
Two days later, on February 13, 2014, IMBA’s Regional Directors announced this decision and the reasons for it to their respective IMBA chapters and affiliate clubs nationwide via email. IMBA also posted additional information on its web page (login required).
While IMBA is working on creating another National Policy the MORE board is actively working on an alternative for our members. We have been in daily contact with IMBA’s Executive Director, and have reached out to several brokers who are willing to underwrite organizations such as ours. Each individual club’s insurance submission package is a time consuming process, but, because of MORE’s large size, we’re getting priority treatment.
While we are confident that we will have insurance coverage in place, there will be a short gap in coverage when MORE’s current policy expires at midnight on February 28, 2014. We are not able to forecast how long that gap will be. That means that MORE will need to postpone all club rides, trail workdays or any other outdoor activities scheduled to take place from March 1 onwards until MORE’s insurance is back in place. Mother Nature is currently keeping us off the trails which will give us a few weeks to resolve our insurance issues.
Many land managers have existing volunteer work programs already in place. Trail liaisons planning March work days can reach out to their respective land managers about holding work days under an existing land manager program. The Advocacy Director and Trail Boss will be in touch with trail liaisons soon with more details.
Additional updates will be posted on this blog and in the MORE Members section of the MORE Forums as they become available.
Thank you for your patience and understanding,
Ernest Rodriguez,
MORE President