Sensitive documents exposed a flawed algorithm harming California wildfire survivors. A Pulitzer-winning series followed. - Poynter

"We realized that there might be a much bigger problem, which is that the widespread use of 360Value was causing this epidemic of underinsurance in California, where after every major wildfire, we had seen these photos and heard these stories of communities struggling to recover and rebuild for years and years,"

"She had within a day contacted some sources and unearthed this obscure database of investigations into California-based insurance companies,"

"The two reporters sat on newsroom couches for a full workday, digging into the investigations, and found that the major insurers were all using the same algorithm, 360Value, to set coverage limits for policyholders."

"I asked whether they would be down to chat with me and they refused to talk, but they gave us a huge folder of documents,"

An investigation into California insurance practices began after reports of Hurricane Helene survivors being underpaid by insurers. The inquiry considered whether similar problems affected Californians after devastating wildfires. Using a court document database, the investigation found that major insurers were using the same algorithm, 360Value, to set coverage limits for policyholders. The findings suggested that widespread use of 360Value was driving an epidemic of underinsurance in California, leaving communities struggling to recover for years. A court case involving Farmers Insurance Company and a homeowner provided documents that were obtained after the insurer declined to talk but supplied a large folder of materials.

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