Chicago Sun-Times
June  30, 2004
Tammy Chase

Allstate now will let those planning trips to Israel apply for life insurance

Allstate Life Insurance Co., pressured by a California lawsuit and pending federal legislation, said Tuesday it will now allow potential life insurance customers who plan travel to Israel, the West Bank or Gaza to apply for policies.

Allstate, part of Northbrook-based Allstate Corp., is one of 13 life insurers named in a Los Angeles County lawsuit filed in April for turning down life insurance applicants if they indicated they had traveled to any of those three places in the last two years or said they intended to travel to those locations in the next two years.

In a settlement reached this week between Allstate and California attorney William Shernoff, Allstate agreed to no longer consider "past or future travel" to these areas as a condition of getting life insurance policies, nor can Allstate charge a higher premium solely because an applicant is traveling to that part of the world, according to court documents.

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