Few voices for policyholder interests and their rights have remained as consistent, credible, and compassionate as Amy Bach and her team at United Policyholders. I spent yesterday afternoon in Sonoma, California, speaking with Amy, a number of her current and former professional staff members, volunteers who have worked the Maui and Los Angeles wildfires, and members of her very amateur garage band. Amy Bach sings while playing the drums.
As the founder and Executive Director of United Policyholders (UP), Amy has spent over three decades building a nonprofit that has become a go-to resource for insurance policyholders navigating steps of recovery in the aftermath of catastrophe. I had the pleasure of introducing her for an award back in 2017, which I noted in Amy Bach Honored by the Florida Association for Insurance Reform.
After spending the afternoon with her and her team of staff, friends, and volunteers, I was reminded of just how vital her leadership has been.
From the deadly wildfires that scorched Northern California in 2017 to the heart-wrenching devastation in Maui in 2023—and now, the 2025 fires across Los Angeles—Amy and her team have consistently shown up, not just in words, but in action.
A Decade of Action: From Santa Rosa to Lahaina to Los Angeles
In the wake of the 2017 Tubbs Fire and later the 2018 Camp Fire, United Policyholders mobilized quickly with their Roadmap to Recovery® program, offering workshops, clinics, and one-on-one support to guide survivors through the complex claims process. This initiative, now deployed after virtually every major U.S. wildfire, has helped thousands of families understand their insurance policies, avoid common pitfalls, and secure fair compensation from insurers.
UP launched the Wildfire Risk Reduction and Asset Protection (WRAP) Initiative. This is a proactive effort to educate homeowners on wildfire mitigation while advocating for insurance incentives for those who harden their homes. In partnership with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the California Department of Insurance, WRAP has been instrumental in shaping state-level policies to bring insurers back into high-risk areas and make insurance both available and affordable.
After the 2023 wildfires in Maui, UP didn’t hesitate. They rapidly published a Hawaii-specific recovery guide, held clinics in Lahaina with prior fire victim volunteers, and advocated against insurers clawing back legal settlements from victims. Amy co-authored a powerful op-ed urging insurance companies to step back and let fire survivors rebuild with dignity—earning praise for once again putting people before profits. UP’s amicus program helped in the fight to prioritize Hawaiian victims’ losses before insurer subrogation interests.
This year, as fires tore through Los Angeles—including the Palisades and Eaton Fires—UP was there yet again. This time, the stakes were higher due to widespread reports of lead and toxic contamination, which insurers were reluctant to cover. Amy and her team supported grassroots efforts to gather contamination data, amplified public health concerns, and ensured survivors had the guidance and advocacy they needed—whether in navigating policy language or fighting unjust denials.
Policy Change Through Persistence
United Policyholders isn’t just a support group—it’s a force for legal and legislative change. After the 2017 and 2018 California wildfires, Amy Bach helped shape a package of pro-policyholder reforms. Thanks to her efforts, California now guarantees extended living expense benefits (up to 36 months), allows policyholders to combine limits from different coverage categories, and protects disaster victims from losing coverage when they need it most. These laws didn’t pass themselves. They passed because Amy and UP fought for them.
Similar efforts have followed in Hawaii, where UP urged officials to adopt California’s standards. In both states, United Policyholders has stepped in as the voice for those who’ve lost everything, ensuring that insurance doesn’t become the second disaster after the fire.
Here are a few of the topics we discussed yesterday:
- How the findings of lead and heavy metals are going to impact policyholders, communities, and insurance companies. There is a real concern that many will be afraid to rebuild or live in the recent fire-damaged areas absent better scientific proof that these toxic substances have not been removed
- How Proposition 103 has been working and not working in the new age of wildfires.
- Concerns over insurers leaving California for more profitable venues with less stringent regulation versus being in the largest state insurance market in America.
- State Farm—the recent rate hearing, its claims practices and its large market share of business in California.
- The impact and importance of volunteers who have suffered and been through the devastation helping those who just suffered a similar fate.
- Insurance affordability, Fannie Mae replacement cost requirements and home ownership affordability.
- Whether California should adopt a different operating method than the California Fair Plan and how other states operate insurers of last resort.
Some insurance company commentators think that all policyholders do is bash the insurance industry. These discussions were about how to help the insurance product and help support the insurance system so that policyholders are better served and protected. Being pro-policyholder does not mean being anti-insurer.
Why United Policyholders Deserves Our Support
Amy Bach and United Policyholders have stood the test of time for over thirty years—not just because of what they do, but because of how they do it. They show up, they listen, they educate, they fight, and they are respected. Their work is rooted in compassion but driven by deep legal and practical knowledge of how insurance works (and how it often doesn’t).
They don’t chase headlines. They chase results.
Their impact is visible in every disaster zone they enter. Survivors leave UP events not only with brochures and sample letters but with hope. With confidence. With clarity.
They have elevated the rights of policyholders across the country and set a standard for what nonprofit advocacy with results should look like.
So, if you’re looking to give back—to strengthen the backbone of policyholder advocacy in insurance—supporting United Policyholders is a great choice.
Thought For The Day
“When disaster strikes, insurance is supposed to be the safety net. But too often, the net has holes. Our mission is to make sure it holds.”
—Amy Bach
Song of The Day
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
#Amy #Bach #United #Policyholders #Lasting #Legacy #Advocacy #Action #Insurance #Consumers