U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) led a bipartisan congressional call for mortgage lenders and leaders in the health insurance industry to provide relief and financial assistance to victims of the mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas on Oct. 1.
Heller and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) noted that victims had suffered physical and psychological wounds from what was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, and they urged companies to provide financial assistance for those burdened by mortgage or costly health care payments.
“If victims and survivors have difficulty with future mortgage or other loan payments, we ask that you would work with those individuals to offer tailored solutions, which could include forbearance plans and loan modifications, to help ensure that their financial well-being is taken care of,” the letter states.
The senators also requested that the mortgage industry help victims and their families by not finalizing any legal or foreclosure proceedings that would lead to an eviction during the recovery process.
“Individuals recovering from the events of Oct. 1 should not have to worry about evictions, late fees, negative credit reports or any other financial burdens that may exacerbate the tremendous stress caused by this senseless tragedy,” the letter concludes.
The lawmakers sent the letter to: Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Nationstar Mortgage, Ocwen Financial Corporation, Citi, US Bank Home Mortgage, Walter Investment Management, PHH Mortgage, Quicken Loans Inc., the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In a separate letter to the presidents of America’s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield, the senators noted that many of the attendees of the music festival where the shooting occurred had traveled to attend the event from out of state. As a result, victims seeking health care in Las Vegas could be faced with expensive out-of-network health care charges, the letter said.
The senators added that they hoped insurance companies would waive those types of charges that typically apply. They also encouraged companies to review policies on co-pays and deductibles in an effort to provide support to victims and their families.
“Grieving families and those working towards recovery need your help to ensure that they can focus on recovering, instead of their pocketbooks,” the senators wrote.