Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Insurance Relief topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
California insurance commissioner halts nonrenewals for wildfire-affected homeowners and offers in-person support
Summary
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a one-year moratorium on cancellations and nonrenewals for homeowners in affected areas, directed insurers to extend payment grace periods and scheduled in-person insurance help workshops for survivors.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said he has used his authority to impose a moratorium stopping nonrenewals and cancellations for homeowners affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires for one year. “I am using my moratorium power to stop all non renewals and cancellations,” Lara said, adding the protection applies even if a home was not damaged or destroyed but is near the wildfires.
Lara said his department also has asked insurers to suspend pending nonrenewals issued in the 90 days before the fires and to extend premium payment grace periods beyond the existing 60 days for policyholders in directly affected areas. He urged residents who have lost coverage or who received nonrenewal notices to call the California Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357 for assistance.
The commissioner said his office is deploying enforcement staff to protect wildfire survivors from fraud and that the department will host insurance support workshops on January 18–19 at Santa Monica College and the following weekend at Pasadena City College, with one-on-one appointments available. Lara also said new insurance reforms adopted in December require insurers to use forward-looking catastrophe models and account for reinsurance costs in rate-making to encourage market stability and coverage availability in wildfire-prone areas.
Lara said he will ask the governor and legislature to provide home-hardening grants and to expand moratorium protections to businesses through legislation. He encouraged residents to use the department's live chat and multilingual services on insurance.ca.gov for policy questions.
