Topline:
The California Department of Insurance is seeking public comment on a proposal that would require insurers to offer more coverage in areas with a high risk of wildfires.
The backstory: The state announced these regulations earlier this summer , and it’s now entering its final phase before a decision is made about whether to adopt the rules.
What’s in the proposal: Insurance companies would commit to offering more coverage in high-risk fire areas. The state would also start using forward-looking wildfire catastrophe modeling — pivoting from older models that set rates based on past fire risk. For more details about the proposed changes, see here .
Why it matters: California’s insurance crisis has worsened in recent years, with a number of factors at play. State insurance officials point to climate change, insurers leaving the market, and a lack of updated regulations as some of the reasons behind higher prices.
What the state has been doing: California has filled a hole in the market by offering state plans through its Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) program. Due to their high price and limited coverage, these policies are meant as a last resort for customers who have no other options to meet state insurance requirements.