Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara protected Southern California homeowners by issuing a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance non-renewals and cancellations. Commissioner Lara also issued a Notice calling on all insurance companies to stop any pending non-renewals or cancellations for any properties located near wildfires, if they are not already protected by the mandatory moratorium. This includes non-renewals issued up to 90 days prior to January 7, but taking effect after the start of the wildfires. This pause on non-renewing and cancelling policies would last six months as impacted communities begin the recovery process. The Commissioner’s Bulletin shields those within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP Codes of the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County for one year from the Governor’s January 7 emergency declaration regardless of whether they suffered a loss.
As firefighters continue to battle wildfires across the region, the Department may issue a supplemental bulletin if additional ZIP Codes are determined to be within or adjacent to a fire perimeter subject to this declared state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“My heart goes out to my fellow Angelenos. Our top priority is protecting Californians during this crisis and helping us recover,” said Commissioner Lara. “I am using my moratorium powers to prevent insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing policies in wildfire-impacted areas, so people don’t face the added stress of finding new insurance during this horrific event.”. This pause on non-renewing and cancelling policies would last six months as impacted communities begin the recovery process. In addition, Commissioner Lara called on insurers to offer beyond the 60-day grace period under existing law for policyholders in the immediately affected wildfire areas, to pay their home insurance premiums given the challenges that many policyholders in these areas are having right now.
Residents can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP Code is included in the moratorium. Consumers should contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.
Commissioner Lara also announced a free two-day insurance support workshops on January 18 and 19 in Santa Monica and January 25 and 26 in Pasadena to help survivors understand their insurance policies and the claims process, while also providing information about available resources for rebuilding and recovery. This workshop is open to all those impacted by the recent wildfires. Call 800-927-4357 to schedule a one-on-one appointment with a Department of Insurance expert.
Commissioner Lara has taken several other actions to protect Angelenos:
- Protecting Access to Health Care and Medication: Issued a Notice directing companies to submit emergency plans detailing how they will ensure continued access to medically necessary health care services for the duration of the declared State of Emergency due to the Palisades, Eaton, and other fires.
- Cracking Down on Fraud: Commissioner Lara is sending the Department’s enforcement team to safeguard Angelenos from fraudsters who are targeting wildfire survivors.
- Ensuring Fair Risk Assessment: Newly enacted reforms are now in effect to ensure insurance companies accurately assess risk and set premiums fairly for consumers.
- Alerting Residents to Evacuation Benefits: Many consumers are unaware that they may have coverage under their homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies to help them with evacuation and recovery expenses.