Insurance Commissioner: Why Auto Rates are So High [VIDEO]

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon talks with 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about the importance of flood insurance, how increased competition among companies will lower rates and the biggest reasons that auto insurance rates are so high.

Donelon impresses on KEEL listeners, as he has repeatedly done, the importance of federally underwritten flood insurance. The commissioner reiterates that in a state like Louisiana, prone to hurricanes, major storms and flooding, this FEMA program, only mandatory in some areas, is a must.

Donelon also talks about the recent rate reductions by a number of carriers, including State Farm, Louisiana's number one insurer. As a result, he says, other companies, wanting to maintain their customer base, are lowering rates also.

Donelon, who will be running for reelection this fall, also addresses the state's high auto insurance rates, ranked second nationally in cost. He punctures the widely held myth that the cost remains high because of uninsured motorists, putting accident litigation as the number one reason for the sky high cost.