NY car insurance affordability | Opinion

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3-minute read

Like many New Yorkers I started a recent workday dropping my daughter off to school before heading into the office. Unfortunately, like some, I found myself involved in a rear end accident as I waited to find parking. This unfortunate crash served as a sudden reminder of something New Yorkers experience every day.

Auto insurance has become too costly, too complicated, and too disconnected from fairness. Nearly every household in this state depends on a car, and when insurance premiums rise, families feel it immediately.

Across New York State, people rely on their vehicles to get to work, take children to school, care for loved ones and remain connected to their communities. Car insurance is not optional. It is a basic requirement of daily life. Yet too many responsible drivers are paying inflated rates because of fraud, staged crashes, and systemic abuse continue to push costs higher for everyone.

A fair system should discourage reckless and unlawful behavior, not create incentives that undermine accountability. When responsibility breaks down, law abiding New Yorkers are left carrying costs that do not reflect how they live or drive. Restoring balance is not about punishment. It is about fairness, responsibility and trust.

Kathy Hochul seeks to combat insurance fraud

Gov. Kathy Hochul has put forward a clear and thoughtful plan to address these challenges. Her proposal strengthens efforts to combat insurance fraud, closes loopholes that contribute to unnecessary litigation and reinforces the principle that responsibility should matter. At the same time, it preserves protections for individuals who are genuinely injured and ensures the system continues to function for those who follow the rules.

This proposal reflects the important role of government. Not simply reacting when costs spiral upward but stepping in when systems no longer operate as intended. New Yorkers expect their government to protect consumers, promote fairness and ensure that everyday people are not left paying the price for misuse or exploitation of the system.

Governor Hochul is advancing a coordinated, statewide approach to restore accountability and bring greater balance to the auto insurance system. Her proposal includes:

• Strengthening efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute staged accidents and organized insurance fraud
• Expanding accountability for individuals who organize or financially benefit from fraudulent crash schemes
• Increasing oversight of medical providers who participate in fraudulent claims or improper diagnoses
• Addressing illegal out of state vehicle registrations that shift costs onto law abiding New York drivers
• Strengthening insurer anti-fraud programs by giving insurers more time and flexibility to investigate suspicious claims
• Limiting non-economic damage awards for individuals engaged in unlawful or reckless conduct at the time of an accident
• Ensuring drivers who are primarily responsible for causing an accident are not rewarded with excessive damage awards
• Clarifying and tightening the definition of serious injury to reduce abuse while protecting those who are genuinely harmed
• Ensuring cost savings benefit consumers by maintaining strong oversight and protection so reduced system costs translate into relief for policyholders

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Affordability should not be abstract in New York

This approach reflects the values New Yorkers expect from their government. As part of the fovernor’s proposed budget, these reforms recognize that affordability is not abstract. It is personal. Bringing down auto insurance costs means easing pressure on household budgets, supporting workers and small businesses, and making our state more livable for everyone.

We all share the road, and we all share responsibility to one another. Governor Hochul’s proposal moves New York toward a system that reflects that shared responsibility and puts fairness back where it belongs. That is a goal worth advancing for families in every corner of New York State.

Walter T. Mosley is New York State Secretary of State.