Property, casualty insurance rates climb Maine study finds premiums have risen on average 30 percent in three years

PORTLAND – Property and casualty insurance premiums in Maine have risen by an average 30 percent over the past three years, and some people are finding it difficult to obtain insurance coverage at all, according to a new state report.

The report, released Tuesday by the Maine Bureau of Insurance, assesses the property and casualty insurance market conditions between 2000 and 2003. The report was requested by the governor and the Legislature and was spurred by policyholders who complained of escalating rates and declining coverage.

The insurance industry has gone through significant changes since the terrorist attacks in 2001, with increasing rates and insurers willing to take fewer risks.

Alessandro Iuppa, the state’s insurance superintendent, said there are signs that the insurance market will ease somewhat in 2004, and that rate hikes will moderate. Insurers now have their products priced to better reflect risk and are expecting higher profitability, he said.

“I have a fair degree of confidence in the cyclical nature of this business,” he said.

The report found that homeowners insurance was among the most difficult personal coverage to obtain and retain.

The properties that were the most difficult to insure included those more than five miles from a fire station, those on islands and those in close proximity to the ocean.

For business coverage, liability insurance for apartment owners and general contractors was hard to find.

Over the past three years, leading insurers have made several changes to underwriting criteria for homeowners, according to the report. These included enhanced standards for maintenance and upgrades, elimination of low deductibles or co-insurance, exclusions for home businesses and exclusions for certain breeds of dogs.

Stricter underwriting rules also were adopted, and policyholders were required to repair property deficiencies or face nonrenewal.

In terms of rates, the average premium per policy increased 30 percent over the three-year period, while there was a 6 percent decline in the number of insured properties. The rise in premiums was due partially to rate increases, and partially to increases in coverage amounts.

The legislative committee that deals with banking and financial services is expected to review the report and its suggestions for addressing policyholder concerns this month.

Suggestions ranged from allowing the market to correct itself to prohibiting nonrenewals based solely on valid claims from the prior two years.