Oregon Consumers Demand Transparency as Insurance Premiums Keep Climbing

A recent survey identified accountability as the pet peeve of Oregonians when it comes to inevitable insurance rate increases.

Oregon Insurance Rate Increases Should Be Linked to Accountability

Under increasing financial pressure, Oregonians continue to face challenges, including scams and fraud.

However, a survey by Oregon Consumer Justice shows that insurance practices, such as increasing premiums without clear explanations — especially when no claims have been previously filed — are also not welcomed in the state.

Greater accountability in the insurance industry was the loudest message in the survey, in which consumers were asked to indicate which of several statements most closely aligned with their views on the topic. The survey found that:

• “Holding insurance companies accountable could help prevent unfair or unnecessary rate increases,” was the most closely aligned statement (65%) in respondents’ top three, of which 28% said it was their top choice.
• For Oregonians who said they would not be able to pay a $400 emergency expense or would need to borrow money to do so, 73% said insurance industry accountability, regardless of rising rates, was among the top three statements most aligned with their views.
• Less than 20% of respondents chose “current laws or regulatory systems already provide enough protections for consumers” as their top three statements.

These findings match 2024 research, in which 81% of respondents said it’s important for the insurance industry to follow the same consumer protection laws as other industries.