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By Sunita Sohrabji\/EMS Contributor<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. \u2014 Drivers should get a 50% to 70% refund on their auto insurance premium for the duration of California\u2019s shelter-in-place mandate, said state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara April 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We feel 50% to 70% percent is fair,\u201d Lara told reporters at a briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services. \u201cYou should be getting more of a refund because, frankly, you\u2019re not driving.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n On April 13 Lara ordered the state\u2019s auto insurance companies to refund premiums to drivers at least for April, and possibly May, if California continues its stay-at-home order. His order, according to a statement released by his office, extended to six types of insurance: private passenger automobile, commercial automobile, workers’ compensation, commercial multiperil, commercial liability, medical malpractice, and any other insurance in which the risk of loss has fallen substantially because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith Californians driving fewer miles and many businesses closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, consumers need relief from premiums that no longer reflect their present-day risk of accident or loss,\u201d Lara said as he introduced the order. \u201cToday’s mandatory action will put money back in people\u2019s pockets when they need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some companies subsequently issued refunds or credits of 15% to 20%, but the insurance commissioner believes companies must go further: Risks have been dramatically reduced as the state\u2019s roads remain far more untraveled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara encouraged people who have lost their jobs to ask their auto insurance carriers to delay payments of premiums for up to two months. To get help with such calls, people can call his office \u2014 1-800-927-4357 \u2014 where his staff speak multiple languages. His office also has asked insurance carriers to allow a 60-day grace period for paying premiums during California\u2019s shelter-in-place mandate and even beyond, as the state re-opens its economy in stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara also has asked insurance companies to extend coverage to drivers making deliveries with their personal cars. Typically, personal auto insurance doesn\u2019t cover those who use their cars for commercial purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the briefing, the state insurance commissioner \u2014 the son of undocumented parents \u2014 spoke about how immigrant workers benefit nation\u2019s economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe broader community is finally realizing how essential they are,\u201d said Lara, noting undocumented workers\u2019 contributions to food production, processing, delivery, warehouse work and similar services. \u201cLeaders across the country are recognizing the value of immigrant workers. We have demonstrated in our state that the sky doesn\u2019t fall when you incorporate everyone into our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara added that the United States must \u201cget (undocumented workers) out of the shadows, incorporate them into our economy as quickly as possible, and get their kids into school. Our economy will grow by embracing our immigrant community, rather than scapegoating them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In California, one out of every 10 workers is undocumented, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The Pew Research Center reports that the state\u2019s labor force includes about 1.75 million undocumented immigrants, the largest number of whom live in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although undocumented workers were denied the $1,200 federal stimulus check mandated by Congress\u2019 first COVID-19 relief package, here in California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $125 million relief package for undocumented workers April 16, the first of its kind in the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara encouraged immigrant workers to apply for workers compensation if they become infected with COVID-19 on the job. He noted that the Trump administration\u2019s public charge enforcement has scared away many immigrants from applying for benefits to which they are entitled. Workers also should advocate for personal protective equipment at their job sites, he said, and they should call his office if adequate protections aren\u2019t provided.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Sunita Sohrabji\/EMS Contributor SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. \u2014 Drivers should get a 50% to 70% refund on their auto insurance premium for the duration of California\u2019s shelter-in-place mandate, said state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara April 22. “We feel 50% to 70% percent is fair,\u201d Lara told reporters at a briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services….<\/p>\n