Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Warns of Flood Policy Halt During Shutdown 

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple told KEEL News on Thursday that progress is being made on lowering auto insurance rates, but warns that families and businesses are still feeling the pinch of high premiums. While legislative reforms from the last session are expected to help, Temple says results will take time. 

“We’re going to start seeing a little progress there, but it’s still early,” Temple explained. “If we want premiums like Arkansas or Mississippi has, then we need to have laws similar to what Arkansas and Mississippi have.”

Louisiana Flood Insurance at a Standstill 

One of the commissioner’s biggest concerns right now is the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). With the government shutdown, no new flood insurance policies are being written and existing policies are not being renewed. 

“That is a major problem,” Temple stressed. “We’re still two months away from the end of hurricane season, and families in Louisiana are left vulnerable. This is the 34th time Congress has failed to deal with the long-term sustainability of the NFIP. They just keep kicking the can down the road.” 

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Temple recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he joined other state regulators in discussions with FEMA about potential long-term solutions. “If you want to fix it, you’ve got to have all the right people in the room,” he said. 

Calls for a Special Session 

When asked whether Louisiana lawmakers should return for a special session on insurance, Temple said it may be the only way to create lasting reform. 

“We’ve done some reform, and I think we’ll see positive impacts. But if we get a little win, why stop there? We can’t just piecemeal it every session,” he said. “This is a crushing problem for families and for businesses in Louisiana.” 

Temple pointed to commercial trucking as one area where the cost disparity is stark. He cited one example where a company moving trucks from Arkansas to Louisiana would see its premiums more than double. 

More Work Ahead 

While medical transparency laws passed this year represent progress, Temple says gaps remain, including how private pay medical costs are treated in court cases. Other proposals, such as damage caps, have not yet gained traction. 

“We can’t just do a little bit and stop, or we get further behind,” Temple said. “We’ve got to constantly push for reform.”