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4/29/2025
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House passes Serpa bill that would prevent insurers from increasing premiums because of policy inquiries
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STATE HOUSE — The House of Representatives today gave its approval to legislation introduced by Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry) that would prevent insurance companies from increasing a policyholder’s premium for asking about the terms of a policy.
The bill (2025-H 5570A) would prohibit casualty insurers from assessing any premium surcharge or penalty against an insured solely for inquiring about the terms of the insured’s policy.
“This would prevent the practice of insurance companies treating a policy inquiry as a claim,” said Representative Serpa. “For instance, if policyholders call their insurance company to determine what the deductible is on a broken windshield, and then opt to pay for the windshield themselves, then insurance companies should not be able to assess a penalty or increase a premium, by treating that inquiry the same way they would a claim. This has happened in the past, often unbeknownst to policyholders, and it should be illegal.”
The bill was amended in the House Corporations Committee to clarify that premium increases would not be allowed “solely for” policy inquiries. Both the Rhode Island Insurance Federation and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association testified in support of the amended bill.
Similar legislation (2025-S 0084) has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, West Greenwich).
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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