Illinois ‘Driving Change’ Auto Insurance Reform Campaign Claims Unfair Rating Factors, Aims to Decrease Costs

As insurance rates increase, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pushing for insurance reform legislation.

Katie Powers
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Katie PowersSenior Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

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Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

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Chris Schafer
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Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
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  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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John Leach
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John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
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John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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Statewide insurance reform in Illinois is in the works, though efforts are in the early stages.

The Illinois secretary of state’s office launched the “Driving Change” advocacy campaign in July to gather information and start developing legislation.

The campaign aims to further understand the factors driving high rates and gather evidence of potentially unfair rate practices, in part through a series of virtual town hall meetings.

During these community meetings, the SOS’s office will seek to gather input and stories from Illinois residents about any unfair or discriminatory auto insurance rate practices they’ve faced.

“The cost of your car insurance in Illinois isn’t based on your driving record — it’s based on things such as the neighborhood where you live and your credit score,” wrote Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in a Chicago-Tribune op-ed.

Insurance companies considering a person’s ZIP code and credit history is common, but some reporting has raised questions about how insurers use this information.

The SOS has made it clear that his office supports legislation prohibiting insurers from using a driver’s credit score, ZIP code, non-driving data from phone apps, or age to determine auto insurance premiums.

“If the purpose of auto insurance is to protect Illinois’ 9.4 million motorists, it only makes sense that their driving records should be the primary factor for setting their rates,” said Giannoulias in his op-ed.

Other statewide officials, including the governor and the leaders of the Illinois House and Senate, have also expressed concern about insurance rate hikes this summer.

Specific insurance reform legislation has yet to be proposed, and the Illinois General Assembly won’t return to session until January 2026.

What’s next?

The SOS’s office will host virtual town hall meetings for Illinois residents, divided by region, throughout September and October. Six meetings are scheduled during these months.

The next meeting, scheduled for the Metro East area, takes place Sept. 3. Interested Illinois residents can register for the remaining Zoom meetings on the secretary of state’s Virtual Town Hall Schedule page.

The SOS’s office also has an online form that residents can fill out about their experiences with auto insurance companies in the state.

Katie Powers
Katie PowersSenior Editor

Katie Powers is an insurance writer at Insurify with a producer’s license for property and casualty insurance in New York and expertise in personal finance and auto insurance topics. She strives to help consumers make better financial decisions. Prior to joining Insurify, she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Emerson College. Her work has been published in St. Louis Magazine, the Boston Globe, and elsewhere. Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Chris Schafer
Edited byChris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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John Leach
Reviewed byJohn LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
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John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

  • NPN: 20461358

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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