'Flo' coming to NC?

The Senate Insurance committee has okayed a bill to allow auto insurers to offer proprietary incentive programs in North Carolina.

Posted 3:24 p.m. Apr 17, 2013 — Updated 3:35 p.m. Apr 17, 2013

Laura Leslie

RALEIGH, N.C. — 'Flo' and her 'Snapshot' could be headed to North Carolina under a bill moving through the state Senate.

The Senate Insurance Committee gave unanimous approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow auto insurers to offer proprietary incentive programs in North Carolina.

Under current law, North Carolina auto insurers are all lumped together within the Rate Bureau. They can't raise individual cases to win approval of any incentives or enhancement programs unique to their company, like Progressive's 'Snapshot' program.

Senate Bill 180, said sponsor Sen. Tom Apodaca, "would allow insurance companies to offer special packages as we see with Flo on TV, ad nauseum."

"I was hoping she'd be here today," he quipped. "I guess she was busy."

The bill wouldn't affect the operations of the Rate Bureau. Instead, insurers would seek approval for those proprietary programs from the insurance commissioner on a case-by-case basis.

Apodaca said the measure is a compromise bill that's supported by all stakeholders, including Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin.

"This is not as drastic of a bill as we saw fail yesterday in the House," Apodaca said. "It would benefit the consumer without damaging the system we have in place, which has some of the best rates in the United States."

The bill could be on the Senate floor for a vote Thursday.

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