Could auto insurance rates go up?

A bill that some claim "slipped through" the Georgia Legislature last week would change the way auto insurance rates are figured. And State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is already predicting it means rates will go up. "This was basically a deal worked out by the insurance lobbyists," Oxendine told WSAV.

The bill would give insurance companies the ability to raise most auto rates without state approval. Insurance representatives say it will help modernize rates. But Oxendine disagrees. "It's very disturbing. We've got a situation where a lot of Georgia families are trying to see if they have enough money to buy gas to put in their car. Now, they may not be able to afford to buy the car insurance," says Oxendine.

Under the bill, drivers who buy the minimum insurance allowed would not be affected because Oxendine's office would still oversee those rates. "But for the 90 percent of the state's drivers who buy more than the minimum coverage required, it would be up to the good graces of the insurance companies on whatever those people pay," says Oxendine.