A Firm Foundation: How Insurance Supports the Economy

All states and the District of Columbia use special systems to guarantee that auto insurance is available to those who cannot obtain it in the private market. Each type of system is commonly known as an assigned risk plan, although the term technically applies to only one type of plan. The assigned risk and other plans are known in the insurance industry as the shared, or residual, market. Policyholders in assigned risk plans are, as the name suggests, assigned to various insurance companies doing business in the state. Hence the term voluntary (regular) market, where auto insurers are free to select policyholders rather than have them assigned. The chart below shows the number of vehicles insured by state, including those in the voluntary and residual markets.