PLAN OVERVIEW |
| The Wisconsin Automobile Insurance Plan (The Plan) was established on October 1, 1949 for the purpose of providing automobile insurance to risks who could not be placed in the voluntary market*. The Plan is administered by a Governing Committee which consists of representatives from eight duly elected insurance companies licensed in the state of Wisconsin. The Committee is empowered to appoint a Plan Manager and required staff, budget expenses, levy assessments against insurance companies, disburse funds and perform all duties essential to the proper administration of the Plan. The Committee has also created Plan Rules & Rates which provide the public the benefit of price competition by encouraging maximum use of the normal insurance system. Procedures are in force to distribute all applications in a fair and equitable manner. The Plan is broken down into two main categories; one being the Private Passenger Personal Auto and the second being the Wisconsin Special Risk Distribution Plan (SRDP) for commercial risks. The following is a brief explanation of each of the two categories. |
Private Passenger Personal Auto |
A private passenger automobile is a motor vehicle of the private passenger type, station wagon, jeep, motorcycle, motorized bicycle, scooter, recreational vehicle, motor home and other similar motorized vehicles. The vehicles must be licensed for the road and cannot be used as a public or livery service nor rented to others. |
The Plan offers bodily injury, property damage, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist, medical payments and physical damage (comprehensive and collision). These coverages are available with separate limits per person and per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage liability.
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| If you try several companies and cannot find coverage at any price, you may apply for insurance through the Plan. Generally, the Plan’s rates are higher than standard or high risk companies. Any licensed agent can provide a premium quotation and submit applications to the Plan. The rating of policies is based on accidents, violations, location and vehicle use. If at any time you secure coverage elsewhere, you may cancel your Plan policy with no penalty. |
SRDP Commercial Insurance |
| A Commercial risk is defined as a truck, tractor, trailer, private passenger business use vehicle, public auto, miscellaneous type and hired and non-owned auto. These commercial auto risks must be headquartered in Wisconsin to be eligible for coverage through the Plan. Operating headquarters is defined as the head office, the place where the principal officers generally transact business, where the books are kept and from which orders emanate. When applying to the Plan, the application must encompass all your commercial automobile liability exposures. This means all owned and operated vehicles. The Plan does not provide coverage for only a portion of a commercial risk. The applicant, under any name, cannot be indebted to the Plan or any carrier under the Plan with respect to current or prior coverage. Coverage afforded under the Plan for the SRDP will be written on a combined single liability limit basis only. The Plan offers bodily injury, property damage, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist and medical payments. No physical damage coverage of any kind is available through the Plan on a commercial risk. Any agent licensed in Wisconsin can submit an application to the Plan and may be able to quote you a rate. Generally the rates in the Plan are higher than the voluntary market*, so the Plan should only be used when coverage at any price is not available. |
If you feel that you are not being treated fairly once coverage is in force: |
- Contact your agent and/or assigned company and attempt to resolve the issue.
- If you are still not satisfied, contact the Wisconsin Automobile Insurance Plan office. They will attempt to resolve the problem in a manner which is fair to all parties.
- Finally, the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (125 South Webster Street, Madison, WI 53703; phone: 608-266-3585 or 800-236-8517) will review and investigate any complaints brought to their attention.
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| (*) The voluntary market is defined as standard or high risk automobile insurance. This coverage is not provided by the Wisconsin Automobile Insurance Plan. |
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