State commissioner says there’s plenty of offerings

Kansans should be able to find affordable home insurance despite a decision by State Farm Insurance Co. Inc. to halt sales in Kansas and other states.

State Farm has been the largest seller of homeowner policies in Kansas.

But Nicole Corcoran-Basso, a spokeswoman for Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius, said there are 150 other companies in the state still writing homeowner policies.

“There will be lots of other companies competing for the business,” Corcoran-Basso said. “We don’t believe there will be any area of the state underserved because of State Farm’s decision.”

Dennis Garrison, a Lawrence State Farm agent, said the company’s decision likely would produce mixed results for the business of individual agents.

“It really will depend on how long an agent has been in business,” Garrison said. “For the newer agents it could be a problem. I’m one of the fortunate ones because I’m the one with a lot of gray in my hair.”

Garrison, who has been selling insurance in Lawrence for 35 years, said his agency has a large enough existing customer base that it would not have to make staff cuts to adjust to the moratorium.

State Farm agents will be able to continue selling auto and other lines of insurance. Agents also will be able to sell new homeowner policies to customers who have a homeowner policy with the company currently.