Insurance

Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho and Wyoming have no statewide wildfire building codes. Colorado adopted a code last year, with enforcement expected to begin this year. Most other Western states are somewhere in between.

Home hardening and creating defensible space can reduce the risk of houses burning in a wildfire.

Insurance regulation is complex, in part, because it’s done state-by-state, meaning there are dozens of different schemes across the country.

Proponents of a bill in Colorado say stronger roofs would mean less damage during storms, and lower home insurance costs.

Statehouses across the West are considering reforms to respond to the homeowners insurance crisis. While some are hitting headwinds, concern about the issue isn’t going away.

Using a massive data set detailing some 70 million policies, researchers have found that “credit scores impact homeowners insurance premiums as much as disaster risk.”

Wyoming Public Radio’s Kamila Kudelska went to Cheyenne a day before the House and Senate reconciled their versions of the budget bill to check in with the Wyoming Hospital Association President Eric Boley. He shared how the budget and some bills going through the legislative session may help or hurt Wyoming’s healthcare situation.

Wildfires are a top concern across the region. But certain parts also fall within "hail alley" — the part of the country that sees the most hailstorms. It's driving up insurance costs in unexpected places.

Among Mountain West states, rates vary drastically.

As many homeowners face a growing insurance crisis, state leaders across the region are considering reforms. Two groups have recommendations for them as state legislatures begin convening again.