Information for New York Victims of Domestic Violence and New York Protections for Victims of Hate Crimes

NOTICE: New York Protection Protocols for Victims of Domestic Violence

New York Insurance Law, section 2612, prohibits insurers from discrimination based on being a victim of domestic violence. This law states that no insurer, solely because a person is or has been a victim of domestic violence, may:

(1) refuse to issue or renew, deny or cancel any insurance policy

(2) demand or require a greater premium or payment from any person or

(3) designate domestic violence as a preexisting condition, for which coverage will be denied/reduced

The fact that a person is or has been a victim of domestic violence is not a permitted underwriting criterion. This law also contains protections for victims of domestic violence regarding health insurers who receive a valid order of protection against the policyholder. The insurer is prohibited for the duration of the order from disclosing to the policyholder the address and telephone number of the insured, or of any person or entity providing covered services to the insured. The insurer should also honor a reasonable request by a person covered by an insurance policy to receive communications of claim related information by alternative means or at alternative locations if the person clearly states that disclosure of all or part of the information could endanger the person.

Below are the applicable Protection Protocols Request Procedures for a person who is or has been a victim of domestic violence:

  1. Any covered person, or the parent/legal guardian of a covered child, or a legal representative of such covered person or child, may submit in writing a reasonable request that the covered person's/child's address, telephone number, email addresses, other designated personally identifying information, the nature of the health care services provided, and the name, address, and telephone number of providers of the health care services, should not be provided to the policyholder or other insureds covered by the policy.
  2. In the written request, the requester should include an alternative address, telephone number and/or other reasonable methods of contact.
  3. The request should be made by faxing a copy of the order of protection to GEICO at (866) 719-6104. If you are unable to fax a copy of the order, please email the request to R2CRU@geico.com or mail it to us at GEICO PO BOX 9507, Fredericksburg, VA 22403 Attention Consumer Relations.
  4. Once a valid request has been received and implemented, a requester may only revoke the prior request by submitting to us a written sworn statement revoking the request.

For additional assistance, please contact the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline.

NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline: (800) 942-6906
Spanish language: (800) 942-6908
In NYC: (800) 621-HOPE (4673) or dial 311
TTY: (866) 604-5350

Please be advised that the employees at GEICO have up to three business days to implement the necessary protocol to secure your contact information and other confidential identifying information.

Protections for Victims of Hate Crimes

New York Insurance Law, section 3422, prohibits insurers from cancelling, refusing to insure, nonrenewing or increasing the premium of a policy solely because one or more claims have been made against any policy during the preceding sixty months for a loss that was a result of a hate crime. A hate crime is defined pursuant to article four hundred eighty-five of the penal law committed against the person or property insured and the insured must provide evidence to the insurer that the act causing such loss is a result of a hate crime and that such insured was not the offender of the hate crime.

Please notify us if an accident or loss on your driving record was a result of a hate crime. You can contact us at (800) 841-3000 or by logging into your account at geico.com.