How One Email on National Widows Day Helped Push New York’s Widow’s Penalty Bill Forward

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Michelle Gregorio is 69 years old, a
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retired nurse from New Hampton, New
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York. She and her husband Michael were
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high school sweethearts, [music] married
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for 38 years.
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When Michael died in 2014, [music]
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Michelle was grieving. And then her car
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insurance bill went up. The reason? Her
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classification had [music] changed.
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From married to widowed, her first
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thought was simple. Mike died and
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suddenly [music] I don't know how to
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drive and I'm a higher risk.
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The industry doesn't call it a widow's
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penalty. They call it the absence of a
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marriage discount. [music] But the
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effect is the same, a higher bill in the
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same month you're planning a funeral.
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In 42 states, [music] losing a spouse
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can raise your car insurance. The
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Consumer Federation of America [music]
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found that four of six major insurers,
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Geico, Farmers, Progressive, and Liberty
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Mutual, charged widows more.
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On average, 20% more. In the worst
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cases, up to 226%.
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The only major insurer that didn't vary
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rates by marital status was State Farm.
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For over a decade, Michelle grumbled and
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moved on. Then, on National Widows Day
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in June 2025, she wrote a single email
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to State Senator James Skoufis.
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He couldn't believe this was happening
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in New York. So, he sponsored a bill to
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ban [music] marital status
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discrimination after the death of a
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spouse.
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It passed the Senate, then the Assembly.
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Now it's it's on Governor Hochul's desk.
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Six states have already banned the
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practice.
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If the governor signs, New York becomes
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the seventh. Leaving 43 where it's still
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[music] legal. And it hits hardest where
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it hurts most. Older women on fixed
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incomes, already navigating the hardest
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months of their lives. [music]
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As Michelle put it, I never realized
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sending one email could make such a
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change for so many people.
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>> [music]
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>> One person can make a change.
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Want the full breakdown? The original
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article is linked in the description.
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>> [music]
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How One Email on National Widows Day Helped Push New York’s Widow’s Penalty Bill Forward

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How One Email on National Widows Day Helped Push New York’s Widow’s Penalty Bill Forward

Insurance News