SACRAMENTO – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced this week that the California Department of Insurance recovered more than $81.3 million for consumers during 2017 through consumer complaint investigations and market conduct examinations of insurance companies.

"As insurance commissioner and the leader of the largest consumer protection agency in the state, my top priority is protecting consumers," said Commissioner Jones. "Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated professionals and the authority given to me under Proposition 103, we succeeded in recovering over $81 million for California consumers."

Last year the department's consumer hotline received over 147,000 calls for assistance. Through the department's complaint handling efforts, staff recovered more than $62.4 million for consumers in 2017.

Additionally, the department performed 125 market conduct examinations, resulting in more than $18.9 million in recovered claims or premiums being returned to consumers.

Since Commissioner Jones took office in 2011, more than $469 million has been returned to consumers through the department's direct intervention.

Due to Proposition 103, in 2017 the department also saved consumers over $271 million in proposed insurance rate increases. Since 2003, $3.7 billion in proposed insurance rate increases has been saved by policyholders.

Proposition 103, passed by California voters in November 1988, establishes the Insurance Commissioner's authority to approve rates set by insurance companies.

It requires the commissioner's "prior approval" before insurance companies can implement property and casualty insurance rates.

The ballot measure also required each insurer to roll back its rates 20 percent.