Is American Access Good for Auto Insurance?

Last Updated on April 21, 2023

American Access Casualty Company is a Chicago-area insurance company specializing in car insurance.

Acquired by Kemper in 2020, American Access Casualty Company markets itself specifically to the Hispanic community, including high-risk drivers or drivers with non-standard insurance needs within the Hispanic community.

Is American Access a good insurance company? Should you buy car insurance through American Access? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about American Access’s auto insurance products and services.

Key Takeaways:

1. American Access Casualty Company is a car insurance company based in Chicago, specializing in non-standard private passenger automobile insurance across Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas.
2. The company markets itself specifically to the Hispanic community and is now a subsidiary of Kemper Corporation, which acquired it in 2020.
3. American Access offers a range of auto insurance products, including liability coverage, medical payments coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, rental reimbursement coverage, SR-22 insurance, and roadside assistance coverage.
4. American Access distinguishes itself from other insurance providers through its high-risk auto insurance, SR-22 coverage, targeted marketing, and focus on non-standard auto insurance. However, the company does not publish its list of auto insurance discounts.

What Is American Access?

American Access is a car insurance company founded in 1999. Also known as American Access Casualty Company (AACC), the company was launched with the goal of offering quality, non-standard private passenger automobile insurance to customers across Illinois.

The company markets itself specifically to the Hispanic community.

Since being incorporated in Illinois in December 1999, American Access has expanded to offer car insurance in Indiana, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Today, the company has written over $80 million in the auto insurance business, according to AAIns.com.

American Access is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois.

In 2020, Kemper Corporation announced the acquisition of American Access Casualty Co. Today, American Access is a subsidiary of Kemper.

American Access Insurance Products & Services

American Access specializes in one type of insurance: car insurance. Unlike other insurance companies, American Access does not provide life insurance, home insurance, umbrella insurance, or other products.

American Access offers car insurance in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas.

The full list of insurance products available through American Access includes:

Auto Insurance: American Access sells auto insurance policies to meet non-standard needs in its four covered states. You can buy high-risk auto insurance, SR-22 insurance, minimum liability plans, full coverage car insurance, and other unique options from American Access in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas.

How Does American Access Auto Insurance Work?

American Access’s auto insurance can meet or exceed minimum requirements in your state. The company is best known for providing non-standard auto insurance, including high-risk insurance and SR-22 insurance. However, drivers with all different backgrounds and needs can buy auto insurance through American Access.

Auto insurance options available through American Access include:

Liability Coverage: You can buy bodily injury and property damage liability coverage through American Access. Most states require these coverages, and they protect you from liability if you cause damage to someone else (or their property) while driving.

Medical Payments Coverage: Required in some states but not others, medical payments coverage provides coverage for injuries sustained by the driver and passengers in your car up to your policy limit. It also covers your medical bills if you are hit by a vehicle as a pedestrian.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage: American Access provides uninsured motorist coverage, including uninsured motorist property damage coverage. If you are injured, or your vehicle is damaged by someone who does not have insurance, then your uninsured motorist coverage will protect you.

Comprehensive Coverage: American Access’s comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle when damaged by something other than a collision, including fire damage, collisions with animals, vehicle theft, vandalism, and more.

Collision Coverage: Collision coverage covers repairing or replacing your vehicle after a collision with another vehicle or object.

Rental Reimbursement Coverage: Rental reimbursement coverage compensates you for renting a vehicle if your ordinary vehicle cannot be driven because of a covered event.

SR-22 Insurance: Certain states require SR-22 certificates to verify financial responsibility. If you require SR-22 insurance in any of American Access’s covered states, you can get that SR-22 insurance through AACC.

Roadside Assistance Coverage: Roadside assistance coverage pays for towing your vehicle to the nearest facility if it cannot be driven due to a flat tire, mechanical breakdown, or a similar event.

What Makes American Access Auto Insurance Unique?

Drivers in Illinois and other states have plenty of options for car insurance. Why pick American Access? What unique advantages does American Access have over the competition?

American Access has several features that distinguish itself from competing companies, including:

High-Risk Auto Insurance: If you cannot buy car insurance through the ordinary marketplace in your state, then you may be able to buy a high-risk auto insurance policy through American Access. The company specializes in non-standard auto insurance, covering drivers who cannot obtain insurance through other providers.

SR-22 Coverage: Some states require SR-22 insurance as proof of financial responsibility. You can buy SR-22 coverage through American Access, and the company will submit the SR-22 to the DMV on your behalf to reinstate your driving privileges.

Marketed to the Hispanic Community: American Access markets itself specifically to Hispanic drivers, and most of the company’s policyholders are part of the Hispanic community.

Non-Standard Auto Insurance: If you have unique insurance needs that standard auto insurance providers cannot meet, then American Access might be your best option. The company specializes in insuring alternative vehicles, high-risk drivers, drivers who need SR-22 certificates, and other drivers with non-standard insurance needs.

American Access Auto Insurance Discounts

American Access does not publish its list of auto insurance discounts upfront. As a high-risk, non-standard auto insurance company, American Access specializes mostly in providing drivers with minimum liability insurance at the cheapest possible rate.

However, some American Access customers may qualify for discounts, including the following discounts:

Safe Driving Discounts: Drivers with a safe driving record will pay cheaper rates with American Access. If you have three to seven years of driving history with no accidents, speeding tickets, or other incidents, then you could qualify for a safe driving discount.

Multi-Vehicle Discount: American Access only sells auto insurance, so the company does not offer bundling discounts (say, for bundling home and auto insurance). However, you may be able to save by bundling multiple vehicles together under one policy.

Vehicle Safety Feature Discount: If you drive a safe vehicle with strong crash safety ratings, you can save on insurance. Vehicles with solid safety ratings tend to have lower insurance premiums than others.

Cheap SR-22 Insurance: SR-22 insurance will never be cheap. However, relative to other SR-22 insurance providers, American Access may offer cheaper-than-average SR-22 insurance rates in Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, and Texas.

American Access Ratings & Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?

American Access is a small insurance company with few ratings or reviews from major insurance bodies.

American Access has admitted assets of $510 million, a policyholder surplus of $97.7 million, and a risk-based capital ratio of 377.39%.

A.M. Best last rated American Access in 2015. A.M. Best gave the company a financial strength rating of B (Fair). From 2015 onward, however, the American Access management team requested to no longer participate in A.M. Best’s rating process.

A.M. Best commented on the organization’s credit ratings following its acquisition by Kemper in 2020. After Kemper acquired American Access in November 2020, A.M. Best confirmed that Kemper’s financial strength ratings were unchanged by the announcement. As of 2023, American Access’s parent company, Kemper, has a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and a long-term issuer credit rating (ICR) of bbb-.

American Access has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), with 178 complaints in the last three years as of 2023.

Review aggregator websites generally have poor ratings for American Access. Consumer Affairs, for example, has given the company a rating of 1.1 stars out of 5 with 190+ customer reviews. Clearsurance has an average rating of 3.70 out of 5, with 70+ customer reviews. And WalletHub has given the company 1.3 stars out of 5 based on 730+ customer reviews.

Final Word on American Access

American Access Casualty Company (AACC) is a Chicago-area insurance company specializing in non-standard auto insurance. The company markets itself specifically to the Hispanic community.

Launched in 1999, American Access was acquired by Kemper in 2020. Today, the company continues to offer non-standard auto insurance at a competitive price to policyholders across Illinois, Indiana, Texas, and Arizona.

American Access Contact Info
Address	2211 Butterfield Rd. Suite 200 Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone Number	888-663-5443
Hours	Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (C.S.T.) Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (C.S.T.)
Website	https://www.aains.com/