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NEW YORK, Sept. 20 -- The application of a deductible for each insurance claim is neither new nor unique to Florida or to damages from hurricanes, according to the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Information Institute (I.I.I.).

It is the common practice for all personal and commercial insurance policies throughout the country to apply a deductible for every claim, said Jeanne Salvatore, I.I.I. vice president - consumer affairs.

In return for assuming a larger portion of the risk through deductibles, people pay lower premiums, she observed.

She pointed out that a deductible applies to each claim resulting from a distinct event regardless of the number of claims made during the year.

"People know that if their car is damaged in two separate accidents during the year, the deductible applies for each claim," she said. "Similarly, if a home is damaged by a fire or hurricane and repaired, and then is damaged again, the insurer will pay to repair it a second time up to the insured value of the home, less the deductible."

Fortunately, on average, people file a homeowners or auto insurance claim only once every eight to nine years, according to the I.I.I.

Special hurricane deductibles were established to make insurance coverage more available and affordable in high risk areas without pushing those costs on to people living in lower risk areas. These deductibles usually are expressed as a percentage rather than a specific dollar amount.

They exist in 17 coastal states and the District of Columbia, including Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia .

According to the National Hurricane Center, the value of insured property in hurricane-risk areas along the U.S. coastline is now more than $2 trillion.

"The hurricane deductibles have worked," said Salvatore. "Coverage is available. Prices are reasonable. Claims are being paid."

She added that when people are aware that they may have higher out-of-pocket costs through hurricane deductibles, they are more motivated to invest in disaster mitigation - purchasing hurricane shutter, damage resistant windows and even new homes fortified to withstand severe storms.

For more information on insurance and hurricane deductibles can be found on the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Information Institute's website at .