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re: Question to libs about prexisting conditions and high risk

Posted on 9/21/17 at 10:49 am to
Posted by SUB
Member since Jan 2001
Member since Jan 2009
21051 posts
Posted on 9/21/17 at 10:49 am to
quote:

I've never had an auto insurance claim. If I cause three accidents in three months do you think the insurance company should not be able to charge me more because of the new risk I've presented?


I understand what your saying. But auto-insurance isn't exactly the same as health insurance, especially if you want to compare how premiums are set. For auto insurance, when you have a few claims in a year, you are deemed more risky and your premiums may go up, and whose at fault weighs heavily on this, though some things out of your control, such as if your windshield is constantly getting cracked, can also factor in. You will receive the benefits to cover the costs of those accidents according to your plan.

However, for health insurance, if you get something serious, like cancer, you will need to exercise your policy and file claims for many years or even the rest of your life. That's not exactly the same or similar circumstances as why auto-insurers increase premiums.

Do I think health insurance companies should be able to adjust premiums based on new risks due to something like cancer, that may be no fault of the person insured? No. If I picked up smoking, then sure, because that was my choice. You mentioned in another post that there are other medical conditions that result in person choice, like heart disease. True, but that is a lot harder to prove than who is at fault in an auto accident, which makes health insurance a very different animal than auto insurance. Health Insurers are betting on me and everyone else in their plan paying them in perpetuity and never getting a serious illness, and in most cases, they are right. That's how they make money. They need to pay up when they lose that bet.
This post was edited on 9/21/17 at 10:57 am
Posted by roadGator
Member since Feb 2009
141313 posts
Posted on 9/21/17 at 11:01 am to
quote:

if you want to compare how premiums are set


They are identical in the way premiums are set.

quote:

Do I think health insurance companies should be able to adjust premiums based on new risks due to something like cancer, that may be no fault of the person insured? No.


Then how do those claims get paid in the future? As new information is gathered risk assessments are adjusted and actuaries use that data to set rates.

If you can't adjust your pricing due to risk then it's not insurance.

Auto insurance and health insurance are actuarially the same. You may not think so and that's OK.

The process of setting rates is identical.

Most of what insurance companies are paid to do is actuarial in nature. That's what they are paid to be really good at at the end of the day.

We'll have to agree to disagree. By the way, my insurance career began in underwriting. I'm just dangerous enough to question actuaries but not smart enough to challenge their final word.

Actuaries are terrible people as a rule by the way.
This post was edited on 9/21/17 at 11:03 am
Posted by Taxing Authority
Houston
Member since Feb 2010
57457 posts
Posted on 9/21/17 at 12:29 pm to
quote:

However, for health insurance, if you get something serious, like cancer, you will need to exercise your policy and file claims for many years or even the rest of your life. That's not exactly the same or similar circumstances as why auto-insurers increase premiums.
THis isn't really the correct analogy. The correct analogy would be someone that has a terrible driving record being charged higher rates.
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