Many insurance policies have deductibles. A deductible is a set dollar or percentage amount of a claim. The insured is responsible for paying this part before any payments will be released by the insurance company. The purpose of insurance is to reimburse the insured in the event of a loss. Insurance companies pool risks, which work to make payments more affordable for all. Insurance works because it accepts large financial exposures, spread over a geographically diverse group. Most of us have at some point dropped and broken an egg. Did your insurance company replace the broken egg? Insurance, the mechanism that we use to spread risk, fails to work if it is expected to cover all losses. Items below a certain threshold significantly reduce the effectiveness of insurance. Deductibles work to stabilize the insurance process. By reducing the number of small claims, deductibles reduce inefficiencies.

How Insurance Deductible Benefit Consumers

While consumers may find it difficult to accept, deductibles lead to lower premiums. Don’t take my word; you can demonstrate the theory yourself. You most likely have the ability to raise and lower deductibles on your policy. Re-quote your coverage; using both higher and lower deductibles. What you will find is that premiums rise as deductibles decline. You will have proof that the cost of insurance declines with higher deductibles.

How Insurance Deductible Benefit Insurance Companies

Moral Hazard My Great Grandmother used to tell me that locks keep honest people honest. For insurance companies, deductibles can be viewed the same way that my Great-Grandmother saw locks. Example: Ed is trying to sell his boat. The best he can get is $1,200, but he still owes the bank $1,500. Instead of taking a $300 loss he could call his insurance company and reports it as stolen. Then he would have the $1,500 to pay off the boat.No! In this case, the $1,000 deductible removes the incentive to commit insurance fraud. It significantly reduces the chances of a loss for the insurer.

Deductibles reduce exposures to Moral Hazards: Locks keep honest people honest.

Morale Hazard Unlike moral hazards, which are the result of an illegal action, morale hazards are more akin to neglect. Individuals that willing to expose insured property to hazards are considered morale hazards. For example, leaving a cell phone on your front porch isn’t illegal. It could be a perfectly beautiful day or a torrential storm. Would it be illegal if a 4 year old mobile phone was left in a hail storm? No. But this phone is old, and it has an insurance policy. Is it illegal to use the storm as an avenue for a new phone? Probably not. But there are clear ethical issues. This is a moral hazard.

Deductibles reduce exposures to Morale Hazards: Locks keep honest people honest.

Claims Cost: Relative to the size of the loss, insurers pay out a significant amount more on smaller claims. This is due to the considerable impact of fixed cost.
Deductibles improve efficiencies: Insurance is intended for catastrophic losses or larger financial exposures.
Deductibles occur on most property coverages. The property would be tangibles such as buildings, homes, vehicles and other real property. Until very recently deductibles have almost entirely excluded from liability claims. Giving consumers the option to include deductibles liability coverages is becoming more common.
Deductibles are a form of risk retention. They serve as a way to level the playing field for both the insurance company and the insurer. They give insurance companies a tool to reduce fraud and other manipulation. Deductibles also work to enhance the efficiencies of the insurance process. When used responsibly deductibles make it easier for everyone to minimize risk.