Insurance Fundamentals

Insurance companies make money by...

• Refusing to pay out claims to policyholders.

• Collecting money from the government.

• Collecting more in premiums than they need to pay out in claims.

• Keeping costs low with minimal advertising.

Insurance companies charge individuals different prices for coverage depending on their risk levels. Then, they collect everyone's monthly premiums and use the money to make payments when people file a claim. What is this concept called?

• Risk management

• Risk pooling

• Premium collection

• Comprehensive coverage

In general, why do individuals purchase insurance coverage rather than just putting money aside into a savings account in case of emergency?

• Savings accounts are risky, so there's a chance of losing money from your account

• Accidents and illnesses can be far more expensive than the average American will have saved

• Insurance companies are nonprofit organizations, while banks offering savings accounts are for-profit businesses

• The federal government mandates that individuals have health, life, disability, and auto insurance

Who regulates insurance companies in the United States?

• The federal government

• State government

• Local government

• No one-- they exist only in the market economy with no regulation

Roland's auto insurance premium is $100 per month, his deductible is $1000, and his coverage limit is $50,000. He crashes into his own fence and mailbox, causing $2200 in damages. How much will Roland and the insurance company each pay for the accident?

• Roland will pay $100, the insurance company will pay $50,000

• Roland will pay $100, the insurance company will pay $1000

• Roland will pay $1000, the insurance company will pay $1200

• Roland will pay $1200, the insurance company will pay $1000

How do insurance companies decide how much to charge an individual for their monthly premiums?

• The company assesses the individual's risk factors and assigns higher premiums to higher risk individuals

• The company looks at the individual's tax filings from the previous year to assess overall wealth and ability to pay

• The company charges the same premium for every individual eligible for coverage

• The company increases or decreases premium rates based on the stock market

All of these are examples of insurance fraud EXCEPT...

• Filing a claim if you are injured while at work

• Purposely making untrue statements on your insurance application

• Claiming your property was stolen when really you lost it

• Exaggerating the extent of your injury or accident

In general, if you choose an insurance plan with a higher monthly premium...

• your deductible will be higher and your coverage limit will be higher

• your deductible will be higher and your coverage limit will be lower

• your deductible will be lower and your coverage limit will be higher

• your deductible will be lower and your coverage limit will be lower

How does insurance fraud affect insurance costs for all paying customers?

• Fees paid by individuals charged with insurance fraud are used to reduce all customers' premiums

• The cost of large, false payouts are passed onto all customers through higher premiums

• High levels of fraud result in fewer insurance claims overall

• The federal government reimburses insurance companies for fraud cases, so all Americans are paying these claims through their federal taxes

Two of the most common types of insurance coverage used by high school seniors are...

• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance.

• Life insurance and earthquake insurance.

• Health insurance and auto insurance.

• Health insurance and pet insurance.