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0 pointstzs13y ago0 comments

Failing to wash my car or change my oil does not lead to theft or covered accidents, so the insurance company does not care.

Failing to get routine medical care, on the other hand, does increase the risk of conditions that insurance does cover. Hence, the insurance company does care about my routine medical care, and so covers it to encourage it.

This is why my health insurance company constantly sends me emails with fitness tips and other health suggestions, whereas my auto insurance company has not once sent me any tips on washing my car.

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4 comments · 3 top-level

jerrya13y ago· 1 in thread

Really? I mean, I would think so, but I see a lot of major insurance plans with very high copays and/or limited to no coverage for annual physicals which would not be the expected behavior of insurance companies felt your annual physical saved them money.

danielweber13y ago

Annual physicals are, for the vast majority of people, completely useless in terms of health.

Lots of common things people imagine "save lives and money" do neither. Vaccines and pap smears are great, but most things aren't.

bryanlarsen13y ago

No, but oil changes do have an impact on your car's warranty, which is also a form of insurance. Mazda makes regular oil changes a condition of the warranty, and BMW includes them in the warranty.

You could use the Mazda model for regular check-ups, but what about the other little stuff? We don't want people saying "My chest pain is feeling better now. I'll save the $75."

tlrobinson13y ago

Insurance companies offer discounts for preventative measures, like taking a defensive driving course for auto insurance, or installing an alarm system for homeowners insurance.

Surely you could accomplish the same thing with health insurance?

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