| Insurance Info and Interesting Facts |
Avoiding Deer / Car Collisions
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The explosion in the deer population has lead to a continuing increase in deer-car collisions. This trend will only increase as the deer population grows and urban habitats continue to encroach upon rural environments.
According to the National Safety Council, there were 530,000 animal-related accidents in 2003 and these collisions resulted in 100 deaths and 10,000 injuries.
The average cost per insurance claim for collision damage is $2,800, with costs varying depending on the type of vehicle and severity of damage. When you factor in auto claims involving bodily injury, the average rises to $10,000.
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Defensive driving tips to avoid hitting a deer.
- Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions.
- Drive with caution when moving through deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a large deer population and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland. Deer seldom run alone. If you see one deer, others may be nearby.
- When driving at night, use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.
- Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.
- Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.
- Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in car/deer crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
- Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
If your vehicle strikes a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.
Contact your insurance agent or company representative to report any damage to your car. Collision with an animal is covered under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy.
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© Insurance Information Institute, Inc. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED -
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| At the Scene of an Accident
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Knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives and also make the claims process easier.
- Stop your car and find out if anyone is injured.
- Call the police or highway patrol. Tell them how many people were hurt and the types of injuries. The police will notify the nearest medical unit.
- Cover injured people with a blanket to keep them warm.
- Try to protect the accident scene. Take reasonable steps to protect your car from further damage, such as setting up flares, getting the car off the road and calling a tow truck.
- Ask the investigating officer where you can obtain a copy of the police report. You will probably need it when you submit your claim to your insurance company.
- If necessary, have the car towed to a repair shop. But remember, your insurance company probably will want to have an adjuster inspect it and appraise the damage before you order repair work done.
- Make notes. Keep a pad and pencil in your glove compartment. Write down:
- the names and addresses of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
- license plate numbers
- the make and model of each car
- driver's license numbers
- insurance identifications
- the names and addresses of witnesses
- the names and badge numbers of police officers or other emergency personnel.
- If you run into an unattended vehicle or object, try to find the owner. If you can't, leave a note containing your name, address and phone number. Record the details of the accident.
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© Insurance Information Institute, Inc. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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Does my homeowners insurance cover flooding?
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Standard homeowners and renters insurance does not cover flood damage. Flood coverage, however, is available in the form of a separate policy both from the National Flood Insurance Program - NFIP (888-379-9531, http://www.floodsmart.gov ) and from a few private insurers.
The NFIP provides coverage for up to $250,000 for the structure of the home and $100,000 for personal possessions. The NFIP policy provides replacement cost coverage for the structure of your home, but only actual cash value coverage for your possessions. Replacement cost coverage pays to rebuild your home as it was before the damage. Actual cash value is replacement cost coverage minus depreciation so that the older your possessions are, the less you will get if they are damaged. There may also be limits on coverage for furniture and other belongings stored in your basement.
Flood insurance is available for renters as well as homeowners. You will need flood insurance if you live in a designated flood zone. But flooding can also occur in inland areas and away from major rivers. Consider buying a flood insurance policy if your house could be flooded by melting snow, an overflowing creek or pond or water running down a steep hill. Don’t wait for a flood season warning on the evening news to buy a policy—there is a 30-day waiting period before the coverage takes effect.
Excess flood insurance is also available from some private insurers for those who need additional insurance protection over and above the basic policy or whose community does not participate in the NFIP. Depending on the amount of coverage purchased, an excess flood insurance policy will cover damage above the limits of the federal program on the same basis as the federal program—replacement cost for the structure and actual cash value for the contents.
Excess flood insurance is available in all parts of the country—in high risk flood zones along the coast and close to major rivers as well as in areas of lower risk—wherever the federal program is available. It can be purchased from specialized companies through independent insurance agents, or from regular homeowners insurance companies that have arrangements with a specialized insurer to provide coverage to their policyholders.
To find out whether private primary flood insurance is available in your area, contact your insurance agent.
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| Health Insurance Terms
Co-payments or Co-insurance
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Co-insurance or a co-pay is a percentage of each claim above the deductible paid by the insured. For a 20 percent health insurance co-insurance clause, for example, you would pay the deductible plus 20 percent of the covered losses. After the insurer pays 80 percent of the losses up to a specified ceiling, the insurer will start paying 100 percent of the losses.
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Deductible
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A deductible is the amount of loss paid by you before the insurance kicks in. Either a specified dollar amount, a percentage of the claim amount, or a specific amount of time must elapse before benefits are paid. The bigger the deductible, the lower the premium charged for the same coverage.
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HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
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HIPAA established national standards for the portability of insurance and set security standards for electronic health care information. HIPAA regulates the availability and breadth of group and individual health insurance plans, amending both the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Public Health Service Act. HIPAA prohibits any group health plan from creating eligibility rules or assessing premiums for individuals in the plan based on health status, medical history, genetic information or disability. It does not apply to private individual insurance. It also limits restrictions that a group health plan can place on benefits for preexisting conditions. HIPAA also includes rules aimed at increasing the efficiency of the health care system by creating standards for the use and dissemination of health care information. The final rule adopting HIPAA standards for security was published in the Federal Register on February 20, 2003. This rule specifies a series of administrative, technical, and physical security procedures for covered entities to use to assure the confidentiality of electronic protected health information.
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Preexisting Condition
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A preexisting condition is a medical condition diagnosed before joining a new plan. Many insurance plans will not cover preexisting conditions and some will cover them only after a waiting period. However, in 1997, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), which mandates that preexisting conditions be covered without a waiting period when an individual who has been insured during the previous 12 months joins a new group plan.
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© Insurance Information Institute, Inc. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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