Insurance companies care about the risk their customers pose to them. This is their number one priority when it comes to assessing rates. What would cause someone to be a risky customer in the car insurance industry? Is it the same risk as those who apply for life insurance?
Health problems like heart attack and stroke are the first things that come to mind when defining high-risk health insurance customers. Getting into a lot of car accidents is the biggest risk factor for auto insurance. But does health ever matter for car insurance customers?
We’ll talk about why some overlooked health issues could actually lead to insurance increases for your auto policy. Car insurance and pacemakers aren’t always a good mix. The pacemaker could malfunction, leading to a car accident.
What about if you have glaucoma in your eyes? It’s hard to drive properly if you can’t see very well. We’ll talk about why certain health-related problems may have an indirect impact on your car insurance prices. What can you do to avoid these price increases?
Heart Disease
Auto insurance companies are not going to ask you whether you have had a heart attack or a heart condition. They only want to know your driving history. You having heart problems does not pose any risk to their company, and they would never know if you had a heart problem in the past.
The only way heart disease would cause your auto insurance to increase is if you got into an accident because you were having a heart attack on the road. This would go on your driving record. Your current and future car insurance will want to check if you have had any other heart-related car accidents after the first one.
The same philosophy applies to pacemakers. Many people who don’t have a regular heartbeat are prescribed a pacemaker by their doctor. A car insurance company doesn’t know or care about this. They only want to know if you have gotten into any car accidents in your past and the reason for getting into them.
This means that if you got into a wreck due to a pacemaker malfunction, there is a possibility of getting your rates increased. They aren’t going to check your medical history beyond what has caused you to file a claim with them. There is one part of the body that definitely needs to be up to snuff to avoid car insurance increases, though.
Eye Problems
Being able to see is the number one most important skill to drive effectively. You will be tested before getting your license. Your ID card you get after passing your driving test will say whether you need to have prescription glasses on while driving.
If you get into a car accident and your insurance company sees that you didn’t have your glasses on, your rates will increase. And you shouldn’t really need to be told to wear glasses if you have been prescribed them. It would seem pretty silly to not want to see it when you are on the road.
Impaired vision is going to make it impossible for you to drive up to standards. Your eyesight will indirectly raise your insurance rates because you will be filing more claims without being able to see the road.
You don’t need to worry about any extra eye exams when you apply for car insurance, though. Your driver’s test is the only indication of whether you can see the road. Beyond that point, it is up to you how much of a risk you want to take by not wearing glasses or getting your eyes checked.
Sleep Problems
Having sleep problems is something that you definitely need to think about before getting behind the wheel. Once again, just like the other issues here, your car insurance company is not going to test you for sleeping problems before giving out your policy.
What they will do is raise your rates if they see you have gotten into an accident due to a sleep incident. Some common sleep problems that affect your driving include sleep apnea and narcolepsy.
Oftentimes a doctor will suggest putting limits on someone’s license if they have a sleeping problem. They want to keep their patients as safe as possible, and many people with sleeping conditions can’t safely drive in the same way that others do.
This may also be a factor with eye conditions like glaucoma. Your doctor can tell you that they don’t want you to drive at certain times, like at night. Your insurance company once again will not ask about any of this. They will only look at your driving record.
Drug or Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol and drug addiction have a severe impact on people’s lives, not the least of which is their car insurance rates. Companies will see that you have gotten into an accident due to a drunk driving event, or they will see the DUI on your record. It will be hard to get a policy with a drug or alcohol-related incident in your driving history.
You need to talk to your doctor and a mental health professional if you think you or a family member are struggling with addiction. This is the best way to live a healthy life in which you can do everyday things like driving.
DUIs are some of the most damaging tickets you can get for your driving record and your personal reputation. This is because there is evidence that you are a reckless driver who is prone to endangering others.
As you can see, all of these issues are irrelevant to car insurance companies until they have caused an accident. The only thing these companies look for when evaluating a price for you is your driving record, your car, and personal information like age and gender.
You should take it upon yourself to stay as healthy as possible so that you never are impaired behind the wheel of a car. This will help you live your life to the fullest and do the things you want to do daily. Your car insurance company will appreciate you in the long run, potentially giving you great rates for clean driving records.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the car insurance site, CarInsuranceComparison.com. He wants to help people understand the personal issues that could affect their insurance rates, like health problems.
