Kansas doesn’t have an electronic system to check the status of auto insurance so experts estimate that there are at least 160,000 drivers in that state without a penny of car insurance coverage.  And they know the police and the state can’t catch them, according to Kansas.com.

Seems these cheats have discovered how to get around the existing system; they buy a one-year policy and pay the first month’s premium which gets the insurance card needed to register their car and get their license.  Then these scofflaws never pay the second month’s premium and though their insurance is cancelled, they’ve still got a card saying they are covered for 11 more months. 

That’s enough to get these drivers off the hook if they get stopped for a speeding ticket, when all a police officer can do is ask for proof of insurance.  But there’s no way to check to see if the policy is still in force. 

The problem really hits home, though, if there’s an accident caused by one of these uninsured motorists.  Then the state’s insurance requirements fall flat, as the victim suffers again when there’s no money for medical bills, no money for car repairs, no money for lost wages, no money for anything.  The only recourse for the victim is to sue the uninsured driver, but if they had any money in the first place they would have had insurance, so that’s a losing proposition too.

Kansas has no excuse for this situation.  Though state officials wonder about how to implement an accurate electronic system, the fact is that dozens of other states already have that type of system in place to use as examples of how to do it right.  I live in Colorado, and I know that if I’m stopped by an officer, within minutes he’ll know whether I truly have insurance coverage or not.  If I stop paying my premiums, the state is notified within 30 days that I’ve discontinued insurance, and I’ll get a nasty letter in the mail.

Based on statistics, as many as 1 in 6 car accidents in Kansas involve uninsured motorists, though here too the state fails to keep records.  So if you live and drive in Kansas make sure you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.  Odds are far too great in the Sunflower state to leave off this coverage as a way to save on insurance premiums; better to find a Kansas auto insurance company which has great rates on everything else. 

Before you start looking for California auto insurance, it’s important to know what’s required as a motor vehicle owner.  Though California does not have extensive insurance requirements, you still need to meet those minimums before you get behind the wheel.

Only two types of insurance are required to own and operate a car according to the California Department of Insurance.  The first is bodily injury liability insurance, which covers things like medical expenses and lost wages for someone who gets hurt or killed in an accident that your vehicle is responsible for.  It does not cover someone in your vehicle who gets hurt.  California requires a minimum of $15,000 in coverage for one person in a single accident, and $30,000 for all persons in a single accident.  You’ll see this listed in your policy as $15,000/$30,000. 

The second requirement is $5000 in property liability coverage.  This would pay for the damage caused by your vehicle to property belonging to someone else, whether that’s another car, a motorcycle, a trailer, etc.  It does not pay to repair your car.

Both of the minimums California requires are extremely low.  We’ve already talked about how much a low-speed fender bender can cost to repair – $5,000 won’t go far.  If someone ends up in the hospital, think how quickly the bill could exceed $15,000.  Since the amount of insurance purchased is the maximum amount your insurance company will pay in case of an accident, you would be personally responsible for any extra costs.  Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you purchase much more than the minimum amounts; even though it will add to the cost of your insurance, it will help keep you safe from things like losing your house to pay medical bills.

California does not require that you purchase things like collision, comprehensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist or medical payment coverage, but these are all still important to include as part of your California car insurance policy.

You can’t register or renew registration on a vehicle without proof of insurance, or even get your car inspected.  In fact you are expected to obtain insurance prior to taking possession of a car. And if you get stopped by a police officer or get in an accident, you better have proof of California auto insurance as well.

For years Massachusetts has had the most restrictive laws in the nation concerning auto insurance rates, to the point that the state actually told insurance companies what they could charge and how much of a rate increase or decrease should be allowed.  As a result, many major companies quit offering insurance to residents, and the remaining choices were quite limited.

Now Gov. Deval Patrick has developed a plan that would permit auto insurance companies to use additional factors to determine rates which better reflect the risks the they are likely to face when covering an individual, including socio-economic factors such as income and occupation. 

A few State senators fear that using some of these factors will discriminate against groups of drivers.  However just last month the FTC released a report confirming that it is acceptable for credit scores to affect auto insurance rates because they are a reliable predictor of risk. 

The other 49 states permit insurance companies to use factors such as income and credit scores, driving records, occupations and geographic locations to determine automobile insurance rates.  The results accurately forecast the risk faced by insurers, enabling them to thus set more competitive rates.  This means that consumers with good driving records and other factors pay less, while drivers with poor records and bad credit pay more, just as they should. 

Massachusetts tried to use legislation to force insurance premiums to fit their definition of “fair.”  The problem is the legislature is not in the insurance business.  Their actions actually hurt consumers, as the state legislated them right out of benefits like accident forgiveness.  Now it’s time to remove those restrictions and allow state residents to benefit from a competitive marketplace.  The results could easily be far better than anything the government could ever impose.

In a state most insurance companies avoid, Orlando-based Olympus Insurance has begun writing insurance for Florida homes.  They are the first of eight new property and casualty insurers approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to start offering homeowners, mobile home, commercial insurance and more to residents, bringing $1.2 billion in new capital investment to the state.

Many home insurance providers fled Florida after significant losses from hurricane damage.  The result was a limited number of carriers providing extremely expensive homeowners coverage; in fact it was not unusual for families to pay $5,000 or more annually and be grateful just to lock in a policy. 

Olympus plans to write up to 100,000 policies throughout the state, in part due to a loan from the Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program from the Florida State Board of Administration.  The result is more choice for consumers, with companies actually beginning to compete for home insurance business for the first time in years.

The other seven carriers should begin offering policies shortly.  Four of the carriers are actually based in Florida, including American Keystone Insurance, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance, Modern USA Insurance, and Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange. 

Florida residents can actually start getting other competitive home insurance quotes now, to have enough time to compare and choose the best deal before it’s time to renew their current policy. 

So, if you live in Florida, there’s finally hope of relief for your high home insurance premiums!  Celebrate!

If you’re an Arizona resident searching for health insurance, make sure you know your rights first. Arizona has a moderate amount of laws concerning health insurance which means that consumers are protected but companies can still operate profitably within the state.  This gives Arizona residents a great deal of choices when it comes to choosing a health insurance provider.

Arizona has made important provisions in many areas, such as guaranteed emergency ambulance services and medical screens without prior authorization, and a method to add newborns and adopted children to existing family policies without risk of refusal, despite any medical conditions the children may have. 

More serious items include a requirement that policies which cover diabetes must cover all medically necessary prescribed diabetes equipment too, and that insurance companies must treat all allopathic, osteopathic and chiropractic physicians equally, giving consumers numerous options in their choice of healthcare providers.

All types of insurance coverage are available in Arizona, including Major Medical, HMO, Preferred Provider, and Health Savings Account plans.  Choose the deductible amounts and covered items that best fit the needs of you and your family. 

More information on Arizona health insurance is available on our site, or through the Arizona Department of Insurance website. We can also help you find health insurance carriers in Arizona or any state.