Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Insurance undermines responsibility


Insurance has ruined the world. Think about how careful you would be if nobody had car insurance. Would you drive carelessly if, when you were in an accident that was determined to be your fault, you actually paid all repair and medical bills out of your bank account or future income? I submit that there would be virtually zero fatal accidents. Every person, corporation, and government industry has become overly risky with their behaviors because someone else pays for the bulk of their mistakes. If you really want to stop almost any tragedy or abuse that you see on the nightly news, hold the person or entity personally and financially responsible for their actions. A bank, for instance, has FDIC insurance for your money. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy, right. This allows them to make overly risky loans for profit maximization, and if they screw up, nobody really loses. FDIC insurance however is nothing more than your tax dollars. So with this understanding, your tax dollars cover your banker's bad decisions when he fails at increasing profits for his shareholders which includes your 401k.
Responsible people never benefit from insurance. The nature of the business makes people more careless and therefore the world more dangerous. I cannot blame the insurance companies, bcause they simply fill a need that people are willing to pay for. Where I have a huge problem is when a law is passed requiring people to insure themselves.
Add up every insurance premium that you pay for, and multiply it by 12 months and 75 years to find out how much you should be agreeing with me right now. Let's list them:

1. Health insurance
2. Auto insurance
3. Homeowner's insurance
4. Life insurance
5. Mortgage insurance on your home
6. Fire / Flood insurance on your home
7. Professional malpractice insurance - increases the price for every product or service
8. FDIC
9. Title insurance on your home
10. Dental insurance
11. Vision insurance
12. Earthquake insurance

I have a particular problem with professional or medical malpractice insurance. Don't you think it will make life threatening surgery mistakes more common if a doctor can pay a relatively small premium to cover those mornings he is still hung-over. In the real estate industry they have "errors and omissions" insurance so they are not held responsible when they have not properly researched the property history and it cost the homeowner(s) money.
People should be able to decide whether or not to live a risky life that requires financial back-up or not.

1 comment:

Robert Morris (Bubba) said...

I could not agree more. It contributes to a larger problem of personal responsibility. If you are "insured" you can eliminate most of the consequences for your actions. We need more consequences and more people taking responsibility in this world. It would be a safer and better world for all. (that sounds liberal)

by the way, have Holy help you with your wallpaper.