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The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) wants more groups of Americans to get smart about insurance coverage.
NAIC added new life situation sections to its Insure U consumer
education program, found online at InsureUOnline.org. The new
information is aimed at domestic partners, single parents, grandparents
who are raising their grandchildren, and members of the military.
“Expanding our Insure U program directly reflects the varied life situations and needs that characterize our diverse nation,” explained Sandy Praeger, NAIC president and Kansas Insurance Commissioner. “Insure U is an important resource to help consumers better understand insurance issues specific to their experiences. I’m proud that we have four new ways for Americans to get smart about insurance.”
The new life situation sections at Insure U build on the four already available on the site: young singles, young families, established families, and seniors. The Insure U curriculum offers insurance tips and special considerations on auto, home, health, and life insurance for all groups.
In developing this new content for the Web site, the NAIC conducted national research earlier this year among members of the four added life situations.
“In order to develop relevant tips and information, we first needed to find out where the information gaps occur,” said Catherine J. Weatherford, NAIC executive vice president and CEO. “Our research identified many misperceptions and misunderstandings about insurance among these consumer groups.”
For example,
- 15 percent of single parents said their children did not have health insurance. These parents may not be aware of state and federal programs that provide health insurance for children, information that is available through state insurance departments.
- 38 percent of members of the military did not know whether their policies covered death due to an act of war. (Many standard life insurance policies exclude acts of war.) Members of the military who are subject to combat conditions should verify whether their insurance policy provides benefits for a war zone or an act of war.
- 49 percent of domestic partners said they have no formal documentation providing evidence of their relationship. For insurance purposes, such documentation is important in situations where policies specifically provide benefits to members of a family or household.
- 52 percent of grandparents raising grandchildren said they had no proof, such as legal guardianship papers, to document their role in raising their grandchildren. Such documentation is useful, if not essential, when dealing with public schools, seeking access to government programs, and addressing insurance issues.
In addition, the Insure U curriculum educates visitors on how to avoid being scammed by fake insurance companies selling fraudulent insurance policies, provides tips on disaster preparedness, and gives information on long-term care insurance.
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