Is it true that auto insurance is higher for people with schizophrenia? I told my dad what I was paying $101 a month for liability and he said that was too much. I read someone else’s post on here that our insurance is higher. If it’s true, how are insurance companies able to know if I have a mental illness if I haven’t told them myself?
I’ve never heard that.
I can speak for myself. I live in California and maybe there are different rules for different states. I pay about $270.00 a year for liability I have always gotten the minimum amount of insurance since I got my first car in 1978 when I was 17. It’s a gamble just driving with liability, I can’t afford expensive repair bills if my car gets damaged. But it has actually paid off getting the cheapest (by the way, did you shop around different companies to see who has the best rates?)
It has paid off for me to get the cheapest for the last 35 years because I have been in only two accidents that were my fault in my entire driving history. So I have saved tons of money that the more extensive coverage would have cost me over the years.
I am about 99% sure that no car insurance company I’ve ever used has the knowledge that I am schizophrenic. I have never gotten the slightest hint from any agent from any company that they have knowledge of my illness. When I occasionally have to deal with our Department of Motor Vehicles, such as for renewing my license, or picking up forms, or taking care of registration issues, or giving them a change of address my illness never comes up and I never volunteer the information. No form I’ve ever seen asks if I have a mental illness.
I remember back in 1990 when I was coming home from my volunteer job with another client from my temporary crisis home I was in at that time. I was driving my 1970 Cadillac and I got pulled over by a cop for something. The cop let me off with a warning but as he was walking back towards his cruiser the guy in the passenger seat in my car starting laughing for no reason and he wouldn’t stop. The cop came back to ask me what was going on. Well, somehow it came out that we were schizophrenic. All the cop said was that if I ever got pulled over by another cop and I was drowsy from my medication or it made me less alert that a cop could give me a ticket (and possibly a few days in jail) for DUI. (driving under the influence which is the ticket you get for driving drunk).
But he let me go.
But yeah, $100 a month is way too much for anyone to pay, schizophrenic or not, if you have a good diving record. Also, in my area where I live and drive, it saves you money to pay your auto insurance off in one lump sum for the whole year. If I pay monthly installments for a year I get charged an extra $13.00 per month for a finance fee. Over a years time that translates into an extra $150 per year, which I could put to better use elsewhere like saving mankind from rabid elephants or something.
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How on earth would anyone know you have sz?
There’s not a national registery and I tell few people unless I know them for years and they have a good reason to know.
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That sounds like a great rate you have there. Before I chose Progressive (Ohio), I got about 4 quotes that were all even higher than $101. I have been telling myself that I need to call around more. I recently got into an accident in September 2017. I was at fault. I was also insured on my mother’s policy at the time and she had had one accident this year at her fault. So maybe my rate is so high since they’re recent accidents.
I would like to pay in full one day. It does save.
Thank you for the information. I was wondering how an insurance company would acquire my mental health information. One less thing to over analyze and be upset about. lol
Your story was helpful. I’m glad the cop let you go. That’s scary about the DUI if driving drowsy or less alert from meds.
I just Googled Rabid. Has anyone seen that movie? I’m too sensitive to watch something like that lol
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