What Insurance Means to Ohioans

When people think about insurance, they probably think about the last insurance premium they paid, the auto accident they had last year or the trip last month to the emergency room. This is what’s expected. In 2003, 6.8% of American household expenditures were allotted to insurance needs (see chart below).

What insurance is

A universal complaint heard by auto insurance companies is, “My insurance rates have increased even though I haven’t had an accident!” Why does this occur? Because individuals may not have a clear understanding of how insurance works. A common misconception about insurance is that it works like a savings account. An individual continues to pay premiums year after year, thinking that premium payments are placed in an “account” to pay for future incurred losses. This is not the way insurance works.

In simplest terms, insurance is a concept where “many people share the losses of the comparatively few.” This concept does not necessarily provide comfort until you become “one of the few.” The purpose of insurance is to help pay for losses that ordinarily you wouldn’t be able to afford on your own. Without insurance, few people could afford the risk of owning a home or car. Lenders could not afford the risk of making loans for a new business venture or factory construction. And medical assistance or surgery would not be an option for many without the coverage insurance provides.

What insurance means to Ohio’s economy

Ohio is a leading insurance state with 277 insurance companies domiciled in the state (Ohio Department of Insurance as of 5/05). Ohio ranks seventh in the US based on the number of property/casualty insurance companies domiciled within the state in 2003 with 134, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

As a part of the financial services sector, Ohio’s insurance industry provides stable employment to about 105,800 (2004 figure from: Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Labor Market Information Bureau). For more employment information, see “Ohio and US Insurance Employment Statistics.”

For more information on the industry’s economic impact in Ohio go to www.ohioinsurance.org/pdf/Insurance_Brochure.pdf.

Note: Percentages do not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Source: Insurance Information Institute from US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey

Insurance companies played the largest role in compensating people and businesses hurt by the Sept. 11 attacks. Insurers paid slightly more than half of the $38.1 billion in benefits, according to a study released by the Rand Institute for Civil Justice in November 2004.

If insurance ceased for a year

Insurance is just one of the factors that enables Ohioans to make long-term commitments and secure a better future. In 2004 insurance played a role in:

• 16.848 new businesses that were formed, creating new job markets
• $9.2 billion in wages earned by Ohio’s 34,639 construction industry employees
• The sale of 273,514 cars and 306,439 trucks from Ohio dealerships
• Protecting Ohio’s 7.9 million licensed drivers by providing auto insurance through a strong, competitive market
• Nearly $5.1 billion paid to Buckeye residents employed by the state’s insurance industry
• Providing protection to Ohio’s 4,854 schools, along with enabling the construction and renovation of new and existing school buildings and
• Supporting a $154 billion Ohio retail sales industry.

Ohioans purchase insurance to protect their assets and as a means of financial security. The insurance industry covered personal losses well into the billions of dollars in 2004 including:

• Nearly $16.2 billion in property, automobile, medical and other property/casualty insurance losses. These losses include $3.5 billion for personal and commercial automobile accident losses, $955 million in direct losses paid for homeowners insurance policyholder losses and $114 million in losses related to accident and health and
• $11.7 billion distributed to the beneficiaries of accident and health insurance policies in private companies.

Insurance industry regulator

The Ohio Department of Insurance is the largest consumer protection agency in the state and sole regulator of Ohio’s insurance industry. The department ensures the financial stability of insurers through ongoing reviews, audits and policy-making.

Additionally, the department regulates insurance company rate-setting and compliance standards. The Ohio Department of Insurance preserves Ohio’s healthy insurance climate as well as protects the interests of millions of policyholders.

Insurance company stability

Property/casualty insurers guarantee the solvency of Ohio companies through the Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association, which is supported by the industry. When an insurance company is declared insolvent all companies operating in the state are assessed on the basis of their share of the statewide insurance market. These funds are used to pay the covered claims and unearned premiums of the insolvent company. For more information, see "Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association."

A 2003 survey of 14,000 readers of Consumer Reports found that 77% were generally satisfied with their insurance companies, but many were unaware of ways they could save money on their insurance.