Why do so many okies not carry auto or health insurance? (Howe: home owners insurance, home)

[kcmo]

This is in today's Washington Post.

Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma - The Washington Post

20-30% of the population does not carry auto insurance . Seriously? Does that mean that everybody else pays through the roof?

1 in 5 do not have health insurance. Yet people are aggressively against the idea of a national health care system?

I know I said I won't post in the ok forums any more but this is a different topic than what OKC offers as a city and kind of concerning to me.

I have never thought much about OK, but the more research I do about the place, the more I think the state has a lot of issues.

Read the comments on that article. If you dare.

[okcpulse]

Texas leads the nation in the number of people without health insurance. Not sure why The Washington Post zeroed in on our state.

A national healthcare system is not the answer. Neither is private health care. This is a problem which the U.S. as a whole should think outside the box. Socializing health care is not sustainable financially in the long run with the current health crisis being faced by the entire nation, and private health care is an inflating disaster.

The question universal health care opponents and proponents should be asking is this... what solution will bring balance to our health care system that will make it sustainable and maintain the quality of medical facilities, physician and research in the world? It's a tough question to answer, and there are a million variables to consider.

People can call out Oklahoma all they want and blame our state's culture, exercise and eating habits for our high obesity rate. But here's the problem... in 1985, Oklahoma's obesity rate was less than 8%. In the 1970s, there wasn't an obesity rate to even track. What were Oklahomans doing back then that they aren't today? In fact, go to any state in the country in the 1970s and try to find an obesity epidemic. It didn't exist. Neither did all of the fad diets.

[tator89]

well i dont know about auto insurance but health insurance can be extrememly expensive and most ppl cant afford health insurance.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

Texas leads the nation in the number of people without health insurance. Not sure why The Washington Post zeroed in on our state.

I drive 50k miles a year and TX is the only place I have been hit by an uninsured motorist. It was quite annoying to say the least.

According to this TX is 27th and OK is 3rd.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/...car-insurance/

So everybody else does pay for it. OK is more expensive than Maryland and even DC!

[swake]

Originally Posted by okcpulse

A national healthcare system is not the answer. Neither is private health care. This is a problem which the U.S. as a whole should think outside the box. Socializing health care is not sustainable financially in the long run with the current health crisis being faced by the entire nation, and private health care is an inflating disaster.

The question universal health care opponents and proponents should be asking is this... what solution will bring balance to our health care system that will make it sustainable and maintain the quality of medical facilities, physician and research in the world? It's a tough question to answer, and there are a million variables to consider.

Please, stop eating up the Repub blather. The entire rest of the developed world has some form of national healthcare and isn’t imploding from it. Romney just yesterday praised Israel’s popular national healthcare system, that in fact has a insurance mandate. We spend far more on healthcare than any other country on a per capital and percentage of GDP basis and we don’t cover 20% of the population and have some of the worst outcomes in the developed world. Why? We have made healthcare a profit center in the economy. We have to refocus the system to take care of health instead of earning money and we need to control costs and care in a uniform fashion. We are all in this together, we need to start acting like it.

[okcpulse]

Inusured drivers are a high percentage, but not sure where Texas ranks. My monthly premium for two cars, one 2011 and one 2001, in Texas is $158. A recent quote for me in in OKC was $143, not much cheaper. However, I because of commuting, I will save $120 a month in gas because the commute to my perspective employer in OKC will only be 12 miles. Now, on the flip side, my registration in Oklahoma will be $91 for one car and $81 for the older car, but no vehicle inspection.

In Texas, registration for both vehicles is $62.50 each. Vehicles inspections are $39.50 for each vehicle. So I save ~$30 in Oklahoma. Home owners insurance will be about the same.

[okcpulse]

Originally Posted by swake

Please, stop eating up the Repub blather. The entire rest of the developed world has some form of national healthcare and isn’t imploding from it. Romney just yesterday praised Israel’s popular national healthcare system, that in fact has a insurance mandate. We spend far more on healthcare than any other country on a per capital and percentage of GDP basis and we don’t cover 20% of the population and have some of the worst outcomes in the developed world. Why? We have made healthcare a profit center in the economy. We have to refocus the system to take care of health instead of earning money and we need to control costs and care in a uniform fashion. We are all in this together, we need to start acting like it.

Swake, I don't buy into the Repub BS. Neither the Democrat. Both systems are not perfect systems. I said we need to think outside the box. It looks like both you and I are on the same page as far as what needs to be done, only my point is we should avoid going in on direction or another.

[#1soonerfan]

Originally Posted by kcmo

I drive 50k miles a year and TX is the only place I have been hit by an uninsured motorist. It was quite annoying to say the least.

According to this TX is 27th and OK is 3rd.

Most Expensive, Cheapest States for Car Insurance - DailyFinance

So everybody else does pay for it. OK is more expensive than Maryland and even DC!

This has far more to do with this area's massive number of weather-related claims. We are in the "disaster belt" after all.

I have at least 2 people in my office who have had 3 hails claims on their cars in the past 4 years. This is not at all uncommon.

Oklahoma is just an expensive place to insure, whether its auto, renters, or homeowners. Its one of the few things thats more here than most places.

As for healthcare, I'm not wading into that. That's what the politics section is for.

[debzkidz]

Originally Posted by #1soonerfan

This has far more to do with this area's massive number of weather-related claims. We are in the "disaster belt" after all.

I have at least 2 people in my office who have had 3 hails claims on their cars in the past 4 years. This is not at all uncommon.

Oklahoma is just an expensive place to insure, whether its auto, renters, or homeowners. Its one of the few things thats more here than most places.

As for healthcare, I'm not wading into that. That's what the politics section is for.

The hail claims are astronomical. That's for sure. My car and one of my sons have had our cars hit twice in the last 2 years. The May 29th hail storm, pretty much wiped out tons of cars in the metro. When hail is the size of softballs, there's no hiding from it. I was under a gas station awning, trying to save my car, but it was blowing in sideways. There were so many people around me, I couldn't move my car at all to get out of the way.

[kcmo]

Sideways flying softball size hail? Good lord. No wonder people there pray a lot Regardless, this doesn't not really explain why so many people don't carry auto insurance at all.