Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property (2024)

Coinsurance is an industry-wide property provision that states the amount of coverage that must be maintained as a percentage of the total value of the property at the time of loss. The penalty is based on a percentage stated within the policy and the amount reported. Common coinsurance is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the value of the insured property. The higher the percentage is, the worse it is for you. It is important to note, as a way of preventing frustration and confusion at the time of loss, coverage through the NREIG program has no coinsurance. Let’s discuss an example of how a coinsurance penalty could be assessed in the event a loss occurs and you are deemed to be underinsured.

How Coinsurance Works

Let’s say a house insured for $100,000 sustains a loss of $40,000 and carries a $3,000 deductible. The claims adjuster determines how much the property would cost to rebuild if the location had been a total loss. In this example, let’s say they determine it would cost $250,000 to rebuild. Then they refer to the declarations pages of your policy and see you have an 80% coinsurance clause on your policy. Meaning you agreed, when entering into this agreement with your carrier, to be insured to 80% of the true replacement cost of the policy just determined to be $250,000. Provided you are carrying $200,000 or more of building coverage (80% of $250,000), you have met your coinsurance clause. However, if you are insured to $199,999 or less, you will be assessed a coinsurance penalty based on the percentage you are underinsured (50%). This is done prior to figuring in the depreciation and the deductible (so they can take the percentage off of the larger amount). This will reduce your claim amount to $20,000 (50% of $40,000), less your deductible, meaning the insurance company will pay no more than $17,000 on your $40,000 in damage.

If you are looking at your declarations pages and scratching your head as to why you are insuring your 1,000-square-foot home for $150,000, look no further than your coinsurance clause. Many carriers (in an attempt to avoid a coinsurance penalty in the event of a loss), greatly inflate the ITV (Insurance to Value) of the property. The last thing your agent wants is you in their office upset after a loss occurs because, in addition to being hit with depreciation, you are also being hit with a coinsurance penalty. So the better alternative is to charge you a higher premium for more coverage than you will ever recover in the event of a loss.

NREIG works with you to determine what valuation per square foot you want to be insured too. We provide you with Actual Cash Value coverage and no coinsurance beginning at $75 per square foot (the minimum ITV threshold to insure a property in our program). Replacement Cost with no coinsurance begins at $120 per square foot.

Please keep in mind, NREIG is willing to provide you with a full policy/coverage comparison of what you currently carry and what NREIG can provide.

By Shawn Woedl|2023-06-30T17:33:44+00:00July 1st, 2017|Categories: Coverage Options, Insurance Education|Tags: claim, claim settlement, co-insurance, coverage options, self-storage facility insurance|Comments Off on Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property

About the Author: Shawn Woedl

Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property (2)

Shawn Woedl is the President of National Real Estate Insurance Group. He is an industry-recognized speaker and educator with an emphasis on Commercial Property and Premises Liability. He brings over 12 years of professional and personal experience in real estate, business, and insurance to NREIG’s unique, investor-oriented brand.

Related Posts

Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property (2024)

FAQs

Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property? ›

Coinsurance is a penalty imposed on the insured by the insurance carrier for under reporting/insuring the value of your property. The penalty is based on a percentage stated within the policy and the amount under reported.

What does 80% coinsurance mean for homeowners? ›

Coinsurance is a property policy requirement that means you must insure your home or office to a specific value, often 80% of its replacement cost at the time of the loss.

How does coinsurance work in property insurance? ›

Coinsurance is usually expressed as a percentage. Most coinsurance clauses require policyholders to insure to 80, 90, or 100% of a property's actual value. For instance, a building valued at $1,000,000 replacement value with a coinsurance clause of 90% must be insured for no less than $900,000.

Is 80 coinsurance better than 90? ›

Common coinsurance is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the value of the insured property. The higher the percentage is, the worse it is for you. It is important to note, as a way of preventing frustration and confusion at the time of loss, coverage through the NREIG program has no coinsurance.

What is a good coinsurance percentage? ›

Coinsurance Based on Plan Tiers for ACA

A bronze plan is expected to cover approximately 60% of your health expenses. A silver plan should cover approximately 70% of your plan's expenses. A gold plan should be responsible for covering approximately 80% of your health expenses.

What is the 80% rule in property insurance? ›

When it comes to insuring your home, the 80% rule is an important guideline to keep in mind. This rule suggests you should insure your home for at least 80% of its total replacement cost to avoid penalties for being underinsured.

What if my coinsurance is 100%? ›

100% coinsurance: You're responsible for the entire bill. 0% coinsurance: You aren't responsible for any part of the bill — your insurance company will pay the entire claim.

Does property coinsurance apply to total loss? ›

Coinsurance as it applies to Property Insurance. Because most property losses are partial and not total losses, the average insured will take advantage of this tendency and only insure enough to cover a partial loss.

Does coinsurance apply to actual cash value? ›

If the insured purchases insurance at least equal to the coinsurance percentage (say 80 percent), the insurer pays the full value of any loss (either replacement cost or actual cash value, depending on what the insured has purchased), less the deductible, up to the limit of insurance.

Am I responsible for coinsurance? ›

Coinsurance – Your share of the costs of a covered health care service, calculated as a percent (for example, 20%) of the allowed amount for the service. You pay the coinsurance plus any deductibles you owe.

How does coinsurance work? ›

Coinsurance is an insured individual's share of the costs of a covered expense (it usually applies to health-care insurance). It is expressed as a percentage. If you have a "30% coinsurance" policy, it means that, when you have a medical bill, you are responsible for 30% of it. Your health plan pays the remaining 70%.

What is an example of a 100% coinsurance property? ›

For example, let's say you have a property valued at $100,000 and your coinsurance clause requires 100 percent coverage. This means your coverage limit cannot be less than 100 percent of $100,000 – that is, it must be $100,000.

What is a $100 000 house insured on a policy with an 80 coinsurance? ›

Final answer: Given a 80% coinsurance requirement on a $100,000 house, the owner should have $80,000 coverage. But he has only $60,000 coverage, giving a ratio of 0.75. Hence, for a damage of $40,000, he can collect 75% of it, amounting to $30,000.

What is the primary purpose of coinsurance in property insurance? ›

The fundamental purpose of the coinsurance clause is to achieve rating equality. Usually, the losses of property insurances are partial. Hence, individuals or organizations should go for the insurance amount, which is less than the property's actual amount. It leads to saving in the premium amount.

Does 10% coinsurance mean I pay 10%? ›

Coinsurance is a percentage of a medical charge you pay, with the rest paid by your health insurance plan, which typically applies after your deductible has been met. For example, if you have 20% coinsurance, you pay 20% of each medical bill, and your health insurance will cover 80%.

What does 80% coinsurance mean in property insurance? ›

For example, if 80% coinsurance applies to your building, the limit of insurance must be at least 80% of the building's value. If the policy limit you have selected does not meet the specified percentage, your claim payment will be reduced in proportion to the deficiency.

What does it mean when a 100000 house insured on a policy with an 80% coinsurance requirement? ›

Final answer: Given a 80% coinsurance requirement on a $100,000 house, the owner should have $80,000 coverage. But he has only $60,000 coverage, giving a ratio of 0.75. Hence, for a damage of $40,000, he can collect 75% of it, amounting to $30,000.

What is the 80 20 rule in insurance? ›

The 80/20 Rule generally requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money they take in from premiums on health care costs and quality improvement activities. The other 20% can go to administrative, overhead, and marketing costs.

What does 80% mean on insurance? ›

You have an “80/20” plan. That means your insurance company pays for 80 percent of your costs after you've met your deductible. You pay for 20 percent. Coinsurance is different and separate from any copayment.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kelle Weber

Last Updated:

Views: 6265

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kelle Weber

Birthday: 2000-08-05

Address: 6796 Juan Square, Markfort, MN 58988

Phone: +8215934114615

Job: Hospitality Director

Hobby: tabletop games, Foreign language learning, Leather crafting, Horseback riding, Swimming, Knapping, Handball

Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.