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.

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Understanding Coinsurance on Your Investment Property (2024)

FAQs

What is the easiest way to explain coinsurance? ›

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%.

How do you explain coinsurance on commercial property? ›

A coinsurance clause in a commercial property policy ensures you carry enough coverage to protect your possessions. Say your office building is valued at $1,000,000. If your policy has a clause with a coinsurance percentage of 80%, that means you should insure the building for at least $800,000.

What does 80% coinsurance mean for property? ›

“With escalating construction costs, the price to rebuild your home or office after a loss can create problems. 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 on a building? ›

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 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.

What is a deductible and coinsurance for dummies? ›

A deductible is the amount you pay for coverage services before your health plan kicks in. After you meet your deductible, you pay a percentage of health care expenses known as coinsurance. It's like when friends in a carpool cover a portion of the gas, and you, the driver, also pay a portion.

What is an example of a property coinsurance? ›

Coinsurance Concept

For example, covered expenses above the deductible may be shared 80 percent insurer/20 percent insured until a policy-stated total is reached. If the total was $2,500, then the insurer would assume $2,000 (80 percent of $2,500), while the insured's portion would be $500 (20 percent of $2,500).

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.

Is it good to have 0% coinsurance? ›

It's great to have 0% coinsurance. This means that your insurance company will pay for the entire cost of the visit or session.

What does 100% property coinsurance mean? ›

The 100% coinsurance clause means you need to cover 100% of the value of your business personal property for a claim to be fully paid. If you only cover a portion of the value, the claim will not pay the full value of loss.

Does 80 coinsurance mean I pay 80? ›

What does 80/20 coinsurance mean? Simply put, 80/20 coinsurance means your insurance company pays 80% of the total bill, and you pay the other 20%. Remember, this applies after you've paid your deductible.

What happens when a homeowner has a property insurance policy with a coinsurance clause? ›

The coinsurance clause of your homeowners policy requires you to carry coverage of at least 80 percent of your home's total value if you want to receive full replacement cost for any losses—partial or full—you suffer.

How do you calculate coinsurance on a property? ›

The simple formula for calculating the coinsurance penalty is: amount of insurance in place / Amount of insurance that should have been in place x the loss, less any deductible is the amount actually paid.

Who pays the coinsurance amount? ›

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. If you've paid your deductible: you pay 20% of $100, or $20.

Why is 80 coinsurance better than 90? ›

A typical 80% coinsurance clause leaves more leeway for undervaluation, and thus a lower chance of a penalty in a claim situation. Insuring a property on an agreed value basis may well be a better option for some insureds as it eliminates the possibility that a coinsurance penalty will be invoked.

What is an example of a coinsurance? ›

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%.

Which of the following best defines coinsurance? ›

Coinsurance is the percentage of covered health costs you're responsible for paying after you've met your deductible. Typically, coinsurance operates on a fixed ratio, meaning you'll always be charged the same percentage of the total bill each time.

Which of the following best describes coinsurance? ›

Which of the following best describes coinsurance? Coinsurance is the agreed upon proportions for which the insurer and the insured share payment of certain benefits or services under the policy coverage.

What is coinsurance in health insurance? ›

Coinsurance is a portion of the medical cost you pay after your deductible has been met. Coinsurance is a way of saying that you and your insurance carrier each pay a share of eligible costs that add up to 100 percent. The higher your coinsurance percentage, the higher your share of the cost is.

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