Car Insurance for Health Professionals

Health professionals have tight schedules, and the last thing they want to worry about is finding a good deal for car insurance. So what is the best way to obtain car insurance for healthcare workers?

With online comparison sites, you can find cheap car insurance by comparing quotes from insurance companies just by using your computer or smartphone.

When you’re looking for car insurance for health professionals, it pays to take that extra minute to compare rates and get a car insurance plan that meets your coverage needs at affordable rates. To help you out, we’ve collected all the information you need on rates, discounts, and more for medical professionals.

If you are in the medical field and looking for better auto insurance rates, start comparison shopping by using your ZIP code today.

What do you need to know about car insurance for medical professionals?

Many careers in the medical profession take years of hard work and dedication in education and training. Medical practitioners fall into different categories including doctors, nurses, and dentists.

They may have different schedules, depending on whether they work in private clinics, public hospitals, or private practice. For example, hospital physicians may be scheduled for a variety of different shifts depending on the hospital and department in which they work.

Their schedules may mean they make more programmed trips focused specifically on traveling to the workplace and back home, rather than spending several hours on the road every single day, which can be required in other occupations.

Getting the appropriate coverage is important, and in some cases being a medical professional can mean lower insurance rates. Keep reading to learn more.

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How can I get cheap car insurance as a registered nurse or medical professional?

As we noted in the beginning, the best way for you to get cheap car insurance for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals is to shop around. In some cases, depending on the insurer, your occupation as a medical professional can actually result in discounts and lower insurance rates, (we’ll discuss this further in a later section).

What does my insurance company need to know?

In addition to knowing what you do for a living, insurance companies will want to know how your job affects your driving habits. For example, if you are a regular commuter, the average mileage you drive will be important for the insurance company to know. If, however, you use your vehicle in performance of your job, that is also important information because it can affect the type of coverage you need.

Additionally, some jobs as a medical professional may have no affect on your driving (i.e. you simply drive to and from work), while others, like surgeons and emergency care practitioners, for example, may be called upon to make urgent drives to the hospital. This can make them more vulnerable to accidents.

Your insurance rates will vary depending on your average mileage, this risks you pose on the road, the kind of equipment you carry around, and more.

Some doctors and dentists may carry very expensive medical machinery in their vehicles. This can make them at higher risk for theft, which may also increase auto insurance rates.

Do nurses qualify for lower insurance rates?

Nurses have traditionally benefited from lower premiums as compared to other medical professions, though this depends on the insurance company and can vary depending on the individual being insured. There are a couple of reasons for this:

• The nursing profession is dominated by females (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 88.9 percent of registered nurses are female as of 2019)
• Typically, nurses won’t be speeding to emergencies, which means they are generally considered lower risk drivers

Female drivers additionally enjoy lower insurance rates since the insurance firms consider women to be safe drivers as compared to their male counterparts.

In general, women pay lower insurance rates than men (on average, men pay 7.26 percent more for insurance than women). However, this may be changing as gender-based price differentiation is quite controversial and in some states, like California, it is already illegal.

So who gives the best car insurance rates for nurses? In general, Geico, Nationwide, and USAA car insurance typically offer the best occupation-based rates for nurses, but keep in mind other factors affect your rates as well, including your average commute, credit score, etc., some of which we’ll discuss in more detail later.

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Do I need car insurance coverage for commuting as a medical professional?

Typically, drivers in the medical profession use their vehicles to drive to and from work, even if they don’t use it for commercial purposes.

A commuting policy (which is what most drivers purchase) is essential for anyone commuting to and from work, even if all you do is use your vehicle to drive to the bus stop or train station and then use alternate transportation to get to work.

This type of policy should not be confused for domestic, pleasure, or social insurance, as those typically don’t provide traditional coverage for your commute.

If you own a classic vehicle and want to use it to drive to work, you may find it challenging to get affordable car insurance that covers commuting, and even if you do, you should be prepared to pay higher rates. Talk to your insurance agent to see if you can get classic car insurance that covers you for commuting.

Are there car insurance discounts for healthcare workers?

One of the professions that attracts good rates and discounts is the medical field. Healthcare professions include:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Paramedics
• Dentists
• Radiologists
• Medical technicians
• Anesthesiologists, etc.

Take a look at this table to see average rates from Geico quotes for various medical professionals as an example, keeping in mind that the average annual Geico rate for all drivers is $3,215.01.

As you can see, medical professionals may be able to receive lower base rates due to their occupation. In addition, medical professionals may qualify for occupation-based discounts on top of their already-lower rates. Take a look at this table to see which companies typically offer these.

You could get a discount of up to 15 percent based on occupation. While we only have specific discount information for a few companies, numerous others, like Esurance, Farmers, and MetLife do offer discounts. You’ll need to speak with your insurer to find out if you qualify and if so, what that means for your rates.

Insurance companies may also consider you a lower risk driver, because as someone in the healthcare field, there’s a good chance you’ll see the aftermath of reckless driving, meaning you’ll likely take more care when you’re behind the wheel.

As a medical professional, you may see lower rates based on your level of education (more education can mean lower rates). Even medical or nursing students still in college may benefit from discounts on car insurance. These discounts are typically specifically related to grades (usually you’ll need to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better to qualify).

Does credit score affect car insurance rates for medical professionals?

Credit scores also affect how much the medical professionals can save on car insurance. Take a look at this table to see what we mean.

To clarify this further:

• Good Credit – 670+
• Fair Credit – 580-669
• Poor Credit – 300-579

As you can see, rates for drivers with fair credit are an average of 17 percent higher than rates for drivers with good credit, while drivers with bad credit will pay an average of 67 percent more for insurance than drivers with good credit. The higher your credit score, the better your rates may be.

Do you need good credit to get car insurance? Not necessarily, but you do need to maintain a “good” credit score to get the best rates. According to Experian, average rates in the U.S. are around 700, which is good news for most drivers. Take a look at this video from Grand Rapids, Michigan to see an example of how credit can affect insurance rates.

If you have poor credit, Travelers, Farmers, or Progressive may be good options because their rate increases for fair or poor credit are lower than the other companies listed in the table.

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How do I describe my job when applying for insurance?

Think carefully before you fill up your details for car insurance application. Be honest and keep in mind that the information you provide about your career can have a significant affect on your rates. You’ll need to both specify the nature of your work and indicate how long you typically spend on the road.

Do I need to provide declarations and non-disclosures?

It is critical to be as honest as possible when making declarations.

For example, saying you’re a nurse working in a hospital when you’re actually a personal assistant to the doctor may give you different rates, but could land you in trouble if you have to make claims in future (it could even be considered a form of insurance fraud).

Insurers may not have every occupation listed in their website database when you’re filling out your application, but there’s a good chance you’ll find something similar to your role, if you can’t find your exact job description. Make sure to select what best represents your occupation.

How can I save money on auto insurance?

The best way for anyone to save money on auto insurance coverage is to ask about discounts. Some insurance providers may offer a special discount to nurses, hospital employees, and other medical staff, but there are plenty of discounts that are available to everyone and that most major insurers offer. These include:

• Safe driver discount
• Defensive driving course discount
• Good student discount
• Multi-vehicle discount
• Multi-policy discount
• Vehicle safety features discount

Ask your auto insurance provider if they offer a multi-policy discount for bundling your auto policy with homeowners insurance or renters insurance, as this can significantly cut down on your overall insurance costs. Many providers also offer loyalty discounts for those who keep their policy with the same company for several years.

Additional discounts are likely available to you, whether you’re a medical worker or not, so make sure to take these into account when you’re comparing rates.

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Car Insurance for Health Care Workers: What’s the bottom line?

There are a few things to keep in mind regarding car insurance for healthcare professionals.

• The type of job you are doing and how auto insurance companies categorize it will impact your car insurance rates
• It’s important to specify your policy needs; whether it’s for domestic, leisure, social, business, commuting, or commercial
• Different work schedules and job expectations can affect insurance rates
• Medical professionals may qualify for occupation-based auto insurance discounts

If you serve in any medical professional field, talk to your agent and see what rates and discounts you may qualify for.

The best way to find affordable coverage is to shop around. So where can I compare car insurance quotes online? You can start by using your ZIP code to comparison shop for the best insurance rates for medical professionals today.

Enter your ZIP code below to compare car insurance company rates.

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