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Insurance CIO Outlook | Thursday, February 10, 2022
Avoidance is a risk-mitigation strategy that involves refraining from engaging in activities that could result in injury, illness, or death. One such activity is smoking cigarettes, which can be avoided to reduce both health and financial risks
Fremont, CA: People usually face more health risks as they get older. Managing pure risk entails identifying, evaluating, and reducing these risks—a defensive strategy to prepare for the unexpected. The basic risk management methods—avoidance, sharing, transferring, retention, and loss prevention and reduction—can be applied to all aspects of a person's life and can pay off in the long run. Here's a look at these five approaches and how they can be used to manage health risks.
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Sharing
Sharing risk is frequently implemented through employer-based benefits that allow the company to pay a portion of the employee's insurance premiums. In essence, the risk is shared by the company and all employees who participate in the insurance benefits. The assumption is that as more people share the risks, premium costs should fall proportionately. Individuals may find it in their best interests to share the risk by enrolling in employer-provided health care and life insurance plans whenever possible.
Avoidance
Avoidance is a risk-mitigation strategy that involves refraining from engaging in activities that could result in injury, illness, or death. One such activity is smoking cigarettes, which can be avoided to reduce both health and financial risks.
According to the American Lung Association, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the US, claiming more than 480,000 lives each year.
Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and the risk only increases the longer people smoke.
On their end, life insurance companies mitigate this risk by raising premiums for smokers versus non-smokers. Health insurers can raise premiums based on age, family size, geography, and smoking status under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The law allows for a premium surcharge of up to 50 percent for smokers.
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