Midlands Management Enhances Earthquake Coverage in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak announced that an Oklahoma general insurance agency is adding earthquake deductible buy-down insurance as a means of making the cost of recovering from earthquake damage more manageable for property owners.

Midlands Management Corp. of Oklahoma City already offered standalone earthquake coverage for commercial risks. The new coverage is now available, the Oklahoma Insurance Department reported.

“While the annual premiums for earthquake insurance can be very affordable, some consumers who considered coverage in the past said they decided against it because of the deductibles,” Doak commented in an announcement released by the department.

Earthquake insurance deductibles are typically calculated as a percentage of the insured property’s value. Some companies set that deductible as low as 2 percent of the property’s value, but other companies are quoting deductibles of 10 percent or even higher.

Doak noted that despite a high deductible, earthquake insurance could still be a wise financial choice. The owner of an insured home worth $100,000 would be out-of-pocket $10,000 for the deductible if the home was considered a total loss after an earthquake, but without any coverage the entire $100,000 loss would be borne by the homeowner.

The new coverage being quoted by Midlands Management is supplemental insurance for property owners who already have earthquake coverage through any company, and could mitigate a policyholder’s out-of-pocket cost for the deductible at a time of loss. Customers who purchase coverage through Midlands can opt to reduce their deductible to as little as 1 percent. Any licensed agent in Oklahoma can contact Midlands Management Corp. to write the coverage.

Charles C. Caldwell is president and CEO of Midlands Management, a company with a 21-year history in Oklahoma. Caldwell said the coverage offered by Midlands will be written through A-rated carriers and probably will appeal most to those with commercial properties or more expensive homes. The minimum premium begins at $250, which can be higher than the cost of annual earthquake coverage itself on many moderately priced homes.

Doak said that while earthquake deductible buy-down insurance might not be suitable for all consumers, its availability fulfills one of his major goals for improving the state’s insurance market by giving options to Oklahoma consumers.

Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Oklahoma Earthquake