What if all types of insurance were sold like health insurance?

“Hi, I'd like to buy some car insurance.”

“We can certainly help you with that. Do you smoke?”

“Uh, well, no.”

“How old are you?”

“I'm 57.”

“Is this just for you or will other people be in the car?”

“Mostly me, but I'll probably be driving other people at some point.”

“OK, your premium is $849 a month.”

“What? You don't even know what I drive.”

“What do you drive?”

“A 2008 Lexus CRV.”

“Wonderful. Your premium is $849 a month.”

“How can you charge me that much without even knowing anything about me or my car? I've never had an accident. Ever. I haven't had a ticket in more than 30 years. I pride myself on my safe driving record.”

“As well you should. It's very impressive.”

“Now that you know, it seems $849 a month is a little excessive. And we haven't even talked about deductibles.”

“Sorry, but based on everything you've told me about yourself, there it is on this chart. That's $849 a month.”

“But I bought one of the safest cars on the road. Airbags up front, side-curtain airbags too. Earned a 5-star crash rating. You would literally have to have yourself run over by this car in order to get hurt by it. It's a womb on wheels.”

“Yeah, Lexus makes great cars. There is one way I can reduce the price. Drive alone. If it's just you, the monthly premium goes down to $699.”

“I can't do that, others depend on me to get around.”

“Then we're back at $849.”

“Fine, I'll take it but only because I can't go without insurance.”

“Good, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I was in the market for home insurance.”

“Let's see, based on everything, that's $399 a month.”

“But you don't even know what kind of house I … oh, never mind. I'll take it.”