Re:Don’t Discriminate Against Mutants Like Me
by tghw on Tuesday March 28, 2017 @11:48AM
(#13977586)
They actually are underwritable. Not everyone utilizes wellness visits, just like not everyone gets an x-ray, in a given year. Insurance companies can price in the expected value of wellness visits based on the participation rate.
Therefore, it fits the definition of insurance, even though the likelihood of a claim is relatively high.
That is called fee for service. Maybe it gets bundled with actual insurance, but it's not insurance. Regular, universal expenses are not underwritable.
Insurance is a technical term that has a strict meaning. You are absolutely correct that regular wellness checkups, etc., can positively affect the outcomes of that insurance pool, but they are not, themselves, insurable. They have to be paid for somewhere.