How do I avoid paying my comprehensive deductible?

Asked by: Adah Zemlak  |  Last update: February 21, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (29 votes)

How Can I Avoid Paying a Car Insurance Deductible?
  1. Choose not to file a claim until you have the money.
  2. Check your policy, as you may not have to pay up front.
  3. Work out a deal with your mechanic.
  4. Get a loan.

How to get comprehensive deductible waived?

Take comprehensive coverage, for example, which helps pay to repair or replace a broken windshield. In most states, insurers typically waive the comprehensive deductible on a glass claim if the glass is repaired rather than replaced.

Is there a way to not pay a deductible?

Some insurers even offer a disappearing deductible program. It's what it sounds like. If you go a set amount of time without a claim or violation your deductible amount will decrease or be waived.

Do you have to pay a deductible on a comprehensive claim?

Comprehensive coverage deductibles and limits. When you purchase comprehensive insurance coverage, you will select a set deductible, which is the amount you pay out of pocket toward a covered claim.

Can I get insurance to cover my deductible?

Yes, you can get secondary medical insurance to help cover out-of-pocket costs. This may include a deductible, your copays, and coinsurance payments. This type of plan is often called a "limited benefits" plan or simply "gap insurance."

How to Avoid Paying the Car Insurance Deductible (Everything You Need to Know)

22 related questions found

What if I can't afford my health insurance deductible?

With regard to healthcare deductibles, always ask if it's possible to negotiate a payment plan. The healthcare provider cannot legally waive the deductible but they can allow you to pay it over time. The challenge comes in when a procedure involves multiple providers, such as with surgery.

What is the average comprehensive deductible?

While amounts vary by insurer, common options are $250, $500 or $1,000. Comprehensive deductibles are usually $100, $250 and $500, though a $0 deductible option may exist. These amounts are available as options here at American Family Insurance.

Will my car insurance go up if I make a comprehensive claim?

Comprehensive claims

Depending on your insurance company and your state, your rate may increase for damage-related incidents that were out of your control.

Why do I have to pay deductible when not at fault?

Insurance companies collect deductibles every time they settle a claim, so they don't care who was at fault. You would not be at fault if your car was stolen from a secure facility, but you would still pay a deductible if you filed an insurance claim.

Can you cancel a comprehensive claim?

In short, yes, you can cancel a claim after it's been filed. You can cancel your request as long as you are the one who opened it initially.

Is it illegal to waive a deductible?

Providers sometimes waive patients' cost-sharing amounts (e.g., copays or deductibles) as an accommodation to the patient, professional courtesy, employee benefit, and/or a marketing ploy; however, doing so may violate fraud and abuse laws and/or payor contracts.

How to get a roof replaced without paying the deductible?

No matter what you hear or what a roofing company says, you must pay your deductible for your insurance roof replacement once your claim is approved. Trying to avoid this leads to one of the biggest scams in the roofing industry. You'll hear some roofing companies offering to pay deductibles, but this is illegal.

Do I have to pay my deductible if my car is totaled?

Do I need to pay my deductible when my vehicle is totaled? In most cases your deductible will be taken from your claim's payout amount. So, you likely won't have to submit a payment for your deductible. It will just be deducted from the payment you receive from your insurance company.

What to do if you can't pay the deductible?

  1. Sign up for a payment plan. If you can't afford to pay your deductible to the repair shop in one lump sum right after an accident, you can ask if the car repair shop has payment plans. ...
  2. Pull from savings or emergency funds. ...
  3. Ask your insurer about a deductible waiver. ...
  4. Keep driving your car. ...
  5. Take out a loan.

What does a $100 comprehensive deductible mean?

Let's say there's a bad hailstorm in your area and your vehicle has $1,000 in damage. You have a $100 deductible on your comprehensive coverage. You'll pay the first $100, and then your insurance company will pay the remaining $900 of the vehicle repair bill.

Can I negotiate deductible?

Negotiate a Payment Plan

Your healthcare provider can't waive or discount your deductible because that would violate the rules of your health plan. But they may be willing to allow you to pay the deductible you owe over time.

Do I pay my deductible to the Body Shop?

Typically, the insurance company will pay the body shop directly, meaning you are only responsible for the deductible when you go to pick your ride up. Every plan is different, though, so it's best to ask your insurance company for specifics when you're making your claim.

Is deductible mandatory?

Depending on your policy, and the types of coverages you have, a deductible may be required. With an auto insurance policy, coverages like comprehensive and collision may require a deductible before said coverages apply in the event of a covered incident.

Do you have to pay your deductible if you're not at fault progressive?

If a driver hits you, your collision coverage will still cover the damage to your vehicle, but you won't have to pay your deductible. In some states, the driver must also be uninsured for a CDW to apply.

How can I lower my comprehensive insurance?

  1. Increase Your Deductible. ...
  2. Drop Collision and Comprehensive Insurance. ...
  3. Take a Defensive Driving Course. ...
  4. If You Drive Under 10,000 Miles a Year, Report Your Mileage. ...
  5. Bundle Your Auto Coverage With Your Homeowners Insurance. ...
  6. Pay Out of Pocket for a One-Car Fender Bender. ...
  7. Get an Independent Insurance Agent.

What is the average deductible for comprehensive car insurance?

Generally, drivers tend to have average deductibles of $500. Common deductible amounts also include $250, $1000, and $2000, according to WalletHub. You can also select separate comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles.

How to qualify for accident forgiveness?

For drivers in California, accident forgiveness isn't an option. Proposition 103, which passed in the state in 1988, outlaws “excessive” insurance rates and accident forgiveness was deemed excessive as you're essentially paying for coverage on an accident that hasn't happened yet.

What is a good amount of comprehensive coverage?

Typical coverage amounts: Insurance experts recommend at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injuries, and $100,000 for property damage.

Is it better to have a $500 deductible or $1000?

Remember that filing small claims may affect how much you have to pay for insurance later. Switching from a $500 deductible to a $1,000 deductible can save as much as 20 percent on the cost of your insurance premium payments.

Is a $3000 deductible high?

The IRS defines high-deductible health plans for 2023 as: Individual plans with deductibles of at least $1,500. Family plans with deductibles of at least $3,000.