Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Seniors in Wisconsin
Wisconsin requires insurers to offer you uninsured motorist coverage, and most drivers keep it because it pays when the other driver can't.
Yes, and in Wisconsin your insurer has to offer it to you
Wisconsin law requires insurance companies to offer uninsured motorist coverage on every auto policy. You can decline it in writing, but unless you do, it's part of your policy. For a driver 65 or older, this coverage matters as much as it does for anyone else on the road. It pays for your injuries if you're hit by a driver who has no insurance at all.
It doesn't depend on your age or your driving record. It depends on whether you signed the paper declining it, and on the limits you chose when you bought the policy. If you're not sure what you have, your declarations page will say.
What changes with age is what you're protecting
Uninsured motorist coverage pays for medical costs and lost income after a crash caused by a driver with no insurance. As you get older, medical costs from a crash tend to take longer to resolve and cost more to treat. The coverage itself doesn't change because of your age, but what it needs to cover for you might.
Some older drivers carry less coverage than they did when they were working, because they dropped limits to save money after retiring. That's worth a second look. If a fixed income now depends on not facing a large medical bill out of pocket, the uninsured motorist limit is one of the places that bill would land.
Check what your current limit actually is. Wisconsin sets a minimum, but you're allowed to buy more, and many drivers carry more than the minimum once they understand what the coverage is for.
If you drive less than you used to, that doesn't reduce your need for this coverage. It covers you as a pedestrian in some policies too, and as a passenger in someone else's car. Ask your insurer whether your policy extends that far.
What people get wrong: thinking it only covers your car
Uninsured motorist coverage is often confused with collision coverage, which pays for damage to your vehicle. They're different. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries to you and the people in your car. In most states, including Wisconsin, there's a separate kind of coverage for property damage from an uninsured driver, and it isn't always included automatically.
Another thing people miss is underinsured motorist coverage, which is a close cousin. It pays when the other driver has insurance, but not enough to cover what the crash cost. Wisconsin requires insurers to offer this one too. Ask your agent whether your policy has both, since having one doesn't mean you have the other.
Finally, some drivers assume Medicare or their own health insurance will cover a crash caused by an uninsured driver. Health insurance may cover some of it, but it won't cover lost income, pain and suffering, or costs health insurance doesn't pay. Uninsured motorist coverage is built to fill that gap.
Questions people ask about this
Does Wisconsin require uninsured motorist coverage or just require it to be offered?
Wisconsin requires insurers to offer it on every policy, but you can decline it in writing. If you never signed a decline form, you likely already have it. Check your declarations page to confirm.
What happens if I'm hit by an uninsured driver and declined this coverage?
Without it, you'd have to pursue the other driver directly for your medical costs and losses, which is often difficult if they have no insurance or assets. Your own health insurance might cover some medical bills, but not lost income or other damages. This is why most drivers keep the coverage once they understand what it's for.
Can my insurer raise my rate because I'm over 65?
Insurers set rates based on factors that vary by company, and age is one factor among several, including driving record and vehicle. Wisconsin doesn't set a statewide age-based rate rule for this. Ask your insurer directly how your age affects your premium and whether any senior discounts apply.
Should I drop uninsured motorist coverage to lower my premium?
That depends on what you can afford to pay out of pocket if you're hit by a driver with no insurance. Dropping it lowers your premium, but it also removes the coverage that would pay your medical bills in that situation. Talk through the tradeoff with your agent before deciding.
Does uninsured motorist coverage follow me or my car?
It generally follows you as a named driver, which means it can apply when you're a passenger in someone else's car or a pedestrian struck by an uninsured driver. Whether your specific policy extends that far depends on its terms. Ask your insurer to confirm what your policy covers outside your own vehicle.
See what other insurers would charge for the same coverage before you decide what to keep.
Pull out your current declarations page and find the line for uninsured motorist coverage, including the limit. Call your agent or insurer and ask whether you also have underinsured motorist coverage, since Wisconsin treats them separately. Ask what it would cost to raise your limit, and whether any discounts apply to you. If you're comparing quotes from other companies, ask each one for the same limit so you're comparing the same coverage. Do this before your renewal date, not after, since some changes only take effect at renewal.
