Auto Insurance for Home Care Workers
Commercial auto insurance for home health care workers can provide comprehensive protection when driving for work-related purposes. On average, home health care workers pay $151/month on auto insurance with GEICO.
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Written by
Mathew B. Sims
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Reviewed by
Daniel Walker
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UPDATED: Jul 2, 2020
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| Home Health Care Worker Key Info | Details | From Experts... |
|---|---|---|
| Mean Hourly Wage | $12.71 | U.S. Bereau of Labor Statistics |
| Mean Annual Wage | $26,440 | U.S. Bereau of Labor Statistics |
| Employment Rate | 3,161,500 | U.S. Bereau of Labor Statistics |
| Projected Job Growth (2018–2028) | 36% for Personal Care Aides | Study.com |
| Average Car Insurance Rate (Geico) | $151 per month | Quadrant Information Services |
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Home health care workers are more than just workers, they are caregivers. Since driving is part of their daily routine, commercial auto insurance for home health care workers is imperative. They drive to their clients’ residences, to grocery stores and pharmacies, and occasionally to medical facilities to help their patients make it to appointments.
With all of the travel requirements, it is imperative to secure a reliable commercial auto insurance policy for home health care workers. Automobile accidents are the primary cause of work-related fatalities, making up 23 percent of all workplace deaths.
Obtain a free auto insurance comparison quote to provide financial protection for home health care workers against accidents that might arise while driving for work-related reasons. We’ll help you find the right car insurance for home care workers with this guide.
Before learning more about commercial auto insurance for home health care providers, start comparing auto insurance rates right now by entering your ZIP code in our FREE tool above.
Commercial Auto Insurance vs Hired & Non-Owned For Home Car Workers
Do you find yourself wondering what type of insurance is needed for a home care business? There are three types of auto insurance policies home health care workers should compare. Those are commercial, hired and non-owned, and personal auto insurance. On average, auto insurance for home health care costs $151 per month using Geico.
Here is what you can expect to pay for personal auto insurance.
| Companies | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Married 60-Year-Old Female | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Married 60-Year-Old Male | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Married 35-Year-Old Female | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Married 35-Year-Old Male | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Single 25-Year-Old Female | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Single 25-Year-Old Male | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Single 17-Year-Old Female | Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates for a Single 17-Year-Old Male |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,449.85 | $1,448.98 | $1,551.43 | $1,540.32 | $1,988.52 | $2,126.14 | $4,807.54 | $5,385.61 |
| State Farm | $1,873.89 | $1,873.89 | $2,081.72 | $2,081.72 | $2,335.96 | $2,554.56 | $5,953.88 | $7,324.34 |
| Progressive | $1,991.49 | $2,048.63 | $2,296.90 | $2,175.27 | $2,697.73 | $2,758.66 | $8,689.95 | $9,625.49 |
| American Family | $1,992.92 | $2,014.38 | $2,202.70 | $2,224.31 | $2,288.65 | $2,694.72 | $5,996.50 | $8,130.50 |
| Travelers | $2,051.98 | $2,074.41 | $2,178.66 | $2,199.51 | $2,325.25 | $2,491.21 | $9,307.32 | $12,850.91 |
| Nationwide | $2,130.26 | $2,214.62 | $2,360.49 | $2,387.43 | $2,686.48 | $2,889.04 | $5,756.37 | $7,175.31 |
| GEICO | $2,247.06 | $2,283.45 | $2,302.89 | $2,312.38 | $2,378.89 | $2,262.87 | $5,653.55 | $6,278.96 |
| Average | $2,256.77 | $2,321.85 | $2,463.17 | $2,455.52 | $2,728.82 | $2,897.33 | $7,490.91 | $8,816.41 |
| Farmers | $2,336.80 | $2,448.39 | $2,556.98 | $2,557.75 | $2,946.80 | $3,041.44 | $8,521.97 | $9,144.04 |
| Allstate | $2,913.37 | $2,990.64 | $3,156.09 | $3,123.01 | $3,424.87 | $3,570.93 | $9,282.19 | $10,642.53 |
| Liberty Mutual | $3,445.00 | $3,680.53 | $3,802.77 | $3,856.84 | $3,959.67 | $4,503.13 | $11,621.01 | $13,718.69 |
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Keep in mind, you are required to inform your insurance company if you are using your personal vehicle for work-related reasons.
Commercial car insurance policies imply that the vehicle being driven is owned by the business, not the employee. These policies often cover higher claims and different types of work-related vehicles.
To get a better idea of the importance of commercial auto insurance for care workers and other employees, watch the video from Total CSR below.
For many home health care workers, hired and non-owned auto insurance provides the right amount of protection at an affordable cost. A personal auto insurance policy just might not cut it, especially when you consider the risks involved.
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Let’s cover non-owner auto insurance explained in more detail. Hired and non-owned auto insurance is a type of commercial auto insurance that helps small businesses whose employees drive a personal car for business purposes. It covers liability expenses for accidents that happen when an employee is on the job but driving a vehicle their employer does not own.
Hired and non-owned auto claim examples include a home health care worker who gets into an accident when driving their personal vehicle to pick up supplies for a patient.
Businesses can choose to provide a hired and non owned auto insurance for home health care application for employees to receive coverage. Adding caregiver to auto insurance policies in this way protects the employee, the client, and the entire business.
Personal car insurance policies cover accidents that happen when using the vehicle you own for personal use. These policies sometimes exclude coverage for accidents that occur when using your car for business purposes, so always check with your insurance agent.
If an employee must use their personal auto insurance plan for commercial work activities, your employer may request that your auto insurance provider attaches a ‘Business Use’ endorsement to your policy.
Home health care workers perform a variety of different duties depending on their specific job requirements. Take a look at the most common job titles in the home health care world in this table from DataUSA.
| Home Health Care Occupations | Total Workers | Average Annual Salary | Percent of Workforce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health Aides | 386,291 | $22,150 | 87.1% |
| Personal Care Aides | 348,209 | $19,093 | 27.2% |
| Registered Nurses | 140,042 | $57,441 | 4.5% |
| Nursing Assistants | 138,650 | $20,314 | 10.3% |
| Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurses | 102,814 | $32,829 | 12.2% |
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From personal care aides to licensed practical and vocational nursing, home health care workers dedicate themselves to the protection and wellbeing of their clients. Securing the right commercial auto insurance for home health care companies goes hand in hand with this dedication to safety.
The table below shows the employment numbers and rate of pay for the five states with the most home health care workers; the data come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| State | Total Employed | Home Health Care Hourly mean wage | Home Health Care Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 595,760 | $13.83 | $28,780 |
| Massachusetts | 108,670 | $15.14 | $31,500 |
| New York | 444,880 | $14.08 | $29,290 |
| Pennsylvania | 183,430 | $12.41 | $25,810 |
| Texas | 300,820 | $10.07 | $20,950 |
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As you can see, the state you live in impacts your rate of pay as a home health care worker. We also know that auto insurance rates vary drastically based on your location.
Other factors that impact your auto insurance rates are age, gender, driving record, and even credit history. According to DataUSA, 86.3 percent of home health care workers are women. Take a look at the table below for more details.
| Home Health Care Occupation | Total Male Workers | Average Annual Salary Males | Total Female Workers | Average Annual Salary Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health Aides | 41,664 | $21,935 | 344,627 | $22,176 |
| Personal Care Aides | 53,860 | $18,431 | 295,349 | $19,212 |
| Registered Nurses | 12,508 | $74,037 | 127,534 | $55,813 |
| Nursing Assistants | 7,374 | $23,939 | 131,276 | $20,111 |
| Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurses | 12,881 | $37,292 | 89,993 | $32,190 |
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Fortunately for home health care workers, women often receive lower auto insurance rates than men. Being mindful of how auto insurance premiums are calculated will help you shop smarter, saving you money without compromising protection.
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Commercial vs Non-commercial Home Care Work
There is a difference between commercial and non-commercial activities that home health care workers need to be mindful of. If a client requests to be taken to the doctor’s office or grocery store, this activity would fall under the delineation of commercial use.
However, driving for personal reasons outside of the scope of your job requirements is considered non-commercial work. For example, driving to a personal appointment in the middle of the workday.
Working in home health care requires you to drive for various commercial work reasons, making it worthwhile to invest in commercial auto insurance.
Home health care workers do not always work at the home of the client. Depending on the skills of the home health care worker, you may be tasked with driving clients to and from different locations, especially the elderly. Insurance for senior care facilities is therefore vital.
The daily activities of a home health care worker are broad and ever-changing, and you may be asked to drive unexpectedly. A non-commercial auto insurance policy might not provide the necessary protection if an auto accident occurs while you are on the job.
In fact, strictly non-commercial auto insurance for home health care businesses may be completely inappropriate, especially if you are transporting a client. Securing and understanding your commercial auto insurance policy is necessary for both the worker and client’s protection.
Self-Employed vs Employee Auto Insurance For Home Care Workers
Whether you are self-employed or employed by a home health care firm, commercial auto insurance may still be necessary to protect yourself and your clients.
A self-employed worker can still invest in non-owned car insurance if they’ve declared themselves a small business. The following video from SAHOURI Insurance explains non-owned and hired auto insurance.
Regardless of if you are self-employed or not, Home Health Care News reports that the health care industry is experiencing an increase in the frequency of serious claims, causing auto insurance premiums to increase as well. Other uncontrollable factors can also impact your commercial auto insurance premiums, including driving longer distances, increasing medical costs, and even lower fuel costs.
What about auto insurance for home health care agency? Home health care firms care about the safety of their employees, which includes ensuring that their auto insurance policies are comprehensive enough to provide proper protection.
If you are unclear about what your auto insurance policy covers when you are on the job, never speculate the answers.
Discuss the particulars of your commercial auto insurance policy with your insurance company’s representative or with your employer. They can advise accordingly based on the situation of the driver and the state’s laws and regulations.
Commercial Auto Insurance Benefits
According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, commercial auto insurance policies offer higher liability coverage, and driving a vehicle for business and professional purposes puts you at higher liability risk.
Therefore, employees like home health care workers need a higher threshold of liability coverage. Being underinsured in an automobile accident can be devastating, both mentally and financially. Fortunately, you can save on auto liability insurance coverage in the long run by investing now.
Driving an elderly or infirmed person in a car could be a very risky endeavor. If an accident occurs, the resulting legal issues could be enormous.
As much as home health care workers do not like to think of these things, they must. Mitigating risk management has to be the responsibility of any and all professionals. The following video from Baptist Health shows how one home health care nurse addresses these concerns.
As you can see, proper commercial auto insurance coverage can reduce the liability risks involved with driving for work-related reasons as a home health care worker. The right commercial auto insurance policy will protect you where a personal auto insurance policy cannot.
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The Right Auto Insurance Coverage Limits
Not every home health care worker needs commercial auto insurance, in rare cases, personal auto insurance policies may suffice. However, it is still wise to procure the maximum amount of liability coverage available on your personal plan.
Take a look at the table below, the data from III shows the minimum requirements for liability auto insurance in the five states with the most home health care workers.
| State | Minimum Liability Limits (BI + PD, in thousands) |
|---|---|
| California | 15/30/5 |
| Massachusetts | 20/40/5 |
| New York | 25/50/10 |
| Pennsylvania | 15/30/5 |
| Texas | 30/60/25 |
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The state you live in may have lower liability coverage minimums, but that does not mean the figures offer the best amount of coverage for your needs. Ask yourself, what is the minimum auto insurance coverage for my state? It may not be enough.
For example, in New York, third party liability minimum non-commercial coverage covers $25,000 per person and only $50,000 per accident. For the average driver, these minimums are still a bit low. For someone involved in commercial driving, those minimums are likely inadequate.
Discuss your coverage options with a representative from an insurance company to guarantee maximum protection for your unique needs.
Start comparing auto insurance rates for your home care needs by entering your ZIP code in our FREE tool below.
Frequently Asked Questions: Commercial Auto Insurance for Home Health Care Workers
You are now an expert on the various types of commercial and personal auto insurance options for home health care workers. For more insight into securing the best commercial car insurance policy for your needs, or for other common questions associated with home health care, take a look at our frequently asked questions.
#1 – What are health care agencies responsible for?
Health care agencies provide nursing or medical staff for people who require care from their own homes, rather than in a hospital. Patients can include elderly clients, children with developmental disorders, or patients who have completed surgery but require occasional follow-up.
#2 – What are the home health care insurance costs?
Home health care insurance costs vary depending on the services you require. Some government agencies and programs, like Medicare, may be able to help provide you with resources for both home health care services and funding.
#3 – What insurance covers in-home care?
According to III, there are many different policies to choose from when looking into home health care, and investing in long term care insurance may not be right for you. The costs vary by location and personal needs, so be sure to do your research based on your unique needs.
#4 – Do I need business auto insurance as a carer?
While business or commercial auto insurance is not required by law for home care workers, it does have it’s benefits. Business or commercial auto insurance provides extra liability coverage, which may be helpful.
Even if you only use a personal auto insurance policy, at the very least inform your insurance agent if you plan on driving your car for work-related reasons.
#5 – Can a caregiver drive my car?
Usually, only people that have been added to a personal auto insurance policy as a named driver as able to drive a vehicle and still be covered by the insurance plan. Depending on your circumstances, it may be right for you and your caregiver to add them as a named driver to your policy.
#6 – What is the best business insurance for a home care agency?
The best business insurance for a home care agency changes depending on what state the agency is located in. Contact your state’s public authority or government agency and ask about minimum liability insurance requirements for your business.