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We Uncovered Where Your Insurance Payments Are Really Going

More Perfect Union | August 15, 2026



The cost of insurance has skyrocketed, making owning a home or a car far more expensive.

Insurance companies claim higher prices are justified by higher risks, but we found they are keeping more of our premium dollars than ever.

And last year, they made record profits.

Producer & Host: Sam Black
Supervising Producer: Sam Quigley
Editor: Sydney Guthrie
Videographers: Evan Carter, Justin Feltman, Derek Knowles, Anita Kwan, Sam Rosenthal
Graphics: Gerald Lane
Production Manager: Isabel Atalaya
Production Coordinator: Jodi Clemens
Production Fellow: Astrid Dong
Research Fellow: Daria Nastasia

GoFundMe for Bishop Fannin’s church: https://gofund.me/ead585e86
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More Perfect Union is an Emmy-winning, nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to build power for working people. Here’s what that means: We report on the real struggles and challenges of the working class from a working-class perspective. We attempt to connect those problems to potential solutions. We report on the abuses and wrongdoing of corporate power. And we seek to hold accountable the ultra-rich who have too much power over America’s political and economic systems.

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Written by More Perfect Union

Comments

This post currently has 50 comments.

  1. @The_R-n-I_Guy

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    I work at a collision repair/ body shop and I have to fight with insurance companies every day to get them to approve repairs that are obviously accident related and therefore should be easily covered under the accident policy. Progressive sends their own adjusters to try to argue with us about what should be replaced or repaired. A few other companies require us to send detailed pictures and sometimes we have to repeatedly send pictures and wait weeks for a response between each time. But I always make sure that the insurance company pays what they are required to. If they try to deny repairs. I demand the parts and procedures to make my customer's vehicle right. If they want a hack job. They can go somewhere else

  2. @Dirkxs

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Yep again the answer is to de privatize… private companies just gouge and give poor value for money. Would love to see each state set this stuff up for their homeowners and watch private insurance get decimated

  3. @dustinweaver1066

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Why do we allow insurance companies to operate as for profit businesses ? Am I wrong for thinking that's kinda the core of the problem? Everyone and every business requires insurance allowing these companies to operate as for profit is unethical and allows for too much control isolated into the hands of a few decision makers. My2cents to support the channel.

  4. @cglaurer

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    The enshittification of the insurance industry and so many others coincides with the rise of the MBA and the “dollar über alles” culture. People who ran companies used to be people who rose in that company. Now they are the professional profit wringers with the almighty “MBA.” If this is your career choice today, please rethink your life.

  5. @silkvelvet2616

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    When it comes to flood cover in insurance in the UK, in flood prone communities, the govt will help to fund flood defences through grants, either along waterways, or, in the case of towns like Bradford-on-Avon in Somerset, that ALWAYS floods, each individual house gets built in flood defences. Even the listed buildings. That way, the insurance companies can't get away with refusing to cover flood damage, or make it so expensive as to be pointless.

    That is what consumer protection looks like here.

  6. @Respectfully10

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    I use a lenovo legion go and I own most of the assassin's creed except for 2. Watch Dogs, some EA games & lots of WB games. A lot of them are now showing that I own them on ubisoft store. Allowing me to play these games without buying twice.

  7. @hollyp9811

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    So, basically, we should find the cheapest, most basic insurance out there, because they aren’t going to help you when you need it anyway. I wonder if there’s a home insurance company out there like Samaritan’s Purse “health insurance?”

  8. @ellentau427

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    This is the wave of exploitation. Everything that we allowed to creep into our lives with the desire to TAKE away from us.
    In the beginning every human being collaborated in order to survive. Then slowly the notion that one person who was held in high esteem was chosen as Leader. That's where we went wrong..
    We stopped collaborating , we stopped seeing each other as integral to the process in working as a unit. Each contributing their strengths be it in farming, domestic chores, weaving, iron work etc.
    Leaders became swollen with power and ego. Some developed the notion that they were more special than others. Religious beliefs written by men became the Word and the Word was easily written to control. When currency invaded the barter system it poisoned the mind . Trading vegetables for bread was not wanted because the value of a piece of paper convinced people it was worth more. Think about that cause that's led us to where we are today.
    We lost sight of how are hard work is worth more than a piece of paper. Our leaders have squeezed every drop of sweat from our labor to live and raise a family for their enrichment.
    We have to pay for our food,water,homes,methods of transportation and to die.
    Why we can't even bury a loved one without paying for it is proof of the delusion we are in.
    There still is hope if we join together to respect each other and each others abilities. To be compassionate instead of competitive. To love instead of hate. To finally realize that every human being was given this beautiful earth with all that is needed to live and die in harmony with Nature. Imagine all the people every single one of us putting away our differences and working for us and not for those who believe they are specifically chosen to dominate . I am Free and that's what was meant for us to be.
    Use AI for ways to get your skills traded for items like a car,bike, baked goods to trade. Your car mechanic is more needed than that insurance policy. The men that built your home are more important. The Farmer etc. But we have to agree and work on helping each other to break the cycle of capitalism.

  9. @WeTheMfPEOPLE

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Insurance is based on location and claims or risk activity in that area.

    The insurance companies are making a lot of money because they’re taking in more than they are paying out in claims.

    So they are still collecting money from insured properties where they never see claims. Insurance companies should make money because of they don’t, they’re considering potentially insolvent.

    They shouldn’t be denying claims en masse tho otherwise they can be sued for breach of contract.

  10. @mikegiesbrecht309

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    We have a publicly run auto insurance system in our province. From what I understand, the rates are generally better than provinces with private insurance. The biggest benefit of our system is the profits, if needed, can go back into the province.

  11. @lennykq

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Insurance (home, auto, MEDICAL, etc.) and utilities should have never been set up as for profit services. Any issue where our health and wellbeing is at stake should never be for profit. These for-profit a-hole companies need to be taken over or run out by co-ops and nonprofit organizations.

  12. @Noway-24b

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    This is good information but it makes me feel helpless. I, personally, don’t feel I have anything I can do. The government doesn’t really care. A president who has no investment in the welfare of other people and is extremely financially secure has no idea of what the people in general face everyday. He has never been to the grocery store, never to the gas station, doesn’t pay his own bills, he has so much money, he can fail repeatedly without repercussions. He just moves on, day to day, to the next debacle that slams the people but does nothing to him.

  13. @skayed

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Absolutely NO “PUBLIC” INSURANCE program!!!! Have we learned nothing? Govt programs become fraud programs. NO NO NO! Everything the govt touches turns to shit. Simply enforce anti monopoly laws already in place and get market competition back in the game. Charge CEOs with fraud for colluding with each other on price setting. Problem will be solved.

  14. @WildRule9

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Glad you're shining a light on this. Healthcare has the spotlight when it comes to us normies getting gouged, but home insurance is just as bad. Our mortgage went up $300 a month just from escrow being recalculated with our new premiums

  15. @BossLadyofTheResistence

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    I work as a captive agent with a carrier for P & C. And I can categorically say that the individuals were making so much money as writing agents, or actually agency owners, and not the average agent. And this guy doesn’t know enough to differentiate between the two. An agency owner, has their own local agency, and has the ability to build a very large book of business. Whereas I essentially work in a call Center environment, i’ll be it from the comfort of my own home. As an employee, I feel very well taken care of for the most part. My company provides a pension, as well as a 401(k), and a Roth IRA, and healthcare benefits, as well as other benefits. What they are doing though is reducing the average agents ability to gain higher commissions, we’ve had two reductions in our commission structure, which is actually paid out as a “bonus“, based on a point system. Obviously the more sales, the better I do. But the system is dictates, as well as budget, how someone is going to be insured, based on what is available in their state. And being that insurance is currently sold by people, I think the people who are doing the sales, should indeed be well compensated. I don’t think to a ridiculous level, but I do think to a more than adequate level, for the amount of calls, and people we deal with. We do have a base pay, which is only recently been raised by 50 Cent. The opportunity that I saw when I first came in a few months ago, versus now with the reduced bonus structure, is very hard to swallow, because that is the reason why most people stick around, it feels like the opportunity for how much premium I Wright, is less available. And I match this up with how much profit has been made, because it’s far easier for a company to, reduce bonus, or commission, for its sales people, as a way to make their numbers look better, with natural nutrition happening as people leave. This comes down to the fact that companies are only really pandering to doing stuff to make people comfortable, but not more than what they should do for both the customer and the employee. This doesn’t mean that that motor structure won’t be readjusted higher, they’re just waiting to see what the pushback by the sales people will be, basically to see if they can get away with it.

  16. @jusletursoulglobaby

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    that $25k is a very round number. I have to ask… and wonder (esp when i look at my own policy), what category does a pew fall under? I saw the part where it referenced personal continents, that's not a pew but in my own policy there are set limits for what categories will pay. what's the max? it lacks context there so its hard for me to really assess that here. In any compliant I've heard, when reading, yes reading, the actual policy contract, I see why certain things paid as they did. To me, that's not a fair criticism if the contact paid what it said it would. How much of this is a consumer not reading or knowing what they are covered for? There is a very fair criticism for revolving denials (like we hear with health insurance). When we hear stuff like a roof isnt covered because its 15 years old is an actual problem. That kind of thing can be corrected. Issues surrounding the contact itself, yes have a conversation about that. Stories like this need to include specifics about the contract. Its easy to say something is wrong bc I didnt get what I want or they have high profits — but when necessary, and if you are knowledgeable about what should be paid when something happens and it actually doesnt — ok. show me that and lets go from there. Insurers leaving states (mainly thinking about Florida) is hard, but at the same time – when you live there, you know this. This has been happening for over 20 years. What do you do? Leave or dont insure and save aggressively for when something happens. Something will happen, so be prepared.

  17. @wendygore2709

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    I'm in a battle with my insurance carrier, as they keep insisting that my rates have gone DOWN since I've been with them, yet when they sent me the last 2 yrs statements, it PROVES my insurance has actually gone UP!! They have increased my rate every six months for the last 4 yrs!!! And the one rep had the nerve to call me a liar!! 😡👿

  18. @CTOS-e2x

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    THANK YOU for EVERYTHING you are doing. All the time and patience and research that goes into the process of obtaining this information needs to be called out and recognized. This insurance gouging is happening all over the U.S and it’s time to put a stop to it.

  19. @zz-.-

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    It’s no secret. Look at their stock prices and read their earnings releases. Executives and investors are making massive profits while your prices keep going up to subsidize their 4th and 5th houses. We are all being gouged.

  20. @FloPm3ister

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    Pastor, you don’t matter. U r just another insignificant speck on a ball of dirt. It’s sad. It’s terrible. But I think you need to reread that book u carry around, especially the beginning portions. I’m sorry, but that’s the choice ppl need to make. Do u want to consider every life sacred? Or are some lives worthless & we should let survival of the fittest run our society?

  21. @YeahADabilldo

    August 15, 2026 at 2:11 pm

    In the insurance industry, the statistic could not saying is that payouts are higher because of the manipulation of the system back in the day someone will call the claim call a few contractors get a few bids we would give you the middle bid and that’s all of it now 70% of Claims go to exterior and roof guys jagging up Claims. The other large portion is water mitigation companies. It’s not that they’re not needed. Insurance does not get retail pricing and no one cares when it’s not their money

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