Insurance company wants SSN to put me on policy?

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Pre-takeoff checklist
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david
One of my students put me on the insurance for his plane. They gave me a pilot history form to fill out. Did that and it was all good. Now they have a second pilot history form wanting basically the same info. It also wants my social security number. I don't particularly feel like giving that out to them.
Is there any reason they need my social security number? I've filled out these types of forms before and can't recall any ever asking for this. I'm not the owner of the plane, just a pilot and CFI who will be authorised on the policy.
 
I usually just leave SSN blank on forms and then see what happens, sometimes they don't really need it.
 
Pilawt said:
Insurance companies use SSNs to check their industry-wide network to find the history of any claims you have ever filed, of any kind.
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I guess that makes sense. But I've filled out at least 4 pilot insurance forms for various companies (including this company) in the last 2 months and none of them asked for it. Also, this company has already approved me on the policy based on the last form I filled out which didn't ask for SSN. Seems like this check is something they'd want to do before approving me.
 
Unless they are with the social security administration it's none of their business.

I just tell people that with my young age I'm not even thinking about social security right now, and never bothered to memorize the number, maybe ask me when I'm 60.
 
Ask em if they will pay for fixing your credit if you give them your SSN and something happens.
 
I'm not an insurance expert but I've heard of insurance companies using your credit rating as part of how they calculate your rate. Something along the lines of if you have bad credit you're somehow more of a risky individual in their opinion?
 
why are you getting a second form to fill out?
If you are already approved it just might be a paperwork mistake. Ignore the second form or tell them you are already approved. See what happens.
 
James331 said:
Unless they are with the social security administration it's none of their business.

I just tell people that with my young age I'm not even thinking about social security right now, and never bothered to memorize the number, maybe ask me when I'm 60.
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Yeah, that should be true. But congress has passed a statute that makes insurance companies ask for your SSN when you make a claim against them. It's called the Medicare Secondary Payer Act. In theory, it's a good idea. The idea is that if someone hurts someone else and is liable, they not the Federal government should pay for their health care. But in order to make it happen, they make the insurance company do a query of their database to confirm whether there is a Medicare lien that must be paid back. That requires an SSN number. That means that whenever you make a claim, by Federal regulation, the insurance companies have to ask. Now this is a different situation than you are talking about. But, still, this is an example of how it's not always as simple as you think it should be.
 
Just because crooks in congress pass something, doesn't make it right or lawful.

So they can ask, but I'm not going to answer.
 
Use Adam's SSN when he had to report the missing rib, 000-00-001
 
So I did call and ask what the story was. The guy I talked to was very confrontational because I couldn't give him the name of the insurance agent (which I don't know because it's not on the form) or the policy number (which I don't know because it's not on the form). He eventually told me that they use the number to confirm who I am with the FAA. From what he said, they somehow match the number with what the FAA has on file. That's interesting because I didn't think a 3rd party could access my FAA airman file - certainly not my SSN - without a release from me and there is nothing on the form that in any way gives them permission to do that.


While I'm sure the FAA knows my social security number somehow, I'm pretty sure I've put "Do Not Use" on every FAA form that's ever asked for it. So based on what he said, I would think "Do Not Use" is the appropriate entry if I was going to fill this out.
 
My advice: run.
Or find a good insurance company.
Your story shows a lot of bad signs. Care to share the name of the company so that we all can beware? Is it "Nigerian Prince bait, fishing, ammo, wine boxing and aircraft insurance"?
 
BigBadLou said:
My advice: run.
Or find a good insurance company.
Your story shows a lot of bad signs. Care to share the name of the company so that we all can beware? Is it "Nigerian Prince bait, fishing, ammo, wine boxing and aircraft insurance"?
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Concur. . . even if they "need" it, they don't need it on a printed form. If you really want to deal with them, get some assurance that's it's encrypted at rest, which it probaly isn't. It's a sloppy world - the FAA insists that the airports in the Wash DC FRZ keep the "cleared" pilots data on file, which includes bascially all your PII. I know at least one of the airports leaves it exposed in an unlocked filing cabinent.

Heck, TSA at National had me fill out serveral forms not approved by OMB, then the clerk left the area, with the forms out and open on the counter. Then filed them in a unsecured cabinent when done.
 
\__[Ô]__/ said:
One of my students put me on the insurance for his plane.
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What does this mean?

Were you listed as a 'named insured' on the policy?

If so, the student or company should be willing to give you the policy number, and so forth.

Anyway, I thought being added as a 'named insured' mostly means your student's estate will have no incentive to sue your estate, if the two of you die in a crash. Maybe there's more to it than that?
 
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