In Ohio, where I live, by law, insurance policies have to be written at an eighth grade reading level. - ThreadSky

scalzi.com • 142 days ago

In Ohio, where I live, by law, insurance policies have to be written at an eighth grade reading level.

At first I thought "that's a bit harsh" and then I remembered that the average American has a 7th-8th grade reading level and got bummed out.

Comments

susanloyal.bsky.social•142 days ago

I was going to say that you’d be safer at fifth grade level, and then many others got there first! Honestly, I wonder if part of Trump’s charm for his followers isn’t his simple vocabulary and syntax. Frustrating for those of us who like the OED and a good thesaurus.

offwhitewarden.bsky.social•142 days ago

So that's why you live in Ohio, what crime did you commit to be sentenced to exile in Ohio.

misterdevans.bsky.social•142 days ago

I wondered that myself.

marvmadethat.com•142 days ago

That seems helpful though, like, way harder for them to get something past the insured?

kimberjohnson.bsky.social•142 days ago

Keep in mind, if 7th to 8th grade is average, many read below that. Probably best to write at a 4th grade level to ensure most folks can read it.

bencates.bsky.social•142 days ago

Policy documents should be written at a 4th grade level purely to help keep the lawyers from trying to be clever.

voidfemme.bsky.social•142 days ago

THIS. There is a time and place for flowery literary writing and legal documents are NOT that.

gojira1000.bsky.social•142 days ago

I mean, it feels bad, but then I remember that Shakespeare wrote intentionally for the peanut gallery. Also it's good Strunk and White.

torhusky.queerdog.club•142 days ago

Things that I love for making things accessible

And that I hate for being necessary

renaissancedreamer.bsky.social•142 days ago

Regardless of the insured’s reading level or the industry’s simplified explanations, it’s all a game with their industry specific terminology, numbers games, defunct provider lists, a la carte billing etc etc. This hasn’t stopped the shenanigans.

bravepixels.bsky.social•142 days ago

It would be funny if you had to live in Ohio by law.

rivetgeek.aggregatecognizance.com•142 days ago

My 10 year old is reading at 9.6.

annafroma2.bsky.social•141 days ago

Excellent! Congrats on having raised a reader!

carlpavlock.bsky.social•142 days ago

As a former insurance adjuster we still spent a week just reading the policy line by line and discussing what it means

sadelaney.bsky.social•142 days ago

While I understand the frustration, remember that “reading level” is complex and highly contextual, and that some comments by over-literate folks like us can feel downright derogatory to others.

misterdevans.bsky.social•142 days ago

That's a great idea.

poisonpoet.bsky.social•142 days ago

We can make fun of this, or we can acknowledge that legal terminology can be used to confuse consumers.

I agree that reading comprehension has decreased over the last 20 years, with the pandemic exacerbating it. However, in this, I believe layman's terms & a lower reading level to be helpful.

scalzi.com•142 days ago

I have no problem with it and agree it's useful to make policies and contacts as clear and simple as possible. That said, some people who complain that policies are too hard to read get miffed when they learn at what level they are written.

alcinaus.bsky.social•142 days ago

My job involves attacking the language and application of insurance policies. Unfortunately, a policy *written* in what may appear to be very plain language doesn't get *applied* in the same fashion. The rubber meets the road through the slipperiest possible interface -- obscure caselaw 1/2

alcinaus.bsky.social•142 days ago

written, molded, interpreted *and meant only to be understood by* the priestly class of argumentation -- lawyers and judges. "Plain" language gets twisted into something unrecognizable.

poisonpoet.bsky.social•142 days ago

That makes sense. I was filling out papers recently for DNR & wanted to be certain it was DNR/AND. Slightly different paperwork in the state where I was & I did run screenshots of it through AI to get layman's language. I was in a chemo fog & nothing was getting through.

babewiththepower.bsky.social•142 days ago

I had not heard of "AND" until here, so thanks for mentioning it. I recently had to deal with this type of situation with a relative and that wasn't something mentioned, but then maybe not necessary in my state.

dexanth.bsky.social•142 days ago

That I very much get, but I feel like for the sci-fi audience at least a weird word they don't know would be appealing.

At least to kid me back when titles like The Colossus Archive made a book seem cool and mysterious

roninsama.bsky.social•142 days ago

I work in health insurance (in Germany) and tbf a lot of legalese would benefit from being worded in a way that does not require years of vocational training to be understood.

I try to hold my written communication to that standard.

bluedymoos.bsky.social•142 days ago

That has to be an old old law. This state's legislature hasn't done anything good for its citizens in a very long time.

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