ONCEFALLEN SURVEY OF INSURANCE AND TRAVEL SERVICE ISSUES FOR REGISTERED PERSONS

Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com

DECEMBER 2023

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT (PDF FILE)

REPORT SUMMARY

It is a well-documented fact that Registered Persons (i.e., Persons forced to register with law enforcement officials for the purpose of inclusion on the Sex Offense Registry) are often denied services. This survey is focused specifically on two acts of discrimination that Registered Persons and their loved ones often face but rarely discuss— obtaining an insurance policy and travel-related services.

A total of 271 Registered Persons or loved ones acting on behalf of a Registered Person (i.e., family member, spouse, friend, or acquaintance) were asked a series of questions regarding their experiences with applying for insurance and with rentals or tickets related to domestic travel (i.e., hotels, vacation rentals, and travel tickets). Out of the 271 respondents:

  • Insurance Types:
    • Life: 95 applied, 20 (21.05%) were denied due to status, 7 (7.37%) paid higher rates
    • Health: 199 applied, 3 (1.51%) were denied due to status, 1 (0.5%) paid higher rates
    • Home: 164 applied, 9 (5.49%) were denied due to status, 6 (3.66%) paid higher rates
    • Car: 247 applied, 13 (5.26%) were denied due to status, 10 (4.05%) paid higher rates
    • Renter’s: 63 applied, 3 (4.76%) were denied due to status, 0 (0%) paid higher rates
    • Umbrella: 55 applied, 1 (1.82%) were denied due to status, 2 (3.64%) paid higher rates
    • Disability: 39 applied, 4 (10.26%) were denied due to status, 0 (0%) paid higher rates
    • Long-Term Care: 19 applied, 0 (0%) were denied due to status, 1 (5.26%) paid higher rates
  • Vacation/Travel
    • Vehicle Rental: 195 applied, 4 (2.05%) were denied due to status, 3 (1.54%) paid higher rates
    • Hotel/Motel: 222 applied, 13 (5.86%) were denied due to status, 0 (0%) paid higher rates
    • Short-Term Vacation Rental (Air-BnB, home/chalet rentals): 106 applied, 58 (54.72%) were denied due to status, 1 (0.94%) paid higher rates
    • Travel tickets (plane/train/bus, etc.): 188 applied, 6 (3.19%) denied service, 0 (0%) paid higher rates
  • Anxiety
    • About an equal number of Respondents (46.49%) reported feelings of anxiety at the prospect of applying for insurance as those who reported not feeling anxiety (47.6%)
    • Nearly three times the number of Respondents reported feelings of anxiety with travel plans (69.39%) than those who reported not feeling anxious (26.57%)
    • Nearly two out of five Respondents (39.11%) reported that they rely on a person NOT listed on the registry to make travel arrangements to avoid potential problems in planning travel.

Certain types of insurance are seemingly harder to obtain for Registered Persons than other types. The most difficult insurance to obtain by far was life insurance, followed by car insurance and home insurance. While a number of insurance agencies, both national and regional, were cited, the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), an insurance company primarily for veterans, was by far the most cited company that denied service to Registered Persons.

While relatively few problems have been reported obtaining travel tickets, vehicle rentals, and hotel/motel rooms, over half of respondents who applied for “short term vacation rentals” were denied. While numerous companies were cited as denying services, Air BnB, followed by most cruise lines, were the most cited companies that denied services to Registered Persons. Most respondents who had problems with hotel room rentals were staying for extended periods of time.

PFRs and their loved ones still experience high levels of anxiety when applying for insurance or vacation/travel services, with travel issues causing more anxiety than insurance. While this sample size is still rather small and anxiety levels exceed actual instances of discrimination, there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest this is yet another area of concern for Registered Persons.