HIPAA Law

Health Insurance ? Not As Straightforward As It Would Seem

2009-04-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

Most of the seven million people covered by health insurance in the UK have a policy provided by their company. As such it is a useful benefit, but many of us assume that it will cover any kind of health issue and this is definitely not the case. The insurers exclude a wide variety of possible claims, and this article will explain those in detail.

Health insurance has a very specific purpose ? to get people suffering from short-term, curable health problems straight through to a consultant and to receive top quality private care in top speed time. Essentially, it's about jumping the lengthy NHS queues. However, there are many health problems that don't fit into this narrow band, and as such are not covered by a health insurance policy.

Be aware however that every policy is different, and only be reading your own policy documents will you be able to find out exactly what you are covered for. This article will give you the knowledge you need to understand your policy better.

Defining ? Chronic'

Illnesses and conditions etc fall into two main categories: ?acute' and ?chronic'. Short-term illnesses that can be fixed and cured are called ?acute', for example if you fell and broke your arm, this would be classed as acute. If, however, your problem is either incurable or deemed to be a long-term issue, then it will be classed as ?chronic' and subsequently you will not be able to make a claim.

What counts as ?acute' and what counts as ?chronic' is a hotly disputed issue between insurance companies and their customers. Diabetes and asthma are acknowledged as chronic, long-term conditions that cannot be cured.

The issues become more difficult with certain types of cancer. It often happens that the cancer is considered to be treatable at first, and then the diagnosis is changed at a later time to incurable. In this case, you would only be covered as long as the cancer was diagnosed curable. If the prognosis changes you will lose your cover. Insurance companies are allowed to reclassify an illness from acute to chronic at any time.

What about the long-term
If you need long-term treatment then you're out of luck. However insurers have different ideas on what constitutes long-term, you may be covered for 10 months or up to a year, but it probably won't be for any longer than that. Check your policy for details.

Does preventative medicine count?
Health insurance cannot be used to pay for preventative treatment, although that is another matter of contention. For example, a drug called ?Herceptin' can be used to help women who have ?HER2', a virulent form of breast cancer. The drug has helped reduce the risk of the cancer returning by an average of 50%. Many would call this an essential treatment, but some insurers call it preventative. Legal and General and Axa PPP will not pay for this treatment, however BUPA, Standard Life Healthcare, Norwich Union and WPA will.

Drugs not yet available on the NHS
You might think that it doesn't matter if the drug is available on the NHS, but it relates to the system of drug approval in England and Wales. Before a drug can be used in the NHS, it must be approved by The Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The problem is, if it's not approved, the insurance company won't allow you to be treated with it. Huge delays affect the introduction of new drugs into the NHS because The Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence must first ascertain if the benefits of the drug justify the financial costs of adding it to the NHS treatments. As a result, the drug you need may not be approved, and if so, it won't be covered.

Aware of this problem. the Financial Ombudsman issued a compromise which stipulates if the insurer won't cover ?experimental treatments', then it should cover the cost of the approved conventional treatment. The policyholder is then free to undergo the experimental treatment and pay the surplus if it's more expensive.

Pre-existing conditions

A ?pre-existing condition' describes a condition or illness that you suffered from before starting your health insurance policy. You will have to provide details of all these when you fill out your application form. That way the insurer is aware of what they can exclude from your policy. Be sure to be truthful in the application form as the insurer can easily contact your doctor to see your medical history, and they often do ? having requested your approval first. They will also sometimes ask people to undergo a medical examination.

What counts as a pre-existing condition is also a potentially sore subject. If you fell off your horse years ago and fractured an ankle, you may find in later life that it starts playing up again and you need an operation to fix the problem. The insurance company may reject a claim, saying that it's a condition that occurred before the policy began. If that happens, you either pay yourself, or go with the NHS.

Some insurance companies write a moratorium provision into their policies, which allows some respite from a potential long list of pre-existing conditions. For example, you may be covered as long as you have not suffered from the condition for two years, with the condition first taking place in the last five years. These time frames are individual to insurance companies, read the small print first to see if your policy includes a moratorium provision.

The condition or illness is excluded

Health insurance is renewable on a yearly basis and at renewal time, you may find that your policy, and your premiums, have changed ? often not for the better.

If you are undergoing treatment at time of renewal, it's possible that your condition or illness will have become ?excluded' in the renewed policy, and that you will have to cover the cost of the rest of the treatment.

Because medical research is advancing so quickly, and the number of conditions considered treatable is increasing, the goalposts are always shifting as to what is chronic and what is acute.

The insurance companies are usually trying to cover their own backs. More conditions are being classified as acute, so they have to pay out more in claims. At the same time, newly introduced treatments and drugs are often expensive, so that's more expense to the insurer. To cover their losses, the insurers increase the premiums, and introduce some more exclusions. You have to watch out for this as you may renew your policy without realising that some very important details have changed.

So if have Health Insurance, or you are considering signing up to a policy, take this article into account and read the small print so you know exactly what is and isn't covered. And the golden rule: before getting treatment, always double check with your insurer first that it is covered.

About the Author: Safeguard is a uk critical illness insurance website. We provide a huge amount of information based around our products, to read more visit the critical illness information

Finding Affordable Health Insurance

2009-04-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

Affordable health insurance - it seems, particularly today, those words just don't belong together in the same sentence. Health insurance monthly premiums are becoming the biggest single expense in our lives - surpassing even mortgage payments. In fact, if you have any permanent health problems, such as diabetes, or have had cancer at one time in your family history, your monthly cost could easily be more than the house and car payment combined.

Shopping for affordable health insurance can certainly be an eye-opener. If you have always had a health insurance benefit where you work - especially a state or federal employee - and now have to buy your own, you may not be able to afford the level of health insurance coverage you have become used to.

Affordable health insurance, however, is definitely available -if you know how and where to look.

When you are looking for affordable health insurance, you want the lowest cost per year that will fit your budget, of course. But, even more importantly, you want a company that has a good record for paying without fighting with you on every detail. Just as there is a car for just about any budget, there is also affordable health insurance. You may not be able to afford a "Cadillac" policy - but then you probably don't need all the frills anyway.

Shopping for health insurance on the internet is the easiest and best way to find affordable health insurance. Here are five reasons why.

1. You don't need a local agent to help you submit the claims for health insurance. The medical provider does it for you. You save money because the health insurance company saves money by not paying the agent commission. This could amount to an 8% to 12% savings to you. 2. All the top health insurance companies are at your fingertips on the internet. Most local agents can only quote you from the few companies that they represent. They may not offer you what is best for you financially or health-wise but only what they happen to have available. 3. Health insurance companies have to be extremely competitive because it is so quick and easy to compare them with their competitors on the internet today. In the past you would have had to visit physically eight to ten agents to do a similar comparison. Most folks just didn't have the time or desire for that. 4. You can change your coverage, deductibles, and payment options with just a few clicks rather than going through the paperwork delay with a local agent (and then finding out he/she made a mistake - more delay). 5. Charging to a credit card means you aren't going to forget a payment and be without insurance. Also, it gives you another 30 days before you actually have to pay. Also, many companies today give an additional discount for "auto-pay".

The key, however, to finding affordable health insurance is realizing that the purpose of any health insurance is to protect you from a major financial loss - not to protect you from spending small money on clinic visits and sliver removal. These small expenses may be cumbersome but they generally will not hurt you. It's the $100,000 heart operation that will break you. That's the financial disaster health insurance was originally designed to prevent.

Also, keep this in mind. Health insurance, as with any insurance, is a gamble. You are gambling that you will draw out more than you pay in. Your health insurance company is gambling they will pay out less. The odds are in their favor for two reasons. They have all the facts for millions of families to average out, so they know the risk in advance. Also, they get to set the rules and the prices. The higher you set your deductible, the more risk you take. This is not a bad thing at all. You will most likely be the winner in the long run.

Yes, finding affordable health insurance is much easier than most people think.

By adding more of the risk with higher deductibles, spending a little time on the internet comparing eight to ten different companies, and deleting coverage that you will not likely need (such as maternity for many people) will make it likely for you to find your own affordable health insurance.

Daniel J Lesser is the creator of HotHealthInsuranceSecrets.com. A whole world awaits those healthy enough to see it. Find out how to stay healthy at an affordable price www.hothealthinsurancesecrets.com.

Health Insurance ? Not As Straightforward As It Would Seem

2008-10-13T03:01:00.000-07:00

Safeguard is a uk critical illness insurance website. We provide a huge amount of information based around our products, to read more visit the critical illness information

Finding Affordable Health Insurance

2008-07-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

Affordable health insurance, however, is definitely available -if you know how and where to look.

Shopping for health insurance on the internet is the easiest and best way to find affordable health insurance. Here are five reasons why.

Yes, finding affordable health insurance is much easier than most people think.

Help! I Lost My Health Insurance!

2008-07-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

It can literally be one of the scariest places to find yourself - without health insurance coverage. When a simple trip to the emergency room can lead to thousands of dollars in charges, the last thing you need is to not have health insurance. But what options do you have? Graduating from college can be a true rite of passage into adulthood, because this is the time when most health insurance plans drop you from your parents' plan. Even landing a job right after graduation can still mean that you will have to go through a grace period before the company's health insurance kicks in. And if you have left a job for greener pastures, well...don't get sick or injured!

But do I even have options?

Well you probably do have options for health insurance coverage, but they may not be ideal. If you have quit your job, then you will have the option of extending your health insurance benefits for up to 18 months - thanks to COBRA. The only catch is that you will have to pay for those benefits out of your own pocket. Not exactly an easy thing to do without that paycheck rolling in every week.

Is that it? Is that my only hope?

Before you panic, just relax. The solution is short-term health insurance. As the name implies, this solution offers you health insurance options for a limited period of time. Most short-term health insurance benefits are available for 30 to 180 days. Depending on where you live, you may be able to obtain these benefits for up to a year.

And short term health insurance is the same as what I had at work?

Well, if you mean that you have coverage in the event of a hospital visit or sudden illness, then yes. You also can pick your own doctors and hospitals, which is actually an advantage over some health insurance plans offered by employers. But there are definitely coverage limitations on short-term health insurance plans.

So what am I not covered for?

That really is the million dollar question, isn't it? Well, routine medical exams are not covered by a short term health insurance policy. Any kind of preventative care is also out the window with this type of coverage. Plus, you can forget about dental and optical coverage with short-term health insurance. For obvious reasons, this sort of health insurance also does not cover medical costs relating to a pregnancy nor, anything having to do with the childbirth itself.

No offense, by why should I bother with short term health insurance?

Because a simple trip to the emergency room can cost thousands of dollars, and any emergency procedure and hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Hey, short- term health insurance is not supposed to be the long-term solution. It is just a way to make sure you are covered while you are not on any employer's health insurance plan. And it can help you avoid going into serious debt, should something happen to you when you are not otherwise covered on a health insurance plan. For that reason alone, it is definitely worth the expense.

Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Health Insurance Resources, which answers the most common questions people have about Health Insurance. Please visit us at http://www.healthinsuranceresources.ws today.

Help! I Lost My Health Insurance!

2008-07-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

But do I even have options?

Is that it? Is that my only hope?

And short term health insurance is the same as what I had at work?

So what am I not covered for?

No offense, by why should I bother with short term health insurance?

Health Insurance

2008-06-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

When you are in your late teens and twenties, possibly up to the age of forty, it's hard for people to understand why they need health insurance. For some people, it may be less expensive to pay full price when going to the doctor then pay the monthly fee associated with health insurance. These people may ask whether or not health insurance is even worth it. For most people, however, health insurance is a huge money saver. But what are the different types of health insurance and how should you go about determining what is right for you.

There are mainly two types of insurance: Indemnity plans and managed care plans. Indemnity plans are insurance plans in which an insurer reimburses the insured for medical expenses no matter who provided the service. There are three plans within the indemnity category. These include reimbursement of actual charges, reimbursement of a percentage of the actual charges and indemnity. In the first plan, the insurer will reimburse for the entire cost of the service, the second plan covers a percentage, while indemnity pays a certain amount daily for a certain number of days.

Managed care plans have three main types: HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations) and finally POSs (Point of Service plans). In an HMO plan, members pay a flat monthly rate. In most circumstances, the HMO member must use medical professionals from the preferred network. Unlike HMOs, PPOs are paid on a service by service basis. PPOs are often sponsored by employers or insurance companies who reimburse the insured for the service, minus of course any co-payments. A POS is a plan in which the insured pays no deductible and a small co-payment as long as the service provider is a part of the network.

So, what should you do? Well, you should start by investigating your health insurance options. What does your employer provide? Most employers do not pay the deductible for their employees; however, the rate is reduced as it is often a group situation. The best way to determine the best plan for you is to educate yourself on what is available and what you need.

Sara Chambers is a marketing consultant and an internet content manager for http://www.healthinsuranceweblog.com

Student Health Insurance: Is Your Child Covered?

2008-06-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Watching your children fly from the nest is not an easy thing. Watching them stumble and fall in their quest for independence is even more difficult.

According to experts, at least 30 percent of young adults over the age of 19 have no health insurance. This puts their education and financial future at risk--and limits their chances of succeeding on their own.

So what can you, a seemingly helpless parent, do to help insure your college-bound student succeeds and thrives?

The Obvious Solution

The most obvious answer is student health insurance. When your children leave home, student health coverage can provide them the financial protection they need for those unexpected times of illness.

It picks up where you leave off by covering health and medical expenses during a vulnerable, transitional time in their lives. And it's a great way to keep your children sheltered when they need it most--in your absence.

In fact, young persons covered by student health insurance policies don't have to worry whether their insurance will pay for needed doctor visits or prescriptions; and they don't have to scramble to find a way to pay for health care when they're ill. They simply pick up the phone and call their doctor; grab their insurance card and go.

That brings a lot of security and peace of mind&mdashto parents and children alike.

The Options

If you're looking for health insurance coverage for your newly-independent student, you'll find several options available.

Family Health Plan Coverage
If you have a "major medical" or individual health plan purchased on your own, your child should be covered under your plan until the age of 19. Some states have increased this age limit to 25, as long as your child stays unmarried; attends school full-time; remains financially dependent and lives at home.

If, however, you're covered under an HMO (health maintenance organization), your child's medical care is normally covered only within your own health service area (except in the case of emergencies). If your child attends school outside this region, routine medical visits and procedures may not be covered.

If you're considering keeping your student on your own health policy, talk to your insurance provider to make sure coverage is available where your child will live. If so, the insurer can help your student find a doctor in the appropriate area; tell you what services are covered, and let you know their approximate cost.

University-Sponsored Health Insurance
Nearly all educational institutions now offer school-funded student health insurance policies. Prices are generally reasonable, costing less than $100 per month for a single student and around $200 for a married couple.

If your child receives financial aid or scholarship monies, most school-funded plans allow him or her to use these means to help pay for health insurance coverage. This provides a way for some students and their parents, who could otherwise not afford health care, to maintain much-needed coverage.

Individual Health Plans
If neither a family plan nor school-sponsored plan is available, your child should strongly consider purchasing an individual health policy of his or her own.

Although individual health insurance plans can be expensive, many insurers offer discounts to full-time students.

Insurance shopping services like InsureMe.com can help your student find an individual health policy at an affordable price. You'll find them online at insureme.com.

American College Student Association (ACSA) Health Coverage
Another option unknown to many students and their parents is coverage through the ACSA. This organization offers health insurance, short-term insurance, study abroad coverage and dental insurance to students at any college or university.

If your student needs health coverage for the short term, ACSA health coverage may be just the ticket. Depending on the term selected, this type of policy may last from three months up to a year.

To contact the ACSA, call (888) 526-2272.

Making the Right Choice

Finding affordable student health insurance at a great price isn't always easy. But there's almost nothing as important when your children transition from home to school.

By spending time analyzing the options, you can make the right choice for your students--and keep them healthy and happy for years to come!About InsureMe

InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with health insurance leads every year. For more information, visit insureme.com.

Penny Hagerman is a copywriter and insurance information expert based in Denver, Colorado. She holds a BA in Communications/Journalism, and contributes years of writing and editing experience in print media and Internet communications through her informative articles.

Online Health Insurance: The Truth About Cheap Quotes

2008-06-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for low cost health insurance quotes? Good. You are taking that most important step of shopping around for the best price. But more importantly, you undstand that it is important to have health insurance, and perhaps, even more importantly, understand that the real purpose of health insurance, as for any insurance, is protection. That is, you do not get health insurance to act as a sort of discount off the price of doctor and hospital services. The point of insurance is protection in the event of catastrophe. Yes, health insurance costs are high and continue to rise, but do not forget that the reason you are seeking health insurance quotes online--and even offline--is to insure you get the most protection (not discount) for the best (lowest) rate.

Getting health insurance quotes is now extremely easy with the use of the Internet. Take advantage of online insurance quote availability to get an idea of the range of premium prices offered. Even if you don't want to buy online, you will have a better understanding of what the insurance agent is talking about, and when it comes time to put ink on the contract, you will be making a more informed decision. Remember, too, that quotes are free and come without obligation.

When you look for cheap health insurance quotes, online or off, you must also consider type of health care you want and what that means in terms of how your care is delivered to you. Health insurance is a much more than a matter of co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles. When you get a health insurance quote, you are getting a quote on a certain kind of plan. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a single "best" plan. You will find that there are some plans that will serve your needs better as an individual, and plans that will be better for both you and your family's needs. Plans will vary according to what services they offer, and you will probably have to make some hard choices as to what services are most important. No plan will pay everything; there will always be out-of-pocket costs associated with your medical services, though some plans will pay more for the services you deem most important. So, health insurance quotes are really the tip of the iceberg to a very important subject.

Cheap Health Insurance Quotes and the HMO, PPO, FFS/indemnity plan, and POS.

*HMO--An HMO is a health maintenance organization. An HMO contracts with doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers to form a sort of network. As a member of an HMO, you are required to use the providers in that network. You pay the HMO a certain amount of money per their payment arrangements in order to receive medical services.

*PPO--A PPO is a preferred provider organization. A PPO is similar to an HMO in that there is a network of medical providers that you can use. However, the PPO does not require you to use that network and allows you see doctors and go to hospitals out of network. Normally, you do not need a referral to see doctors out of network. However, in that event, you do pay more for the service. That is, the amount of coverage is less.

*POS--A POS is a point of service plan. A point of service plan is very much like an HMO except that POS doctors can refer you out of the network of providers to see a specialist. In a POS, you would not refer yourself, and if the plan does refer you out of the network, you do pay more for the service.

*FFS--A FFS or indemnity plan, is a fee for service plan. In a fee for service, you are billed by the service. You are usually not required to use a network of providers. That means you choose which doctors, hospitals, and specialists you want to see and use. Because you make the decision about who you see and where you go, there is no need for a referral to see a doctor. The only limiting factor is whether or not the provider accepts the insurance of the fee for service plan insurance.

Low Cost health insurance quotes have a lot going on behind the scenes. Seeking an online quote? Now you have a better idea of what that quote is for. When you visit an insurance agent to talk health care, be sure to look thoroughly into the options available to you. Your health insurance quote represents a package of insurance services, and it is important for you to understand the relationship between the quote and the services you may be purchasing.

Evan Davis works in Medicare customer service, and is the webmaster and owner of Instant Health Insurance. Find cheap health insurance quotes online at http://www.find-health-insurance-online.com

What to Know When Shopping for Health Insurance

2008-06-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

What to Know When Shopping for Health Insurance

Between the rising cost of health insurance and the various types of health policies, finding a plan to fit your health needs and your budget can seem overwhelming. So how can you sort though these variables and find a policy that works for you?

Doing Your Homework

Doing a little research before you start shopping for health insurance will go a long way once you start comparing quotes and policies.

You can start by reading up on the types of policies available in your area and determining what you want and need out of your health insurance--from prescription drugs to coverage of pre-existing conditions, you'll want to identify these necessities from the outset.

To learn more about health insurance in your area, contact your state's Division of Insurance (DOI). This underutilized resource was developed to educate and protect consumers on the topic of insurance and has many guides and publications to help you make informed decisions about health insurance. And the more you know, the better decisions you'll make!

Shopping Tips

Under most state laws, health insurance policies are not regulated by the government. This means that insurers can sell different health insurance policies for very different prices. While that may seem complicated for the consumer, it's actually a benefit. This means that you can get health insurance quotes from multiple insurers and select the best health insurance policy for you.

So what exactly should you be looking at when comparing policies? Here are a few important questions to ask:

Does the policy cover all major medical expenses?
What's the monthly premium?
What are the choices for deductibles?
What percentage does the insurer pay after the deductible is met?
What coverages are included in the policy?
Does the policy cover prescription drugs?
Does the policy cover preventative care?
Are your doctors and health care facilities inside of the policy's network?
What is the cost for seeing a physician outside of the policy's network?

While you will certainly think of more questions to ask potential insurers, this list should get you started. Remember, the more you know, the better decisions you'll make!

Protecting Yourself

As with most areas of business, there are a few untrustworthy insurers out there who ruin things for the good guys. That's why it's a good idea to investigate your insurer and his or her credentials before signing a health insurance policy.

You can check your agent's credentials, as well as the company's customer satisfaction rating and financial standing through consumer-serving sites like AM Best or the Better Business Bureau. Doing a little behind the scenes work on your insurer beforehand will save you the stress and financial loss of doing business with a dodgy insurer.

You can also protect yourself by knowing your rights and privileges before signing on the dotted line. Most states now require insurers to cover certain benefits, such as mammograms and prostate exams; your local DOI will have more information on mandated benefits and other rights and privileges.

Most insurers will also offer a free-look period of 10 or so days to review your policy and make any final adjustments or decisions. If you decide you don't want the policy during that free-look period, you are entitled to a full refund and your policy will be cancelled without penalty. As a general rule, if your health policy doesn't contain a free-look period, you're probably better off purchasing health insurance from someone else.

Applying Lessons Learned

Now that you've gotten a few pointers on shopping for health insurance, you can get started and determine your needs, get the facts, shop for health insurance quotes and compare prospective insurers for price and service. Taking things one step at a time will make the task of finding cheap health insurance less daunting--and get you on the road to savings success!

About InsureMe

InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with insurance leads every year. For more information, visit InsureMe.com.

Megan L. Mahan is a copywriter and insurance expert based in Denver, Colorado. She holds degrees in French and English from the University of Iowa and lends her writing and editing expertise in print media and Internet communications through her informative articles.

Everything You Need To Know About Choosing A Health Insurance Plan

2008-06-09T01:19:00.000-07:00

The purpose of health insurance is to protect you from the alarming cost of medical care by providing you with insurance coverage for specified health and medical care services. Generally, you will pay a monthly premium, a deductible, and co-payments for services you receive. The cost for insurance is significantly less than if you had to pay for medical care out of your pocket. There are three basic types of health insurance, fee for service, consumer-directed, and managed care. These basic types of insurance plans cover hospital, medical, and surgical expenses, and depending on the particular plan you choose, possibly prescription drugs, mental/behavioral care, and dental.

A fee for service plan means the health care professional you choose will be paid a fee for each service provided to you. You can choose your own doctor and the insurance claim can be filed by either the doctor or the patient. A managed care plan will provide coverage to their members and offers incentives for patients who choose doctors participating in the plan's network. The 3 types of managed care plans are HMOs, PPOs, and POS plans.

An HMO allows you to receive medical care through a network of participating physicians. You will generally select a primary care doctor, who will then refer you to a specialist when necessary. A PPO combines various features of an HMO and a fee for service plan. Members can choose from network doctors and pay lower upfront expenses, or choose any doctor they desire and pay more out of pocket expenses. A consumer-directed health plan gives members more choices and options in making health care decisions. Consumer-directed plans include a health account or fund designated for health care expenses. At the end of each year, unused funds will roll over to the next year.

A health insurance premium is the fee paid to the insurer to purchase health coverage. Premiums can be paid monthly, quarterly, or annually. Deductibles are the amount you will pay for covered services within a certain time frame, according to the terms of your plan, before you will be entitled to insurance benefits. Members with a high deductible may have to pay the first one thousand dollars of yearly medical expenses before the insurance would begin to pay, and those with a higher or lower deductibles would pay more or less, depending on the particular amounts specified in their plan. A co-payment is a stated amount or percentage that must be paid by the member along with each doctor visit, medical procedure, or prescription. For example, if your specified co-payments are $25, you will pay the first $25 of each doctor visit and your insurance would cover additional charges. Most insurance plans specify a different co-payment amount for prescriptions, doctor visits, and hospital or surgical care.

In choosing which type of health insurance plan is right for you, you must consider the affordability of doctor visits and hospital care, the amount of the monthly premium, the amount of the deductibles, and the amount of the co-payments. Make sure the plan you chose offers coverage for services you will actually use such as doctors, prescriptions, laboratory costs, treatment for preexisting conditions, and out-of-network care. Check the rating of the insurance company in question, the number of patient complaints in the past year, doctor drop out rates if the insurance plan includes a network, and the number of members who have dropped out of the plan in the past year. Health insurance that is subsidized by your employer is generally the least expensive, but if your employer does not offer health insurance, you should consider an individual health insurance policy. The cost of medical care is far too expensive to risk not having health insurance.

Mike Bell is the webmaster of the Health Insurance options guide, a resource for life and health insurance answers.

Online Insurance Shopping: Finding Health Insurance on the Web

2008-05-31T03:01:00.000-07:00

Online Insurance Shopping: Finding Health Insurance on the Web

With more and more consumers turning to the Internet to locate goods and services, it's no wonder that online health insurance shopping is gaining popularity, too. If you're thinking about shopping for health insurance online, you're not alone. And, while shopping online can save you time and money, there are a few factors to consider to ensure a positive shopping experience.

Knowing What You Need

Do you know what kind of health insurance plan you need? Do you know what features or benefits you'd like to have in your policy?

Knowing what you need before you begin shopping can save you a lot of time. If you're not sure what kind of policy you need, try contacting your state's Division of Insurance (DOI). The DOI exists to protect and educate consumers on insurance matters; you can contact them by phone or visit them on the Web to find the information you need about health insurance plans in your area. Remember, the more you know, the more educated your health insurance decisions will be!

Choosing a Reputable Company

When you open your Web browser and enter your search terms, you'll undoubtedly get multiple options in return. But which of these companies is right for you?

Weed out the good companies (and Web sites) from the bad and:

Get the Facts. You can investigate online insurance companies and referral services by visiting the sites of AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB); obtaining information about the company's financial standings and customer service ratings will help you determine if consumers have had good experiences in the past--and whether the company is doing well enough to be there future.

Consumer hint: most BBB-approved companies will display the BBB logo on their Web pages.

Verify Security Measures. With the increased usability of the Internet also comes an increased risk for fraudulent activities. While this scares many insurance shoppers from using the Web, shopping within sites that are technologically secure drastically reduces those risks.

If a company's Web site is secure, they'll most likely include a clickable logo on their landing page, detailing the site's security certification or "seal of approval". Still not convinced? The company's security policy should be located within the site; reputable companies will use the latest technology to protect your information and will never give or sell your email address for spamming or other marketing purposes.

When it comes to Web site security, the bottom line is this: if you don't like what you see, move on to another site!

Read Testimonials. What do other consumers have to say about their experience with the company? Check out the site's customer testimonials to see what other health insurance shoppers liked about the service. Can't find any? Might be a good indication that positive feedback has been scarce--in general, companies display positive comments with pride!

Understanding the Process

Different companies will operate accordingly. One company might give you one health insurance quote, while another might give you five. Generally speaking, companies that provide multiple quotes are more efficient for the consumer--rather than applying for quotes on five different Web sites or calling five different insurers, you can obtain multiple quotes quickly and find the cheapest health insurance.

But, when it comes to obtaining health quotes online, it's all about preference. If you'd prefer to obtain one quote at a time, you will find company sites than can deliver exactly that.

Go with your Gut

When it comes to shopping for health insurance online, educating yourself on insurance and researching potential insurers will help you make the best purchasing decision possible. Get started today by identifying what you need out of a health insurance policy, and set your sights on finding it. And as always, shop online with care by verifying the legitimacy and security of any Web site before submitting your business!

____________________________________________________________________

About InsureMe

InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with insurance leads every year. For more information, visit www.InsureMe.com.

Health Insurance Savings: How to Save on Health Coverage

2008-05-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

Health Insurance Savings: How to Save on Health Coverage

According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation-sponsored survey, health premiums have jumped 73 percent since the year 2000, outpacing the rate of inflation by 3.5 percent.

To handle these rising costs, employers are shifting more healthcare costs to employees-causing employees to dig a little deeper to compensate for deductibles, office visits and prescription drugs. And, worse yet, some companies are eliminating the benefit altogether.

The Good News
If this strikes a chord with you, you're not alone. The upside? You don't have to take health coverage hikes lying down! More and more consumers are learning that there are ways to maintain adequate health insurance without breaking the bank.

You can deflate your premium by doing the following:

Shop around. Even if your employer offers group coverage, you may be able to get a more affordable rate through a separate insurer. Compare multiple prices and policies to find a policy that protects your health--and your wallet.
Increase your deductible. Increasing the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks is a great way to see a colossal drop in your premium. Just remember to choose a deductible you can afford so as not to jeopardize your finances if you need to file a claim.
Ask about discounts. You may be eligible for discounts on health coverage if you belong to certain groups or associations. Ask your insurer about their discount programs and eligibility requirements.
Omit extra coverages. If you find yourself in a financial bind, you can usually drop extra coverages like vision and mental health without great risk or complication. You can reinsert these coverages once you are more financially comfortable.
Check into other group coverage. Alumni associations, fraternal organizations and professional groups are often eligible to purchase small group policies. Contact your affiliated organizations to see if there are any savings from which you can benefit.

Other Options
If you've exhausted the tips above and are still financially unable to purchase health insurance, it's important to remember that there may still be options available to you.

Many state programs have recently expanded their eligibility requirements for state-assisted care, making it easier for consumers to find individual and family health coverage. To learn about the programs and eligibility requirements in your state, contact your local division of insurance.

As the cost of health care continues to rise, health insurance remains a key component to sustaining your access to proper medical care. Use the tips above to maximize your health coverage-without draining your bank account!

______________________________________________________________________

About InsureMe

InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with insurance leads every year. For more information, visit www.InsureMe.com.

Affordable Health Insurance...

2008-05-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

Finding affordable health insurance is possible, there are many companies that will help you to find health insurance that will meet your requirements and stay within your budget. The fact is that many people simply do not know where to look for health insurance. Connecting with a company that is capable of hunting down health insurance providers can take the hassle out of buying health insurance. For individuals who do not want to use a company to locate affordable health insurance there is the Internet.

Thousands of people in the United States simply go without health insurance because they think they cannot find affordable health insurance. This would explain why there are many individuals in the United States who choose to go without health insurance. Those who do not have health insurance will be less likely to visit a doctor. This means that a lot of times illness and other ailments are not diagnosed until they have developed.

There are numerous different things that will determine what your monthly health insurance will be. Your health insurance rates will change depending upon the kind of policy you have. For example, do you only need health insurance for yourself, or your entire family? The answer will have an impact on any quotes you receive. Are you young, or are you in your senior years? Most health insurance companies adjust your premium based upon your age. Are you self-employed, or are you receiving health insurance through your work? This will also affect the cost of your health insurance.

You never know when an accident might happen and you need a trip to hospital for stitches or a broken bone. These bills will add up quickly but if you have health insurance, you can get the help you need without the worry of receiving a huge bill. If you can't afford to pay off your medical bills, your credit rating could even suffer. If you have health insurance, you can prevent these problems from ever happening and your credit will be protected for your financial future and your health.

Another way you can make sure that your insurance rates are lowered is to increase the amount of your health insurance deductible. High deductibles equal lower monthly premiums. Anyone that has existing health problems which require extensive medical treatment may find it necessary to have a higher monthly premium.

Simply by researching health insurance options online and spending just a couple of hours searching may well save you money every month. Get a variety of quotes from insurance companies which meet your health and budget needs and you will find affordable health insurance. You may also find that purchasing health insurance online can save you money.

For family health insurance Please visit us at http://www.4insurancehere.com

Affordable, Comprehensive Health Insurance: How to Get What You Need

2008-05-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

Affordable, Comprehensive Health Insurance: How to Get What You Need

Your health should be your most important life concern; after all, your life depends on it. But it's difficult to maintain good health without adequate insurance coverage.

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, health costs for 2003 equaled $1.7 trillion, rising 7.7 percent from the year before. And the cost of health care has continued to rise each year thereafter. Moreover,experts now predict that in 2006, family health insurance premiums will rise to an average of more than $14,500--making a very real dent in Americans' pocketbooks.

With all this doom and gloom circulating, you may find yourself wondering how you can ever keep pace. But with some research, knowledge and negotiation, you and your family can have the coverage you need when you need it most--and at a price you can afford.

Know What to Ask

While there is no magic formula for finding affordable, comprehensive health insurance, knowledge is your best weapon for waging war against the high cost of health care. And the best way to get the knowledge you need to help you find affordable health insurance is to ask questions--lots of them.

Start your search by making a list of specific, detail-oriented questions you can ask insurers. Your goal should be to gather as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision regarding your health insurance.

Focus on coverage first; then examine costs.

The following list will help get you started:

1. What percentage of costs are covered?

2. What care is excluded?

3. Are the following covered?

-Preexisting conditions

-Prescriptions

-Mental health

-Maternity and well-baby care

-Alternative care, such as chiropractic and acupuncture

4. May I choose my primary care physician?

5. Do I need referrals to specialists?

6. What are my limits on health care?

7. Is there a list of in-network care providers?

8. How quickly can I see my physician?

9. How do you define emergency care? How does this differ from urgent care?

10. Is there an annual limit on the services I receive? If so, what is it?

11. How much are the monthly premiums?

12. What are the deductibles I must meet?

13. What are my coinsurance costs?

14. Are out-of-town emergencies covered?

15. How much do I pay out-of-pocket for out-of-network physician visits?

Quality health insurance agents won't mind you asking questions; in fact, they'll expect it!

When you talk to insurers, record the answers each gives you in a notebook for future reference. That way, you can compare information as you go along.

Know Where to Look

The next step in finding affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage is to find a qualified insurer.

First, talk to your friends and family to get their feedback and recommendations. They may have valuable insight to offer that can save you time and money.

Going online is a great way to do some research at this point. Check out major health insurers' Web sites, including their "About Us" pages and consumer testimonials. Finding out how previous and present customers feel about their experiences with insurers can help you determine whether or not you want to do business with them, too.

Check out insurer ratings by going to the Better Business Bureau Web site. Here you can search company financial and customer service ratings by name.

Independent rating companies like A.M. Best and Weiss Ratings are also a great resource, and can be reached online as well.

Your state's department of insurance can provide you yet more information on health insurance plans and companies/agents licensed to conduct business in your state.

Finally, consider using an insurance marketing service like insureme.com. This is a free service that specializes in matching you to health insurance agents in your area who have the affordable, comprehensive health coverage you're looking for. You can apply for health insurance quotes online or by phone in a matter of minutes, and the health questions you answer will help you make a connection with the most qualified insurers for your individual situation.

Upon making contact with insurance agents, it's simply a matter of asking the right questions (as listed above) and choosing the policy with the best coverage at the lowest price.

Take Control

Once you've chosen an insurer, garnered the information you need, and compared health insurance policies, negotiate with your insurance provider for an individual or family rate you can afford. Discounts are often available for non-smokers and non-drinkers, as well as those living healthy lifestyles and working in low-risk jobs.

Before you sign anything, make sure you understand all your health plan's exclusions, limitations and costs. In most states you'll have from 10-30 days to examine your new health insurance policy and make changes or cancel it with no repercussions; but it's always best to get all the facts and make the best decision possible the first time around to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary expense.

You should receive a copy of your binder, or temporary health insurance policy, shortly after you purchase your policy. Keep this in a safe place as evidence of coverage until your new, permanent health policy arrives.

As soon as you receive it, review your new policy's declaration page carefully to make sure everything you and your insurer agreed upon is included. If items are missing, now is the time to bring it up with your agent--not later, when a health claim you've submitted is denied.

Get What You Need

If you're willing to take some time, do your homework, and shop around, you can find affordable, comprehensive health insurance that will help you maintain a full, healthy life...regardless what the experts say.

So put your best foot forward--and go to it! _____________________________________________________________________

About InsureMe

InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with insurance leads every year. For more information, visit www.InsureMe.com.

Getting The Right Health Insurance Coverage - 5 Strategies

2008-05-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

You need it. You don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. Health insurance coverage is something that every person in the United States needs to have. But, the problem lies in knowing what to get, where to get it and how much you need. In some cases, you really do not control these issues because your employer provides them for you. But, are they providing enough coverage for you? Should you consider more? To help you to know what health insurance is the right coverage for your needs, here are some strategies to keep in mind.

How Much Is Enough? This is a difficult question to answer. In fact, only you can answer it. If you are the only person that will be covered, your terms may be lower than that of a person who is the income earner in a family. In any case, the coverage that you get should provide for most medical treatments to be administered. It should include coverage for specialists and also for treatment at a hospital. It should also include preventative care. Do you include dental and vision? That is up to you but it is wise to have nonetheless.

The Deductible - Many people have no idea what the deductible is on their health insurance. In most cases, this number is the amount of money that you will pay before the health insurance kicks into play. The fact of the matter is that you can raise this number, if you can afford to, and get a lower price on your health insurance coverage. You should only do this, though; if you can afford to make the higher amounts of payments should they all hit you at once.

Gotta Have The Pills- In many cases, prescription coverage is a must. Even if you do not take any pills or products right now, who knows what is down the line. Medications are very expensive and can often leave you paying more for them than the doctor that prescribed them. When you factor in the duration of how long you are likely to take them and if you will take them for the rest of your life, prescription coverage on your health plan is a must.

Co-payments may be a pain to pay but they help to lower your cost of visiting the doctor significantly. But, can you afford to make that much of a payment? What options do you have with the insurance carrier?

Lastly, the health coverage that you get should come from the doctors that you know, trust and want to work with. There are many cases where there is little choice by you as to whom you go to see. Make sure to go with a health insurer that fits your needs here.

Mike Singh is the successful webmaster and publisher of health insurance websites. He provides more information about health insurance individual plans and different types of health insurance.

Ins and Outs and others of health insurance

2008-05-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

One of the great benefits of working at a full time job, is that often times your employer will provide health insurance. This insurance doesn't come free, most likely a portion of your salary is deducted to cover it's costs, however becuase you are under a company you can acheive greater discounts through group rates.

Health insurance is simply a type of insurance that will cover the insured person or part when that person or party become sick or injured,etc. The insurer is not always a private organization it can often times be a government agency. There are great differences between health care insurance around the world. For example in Canada health care is part of our social system and is public, where as in the United States health care is for the most part private.

There are several pros and cons to each system, and depending on the area in which you reside you might not have a choice as to which system that you choose. Private health insurance has become one of the most talked about and debated forms of insurance because of the impact that it places on the different levels of society, for example the poor, middle class, and wealthy. Should it be that a person with more money, is allowed to have better medical facilities and attention, and is it not that a services such as health care are a basic human right? I'm not sure if we will ever see an end to this debate, as there is soo many pros and cons to each side, and I'm sure that you can see who would be fighting for which side, and why.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Individual Affordable Health Insurance - http://www.individual-affordable-health-insurance.com, which is the best site on the internet for all Health Insurance related information.

What Should Be Considered Before Choosing Health Insurance?

2008-05-22T02:05:00.000-07:00

It is very difficult to make a right and wise decision on which Health Insurance Policy to buy. This is truly a confusing task. Here is a guideline. Here are the five most important things you have to pay attention to. These items are also your keys to picking a policy that's right for you:

The insurance company's record of complaints: Every large company will have some complaints. You can obtain all this information at your State Board of Insurance. Avoid companies that have a high number of unresolved complaints. Ask your agent for the phone number for your State Board of Insurance. If he will not give it to you, this is a warning signal! You can also look up the number in any directory of your state's agencies. No matter what your agent says, CALL your State Board of Insurance and ask them for the record on any company you are considering.

The limits shown on your health insurance quote: Check your quote to see if you are comfortable with the benefit levels. You can usually change several levels to fit your needs and budget. For example, a higher deductible will cost less each month. Also, many plans give you a choice to split your medical bills with the Insurance Company either 50/50 or 80/20 (with them paying 80%). Then they will have an amount (your stop loss) where they will take over at paying 100% of your covered bills for the remainder of the year. These deductibles and other levels start over every year in most plans. Some plans, though, have a "per cause" deductible. Such a deductible means that you will be responsible for bills up to that deductible for each accident or illness. Make sure you are aware of this distinction, so you can choose a plan that's right for YOU!

The insurance company?s rating: Ask your agent for the company's best rating. If the company is highly rated at this national rating registry, then the company will have literature showing their rating with an explanation of what it means. Choose only companies that have an A or A+ rating.

The limits revealed within the policy: Ask your agent for a sample policy, and then check two sections: The Benefits and The Limitations and Exclusions. Many of your benefits are actually limited in the Benefits section. For example, diagnostic testing or outpatient treatment may be severely limited. These days, you could have a serious disease such as cancer, and never go into the hospital for it. You could rack up thousands of dollars in medical bills for the diagnostic and follow-up lab tests and MRIs, and then have surgery, chemo, or radiation therapy all on an outpatient basis.

Your hospital room rate and intensive care can be limited. Your hospital room rate should be at least average semi-private and your intensive care benefit should not be tied to your room rate, but should, instead, be covered as whatever is an average ICU rate for the area of the hospital, also. Some policies limit the ICU benefit to 3 times the regular room rate, when ICU can cost you 10 or 20 times the room rate each day. A short hospital stay with a limit like this in your policy can cost you literally thousands of dollars. A long hospital stay with a limit like this in your policy could drive you into bankruptcy. Even if your policy says it takes over at 100% after $5,000 of covered medical bills, the important term here is "covered" medical bills. If the policy only pays three times the room rate for ICU, then the rest of the ICU bill is considered an "uncovered" charge!

Pay the Insurance Company, Not the Agent, & Follow Up!: And lastly, make your check payable to the Insurance Company, and then follow up to make sure it was received. When you get your policy, check the Schedule of Benefits to verify you got the coverage you ordered, and then check to see if any special Amendments were added to your policy to exclude any of your conditions. If an Amendment exists, these conditions will always be excluded from this policy, even after the Pre-Existing Conditions Limitation expires.

With all these 5 items, they will help you which will protect you from catastrophic medical bills. Be sure to take the time to choose wisely when it comes to your health insurance!

: Mary Williams owns many Websites related to health and eye care, including Lasik Surgery Secrets, and Lasik Vision Secrets. Please visit her websites and find out more about lasik.

Health Insurance Companies - The Good and The Bad

2008-05-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

When you are shopping for health insurance it would be helpful to know how often health insurance companies fail to provide the service you would expect. The Arizona Department of Insurance has released a report listing fines and complaints filed against health insurance companies in the state.

The report covers 27 insurers or about 75% of the companies serving Arizona. Does the report reflect health insurance performance in other states? I can't be sure, but it does give us a peek into the workings of the health insurance industry.

United Healthcare of Arizona is one of the major insurers in the state and it had the highest number of complaints per insurance policy. Time Insurance and Mega Life And Health Insurance are smaller companies and they had even high complaint ratios.

In Arizona Humana Health Plan satisfies the appeals of its insured more than any other company. On the other hand the report shows that Mega resolves fewer appeals to the satisfaction of the insured.

When it comes to the number of fines levied in the past 5-years by the AZ Department of Insurance the Arizona arm of CGNA Healthcare garbs the top spot. They were assessed the most fines.

If you would like to read more about the performance of health insurance companies you can find the full report online if you do a search for "Report on AZ Health Insurers". Chances are the insurance department or commission in your state issues a similar report.

Another fact we can learn from this Arizona report is that your state's insurance regulatory body may be able to help you in a dispute with your insurance company. You can find state insurance regulators on the internet by doing a search for National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The NAIC has a map of the United States on their web page. Just click on your state and you'll find your state's insurance department information.

Before you buy any policy it would be sensible to learn just which health insurance companies fail to please consumers in your state.

Mark Walters helps individuals, families and travelers choose health insurance coverage at http://www.HealthInsuranceMonster.com

Health Insurance - It's Important To Know What's Not Insured!

2008-05-20T04:24:00.000-07:00

Health insurance is designed to provide protection for curable, short-term health problems and allow policyholders to jump the NHS queues to see consultants, be diagnosed, receive surgery or be treated. That sounds fine, but before you buy you need to appreciate the treatments and situations that fall outside the scope of the cover.

But first a word of warning. This article does not relate to any specific policy and the terms and conditions issued by individual insurers do vary. So please ensure you also check your policy documents. After reading this article, you'll know what to look out for!

Sorry - it's a chronic condition

If a condition can be cured and is not a long-term problem, your insurance company will classify it as acute and should meet the cost. If your problem is incurable or it's a problem that, despite appropriate treatment, will be with you for a long time, then your insurance company will classify it as chronic - and no, you won't be covered.

But drawing a firm line between what is acute and what is chronic is fraught with problems, and leads to the biggest area of conflict between insurer and policyholder.

Everyone agrees that diabetes and asthma are chronic conditions as you're likely to suffer from them for the rest of your life. So those sorts of condition are not covered.

Problems arise when the medical team initially considers a patients' illness to be curable, but the condition subsequently deteriorates and the doctors change their mind, it's now become incurable. This can happen especially in the treatment of some types of cancer.

In these circumstances, the condition is initially defined as acute and is therefore insured, but deteriorates and becomes chronic - and outside the terms of cover. This is possible as insurers retain the right to reclassify a condition from acute to chronic during treatment.

Sorry - it's too long term The insurance company will not pay out for long term treatment. But you need to check your policy documents to see how they define "long-term". You can find the situation where a course of drugs extends for say 12 months, but the insurer will only pay for ten months.

Sorry - it's preventative Your insurance is designed to pay for the treatment and cure of conditions when they arise. It is not designed to pay for treatments that are used to prevent an illness.

Again, the problem of definition arises. Sometimes it is arguable whether a treatment is preventative or a cure. Take the drug Herceptin for example. This drug can be used in the early stages of breast cancer. Research shows that Herceptin can halve the incidence of cancer returning for women who have a particularly virulent form of the cancer known as HER2. In this situation, is Herceptin offering a cure or is it a preventative?

Insurance companies are split on the debate. Norwich Union, WPA, BUPA and Standard Life Healthcare will pay for Herceptin for HER2 patients whereas Legal and General and Axa PPP will not.

Sorry - the drug is not approved Two of the main attractions for taking out health insurance are: to jump the queues at the NHS, and to get the latest treatments and drugs. But there's a rider.

Unless the drug has been approved for use by the NHS in England and Wales, by the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, your insurer is unlikely to approve its use. The problem is that the Institute's brief is not simply to decide whether a drug works, but to carry out a cost/benefit analysis to ensure that the benefits to the nation outweigh the financial costs of using it in the NHS. Not an easy brief - and one that has placed the Institute under scrutiny for the extended delays in drug approval.

The compromise hit on by the Financial Ombudsman is that if a health policy won't pay for the use of experimental treatments, then it should meet the cost of an approved conventional treatment with the policyholder footing the bill for the balance if the experimental treatment is more expensive.

Sorry - it's a pre-existing condition

The basic principle is that if you are already suffering from a condition when you start a policy, then that condition "pre-exists" the policy and any claims for its treatment are invalid.

For this reason, insurance companies insist you complete an exhaustive questionnaire before they agree to insure you. After all they need a clear picture of your medical condition before they quote. For many applications, the insurer will, with your approval, also write to your GP for specific details of your medical history. They like to have a complete picture.

So lets say some years ago you injured your knee playing football. It appeared to recover but now it turns out that you have a torn cartilage and need an operation. The insurer could argue that this is a pre-existing condition and you have to pay for its' treatment.

Some insurers try to accommodate these grey areas with a moratorium provision within your policy. These provisions typically say that so long as you have been symptom free for two years relating to any condition you've suffered from within the last 5 years, then they will pay for subsequent treatment. Not all policies have these moratorium provisions and the time periods do vary between insurers. You should carefully read your policy.

Sorry - its not covered

Health Insurance is an annual contract - just like your car insurance. So when it comes to renewal, your insurer is at liberty to review not only your premium but also change the conditions on which your cover is provided.

Therefore, if your policy comes up for renewal mid way through a course of treatment, it's possible to find that your new policy no longer covers that particular treatment. This means that you will have to foot the bill for the balance of the treatment.

Furthermore, with ongoing advances in medical research, more and more conditions are becoming treatable. This progress has the effect of shifting back the dividing line between chronic and acute conditions.

This hits the insurers' pocket in two ways. With more conditions being reclassified as acute, the number of claims is increasing. And there's also a trend for new treatments to cost more - Herceptin being a good example. The net result is that the insurers are finding themselves having to pay out far more. This is inevitably passed back to you through increased renewal premiums. And in an attempt to reduce their risk exposure, insurers have a tendency to adjust their definitions and exclusions. This means that you must read your renewal notice closely before you decide to renew.

So when you are considering Health Insurance, be aware that everything is not always black and white. And if you've got insurance and need treatment, always contact your insurer without delay and get them to confirm that your treatment is indeed covered

Health Insurance ? It's Important To Know What's Not Insured!

2008-05-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

Around 7 million people in the UK are covered by health insurance, the majority being covered through their employers. The problem is that few have really studied their policy documents and many misunderstand what is covered. And perhaps just as important, what isn't. If you expect health insurance to pay all your health costs, you're mistaken.

Health insurance is designed to provide protection for curable, short-term health problems and allow policyholders to jump the NHS queues to see consultants, be diagnosed, receive surgery or be treated. That sounds fine, but before you buy you need to appreciate the treatments and situations that fall outside the scope of the cover.

But first a word of warning. This article does not relate to any specific policy and the terms and conditions issued by individual insurers do vary. So please ensure you also check your policy documents. After reading this article, you'll know what to look out for!

Sorry ? it's a chronic condition

If a condition can be cured and is not a long-term problem, your insurance company will classify it as acute and should meet the cost. If your problem is incurable or it's a problem that, despite appropriate treatment, will be with you for a long time, then your insurance company will classify it as chronic - and no, you won't be covered.

But drawing a firm line between what is acute and what is chronic is fraught with problems, and leads to the biggest area of conflict between insurer and policyholder.

Everyone agrees that diabetes and asthma are chronic conditions as you're likely to suffer from them for the rest of your life. So those sorts of condition are not covered.

Problems arise when the medical team initially considers a patients' illness to be curable, but the condition subsequently deteriorates and the doctors change their mind, it's now become incurable. This can happen especially in the treatment of some types of cancer.

In these circumstances, the condition is initially defined as acute and is therefore insured, but deteriorates and becomes chronic - and outside the terms of cover. This is possible as insurers retain the right to reclassify a condition from acute to chronic during treatment.

Sorry - it's too long term
The insurance company will not pay out for long term treatment. But you need to check your policy documents to see how they define ?long-term?. You can find the situation where a course of drugs extends for say 12 months, but the insurer will only pay for ten months.

Sorry ? it's preventative
Your insurance is designed to pay for the treatment and cure of conditions when they arise. It is not designed to pay for treatments that are used to prevent an illness.

Again, the problem of definition arises. Sometimes it is arguable whether a treatment is preventative or a cure. Take the drug Herceptin for example. This drug can be used in the early stages of breast cancer. Research shows that Herceptin can halve the incidence of cancer returning for women who have a particularly virulent form of the cancer known as HER2. In this situation, is Herceptin offering a cure or is it a preventative?

Insurance companies are split on the debate. Norwich Union, WPA, BUPA and Standard Life Healthcare will pay for Herceptin for HER2 patients whereas Legal and General and Axa PPP will not.

Sorry ? the drug is not approved
Two of the main attractions for taking out health insurance are: to jump the queues at the NHS, and to get the latest treatments and drugs. But there's a rider.

Unless the drug has been approved for use by the NHS in England and Wales, by the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, your insurer is unlikely to approve its use. The problem is that the Institute's brief is not simply to decide whether a drug works, but to carry out a cost/benefit analysis to ensure that the benefits to the nation outweigh the financial costs of using it in the NHS. Not an easy brief - and one that has placed the Institute under scrutiny for the extended delays in drug approval.

The compromise hit on by the Financial Ombudsman is that if a health policy won't pay for the use of experimental treatments, then it should meet the cost of an approved conventional treatment with the policyholder footing the bill for the balance if the experimental treatment is more expensive.

Sorry ? it's a pre-existing condition

The basic principle is that if you are already suffering from a condition when you start a policy, then that condition ?pre-exists? the policy and any claims for its treatment are invalid.

For this reason, insurance companies insist you complete an exhaustive questionnaire before they agree to insure you. After all they need a clear picture of your medical condition before they quote. For many applications, the insurer will, with your approval, also write to your GP for specific details of your medical history. They like to have a complete picture.

So lets say some years ago you injured your knee playing football. It appeared to recover but now it turns out that you have a torn cartilage and need an operation. The insurer could argue that this is a pre-existing condition and you have to pay for its' treatment.

Some insurers try to accommodate these grey areas with a moratorium provision within your policy. These provisions typically say that so long as you have been symptom free for two years relating to any condition you've suffered from within the last 5 years, then they will pay for subsequent treatment. Not all policies have these moratorium provisions and the time periods do vary between insurers. You should carefully read your policy.

Sorry ? its not covered

Health Insurance is an annual contract ? just like your car insurance. So when it comes to renewal, your insurer is at liberty to review not only your premium but also change the conditions on which your cover is provided.

Therefore, if your policy comes up for renewal mid way through a course of treatment, it's possible to find that your new policy no longer covers that particular treatment. This means that you will have to foot the bill for the balance of the treatment.

Furthermore, with ongoing advances in medical research, more and more conditions are becoming treatable. This progress has the effect of shifting back the dividing line between chronic and acute conditions.

This hits the insurers' pocket in two ways. With more conditions being reclassified as acute, the number of claims is increasing. And there's also a trend for new treatments to cost more ? Herceptin being a good example. The net result is that the insurers are finding themselves having to pay out far more. This is inevitably passed back to you through increased renewal premiums. And in an attempt to reduce their risk exposure, insurers have a tendency to adjust their definitions and exclusions. This means that you must read your renewal notice closely before you decide to renew.

So when you are considering Health Insurance, be aware that everything is not always black and white. And if you've got insurance and need treatment, always contact your insurer without delay and get them to confirm that your treatment is indeed covered

Short Term Health Insurance

2008-05-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

If you are between jobs or are awaiting another health insurance policy to come into effect you may find that you have a gap in your health insurance coverage. This period is a high risk as you are effectively uninsured when it comes to health insurance. So what are you to do in this interim period? Well one of the best options in such situations is to consider taking out a short-term health insurance policy. This will cover you for a limited or fixed term.

Usually, short-term health insurance policies last for periods of less than six months. There are policies that will cover you for up to twelve months also however. If you need coverage for periods longer than this, you should probably be considering standard individual or family health insurance plans.

Application is Simple

One of the benefits of short-term health insurance is that the application process is somewhat more straightforward. These policies are really designed to cover unforeseen accidents and other emergency situations and are not recommended for comprehensive health protection. They will therefore generally not cover such advanced features as preventive treatments, physical and diagnostic tests, immunizations, dental and vision expenses which you should try to avoid for the period under which you are covered by the short term plan.

The main concern, and something you should be aware of if you are considering a short term plan is that they will make you ineligible for guaranteed issue health plans. These plans are most commonly referred to as HIPAA plans. They can be very expensive and are used in cases where the insured has existing medical conditions, which would otherwise make it very difficult for you to obtain health insurance. If you think you will need eligibility for a HIPAA plan, you should not purchase short-term health insurance. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA, and state health insurance rights are important protections and you should seek advice from a benefits advisor in these regards.

Are you covered?

Short-term health insurance plans will not cover existing medical conditions. While the exact definition depends on your circumstances and on state laws, what this means is that if you have been diagnosed in the last three to five years or have been receiving treatment for a condition, it will be a pre-existing condition and you will not get coverage for it under your short term plan. Therefore, if this applies to you, it is recommended that you extend your current comprehensive policy rather than switch to a short-term plan.

: Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of insurance in the UK. If you found this article interesting you may find more articles of the same nature in the insurance guide located on site.

Keeping Your Health Insurance Premiums Low

2008-05-17T00:18:00.000-07:00

Health Savings Accounts offer tax deductions for medical expenses, and the opportunity to set up additional retirement accounts. But regardless of any other positive benefit of HSAs, lower premiums are the primary reason that thousands of Americans have chosen Health Savings Accounts as the best way to protect their family's health and assets. So I'd like to talk about some key suggestions on how to keep your premiums low.

1. Choose an HSA-qualified plan for lower rate increases.

Average group health insurance premiums rose by 9.6% last year and rose over 10% for each of the previous six years. Individual plans went up even more. Yet I expect most HSA plans to experience much lower rate increases. A very large study was recently published showing that rate increases over the past year for consumer driven health plans such as HSA plans was only 3.4%. Blue Cross of Minnesota has reported that its HSA customers spent 8% less than their traditional insurance clients. Humana has reported claims' costs of 4.9% for consumer-driven plans, versus a 19.2% increase in claims for other plans. In fact, average HSA premiums for individuals have actually dropped 19.5% during 2005.

The reason these plans will have lower rate increases is that people who have HSA-qualifying high deductible health insurance plans are likely to pay closer attention to costs, and take better care of their health. For instance, an HSA owner offered a statin drug to lower her cholesterol may be more likely to request a generic version, or ask her doctor if inexpensive nutritional supplements such as niacin or fish oil may be a solution. These actions save the insurance company money and should result in lower rate increases.

2. Raise your deductible as your Health Savings Account grows.

When you fund your account you build up a financial "cushion" which allows you to raise your deductible as your account grows. Every time you raise your deductible, your premium should go down.

By the way, don't forget that every time you fund your account you get an instant tax-deduction. When you offset the tax savings against your premiums, you'll find your net cost for an HSA plan can be very low.

The maximum allowable contribution goes up every year with the rise of the Consumer Price Index. Final numbers are not out yet, but in 2006 we expect the individual contribution limit to go up to $2,700, and the family limit to be $5,450. So each year you can deposit greater amounts into your HSA and continue to raise your deductible, if you choose.

3. Stay healthy, so you can switch plans.

All health insurance plans have rate increases, and we've even seen premiums jump on some HSA plans. If a rate increase happens to you, you can switch to a different insurance company - but only if you pass their underwriting requirements. If chronic disease develops, you may be stuck with your current plan, and its accompanying rate increases, for eternity. Or at least it may seem that long...

If you pay attention to the pharmaceutical commercials, you learn lifestyle really has nothing to do with disease, and it is natural and healthy to be on many medications for the rest of your life, which will then solve your health problems.

If you pay attention to the science, you know the truth is quite different. It appears lifestyle is probably 95% of the picture, and we know the occurrence of degenerative disease can be dramatically reduced and even prevented.

Fortunately, I've found many of our customers are interested in wellness, and disease prevention. After all, they're paying for their own doctor visits if they do get sick. I also believe it is because HSA owners are "forward thinking" people, and like to plan for their future - both financial and physical. You can improve your odds of excellent health with just a few key habits:

Eat very high quantities of fresh vegetables and fruits. Shoot for 35% of your calories. This will lower your risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and more.

Limit your intake of sugar and starchy carbohydrates like bread and pasta. The majority of health problems in the U.S. are related to metabolic diseases that involve insulin resistance.

Exercise and lift weights. Exercise guru Jack La Lanne just turned 92 on September 26, and he says if you have muscles you never feel old.

4. Compare your plan to other available plans at least once a year, or whenever you get a rate increase.

Often-times people keep their plan much longer than they should, and end up paying much more than they should. If your rates go up, you can compare a wide variety of plans at http://www.HSAforAmerica.com/instant-quote.htm. If you have your coverage through HSA for America, we automatically do this analysis of available plans for you any time we are notified of rate increases.

To your health and wealth,

Wiley Long President - HSA for America

How to Lower Your Health Insurance Premiums

2008-05-16T02:15:00.000-07:00

Human beings are mortal. Though every single life has to terminate one day yet it is the very nature of rational agents to plan for the expected as well as the unexpected happenings in their future. The most prudent plan to secure your and the lives of your loved ones is to get your life insured. By doing this an individual enters into a contract with the company (from where hw takes the life insurance policy) according to which the latter will recompense for his death by paying a predetermined some of money to his family till the insured premiums are current.

Life insurance policy acts as an individual's best friend in the hours of grave need. This is because if unfortunately something happens to the primary wage earner, his family is assisted with life insurance amount to make up for the loss and move ahead in life. so in today's life it is immensely essential for an individual to take a life insurance policy a soon as possible. Quite often many government officials and employees in a company are offered group life insurance which is totally free of cost. With the help of their company employees can also take an additional life insurance at reduced rates.

There are different companies that offer a life insurance policy. Though the terms and conditions do not vary largely yet it is at the discretion of the individual which policy to adopt and from where. By and large people prefer to take those policies that facilitates with maximum compensation and demands less premium. In case a person takes a Term life insurance policy, he will initially be paying less premium which gradually increases in the later years of his life. if one adopts either a whole life insurance or a variable life insurance the premium is settled once and for all at the time of taking the policy. The premium amount does not depend on factors such as the age of the individual etc.

However the amount of premium even varies with the age and the kind of life of the policy taker. For instance the policy will be quite expensive for a 50-year-old man than that for a 25-year-old guy. In the same way a chain smoker or an alcoholic will have to pay more premium than a non-smoker healthy individual of the same age. Also a person who earns by way of a precarious job (a stuntman in films) will be charged with a high premium than a teacher or a doctor.

Thus one of the best ways to lower your life insurance premiums is to take a life insurance policy early in life and to try and quit such harmful habits. On the same hand prior to taking a policy you ought to make sure that you do a complete survey of the market i.e. you should be clear about almost all the life insurance policy offers that are available and specially what you desire of your policy. This will help you in selecting the best-suited policy for yourself.

A smart way to know the life insurance quotes for oneself is via Internet. What previously was to be done with the assistance of agents by paying them, can now be done absolutely free. Taking online life insurance quotes not just saves your money but also time and energy.

Mansi gupta writes about best health insurance quote .

Different Types of Health Insurance Explained

2008-05-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

Health is the biggest and most crucial asset of every living being. An unhealthy animal and individual can never truly experience any joy. It is the wealth of health that provides the requisite potential to topple over all odds and to move ahead with life. So such an essential part of a person's life demands extra care and concern. An ideal way to secure an individual's prized possession for him and for those who love him is a health insurance policy.

A health insurance policy is meant to financially assist a person in case there occurs a setback to his health. For instance he is afflicted by some grave disease, meets an accident, becomes handicapped etc. In order to provide complete service and for the all round development of the individual the health care system of America offers ample of options or different types of health insurance for its citizens. Some of these are explained below:

* Preferred Provider Organization or PPO is a discount form of health insurance policy. PPO has a complete network of health care providers from hospitals to doctors. If an individual has taken PPO policy and takes treatment from any of these assigned providers, the PPO covers his complete medical treatment. While if the person takes recourse to some other doctor or institution, he gets served at a reduced rate. PPO's thus facilitate medical services at abridged rates.

* One immensely cheap form of health insurance is the catastrophic health insurance. This sort of policy is basically meant for the people who have the financial means to manage regular illnesses and hospitalizations. The deductibles i.e. the sum of money an individual for these policies are quite large for this policy. At times there are caps on the amount the policy will pay in case of illness.

* A Short term health insurance policy is akin to a life insurance policy in the sense that both can be adopted for a specific tenure. This policy covers catastrophic to comprehensive cases and excludes the situation of pregnancy and childbirth. Quite often it is hard to qualify for these policies as there are strict conditions or qualifying procedures. Moreover these policies may not cover any pre-existing medical conditions.

* HMOs or the Health Maintenance Organizations also offer health insurane t significantly lower premiums. But the disadvantage is that they confine the sources a person may seek in non-exigency situations. HMOs do not cover the precautionary measures such as immunization, mammograms and physicals. There are quite a few issues associated with the HMOs. For instance it is believed that doctors receive financial perks for deducting the cost of medical services to patients. One way to do this is to pay monthly fee to the doctor for each patient despite of delving in to the issues of what treatment the latter one needs.

* There are also full-service health insurances. The lucrative feature of these policies is that they cover all sort of illnesses, cover any medical treatment the patient takes regardless of the institution or doctor and the deductibles are at the discretion of the policyholder. He may pay a high or a low one.

* Medicare or Medicaid insurances are meant for the retired or the low-income individuals.

Mansi gupta writes about affordable health insurance quote .

Health Insurance Explained

2008-05-12T00:27:00.000-07:00

In the competitive world today people spend more than half of their lives working day and night for some or the other reason. Though it gives them good financial rewards and gratification of their desires yet what suffers a big setback is their health. This is because individuals fail to pay significant heed to health, the most crucial aspect of their lives. But being occupied is not the only factor in deteriorating health. Reasons like environment, epidemics, natural calamities etc. also contribute largely to fading human health.

Keeping in mind the precariousness of human fitness and the immensely expensive medical treatments available nowadays, health insurance has become the need of the hour. Health insurance is an ideal way to care for your health. A health insurance policy enables you to have the best medical therapy for your illness at any point of time.

The American health care system provides four basic health plans. These are HMOs, PPOs, POSs, and Free-for-Service (Indemnity) Plans.

1. HMOs Plans- these plans are least expensive of all and are offered by Health Maintenance Organizations. In case you avail this plan, you are required to pay for every health related service in advance in the form of monthly premiums. HMOs cover a spectrum of health problems such as dental, vision etc. HMOs provide a list of service providers to all its subscribers. The latter is required to choose from these a so called "primary care giver" who will be supervising or coordinating his health care.

2. POS plans- these are HMO plans that give you the freedom to have a health care of your own choice. These plans are a little pricier than the HMO ones. Here it is not mandatory to go with the referrals from your primary care physician. But if you desire to abide by the HMO plan system per se, you can even do that. In case you opt for services outside the HMO or PPO networks, you will be served accordingly.

3. PPO Plans- Preferred Provider Organizations provides health care at discount rates. The PPO plans cost more than the two aforementioned. The PPOs cover a range of hospitals, doctors, clinics etc. The cost-sharing rate will be less within the network and more outside it. However unlike the HMO plans, PPO plans allow you to avail services from outside the network.

4. Fee for service plans or Indemnity plans are simple an easiest plans that compensate for each service you avail on case by case basis. For instance in case an emergency situation arises and you go for an ultrasound, the hospital needs to submit a claim to your insurance agency and you will be facilitated with the hospital expenses. But with a myriad of options and convenience the Fee-for Service plans come out to be most high-priced of all.

For further details you can surf the net and even get health insurance quotes online. This will save your time money and energy you would spend in consulting an agent.

Mansi gupta writes about best health insurance quote .

Lack Of A Health Insurance Policy Invites Financial Disaster.

2008-05-10T00:14:00.000-07:00

In 2003 health care spending rose four times the rate the inflation. The annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $10,000. The cost of medical care continues to rise at the fastest rate in history.

Health insurance premiums will rise to an average of more than $14,500 for family coverage in 2006.

Surveys reveal that the number one reason many people have no coverage is because health insurance is too expensive. 23% percent of people who do have health insurance have had to drastically change their spending habits so that they could make the insurance payments.

You've read about the rise in the number of bankruptcies. A study shows that the average medical debt of those who filed for bankruptcy is $12,000... And 50% of bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses. Every minute two people in the U.S. file for bankruptcy because of serious medical problems.

Research shows that even when one member of a family is uninsured and requires a hospital stay, or costly medical treatment, the medical bills can effect the financial position of the entire family as they try to help with costs. Government officials agree that health care costs must be controlled, but they continue to argue about how to do it. Some say it must be done with price controls and by imposing strict budgets on health care spending. Others cry for free market competition as the solution to the high cost of medical care.

An important step in the right direction would have all of us adopting healthy eating habits and lifestyles. We all would require less medical care and those costs would drop.

For individuals and families is vital that you have at least some form of health insurance policy. It may be sensible to keep your health insurance cost as low as possible by having coverage for only a catastrophic illness. The expense of most medical treatment can be paid for over time. It is the unexpected major, life threatening injuries and diseases that can wipe you out financially.

One thing is certain. To protect your financial future you must have at least some type of health insurance policy.

Mark Walters presents an online guide to health insurance of kinds at http://www.HealthInsuranceMonster.com

Understanding Health Insurance

2008-05-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

Health insurance is a necessity for everyone who wishes to maintain or improve their health. Whether you use your health insurance for regular checkups, chronic and debilitating illnesses or unexpected emergencies, you will find that carrying an insurance policy can result in a significant cost savings for you and your family. Those who carry health insurance often have a difficult time understanding what is covered under their policy and where they can go to obtain the services that they require. Without this necessary information, it is likely that many health insurance holders do not receive the maximum benefit that their insurance provides.

We all need health insurance to receive financial assistance for the maintenance and restoration of our health but we don't all receive all of the assistance that we are eligible to receive. Most of us are aware that our health insurance will cover at least a percentage of certain treatments such as office visits, hospital stays and surgeries and prescription drugs that fall under their list of covered drugs but many of us don't know what is offered beyond these basic services. Not all health insurance plans cover the same treatments so the only way to fully understand what is covered in your plan is to read your policy carefully. Some examples of inclusions that are not well known include speech classes, hearing aids, gym memberships and a variety of other features. The only way to know for sure if these items are covered is to review your policy carefully or contact your health insurance provider. You may find a variety of services or treatments that are covered under your plan that could amount to a significant financial savings.

Knowing what is covered under your health insurance plan is very important but it is equally important to understand what is not covered under your insurance plan. You should review your plan carefully to ensure that the services that you choose will be covered by your health insurance plan. Sometimes treatments that are deemed medically necessary by your doctor will not be covered by your health insurance plan. In this case it may be necessary to bear the burden of this expense in order to maintain or restore your health. If your claim is denied because your provider does not consider the treatment necessary, then you have the right to file an appeal. You should carefully review the provider's policy to ensure that you fully understand the appeal process before filing your appeal. Your claim may still be denied even if you follow proper procedure but the possibility that you will lose your appeal as a result of improper filing is greatly reduced. You should review your insurance plan carefully before undergoing preventative treatment to determine whether or not the treatment will be covered. In an emergency you may not have the opportunity to review your policy before authorizing treatment but you will have the opportunity to appeal if the treatment is not covered.

Knowing which doctors you can visit can also be confusing. Some health insurance policies allow you to visit any doctor you choose while others limit you to the participating doctors in their plan. Also, whether or not you can see a specialist is often difficult to determine. Usually, the receptionist at the doctor's office will be able to tell you whether or not they accept your health insurance policy before you schedule your appointment. You can also call your customer service representative to inquire as to whether a specific doctor will be covered.

Health insurance can literally be a life saver but understanding your policy can be a nightmare. In most cases carefully reading your policy to determine the covered treatments as well as the exclusions and limitations may help you understand your policy better. If after reading through your policy you still have general or specific questions you should contact the customer service representative for your policy. They will be able to provide you with answers that will enhance your understanding of your policy. Knowing what is covered and what is not covered are the most common misunderstandings involving health insurance. It is also important understand your provider's appeal process in case you ever incur claims that are denied. In all cases your health may necessitate treatment that is not covered and you will have to make the difficult decision of whether or not to authorize the treatment.

Ray Shelton is the editor and writer for http://www.ww-health-insurance.com

Ray Shelton is editor and writer for http://www.ww-health-insurance.com

How to Find Affordable Health Insurance

2008-05-07T02:41:00.000-07:00

Affordable health insurance - it seems, especially today, those words just don't belong together in the same sentence. Health insurance monthly premiums have become the biggest single expense in our lives - surpassing even mortgage payments. In fact, if you have any permanent health problems, such as diabetes, or have had cancer at one time in your family history, your monthly cost could easily be more than the house and car payment combined.

Affordable health insurance, however, is definitely available -if you know how and where to look.

Shopping for health insurance on the internet is the easiest and best way to find affordable health insurance. Here are five reasons why.

2. All the top health insurance companies are at your fingertips on the internet. Most local agents can only quote you from the few companies that they represent. They may not offer you what is best for you financially or health-wise but only what they happen to have available.

3. Health insurance companies have to be extremely competitive because it is so quick and easy to compare them with their competitors on the internet today. In the past you would have had to visit physically eight to ten agents to do a similar comparison. Most folks just didn't have the time or desire for that.

4. You can change your coverage, deductibles, and payment options with just a few clicks rather than going through the paperwork delay with a local agent (and then finding out he/she made a mistake - more delay).

5. Charging to a credit card means you aren't going to forget a payment and be without insurance. Also, it gives you another 30 days before you actually have to pay. Also, many companies today give an additional discount for "auto-pay".

Yes, finding affordable health insurance is much easier than most people think.

Taking more of the risk with higher deductibles, spending a little time on the internet comparing eight to ten different companies, and deleting coverage that you will not likely need (such as maternity for many folks) will make it very possible to find your own affordable health insurance.

Dr. Deepak Dutta is the creator of SemanticBay.com - an interactive social network website based on user shared text and picture contents on any topics. Website creators, publishers, and maintainers can promote their website at SemanticBay.com using website articles. Users can join for free, invite friends, maintain buddy lists, rate contents, comment on contents and earn points.

Health Insurance Companies Fail To Please All

2008-05-06T02:52:00.000-07:00

In Arizona Humana Health Plan satisfies the appeals of its insured more than any other company. On the other hand the report shows that Mega resolves fewer appeals to the satisfaction of the insured.

When it comes to the number of fines levied in the past 5-years by the AZ Department of Insurance the Arizona arm of CGNA Healthcare garbs the top spot. They were assessed the most fines.

Before you buy any policy it would be sensible to learn just which health insurance companies fail to please consumers in your state.

Mark Walters explains how to find and choose the perfect health insurance policy at http://www.HealthInsuranceMonster.com

Divorce And Health Insurance Benefits

2008-05-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

Divorce causes major issues with health insurance benefits. Many families have employer provided and/or paid for health insurance benefits that cover the entire family. It is not uncommon to see situations where the other spouse is a stay at home parent, with absolutely no access to health insurance benefits, or employed at a job with either no health insurance benefits available or those benefits available at a substantial cost. After a divorce, the spouse with the family health insurance coverage can no longer cover the other parent. They are no longer "family" members who can take advantage of one health insurance policy. How to then ensure that everyone stays insured does become an issue for negotiation and/or divorce litigation.

If both parties do not have health insurance benefits available and if the cost of obtaining those health insurance benefits for the other party after a divorce become prohibitive, there is one way to continue benefits without additional cost. That way is to enter into a separation agreement, but delay the divorce. That way, the parties actually do remain married and they can stay on the same health insurance plan even thought they are separed. The parties can consent to waiting for one, two or more years before either one files for a divorce. While the parties will remain married, their property, custody, and support issues will be addressed in their separation agreement. Under some circumstances, this is an optimal resolution. For example, what if both parties want one spouse to remain at home for several more years with young children, but they do still want to separate and divorce? This option works for them. They can separate, agree upon getting a divorce and all of the terms that they have to agree upon, but delay the final divorce so that they can keep cost effective health insurance benefits in place.

The above example can provide some difficulties that must be discusse in detail with your divorce attorney. For example, if you separate but do not divorce, your federal tax filing status may be affected. Also, in some states, it is not as easy as in other states to enforce a separation agreement. Or, in yet other states, it is possible for one spouse to take the advantages provided by the agreement for a year or two and then go to court and seek entirley different forms of financial relief in a divorce action. Only a divorce attorney licensed to practice in your state can advise you on these issues.

Another option for couples divorce is COBRA coverage. COBRA is a federal law which mandates that a person covered under a health insurance policy be given the right to continue that coverage, at their own cost, for a set time period if certain requirements exist. For example, if you obtain a divorce and your spouse had family health insurance coverage through his employer, the employer would have to provide COBRA coverage for you after the divorce. That COBRA coverage would require that you have the same health insurance policy, although your coverage would now be individual and not family. You would have to pay the employer's cost for that individual policy.

It is not uncommon for a stay at home spouse or a spouse who has less income or employment options to obtain COBRA coverage and to negotiate that their spouse pay for that coverage for a specified time period after the divorce. In doing so, this gives the spouse who did not have coverage available some time to either obtain employment with coverage or become financially settled and able to afford their own coverage.

Jean Mahserjian is an attorney and the author of numerous websites and books devoted to helping consumers through the process of divorce. To download free excerpts from her divorce and custody books, visit: http://www.millenniumdivorce.com

Travel Health Insurance: Reimbursement Depends On Following The Rules

2008-05-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

Travel Health Insurance: Reimbursement Depends On Following The Rules

by: News Canada

(NC)Travelling, whether for business or pleasure, involves risk. A personal emergency may necessitate an early return, or you may need hospital treatment or air evacuation due to a medical problem. Travellers should be aware that the Ontario government health plan (OHIP) is rarely enough when it comes to medical treatment outside the country, so without supplementary insurance during an emergency, you could be exposed to considerable financial obligations.

Travel health insurance policies vary considerably, says the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), an agency of the Ministry of Finance that regulates Ontario's insurance industry. FSCO reminds us to pay special attention to the definitions, pre-existing condition clauses, deductibles, as well as the limitations and exclusions sections of the policies. Ask for clear explanations of each and once you are satisfied, make your insurance purchase. But even then, says FSCO, there is a bit more work for you to do as follows:

Read the policy: Before leaving on your trip, read and become familiar with your policy and the coverage. It is your responsibility to know what you have purchased.

Take it with you: Include the policy with your travel documents. Keep both the emergency contact phone number available, as well as the number for your insurance company. Compile and include a list of current medications.

Get authorization (if possible): If a medical problem arises, the toll-free phone number provided will connect you to an emergency service centre. Be ready to supply all the facts and information and ask for clarification if you do not fully understand. Service centres manage and monitor your treatment and make the medical referrals. Before you go ahead with treatment however, be sure the service centre has obtained authorization from your home-based insurance company. If not, you may be personally obligated for medical services not approved.

Follow the payment process: Under some policies, you pay the hospital and are reimbursed later by the insurance company. Other policies provide payment directly to the medical facility or practitioner. The policy will tell you which procedure to follow.

More information on travel health insurance is available online at www.fsco.gov.on.ca. Or, for a copy of their booklet Shopping for Travel Health Insurance phone (416) 590-7298 (Toll Free: 1-800-668-0128).

- News Canada

Editors, these articles are for use in Ontario only

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Travel Health Insurance: Know Your Coverage Before An Emergency Occurs

2008-05-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

(NC)Buying travel health insurance is an important step for sufficient medical coverage while outside Canada, but it is only the first step. To make your policy work, say industry regulators, there has to be a co-operative relationship between the policyholder and the company.

Indeed, the range of medical treatment around the world is so broad and varied, home-based insurance companies will provide booklets outlining what they will, and will not cover. Therefore, an equally important step at the time of purchase is for the traveller to become as familiar as possible with the basic guidelines of the policy before an emergency occurs. Decisions on the reimbursement of expenses are not likely to be the first thing on your mind in an urgent situation.

So how do we ensure financial coverage during a medical emergency? Here are a few guidelines offered by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO). FSCO is an agency of the Ministry of Finance that regulates Ontario's insurance industry.

Obtain authorization

As soon as possible, says FSCO, call the emergency service centre telephone number provided with your policy. The service centre's role is to manage your medical care and make the claim process fast and efficient. The centre provides claim administrators, on site doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to arrange care and monitor treatment. To ensure coverage, if possible, don't proceed with any medical treatment without full authorization.

You can assist the claims process more efficiently, if you:

Supply all the facts and information accurately.

Keep a log of the contacts at both the service centre and your insurance company, including the names of people assisting you, the date of the contact, and what was discussed.

Keep a detailed record of all medical transactions. Get receipts for the medical care including tests, treatments, and prescriptions. Receipts are a must when making a claim. Also, observe the time limits of your policy.

Complete the forms supplied and enclose all original bills signed by the attending physician, plus receipts and supporting claim documentation. Be sure to include your policy identification number, health card number and date of birth. Keep copies of all documentation submitted to the company.

- News Canada

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

Insurance For The Self Employed And Those Seeking Health Insurance

2008-04-10T23:34:00.001-07:00

First of all, congratulations on deciding to go out and make it on your own. The rewards and excitement of making it on your own can not be found anywhere else. Now, when looking for insurance for the self employed for a person like yourself, it's important to remember that generally you'll find better rates if you deal directly with the insuring company. There are many confusing options available but the good news is that there are quite a number of affordable health-insurance programs out there, and navigating the maze of available policies is easier than ever with the help of the Internet. The internet now allows individuals the chance to plug in a few personal details and obtain information on insurance for the self employed. Some questions to consider when choosing your coverage are the following:

1) Is it important that you keep your current Doctor?

2) Is it important that you have access to alternative care such acupuncture or massage therapy?

3) How high a deductible are you comfortable with?

Insurance for the Self Employed tailored to your needs.

Most people looking for insurance for the self employed are seeking modest insurance coverage, but they also want some of the basic essentials such as regular Doctor visits and prescription coverage. Keep in mind that your premium costs will vary depending on how high your deductible is and what kind of coverage you have. Generally the higher the deductible, the lower your monthly premiums. When choosing your coverage try to match low prices with quality coverage. Don't let the lure of having no insurance coverage persuade you that health insurance, even if you're seeking insurance for the self employed, is not something you need. That simply isn't the case. The cost of a major hospital visit can vastly exceed any premiums you may not have paid over the past several years.

Mike Yeager

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Individual Health Insurance Plans

2008-04-10T23:33:00.001-07:00

When looking for individual health insurance plans it's important to remember that generally you'll find better rates if you deal directly with the insuring company. The internet now allows individuals the chance to plug in a few personal details and obtain individual health insurance plans quotes. Some questions to consider when choosing your coverage are the following:

1) Is it important that you keep your current Doctor?

2) Is it important that you have access to alternative care such acupuncture or massage therapy?

3) How high a deductible are you comfortable with?

Individual Health Insurance Plans tailored to your needs.

Most people looking for individual health insurance plans are seeking modest insurance coverage, but they also want some of the basic essentials such as regular Doctor visits and prescription coverage. Keep in mind that your premium costs will vary depending on how high your deductible is and what kind of coverage you have. Generally the higher the deductible, the lower your monthly premiums. When choosing your coverage try to match low prices with quality coverage.

Mike Yeager

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Health Insurance, medical insurance and individual health insurance plans.

2008-04-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

The best information on individual Health Insurance.

While most Americans are able to obtain some type of health insurance through their place of employment, many others, the underemployed, the self-employed and the unemployed simply don't know where to find good, quality coverage at a fair price. The Census Bureau estimates that nearly 15% of the population has no coverage. The long term effects of this are hard to quantify because it means that young children do not see a health care provider unless they are seriously ill. Unfortunately this approach while appearing to save money can be devastating to the long term health of the child.

Health care providers and other experts all recommend that every one have some type of health insurance for the necessary time when they'll need to visit their Doctor or hospital.

Mike Yeager

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Choosing Affordable Health Insurance For Children

2008-03-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

Choosing Affordable Health Insurance For Children

In most cases, private health insurance comes through a person's employer, who picks up the majority of the cost of premiums. However, today many people, who are either self-employed or who work for a company that doesn't offer health insurance, find it necessary to obtain quality affordable health insurance for children. There are a wide range of plans and offerings of affordable health insurance for children and it's necessary to pick and choose from among the many plans available. For example, if you feel your family may need alternative health options such as massage therapy or acupuncture, you'll want to make sure your plan covers these choices.

Affordable Health Insurance For Children and families.

Another consideration is the cost. Generally, the higher your premiums the lower your deductible. But, don't let the lure of have no insurance coverage persuade you that affordable health insurance for children is something you don't need. That simply isn't the case. The cost of a major hospital visit can vastly exceed any premiums you may have not paid over the past several years. Experts tell us that it's very important that children have access to quality health care as they grow up and most people agree that in this day and age, everyone needs some type of health insurance coverage. With it youll have more peace of mind and, should you become ill, youre covered. The good news is there are quite a number of low cost health-insurance options available and navigating the maze of available policies is easier than ever with the help of the Internet.

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Cheap Health Insurance rates and personal health insurance.

2008-03-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

Cheap Health Insurance rates and personal health insurance.

If you've been out of school for a couple of years or perhaps just graduated from college, you're probably a candidate for cheap health insurance. Once a person reaches a certain age they're no longer covered by their parents health insurance plan. If you're just starting out it's important to find cheap health insurance coverage. If you've just graduated from school or just started work and you don't have coverage, don't be tempted to forgo this necessary expense because you never know when an accident can happen. Most people are looking for modest coverage but also want some essentials. Generally, when a person buys their own coverage, they tend to favor high deductibles to save money on the cost of premiums.

Personal health insurance, Cheap Health Insurance and low cost health insurance rates.

Even if you're on a tight, limited budget, it's very important that you pick up some kind of cheap health insurance. Even if you only have a plan that covers unexpected hospitalization, your peace of mind will be greatly enhanced. Keep in mind that a catastrophic health insurance policy can come with a high deductible before their coverage kicks in. They don't pick up the cost of preventive physician visits or emergency room visits to get a few stitches.

Some questions to ask when considering cheap health insurance.

1) Can your and/or your family afford to pay ALL your medical expenses if you're sick or injured?

2) How much is the deductible?

3) Can you afford the deductible?

With a little searching and comparison shopping you find the best rate for your personal cheap health insurance.

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Health Insurance Coverage

2008-03-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

Health Insurance Coverage

Health care providers and other experts all recommend that every one have some type of health insurance for the necessary time when they'll need to visit their Doctor or hospital.

Weve searched all over the web and have located a few quality companies that we feel are not only financially sound and secure, but which also offer competitive rates. You dont need to even sit down and visit with an agent, all the information gathering and work can be done over the internet.

Youll find the best life insurance for your needs that will comfortably fit into your budget. Solid life insurance will give you peace of mind and confidence.

http://www.a1-insurance-quotes-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

The Important of Health Insurance

2008-03-28T00:11:00.000-07:00

The Important of Health Insurance

Millions of Americans are uninsured and with the elections coming up, it seems like it is a new issue but it has been an issue for sometime now.

Acquiring health insurance in the United States is very important and every individual or family should have some type of coverage weather it be through a state program or ant other type of health coverage such as PPO's, HMO's, Indemnity Plans, etc.

An individual or family should consider that even a policy with a high deductible, paying a low monthly premium is worth acquiring, even if it seems it wont do much for you.

A day in the ER could cost you anywhere between 2,000 to 8,000 dollars on average.

Online sites where you can purchase health insurance and search and compare plans are www.bestratequote.com or www.healthinsurancestore.com.

"How To Get Fit And Slash Your Health Insurance Costs"

2008-03-27T01:26:00.000-07:00

"How To Get Fit And Slash Your Health Insurance Costs"

Okay, before we start, let me explain the purpose of this article. I want you to get so healthy, you'll never need to make a health insurance claim. You'll save money by increased fitness. You'll save money with a long no-claims insurance history. And you'll look and feel much better.

There's three sides to your maximum health and fitness. Diet, and Exercise. But that's only two ! Let me split Exercise into Aerobic exercise and Aneorobic exercise.

Get all three right. Get the right balance. And you'll get as fit and healthy as your body and genetics will allow.

Whole forests of paper have been filled with advice on each of these fitness factors. Just go into your local bookstore, and see shelves of diet advice. Shelves of exercise advice.

Funny how so much contradicts itself, especially for diet e.g right next to each other on the shelf, you'll find a book advocating low carbs & low fat; another saying high fat is okay if you keep the carbs low. Yet another focuses on high protein, and says carbs don't matter...

* Diet

Let me give you this simple diet advice. Stick to low fat, low carbs and high protein. Many medical and weight loss studies over the last 10-20 years prove this approach. Many other diet myths come from way back in time, and look just plain wrong when analyzed with modern methods.

* Aerobic Exercise

Couch potatoes don't realize how easily they can start feeling fit and healthy. Just walk somewhere 3-4 times per week, for around 20 minutes each time.

Ideally, do some more demanding aerobic exercise. I do a lot of cycling, because it's great low-impact exercise. And I get to see beautiful scenery while I ride.

Running provides even more intensive aerobic exercise, but careful of your joints. Maybe you prefer hiking, to see the local countryside ? Or take up a sport like rowing or tennis. You also get to meet new friends by taking up exercise as a sport.

* Anaerobic Exercise

Many people work on their diet. Many people take aerobic exercise. But many people ignore anaerobic exercise, or weight training.

What makes weight training so important ?

As you get older, muscle mass decreases. Muscle burns fat. So as you lose muscle, it gets harder to keep the fat off. Equally important, weight training can reshape your body.

No matter how much aerobic exercise you do, you'll still be a pear shape (a smaller pear shape) if you started out a pear shape.

Using weights you can flatten your stomach, tone your thighs, bulk up your chest and shoulders, and reshape your body any way you want.

Weight training is incredibly beneficial to your general skeleton strength and conditioning. Older women can reduce the effects of osteoporosis, and older men can maintain their strength and agility.

This short article can do nothing more than provide an introduction to the three keys to your health. Follow these and you shouldn't need to make a health insurance claim.

Slash your health insurance costs with a long no-claims bonus. Slash your health insurance costs with any insurer who rates your fitness.

Discover important health insurance facts and advice. Find out more about low carb foods, and how to lose weight quickly and easily. Go to ==> http://www.healthinsurance--quotes.com/ and ==> http://www.low-low-carb-foods.com/

Neil Stelling BSc, MBA

http://www.healthinsurance--quotes.com/

neil@healthinsurance--quotes.com

Fortis Health Insurance Is a Name You Can Trust!

2008-03-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

Fortis Health Insurance Is a Name You Can Trust!

Fortis health insurance has been a widely recognized name in the insurance since 1892. It has proven itself and won the trust of people around the world. Fortis health insurance is committed to providing the best solutions possible to meet your insurance needs.

There are a great variety of plans available. Fortis short term health insurance is of great use to those who are temporarily uninsured. Students can find Fortis short term health insurance tailored especially for them. From complete coverage to a specific prescription plan, Fortis health insurance will have what you are looking for.

Fortis health insurance is a driving force behind the new Health Savings Accounts, known as HSAs. An HSA works like an IRA, except that the money is used to pay health care costs. The money deposited and the interest earned are tax-deductible, and the money can be withdrawn to pay medical bills, tax-free. This is becoming a very popular method of helping pay for your current medical needs, and safe-guarding for your future.

Fortis health insurance is changing its name to Assurant Health. Rest assured that there will be no change at all in the high quality service and dependability that people around the world have come to expect from Fortis health insurance.

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

Fortis Health Insurance Is a Name You Can Trust!

2008-03-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

Fortis Health Insurance Is a Name You Can Trust!

by: Mike Yeager

Mike Yeager

Publisher

http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

Aetna Health Insurance For Your Protection!

2008-03-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

Aetna Health Insurance For Your Protection!

Aetna health insurance has long been a highly recognized insurance company. Millions of people have put their trust in Aetna health insurance over the years. Aetna individual health insurance has been a top choice of employers who want to obtain sufficient coverage for their employees. Medical costs these days are spiraling higher than ever before.

Aetna has risen to the occasion and created some effective new plans to meet todays Aetna individual health insurance needs. For instance, the Aetna Health Fund is in gaining popularity. The employer puts an amount of money in a fund and the employee spends from it until it is gone. After that the employee pays out of pocket for medical expenses, up to a certain amount. Any amount that is left over at the end of the year can be rolled over to the next year. This is just an example of the innovative new ways Aetna individual health insurance can be suited to your needs.

Preventive care is a high priority with Aetna health insurance. Regular check-ups can determine health problems early on before they become life threatening. While this may be common sense, thats not necessarily the case with all insurance companies. Your health is in good hands with health insurance Aetna.

Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

Senior Health Care Insurance

2008-03-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

Senior Health Care Insurance

Health Insurance For Seniors On The Net

When a good friend of mine inquired where he could obtain information about medical insurance for his out-of-state, elderly mother, I told him to try the Internet.

He reported back to me about a week later, in desperation: "I am giving up, I am too confused." He had taken on an overwhelming project with his widowed mother, living in another state. As the only child, and following the sudden death of his father, it was his responsibility to care for his mother.

In this world of technology, the family unit is often living in different geographical areas and the family members are usually quite involved with their own lives, careers, and families. In addition, when both parents are alive, often one or both parents are quite independent and do not require a lot of assistance. As time goes on things, of course, change, and sometimes change very suddenly. There can be a crisis, with regard to the health care needs of one or both aging parents.

With our baby boomers facing this problem in ever increasing numbers, and with the information highway in full bloom, there is a definite need for planning.

Protecting your parent's assets and health is a huge and daunting undertaking, which requires a tremendous amount of education and practical application. Our seniors face many diverse responsibilities upon reaching age 65. To name just a few: Estate planning, taxation, Medicare, social security, wills, insurance, and various other legal and financial matters. All of these different areas require expertise from accountants, lawyers, estate planners, insurance agents, home brokers, financial advisors, and others.

The Internet is a good starting point for most people to find resources for questions and solutions for your problems. There is, however, no replacement for good solid intelligent advice from an expert.

Twenty years ago, insurance for elders was sold by "senior insurance specialists", with just a handful of companies in each state. The programs were most often Medi-gap or Medicare supplemental policies, which covered the expenses not covered by Medicare, including hospital and doctor deductibles, durable medical devices, and non-approved Medicare costs. Ironically these specialists did not sell a lot of nursing care policies, even though Medicare paid a national average of less than 2% of these expenses. With the advent of "financial and estate planning" and more insurance companies entering this market, a more broad and diversified product line became available to agents, brokers, planners, and seniors.

Part of this new diversification was the "home health care plan", sold by itself, and in conjunction with senior health insurance products. The appeal of the "home health care policy" was that a senior could stay at home and still receive medical and custodial benefits, allowing a person to recuperate in the comfort of their own home.

This was the answer to a huge problem. The last place an older person wanted to go was a "retirement home", or "rest home", or, God forbid, the "nursing home." It appeared that seniors could now rely on this new innovation without worry of having to move out of their home environment in the event of a health problem.

As with most things," if it is too good to be true".... The home health care policy is no exception. The problem is, there is not enough coverage for a lengthy illness or recuperation time. The fact is, the new trend is toward an "all in one" type facility, allowing for a variety of levels of care all in one location. In other words a senior could start off with little or no health care concerns in an independent, less expensive area, and then go to an assisted living, or nursing care facility, all within the same compound.

A "nursing home" requires a nurse on the premises 24 hours per day, assisted living is just eight hours. The advantages to this are financial. The patient or senior is only charged according to the care level required during the time he or she is admitted to that facility. Another benefit is it alleviates a lot of planning because the care is delivered, as it is needed. The medical attention is available to all residents regardless of their current health.

Some people are offered a lifetime package, which covers their care for the rest of their life, regardless of their current age. It also allows for social outlets to an otherwise somewhat isolated group. On-line shopping services have become a huge business. It is definitely here to stay and many insurance policies are purchased from Internet quotes and on-line applications.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of insurance agents and brokers advertising on the Internet. Most of them will provide instant on-line quotes and even applications for the potential insured. I highly discourage a layperson to purchase insurance in this fashion. A little knowledge can be dangerous.

The federal government has mandated to all states through legislation, the standardized senior health insurance policy guidelines, which are governed and regulated by each state insurance department.

There are plans for almost every level of health. Some are designed and priced for a less than healthy individual. Others are for a person with minimal health concerns. . The whole concept of insurance is to provide protection for "unanticipated" sickness or injury, especially catastrophic expenses, which would devastate a person's net worth. The more small expenses a person is willing or able to pay (self-insure), the lower the rate. I recommend this strategy when evaluating your insurance options.

Another consideration when reviewing various insurance plans is to look at the company itself. How long has the company been selling this type of insurance? Do they have a lot of complaints filed with the local department of insurance? Are the rates stable? Does it pay claims on time? Service? Most agents talk about the rating. These ratings are as follows: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or "not rated".

Do not be fooled by rating alone. It is good to have a high rating, but it is far better to have a company that has longevity, stability, innovation, service, and expertise. The problem is that some companies enter into a market and quickly leave without explanation. This does not give security to the policyholder.

The most important consideration should be a review of the profit/loss ratio for that product. This will establish stability, and longevity in the market. An insurance company with a moderate profit in a particular line of business will remain in that market. On the other hand, a company with losses will make changes and possibly even withdraw. This is information not normally available to Internet users.

Before entering into an insurance contract, the senior person, the family, and other advisors must be realistic, and a careful evaluation of the entire picture must be examined. The age, the health of the senior, the financial resources, the personality and attitude of the senior, and most importantly the desires of the senior, should all be considered.

Early planning is important, as qualification becomes increasingly more difficult as the applicant's health declines. The senior health care market is complex. I will offer some words of advice to attempt to alleviate potential pitfalls. *C hoose a well-informed, seasoned, and service oriented agent or broker to assist your decision making process. The professional can offer invaluable information, but do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions and even get a second opinion. *Do not wait until your parent or loved one is sick, or injured. Plan ahead and take the time needed to cover all the options. *C hoose an experienced insurance company. A Company that has been in the marketplace for a significant time and has maintained a balance of rates and benefits and sound risk selection with moderate rate increases over time is your best bet. *T he plan should be flexible, with a broad range of options and benefit selections to the insured. There should be no tricks, or complicated language for the coverage. An incredibly low rate is a red flag for trouble in the future. *Do not rush or be rushed by an over aggressive sales person.

This policy will not be inexpensive and will need to be read and reviewed for a clear understanding of the contents. This is one advantage to the Internet. You are allowed to read indefinitely before you act.

A long-term care program, with or without insurance coverage, will only work if the senior has input into the care selection process. If there are any questions about the accreditation of a facility please call the "Continuing Care Accreditation Commission at 202-783-7286.

WILLIAM H. PRITCHETT SR.

BIO: MR. PRITCHETT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SENIOR CARE HEALTH FIELD FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HE IS THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF GREAT REPUBLIC HEALTH COMPANY, AND IS THE FOUNDER/C.E.O OF EMPIRE HOMECARE RESOURCES, INC., A NATIONAL WEBSITE FOR SENIORS AND THE DISABLED. HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, AND HAS WRITTEN "CARING FOR A FAMILY MEMBER AT HOME" AND HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL HOME HEALTH CARE VIDEOS.

willprt@cs.com

Health Insurance for the Self-Employed - Protecting Your Business's Greatest Asset

2008-03-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

Health Insurance for the Self-Employed
- Protecting Your Business's Greatest Asset

2002 Elena Fawkner

"I've been considering quitting my full-time job and getting a
part-time job that would pay the bills [so I can start a home
business] ... The one biggie my full-time job provides me now
is health insurance. If I was to get a part-time job, I'd probably
have to pay for my own health insurance and I know that can
be expensive."

Like Jason, who sent me the above email this week, many a
dissatisfied employee would chuck in their full-time J.O.B.
(just over broke) for their part-time home-based business in
a heartbeat if not for one thing. Employer-provided health
benefits. It's a biggie, no doubt about it.

Undeniably, employer-paid or -subsidized health benefits
are one of the few real perks of working for someone else.
In fact, surveys have shown that, for employees (especially
those with families), paid benefits are hands down the most
important element of their compensation packages.

And there's no shortage of people already running their
own home businesses with no health or disability coverage
at all. Scary. After all, if you're dependent upon your
home business as your sole source of income and you
lose your health, you lose your livelihood as well.

Bottom line? If you run a home-based business you can't
afford not to have health coverage of one form or another.
Here's how to make it happen, whatever your
circumstances.

BASIC OPTIONS FOR THE EMPLOYER OF ONE (YOU)

You have three basic options when it comes to health and
disability insurance.

=> Spouse Coverage

If your spouse has health coverage from his or her employer,
as a general rule, use that. It probably provides better and
less expensive coverage than you could get on your own.

=> Group Health Insurance

The main advantage of group health insurance plans is that
they can't turn you away because of health problems. The
good news for the solo entrepreneur is that an increasing
number of companies are offering group health plans for
"groups" of one. This varies by state though so you'll need
to do your homework to find one.

=> Individual Health Insurance

These plans are fine if you don't have any pre-existing
medical conditions. (If you do, try your best to find a group
plan that will cover a group of one.) They're subject to
medical underwriting so your state of health will be a factor
the insurance company takes into account in determining
whether to accept your application.

Of course, the mere fact that you're able to get into a good
plan is one thing. Doing so affordably is quite another.

REDUCING THE HIGH COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE

There are several ways of minimizing the cost of health
insurance. Your tolerance for risk will determine which,
if any, you are comfortable with.

=> Reduce the Level of Coverage

Do you really need to have every doctor's visit and
prescription covered? If you only go to the doctor once
a year for an annual examination, have no health
conditions, don't need regular expensive prescription
medications and are generally healthy, consider cutting out
coverage for office visits and prescriptions.

=> Higher Deductible

Similarly, if you're reasonably healthy, don't visit the doctor
very often and don't need to use expensive medications,
consider switching to a higher deductible to save on
premium costs. By increasing your deductible from $100
to $2,000, you can cut your premium payment in half.

=> Annual Premium Payments

If you can afford to do so, pay your premiums annually
rather than monthly or quarterly to avoid service fees and
to take advantage of prepayment discounts where
available.

=> Join Associations

Just because you're going it alone in your business
doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the group
buying power that being a member of an association
offers. Check out your local chamber of commerce,
various trade and professional groups and small and
home business associations for member benefits. Many
offer access to discounted health insurance.

Here are a few small/home business association links
to get you started (you'll need to cut and paste some
of these links if they wrap to the next line):

National Association for the Self-Employed
http://www.nase.org/nase_benefits/health_benefits.asp
American Association of Home-Based Businesses
http://www.aahbb.org/benefits.htm
Home Office Association of America
http://www.hoaa.com/allbenefitsnew.htm
National Business Association
http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/Directory/Internal_Pages/Member_Benefits/Health.htm

Don't forget to check out local associations in your area
or associations relevant to your particular profession.

=> Shop Online

Being able to offer insurance products online means insurance
companies save on broker and agent fees. Often, this
translates into premium savings for policies purchased over
the Internet. So, when your fingers do the walking, make
sure they do so on a keyboard and not the Yellow Pages.

=> Medical Savings Accounts

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA), if you're self-employed you may be eligible to
use a medical savings account, or MSA.

MSAs work in conjunction with higher deductible health
insurance policies to reduce premiums and allow you to use
pre-tax dollars to pay for your medical expenses up to the
limit of the deductible on your insurance policy.

Basically, you reduce your premium by replacing a low-
deductible policy with high-deductible policy and use the
premium saving to make fully tax-deductible contributions
to your MSA. You can contribute up to 65% of the deductible
each year into your MSA (75% for families). The money goes
into a tax-deferred account or trust and you pay your medical
expenses (until you reach the deductible) by drawing from the
account. Once you hit the deductible, of course, the
insurance policy kicks in.

If you spend less than you contributed, the surplus stays
in the account and earns interest. Not only that, the funds
can be invested in high-return vehicles such as mutual funds
and stocks.

As the balance can be carried forward, an MSA can be used to
accumulate a pretty healthy nest egg for retirement. In fact,
a Journal of Financial Planning analysis calculated that if you
contribute $1,500 per year into an MSA for 25 years, assuming
a 12% rate of return, you'll end up with almost $1.5 million.
That's assuming you don't draw from it to pay for medical
costs, of course.

There are some limitations though. First, the range of
deductibles is limited to $1,500 - $2,250 for individuals and
$3,000 - $4,500 for a family. Second, as we saw above, you
can contribute only 65% of the deductible as an individual or
75% for a family.

So, if you're an individual and you choose a policy with a
$2,000 deductible, you'll be able to contribute 1,300 pre-tax
dollars into an MSA each year. In other words, Uncle Sam
pays for part of your health insurance/retirement fund. How
fitting.

The money in the MSA can be used to pay any medical
expenses incurred before the deductible is reached, as well
as other eligible costs such as contact lenses and dental
work. If you use the money for anything else, you must not
only pay tax on the amount withdrawn, but a 15% penalty
on the top. (If you're over 65 when you make the
withdrawal the penalty is not applied but you'll still have to
pay the tax.)

(By the way, MSAs are also available to you if you work for
a business with fewer than 50 employees.)

In short then, MSAs offer a very tax-effective and potentially
lucrative way to self-fund part of your health care costs while
dramatically reducing your premiums. If luck is on your side
and you remain healthy, by the time you reach retirement
age, your MSA could well fund your retirement.

Pretty neat.

=> Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction

Finally, the self-employed can write off 70% of their health
insurance premiums in 2002. This increases to 100% in 2003.
That's only so long as the total doesn't exceed the net profit
from your Schedule C minus deductions for one half of the self-
employment tax and Keogh, SEP and Simple contributions
though.

Also, the deduction can only be claimed for months when
you weren't eligible to participate in a subsidized health plan
from another employer (including your spouse's employer).

Self-employed workers who qualify for both the self-employed
health deduction and the itemized medical deduction can
write off the other 30% this year on Schedule A. (Medical
expenses are deductible on Schedule A only to the extent
they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income.)

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE UNINSURABLE

The foregoing is all well and good if you're able to get health
insurance in the first place. But what if you have a pre-
existing condition that disqualifies you from an individual
health plan and you can't get into a group plan? In other
words, you can't get insurance at any price.

=> HIPAA

Although beyond the scope of this article, the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) may
offer you some protections. For more information about how
HIPAA may help you obtain health insurance even if you
have a pre-existing condition, visit
http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/hipaa/content/hipsteps.asp .

=> Risk Pools

High-risk health insurance plans, also known as risk pools,
are state-funded plans and are an important safety net for
individuals who are denied health insurance because of a
medical condition. They're available only in 29 states though.

To be eligible, you must be a resident of the state from
which you seek coverage (unless there's reciprocity
between that state and the state you reside in) and
you must be able to prove at least one of the following:

1. that you've been rejected for similar health insurance
coverage by at least one insurer; or

2. you're presently insured with a higher premium; or

3. you're presently insured with a rider or rated policy.

You will not be eligible for participation in a risk pool if:

1. you're not a resident of the state from which you seek
coverage (again subject to reciprocity between states);
or

2. you're eligible for Medicare or Medicaid; or

3. you've terminated previous coverage in the plan
unless at least 132 months have since elapsed; or

4. you're an inmate of a public institution.

For more information on risk pools in your state, contact
your state health insurance department, the national
association "Communicating for Agriculture and the Self-
Employed" (1-800-432-3276) or visit
http://www.selfemployedcountry.org .

Coverage via the safety-net protections of the HIPAA may
end up being "risk-pool" coverage.

=> Healthcare Savings Programs

Healthcare savings programs are patient advocacy programs
that minimize out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

They're not insurance policies but rather programs that allow
you to access networks of healthcare providers for the same
negotiated rates that large insurance companies enjoy.
Savings range from 20% to 50%.

Not ideal but better than nothing. Also, since they're not
insurance policies, all pre-existing conditions are accepted.

A modest monthly fee is usually required to participate.
See, for example, Care Entree at http://www.careentree.com
for $20 per month.

Although health insurance may seem like a luxury you just
can't afford if your finances are already stretched to breaking
point thanks to your home-based business, you never know
what's around the corner. Quite simply, you and your business
can't afford not to have health (and disability) insurance.

You are your business's greatest asset. Protect it.

------

** Reprinting of this article is welcome! **
This article may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you
include the following resource box; and (2) you only mail to
a 100% opt-in list.
Here's the resource box to use if reprinting this article:

------

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ...
practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the
work-from-home entrepreneur.
http://www.ahbbo.com
Also, visit Elena's newest site, Web Work From Home
http://www.web-work-from-home.com
- Protecting Your Business's Greatest Asset

2002 Elena Fawkner

"I've been considering quitting my full-time job and getting a
part-time job that would pay the bills [so I can start a home
business] ... The one biggie my full-time job provides me now
is health insurance. If I was to get a part-time job, I'd probably
have to pay for my own health insurance and I know that can
be expensive."

Like Jason, who sent me the above email this week, many a
dissatisfied employee would chuck in their full-time J.O.B.
(just over broke) for their part-time home-based business in
a heartbeat if not for one thing. Employer-provided health
benefits. It's a biggie, no doubt about it.

Undeniably, employer-paid or -subsidized health benefits
are one of the few real perks of working for someone else.
In fact, surveys have shown that, for employees (especially
those with families), paid benefits are hands down the most
important element of their compensation packages.

And there's no shortage of people already running their
own home businesses with no health or disability coverage
at all. Scary. After all, if you're dependent upon your
home business as your sole source of income and you
lose your health, you lose your livelihood as well.

Bottom line? If you run a home-based business you can't
afford not to have health coverage of one form or another.
Here's how to make it happen, whatever your
circumstances.

BASIC OPTIONS FOR THE EMPLOYER OF ONE (YOU)

You have three basic options when it comes to health and
disability insurance.

=> Spouse Coverage

If your spouse has health coverage from his or her employer,
as a general rule, use that. It probably provides better and
less expensive coverage than you could get on your own.

=> Group Health Insurance

The main advantage of group health insurance plans is that
they can't turn you away because of health problems. The
good news for the solo entrepreneur is that an increasing
number of companies are offering group health plans for
"groups" of one. This varies by state though so you'll need
to do your homework to find one.

=> Individual Health Insurance

These plans are fine if you don't have any pre-existing
medical conditions. (If you do, try your best to find a group
plan that will cover a group of one.) They're subject to
medical underwriting so your state of health will be a factor
the insurance company takes into account in determining
whether to accept your application.

Of course, the mere fact that you're able to get into a good
plan is one thing. Doing so affordably is quite another.

REDUCING THE HIGH COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE

There are several ways of minimizing the cost of health
insurance. Your tolerance for risk will determine which,
if any, you are comfortable with.

=> Reduce the Level of Coverage

Do you really need to have every doctor's visit and
prescription covered? If you only go to the doctor once
a year for an annual examination, have no health
conditions, don't need regular expensive prescription
medications and are generally healthy, consider cutting out
coverage for office visits and prescriptions.

=> Higher Deductible

Similarly, if you're reasonably healthy, don't visit the doctor
very often and don't need to use expensive medications,
consider switching to a higher deductible to save on
premium costs. By increasing your deductible from $100
to $2,000, you can cut your premium payment in half.

=> Annual Premium Payments

If you can afford to do so, pay your premiums annually
rather than monthly or quarterly to avoid service fees and
to take advantage of prepayment discounts where
available.

=> Join Associations

Just because you're going it alone in your business
doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the group
buying power that being a member of an association
offers. Check out your local chamber of commerce,
various trade and professional groups and small and
home business associations for member benefits. Many
offer access to discounted health insurance.

Here are a few small/home business association links
to get you started (you'll need to cut and paste some
of these links if they wrap to the next line):

National Association for the Self-Employed
http://www.nase.org/nase_benefits/health_benefits.asp
American Association of Home-Based Businesses
http://www.aahbb.org/benefits.htm
Home Office Association of America
http://www.hoaa.com/allbenefitsnew.htm
National Business Association
http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/Directory/Internal_Pages/Member_Benefits/Health.htm

Don't forget to check out local associations in your area
or associations relevant to your particular profession.

=> Shop Online

Being able to offer insurance products online means insurance
companies save on broker and agent fees. Often, this
translates into premium savings for policies purchased over
the Internet. So, when your fingers do the walking, make
sure they do so on a keyboard and not the Yellow Pages.

=> Medical Savings Accounts

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA), if you're self-employed you may be eligible to
use a medical savings account, or MSA.

MSAs work in conjunction with higher deductible health
insurance policies to reduce premiums and allow you to use
pre-tax dollars to pay for your medical expenses up to the
limit of the deductible on your insurance policy.

Basically, you reduce your premium by replacing a low-
deductible policy with high-deductible policy and use the
premium saving to make fully tax-deductible contributions
to your MSA. You can contribute up to 65% of the deductible
each year into your MSA (75% for families). The money goes
into a tax-deferred account or trust and you pay your medical
expenses (until you reach the deductible) by drawing from the
account. Once you hit the deductible, of course, the
insurance policy kicks in.

If you spend less than you contributed, the surplus stays
in the account and earns interest. Not only that, the funds
can be invested in high-return vehicles such as mutual funds
and stocks.

As the balance can be carried forward, an MSA can be used to
accumulate a pretty healthy nest egg for retirement. In fact,
a Journal of Financial Planning analysis calculated that if you
contribute $1,500 per year into an MSA for 25 years, assuming
a 12% rate of return, you'll end up with almost $1.5 million.
That's assuming you don't draw from it to pay for medical
costs, of course.

There are some limitations though. First, the range of
deductibles is limited to $1,500 - $2,250 for individuals and
$3,000 - $4,500 for a family. Second, as we saw above, you
can contribute only 65% of the deductible as an individual or
75% for a family.

So, if you're an individual and you choose a policy with a
$2,000 deductible, you'll be able to contribute 1,300 pre-tax
dollars into an MSA each year. In other words, Uncle Sam
pays for part of your health insurance/retirement fund. How
fitting.

The money in the MSA can be used to pay any medical
expenses incurred before the deductible is reached, as well
as other eligible costs such as contact lenses and dental
work. If you use the money for anything else, you must not
only pay tax on the amount withdrawn, but a 15% penalty
on the top. (If you're over 65 when you make the
withdrawal the penalty is not applied but you'll still have to
pay the tax.)

(By the way, MSAs are also available to you if you work for
a business with fewer than 50 employees.)

In short then, MSAs offer a very tax-effective and potentially
lucrative way to self-fund part of your health care costs while
dramatically reducing your premiums. If luck is on your side
and you remain healthy, by the time you reach retirement
age, your MSA could well fund your retirement.

Pretty neat.

=> Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction

Finally, the self-employed can write off 70% of their health
insurance premiums in 2002. This increases to 100% in 2003.
That's only so long as the total doesn't exceed the net profit
from your Schedule C minus deductions for one half of the self-
employment tax and Keogh, SEP and Simple contributions
though.

Also, the deduction can only be claimed for months when
you weren't eligible to participate in a subsidized health plan
from another employer (including your spouse's employer).

Self-employed workers who qualify for both the self-employed
health deduction and the itemized medical deduction can
write off the other 30% this year on Schedule A. (Medical
expenses are deductible on Schedule A only to the extent
they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income.)

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE UNINSURABLE

The foregoing is all well and good if you're able to get health
insurance in the first place. But what if you have a pre-
existing condition that disqualifies you from an individual
health plan and you can't get into a group plan? In other
words, you can't get insurance at any price.

=> HIPAA

Although beyond the scope of this article, the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) may
offer you some protections. For more information about how
HIPAA may help you obtain health insurance even if you
have a pre-existing condition, visit
http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/hipaa/content/hipsteps.asp .

=> Risk Pools

High-risk health insurance plans, also known as risk pools,
are state-funded plans and are an important safety net for
individuals who are denied health insurance because of a
medical condition. They're available only in 29 states though.

To be eligible, you must be a resident of the state from
which you seek coverage (unless there's reciprocity
between that state and the state you reside in) and
you must be able to prove at least one of the following:

1. that you've been rejected for similar health insurance
coverage by at least one insurer; or

2. you're presently insured with a higher premium; or

3. you're presently insured with a rider or rated policy.

You will not be eligible for participation in a risk pool if:

1. you're not a resident of the state from which you seek
coverage (again subject to reciprocity between states);
or

2. you're eligible for Medicare or Medicaid; or

3. you've terminated previous coverage in the plan
unless at least 132 months have since elapsed; or

4. you're an inmate of a public institution.

For more information on risk pools in your state, contact
your state health insurance department, the national
association "Communicating for Agriculture and the Self-
Employed" (1-800-432-3276) or visit
http://www.selfemployedcountry.org .

Coverage via the safety-net protections of the HIPAA may
end up being "risk-pool" coverage.

=> Healthcare Savings Programs

Healthcare savings programs are patient advocacy programs
that minimize out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

They're not insurance policies but rather programs that allow
you to access networks of healthcare providers for the same
negotiated rates that large insurance companies enjoy.
Savings range from 20% to 50%.

Not ideal but better than nothing. Also, since they're not
insurance policies, all pre-existing conditions are accepted.

A modest monthly fee is usually required to participate.
See, for example, Care Entree at http://www.careentree.com
for $20 per month.

Although health insurance may seem like a luxury you just
can't afford if your finances are already stretched to breaking
point thanks to your home-based business, you never know
what's around the corner. Quite simply, you and your business
can't afford not to have health (and disability) insurance.

You are your business's greatest asset. Protect it.

------

** Reprinting of this article is welcome! **
This article may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you
include the following resource box; and (2) you only mail to
a 100% opt-in list.
Here's the resource box to use if reprinting this article:

------

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ...
practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the
work-from-home entrepreneur.
http://www.ahbbo.com
Also, visit Elena's newest site, Web Work From Home
http://www.web-work-from-home.com

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ...
practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the
work-from-home entrepreneur.
http://www.ahbbo.com
Also, visit Elena's newest site, Web Work From Home
http://www.web-work-from-home.com

Affordable Health Insurance, an overview

2008-03-20T01:31:00.001-07:00

Affordable Health Insurance offers you a wide variety of medical insurance policies to protect you and your family against the high costs of health care. Affordable individual health insurance is likely for all of us who are in need of it. We just have to do a little homework to understand what is available, and ask ourselves what we need and what we can afford.

Affordable health insurance can be of different types. It can be like affordable individual health insurance, affordable family health insurance, affordable child health insurance, affordable employee health insurance known as group health insurance, affordable business health insurance etc.

The web is amazing in all of its diverse sources of information, and with all the possible that are out there in the insurance world, it is very likely that by using there in the insurance world, it is very likely that by using the internet as a resource, you can find affordable health insurance policies. You can also discuss your possibilities with an insurance broker, or you can call the customer service departments of the major health care providers. There are many ways to obtain the information you need in order to find the right policy for you.

Affordable individual health insurance is likely for all of us who are in need of it. We must have to do a little homework to understand what is available, and ask ourselves what we need and what we can afford. After we have done the research, we can begin to fill out the applications and be on our way to have the health care coverage we need.

For more you may visit: http://www.healthinsurancedepth.com/affordablehealthinsurance.html

Mr. Ariful Anam
- Internet Resource Executive
- Web Designer
- SEO Expert
Email: ariful@rediffmail.com

Health Insurance, what does it mean?

2008-03-19T02:25:00.000-07:00

Your health insurance policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. The policy lists a package of medical benefits such as tests, drugs and treatment services. The insurance company agrees to cover the cost of certain benefits listed in your policy. These are called "covered services."

Your health insurance policy also lists the kinds of services that are not covered by your insurance company. You have to pay for any uncovered medical care health insurance that you receive. Keep in mind that in case of health insurance a medical necessity is not the same as a medical benefit. A medical necessity is something that your doctor has decided is necessary. A medical benefit is something that your insurance plan has agreed to cover. In some cases, your doctor might decide that you need medical care that is not covered by your insurance policy.

Insurance companies determine what tests, drugs and services they will cover. These choices are based on their understanding of the kinds of medical care that most patients need. Your insurance company's choices may mean that the test, drug or service you need isn't covered by your policy.

Your doctor will try to be familiar with your insurance coverage so he or she can provide you with covered care. However, there are so many different insurance plans that it's not possible for your doctor to know the specific details of each plan. By understanding your insurance coverage, you can help your doctor recommend medical care that is covered in your plan.

Take the time to read your insurance policy. If you still have questions about your coverage, call your insurance company and ask a representative to explain it. Remember that your insurance company, not your doctor, makes decisions about what will be paid for and what will not.

For for information visit: http://www.healthinsurancedepth.com

You may also find informations about the below -

Health Insurance Quotes
Affordable Health Insurance
Low Cost Health Insurance
Cheap Health Insurance
Self Employed Health Insurance
Small Business Insurance
Group Health Insurance
Personal Health Insurance
Private Health Insurance
Catastrophic Health Insurance

And other useful resources for Individuals, Families, Self-employed, Small business in Arizona, Texas, Florida, California, Houston and across the 50 states of the USA.

For for information visit: http://www.healthinsurancedepth.com

Working as an Internet Resource Executive
(Website Designer & SEO Expert)
Email: ariful@rediffmail.com

Solutions for Health Insurance Coverage

2008-03-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

When it comes to health care, there is no "one size fits all."

Ideally, working for an employer who offers non-contributory health insurance is what most of us would aspire to. However, that is not a realistic scenario.

Finding affordable, adequate health care coverage is a huge problem in our country right now. If you are in a situation where you require certain medications and have no access to reduced rates on prescriptions you can almost bet the farm that you will be paying top dollar for the medications you need.

When considering a change in employment, scrutinizing the potential employers health care plan is a given. Sadly, many people look at everything about a new job except the health care plan. Contracting a debilitating illness or becoming an unwilling participant in an accident is not something that anyone can foresee.

Life situations change and a health care plan that was adequate for a single person may not apply should he/she marry and even have children while employed. If their policy has no provisions for the addition of dependents in the future you can find your health care woefully inadequate. Take the time to project what your future situation might be and plan accordingly.

One of the most overlooked segments of our society are the self-employed. Depending on age and dependent requirements, the cost for individual coverage can be astronomical.

If you are self-employed or a very small business owner, consider joining a local association like a chamber of commerce, better business bureau or some other type of business organization. Many of these organizations offer access to health care that might otherwise be prohibitive on an individual basis.

Unless you are in a category considered as "low income" that would afford you access to social health care, you can plan on paying hefty premiums. If you have a pre-existing condition, your chances of obtaining affordable rates are statistically very low. But, there are some things you can do.

Some tips to bear in mind are:

- Make certain you are looking at insurance that is appropriate and adequate for your needs.
- Read the fine print so you understand what is included and what is excluded.
- Never buy a policy that covers a single disease.
- Are there deductibles and if so, how much?
- Does the coverage include major medical?
- What is the maximum out of pocket expense you can expect to incur?
- When does coverage begin?
- Does the coverage include prescriptions?
- Are lab fees and x-rays included?
- Can you choose your own physician or select from a list of providers?
- What is most important to you?
- Does the coverage include dental, vision, maternity, well-baby care, etc.

If you are in that "no mans land" where you do not yet qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or any of the other social programs yet are too old for individual coverage you might take a look at AARP. It can provide a stop gap for that period of time while you are waiting to qualify for assistance.

If you are a young single parent, investigate any subsidized programs that might be available in your state. Many states have programs that will provide care for your children if not for yourself. These social programs are generally based on a sliding scale based on your income level and in many cases visits and prescriptions for your children might be free of charge.

Investigate non-insurance type programs. If you find yourself not able to pay the hefty monthly insurance premiums, can't get the coverage you need, or fall into areas that are not covered by traditional health insurance means, this type of program can literally save you thousands of dollars. This non-insurance solution gives members negotiated reduced fee schedules or discounts for medical, dental, prescriptions, hospitals, vision care, and more.

With the skyrocketing costs of health care, no one should ever feel embarrassed or sacrifice the health of themselves or their loved ones by applying for any type of assistance that might be available to meet their needs. Until something happens to curb this upward spiral we must all take special steps to see that the most vulnerable members of our society receive the health care they need... namely, our children and our elderly.

Jill R. Hyland is an Independent Marketing Representative, National Director for Maxous, Inc., a non-insurance company saving people 20% to 50% on things people purchase every single day, such as Fast Food-Dining, Medical, Movies, Prescriptions, Car Services, Vision, Legal, Dental, Golfing, Bowling, Haircuts, Travel, and much, much more - As Low as $19.99 per month for the whole family!
http://www.discountspro.com

Differences in Health Insurance Plans

2008-03-18T01:34:00.000-07:00

Health insurance plans have changed dramatically over the past ten years, and American's currently have several different options to choose from- including HMO's, PPO's, fee-for-service plans, MSA's and major medical. There are two main categories of health insurance plans that each of these policies is classified as; managed care plans and indemnity care plans. The differences between each of these plans mean the differences in how you will receive health care when you need it.

Managed care health insurance plans, mostly the HMO's, focus primarily on prevention, and people with these types of policies pay less for their coverage. The drawback is that you are limited to specific health care providers. Indemnity plans, also known as fee-for-service plans, will cost you more- but you are completely covered no matter what illness or accident might occur. Indemnity plans place an emphasis on patient choice, allowing you to choose where and when you are treated.

The newest options in health insurance plans include the PPO (preferred provider organization) plans. These are somewhat a hybrid between the managed care and indemnity categories. Due to their flexibility, these plans are becoming the most popular. PPO plans are similar to managed care plans in that they encourage preventative care, such as routine check ups which are covered under the plan, but you are allowed more of a choice over what doctors you can see.

So how do the different plans effect how you receive health care? When you are part of an indemnity plan, you are typically able to choose the doctor you want to see when an unexpected illness occurs. You will have to fill out paperwork to submit claims, and keep track of your receipts and medical bills. If you are covered under the managed care health insurance plans, you have a higher chance of having your routine check ups covered, since they believe strongly in preventative medicine. You typically are required to choose a health care provider from a list of participating providers, but most of the paperwork required to process your claim is the responsibility of the insurer.

Managed care health insurance plans, mostly the HMO's, focus primarily on prevention, and people with these types of policies pay less for their coverage. The drawback is that you are limited to specific health care providers. Indemnity plans, also known as fee-for-service plans, will cost you more- but you are completely covered no matter what illness or accident might occur. Indemnity plans place an emphasis on patient choice, allowing you to choose where and when you are treated.

The newest options in health insurance plans include the PPO (preferred provider organization) plans. These are somewhat a hybrid between the managed care and indemnity categories. Due to their flexibility, these plans are becoming the most popular. PPO plans are similar to managed care plans in that they encourage preventative care, such as routine check ups which are covered under the plan, but you are allowed more of a choice over what doctors you can see.

So how do the different plans effect how you receive health care? When you are part of an indemnity plan, you are typically able to choose the doctor you want to see when an unexpected illness occurs. You will have to fill out paperwork to submit claims, and keep track of your receipts and medical bills. If you are covered under the managed care health insurance plans, you have a higher chance of having your routine check ups covered, since they believe strongly in preventative medicine. You typically are required to choose a health care provider from a list of participating providers, but most of the paperwork required to process your claim is the responsibility of the insurer.

Brad Triggs provides more information and
free insurance quotes at his website:
http://www.my-insurance-quotes.com

How to Buy Health Insurance Online

2008-03-18T01:33:00.000-07:00

It is now possible to thoroughly research and buy health insurance online. Without health insurance, the smallest of incidents, accidents, or illness can leave you with expensive medical bills that most people would have difficulty paying. Even a short check up at the doctor's office for a sore throat, or minor illness can cost a couple hundred dollars. It's important for everyone to obtain health insurance, no matter how healthy you tend to be- because you simply cannot predict what might happen.

There are many things to consider when you get ready to purchase your insurance, and thankfully, the ability to obtain your insurance online has also enabled us a fast way to compare the prices of many different companies in a very short time. Can you imagine if you had to look up the phone numbers of twenty different insurance companies, then call each one- probably get placed on hold for a few minutes (or more!), and then give each company your information in order to receive a quote as to how much the policy will cost you? This would take hours, if not days, to complete your research on insurance, the different coverage available, and the cost of each.

The internet has brought us high speed search capabilities, and with the ease of typing in a few key phrases, you can learn all about the different coverage available for health insurance, compare the price of many companies- often, you can even find a web site that has already placed the different company's prices in an easy to read chart, so you can compare at a glance!

When you have thoroughly researched the different types of insurance policies and coverage available, you can actually buy health insurance online just as you would any other product or service you buy over the internet. Health insurance is a necessity, and being able to compare policies on-line means there is no excuse as to why you haven't made time to obtain insurance!

There are many things to consider when you get ready to purchase your insurance, and thankfully, the ability to obtain your insurance online has also enabled us a fast way to compare the prices of many different companies in a very short time. Can you imagine if you had to look up the phone numbers of twenty different insurance companies, then call each one- probably get placed on hold for a few minutes (or more!), and then give each company your information in order to receive a quote as to how much the policy will cost you? This would take hours, if not days, to complete your research on insurance, the different coverage available, and the cost of each.

The internet has brought us high speed search capabilities, and with the ease of typing in a few key phrases, you can learn all about the different coverage available for health insurance, compare the price of many companies- often, you can even find a web site that has already placed the different company's prices in an easy to read chart, so you can compare at a glance!

When you have thoroughly researched the different types of insurance policies and coverage available, you can actually buy health insurance online just as you would any other product or service you buy over the internet. Health insurance is a necessity, and being able to compare policies on-line means there is no excuse as to why you haven't made time to obtain insurance!

Brad Triggs provides more information and
free insurance quotes at his website:
http://www.insurelinq.com

Cutting Health Insurance Costs

2008-03-17T02:40:00.002-07:00

Surveys of self-employed individuals consistently show that one of their major concerns is the ability to buy affordable health insurance. One in 4 self-employed persons has no health insurance today even tough more than 70% of these people could afford to buy high quality health insurance if they had an effective buying strategy.

1. Have a budget and set realistic expectations. Realize that the purpose of insurance is to cover unexpected and otherwise unmanageable expenses. Most good plans cover "ordinary and necessary medical expenses" but not your health club membership. Look for coverage that provides protection but avoid being drawn in by the marketing sizzle. Do not buy health insurance with the primary intention of picking up the cost of your existing ordinary medical expenses like prescriptions, routine dental care and annual check-ups. Health plans exist for almost every budget. Remember that no one is excluded from receiving medical care for an acute condition because of the type of their health insurance plan, but rather medical treatment may be denied because they dont have any insurance coverage at all.

2. Realize that there are trade-offs in every health plan. The lowest priced high quality health insurance plans excluded coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and require periodic re-enrollment. It is often better to take the less expensive insurance any pay for small uncovered expenses yourself. But if you need to find full takeover coverage, then you cannot expect to be offered the insurers lowest rating.

3. Think short term. Most individual health insurance policies for self-employed persons actually stay in force less than a year. Buy the plan that offers you the best deal right now and do not worry about whether it will be available in a year. In 12 months, a whole new generation of health plans will be available. It would not be smart to keep the same plan for more than two years because new plans are evolving rapidly. A plan that you bought more than 2 years old would not likely represent the best value for you today.

4. Use student medical plans and foreign travel plans if you qualify. These plans offer better deals than traditional coverage.

5. Choose a higher deductible. By taking a $1000 deductible, you will save more than $1000 in premium payments over a year's time. This should be an easy decision from a mathematical viewpoint, but still many people buy policies with a low deductible. It makes no financial sense to pay an insurance company $1000 in premiums for medical care that you could buy for $600 cash.

6. Choose indemnity type coverage and avoid HMOs. This lets you and the doctor that you choose maintain control of your own medical care. This saves money in the long run by allowing the best course of treatment from the outset of any medical condition.

7. Use the Internet. Technology now allow for online pricing and enrollment with policies issued within 24 hours. Savings have resulted in lower premium prices. Some plans offer premiums as low as $25 per month for catastrophic coverage for young people.

8. Avoid the scams. Unfortunately, self-employed individuals are a prime target market of numerous health plan marketing scams. State insurance departments continuously shut down disreputable plans, but new ones sprout up just as quickly. Well-established and reputable health plans are obtained from well-established and reputable distributors. Good health plans do not use multi-level marketing schemes. All individuals handling your health plans enrollment should be licensed, bonded and insured. Beware of individuals who claim that they do not need an insurance license in your state or can not provide evidence of errors and omission coverage or a bond issued by an insurance company. Remember the old adage if it sounds too good to be true. This certainly applies when shopping for health insurance.

1. Have a budget and set realistic expectations. Realize that the purpose of insurance is to cover unexpected and otherwise unmanageable expenses. Most good plans cover "ordinary and necessary medical expenses" but not your health club membership. Look for coverage that provides protection but avoid being drawn in by the marketing sizzle. Do not buy health insurance with the primary intention of picking up the cost of your existing ordinary medical expenses like prescriptions, routine dental care and annual check-ups. Health plans exist for almost every budget. Remember that no one is excluded from receiving medical care for an acute condition because of the type of their health insurance plan, but rather medical treatment may be denied because they dont have any insurance coverage at all.

2. Realize that there are trade-offs in every health plan. The lowest priced high quality health insurance plans excluded coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and require periodic re-enrollment. It is often better to take the less expensive insurance any pay for small uncovered expenses yourself. But if you need to find full takeover coverage, then you cannot expect to be offered the insurers lowest rating.

3. Think short term. Most individual health insurance policies for self-employed persons actually stay in force less than a year. Buy the plan that offers you the best deal right now and do not worry about whether it will be available in a year. In 12 months, a whole new generation of health plans will be available. It would not be smart to keep the same plan for more than two years because new plans are evolving rapidly. A plan that you bought more than 2 years old would not likely represent the best value for you today.

4. Use student medical plans and foreign travel plans if you qualify. These plans offer better deals than traditional coverage.

5. Choose a higher deductible. By taking a $1000 deductible, you will save more than $1000 in premium payments over a year's time. This should be an easy decision from a mathematical viewpoint, but still many people buy policies with a low deductible. It makes no financial sense to pay an insurance company $1000 in premiums for medical care that you could buy for $600 cash.

6. Choose indemnity type coverage and avoid HMOs. This lets you and the doctor that you choose maintain control of your own medical care. This saves money in the long run by allowing the best course of treatment from the outset of any medical condition.

7. Use the Internet. Technology now allow for online pricing and enrollment with policies issued within 24 hours. Savings have resulted in lower premium prices. Some plans offer premiums as low as $25 per month for catastrophic coverage for young people.

8. Avoid the scams. Unfortunately, self-employed individuals are a prime target market of numerous health plan marketing scams. State insurance departments continuously shut down disreputable plans, but new ones sprout up just as quickly. Well-established and reputable health plans are obtained from well-established and reputable distributors. Good health plans do not use multi-level marketing schemes. All individuals handling your health plans enrollment should be licensed, bonded and insured. Beware of individuals who claim that they do not need an insurance license in your state or can not provide evidence of errors and omission coverage or a bond issued by an insurance company. Remember the old adage if it sounds too good to be true. This certainly applies when shopping for health insurance.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT is a writer and financial adviser in Narberth, PA. His businesses MedSave.com and Freedom Benefits Association provide online benefits enrollment to individuals and businesses in 47 states

Student Health Insurance

2008-03-17T02:40:00.001-07:00

Students often wonder if they really need health insurance. It seems like a reasonable question when you are young and healthy and seemingly invincible. After all, almost everyone who knows how to access the health care system is provided with basic health care services and acute care (like emergency care) in the United States, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance. Young adults tend to use health care services less often than any other group. The odds are that a young adult will go more than 12 months without any need for health care. Even among those who need health care, the likelihood of exceeding $1000 annual healthcare expenses is very small. So it is reasonable to wonder whether a young adult really needs health insurance at all.

But the situation changes when we consider the more extensive and more costly types of health care. The ability of a patient to obtain top quality medical care for the most serious types of health care - things like transplants, extended hospital care, physical rehabilitation, and long term outpatient care - depend more on whether the patient has adequate health insurance than any other factor. A simple attack of appendicitis could easily wind up costing more than $25,000. Even an affluent family will have difficulty arranging adequate medical care without insurance coverage. Unfortunately, if you wait until you need this type of care it will be difficult or impossible to buy health insurance that covers these items.

Often the most immediate insurance concern for young people is the fact that most colleges, trade schools, internship programs, sports teams, community-sponsored travel opportunities and many other activities require health insurance as an admission requirement. Without health insurance, you do not pass "go". So there is usually no question about it - most young people with ambitions to advance their education need to have some type of health insurance.

Coverage Options
There are many types of health insurance plans available to young adults. The most popular plans are listed below.
Parent's Policy - Most students continue to be covered under a parent's policy. If this option is available, it is almost always the best option. But most health plans require that proof of full-time enrollment be provided. Be aware of the maximum age for this benefit. In many cases this coverage will expire when the student reaches age 23 (or at another age as stated in the insurance policy).

Employer Group Coverage - Most employers provide health insurance to their full time employees and pay for most of the cost of this employee benefit. This is called group health coverage. This benefit is completely under the control of the employer. Many people do not realize that there is no requirement for an employer to provide this benefit. Most group health plans require that new employees wait a few months before becoming eligible for coverage.

School-Sponsored Coverage These are usually uninsured managed care arrangements to provide care to students in the local area of the college or university.

Student Medical Policies These are privately insured major medical policies designed specifically for students. These are portable and offer coverage to the student in any location in the U.S. These plans also cover graduate students, and are available regardless of age or health. In most parts of the U.S., students can buy a high quality health insurance plan for less than $70 per month at www.medsave.com.

Short Term Medical Policies - Interim or gap insurance policies are available to cover from one to 12 months. This coverage is inexpensive and easy to obtain online in most states. The quality of the coverage is excellent except that it does not cover pre-existing conditions. These provide coverage in the U.S. only.

Individual Medical Policies - Permanent policies that you buy directly from an insurance company offer excellent coverage, strongest financial guarantees, and the most stability. These often provide worldwide coverage. But all this comes at a higher price and coverage is issued for a minimum of 12 months.

Travel Coverage / International Policies - Students planning overseas travel should purchase a separate medical insurance plan for the time that they are traveling, since most student health plans do not cover charges incurred outside of the U.S. These policies are specifically designed to pay for medical expenses and deal with the other international complications (language, currency and business issues) typically incurred while obtaining medical treatment overseas.

Terms to Know
Deductible or Co-payment - this is the portion of the bill that you pay before the insurance comes into play. These help reduce the cost of the insurance.
HMO - stands for "health maintenance organization". The HMO may pay to keep you healthy, rather than only cover problems hen things go wrong. HMOs tend to be popular among young healthy people, but criticized by people receiving more serious medical care. Private physicians tend to feel that they lose control over the quality of a pateint's care when an HMO is involved.
Indemnity plan - means that the policy reimburses you for any ordinary and necessary medical expenses. This is the least restrictive type of coverage but also the most expensive.
Managed Care - this means that the insurer has some authority to influence the type of health care you are provided. This cuts healthcare costs but may also limit your treatment.
Pre-existing condition - a medical situation that started before your insurance policy that may not be covered by the health insurance policy.
Premium - the cost of the policy, usually ranging from $25 to over $200 monthly.
Tax-deductible - reduces your taxable income and thereby reduces your total tax due at the end of the year. Most health insurance is not tax deductible by individuals.
Tax-free - the benefit provided by health insurance is usually tax-free. This means the value of the coverage received as well as any cash benefit paid as the result of a claim.
Underwritten - this means that not everyone will be accepted because acceptance is based on individual medical history. The insurance company reviews each application and selects the healthiest applicants for enrollment. Premium rates are lower for those accepted, but these plans offer no solution for people with pre-existing health conditions.

But the situation changes when we consider the more extensive and more costly types of health care. The ability of a patient to obtain top quality medical care for the most serious types of health care - things like transplants, extended hospital care, physical rehabilitation, and long term outpatient care - depend more on whether the patient has adequate health insurance than any other factor. A simple attack of appendicitis could easily wind up costing more than $25,000. Even an affluent family will have difficulty arranging adequate medical care without insurance coverage. Unfortunately, if you wait until you need this type of care it will be difficult or impossible to buy health insurance that covers these items.

Often the most immediate insurance concern for young people is the fact that most colleges, trade schools, internship programs, sports teams, community-sponsored travel opportunities and many other activities require health insurance as an admission requirement. Without health insurance, you do not pass "go". So there is usually no question about it - most young people with ambitions to advance their education need to have some type of health insurance.

Coverage Options
There are many types of health insurance plans available to young adults. The most popular plans are listed below.
Parent's Policy - Most students continue to be covered under a parent's policy. If this option is available, it is almost always the best option. But most health plans require that proof of full-time enrollment be provided. Be aware of the maximum age for this benefit. In many cases this coverage will expire when the student reaches age 23 (or at another age as stated in the insurance policy).

Employer Group Coverage - Most employers provide health insurance to their full time employees and pay for most of the cost of this employee benefit. This is called group health coverage. This benefit is completely under the control of the employer. Many people do not realize that there is no requirement for an employer to provide this benefit. Most group health plans require that new employees wait a few months before becoming eligible for coverage.

School-Sponsored Coverage These are usually uninsured managed care arrangements to provide care to students in the local area of the college or university.

Student Medical Policies These are privately insured major medical policies designed specifically for students. These are portable and offer coverage to the student in any location in the U.S. These plans also cover graduate students, and are available regardless of age or health. In most parts of the U.S., students can buy a high quality health insurance plan for less than $70 per month at www.medsave.com.

Short Term Medical Policies - Interim or gap insurance policies are available to cover from one to 12 months. This coverage is inexpensive and easy to obtain online in most states. The quality of the coverage is excellent except that it does not cover pre-existing conditions. These provide coverage in the U.S. only.

Individual Medical Policies - Permanent policies that you buy directly from an insurance company offer excellent coverage, strongest financial guarantees, and the most stability. These often provide worldwide coverage. But all this comes at a higher price and coverage is issued for a minimum of 12 months.

Travel Coverage / International Policies - Students planning overseas travel should purchase a separate medical insurance plan for the time that they are traveling, since most student health plans do not cover charges incurred outside of the U.S. These policies are specifically designed to pay for medical expenses and deal with the other international complications (language, currency and business issues) typically incurred while obtaining medical treatment overseas.

Terms to Know
Deductible or Co-payment - this is the portion of the bill that you pay before the insurance comes into play. These help reduce the cost of the insurance.
HMO - stands for "health maintenance organization". The HMO may pay to keep you healthy, rather than only cover problems hen things go wrong. HMOs tend to be popular among young healthy people, but criticized by people receiving more serious medical care. Private physicians tend to feel that they lose control over the quality of a pateint's care when an HMO is involved.
Indemnity plan - means that the policy reimburses you for any ordinary and necessary medical expenses. This is the least restrictive type of coverage but also the most expensive.
Managed Care - this means that the insurer has some authority to influence the type of health care you are provided. This cuts healthcare costs but may also limit your treatment.
Pre-existing condition - a medical situation that started before your insurance policy that may not be covered by the health insurance policy.
Premium - the cost of the policy, usually ranging from $25 to over $200 monthly.
Tax-deductible - reduces your taxable income and thereby reduces your total tax due at the end of the year. Most health insurance is not tax deductible by individuals.
Tax-free - the benefit provided by health insurance is usually tax-free. This means the value of the coverage received as well as any cash benefit paid as the result of a claim.
Underwritten - this means that not everyone will be accepted because acceptance is based on individual medical history. The insurance company reviews each application and selects the healthiest applicants for enrollment. Premium rates are lower for those accepted, but these plans offer no solution for people with pre-existing health conditions.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT is a writer and financial adviser in Narberth, PA focusing on tax and employee benefit issues. His businesses www.MedSave.com and Freedom Benefits Association provide online benefits enrollment for thousands of individuals and businesses nationwide

Health Insurance for International Travelers

2008-03-14T05:45:00.001-07:00

If you are planning a trip overseas then you have probably wondered how your US medical plan will cover you outside of the U.S.

If you have a managed care (HMO) plan, then you might not have any coverage outside of the US. Any coverage you do have with an HMO is likely to be significantly reduced when you travel, with greater out-of-pocket expense for treatment outside of your normal coverage area.

Privately issued medical insurance usually does cover you during overseas travel, but the cost of obtaining records, translating them into the English language, converting the currency, and delivering payment overseas is all your responsibility, not the insurers.

One easy option is to have a short term medical policy specifically designed to cover international travelers to supplement your primary coverage. Fortunately these are inexpensive and easy to obtain. Since these plans specialize in international travel, there are fewer hassles typically associated with health plans. The coverage can usually be issued in about two days with a confirmation sent by fax or e-mail to your travel destination if necessary.

See the FAQs at www.medsave.com for more details.

If you have a managed care (HMO) plan, then you might not have any coverage outside of the US. Any coverage you do have with an HMO is likely to be significantly reduced when you travel, with greater out-of-pocket expense for treatment outside of your normal coverage area.

Privately issued medical insurance usually does cover you during overseas travel, but the cost of obtaining records, translating them into the English language, converting the currency, and delivering payment overseas is all your responsibility, not the insurers.

One easy option is to have a short term medical policy specifically designed to cover international travelers to supplement your primary coverage. Fortunately these are inexpensive and easy to obtain. Since these plans specialize in international travel, there are fewer hassles typically associated with health plans. The coverage can usually be issued in about two days with a confirmation sent by fax or e-mail to your travel destination if necessary.

See the FAQs at www.medsave.com for more details.

Changes to International Health Insurance

2008-03-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

Those who travel overseas for business or vacation may want to know that two of the world's largest international health insurance plans - Atlas Travel and the International Citizen Medical Plan insured by Lloyds of London have changed coverage and rates effective January 1, 2002. The coverage levels are increased for the new policies and the premium cost is proportionately higher.

These plans are specifically designed to deal with the language issues, currency translation and business practices unique to the medical care of international travelers. I believe that the improvements in benefits will be welcomed by customers. The relatively low cost of these plans means that a modest price increase is not a significant barrier for most customers.

The updated rates and forms are now available online at www.MedSave.com using the International Health Insurance or the "Forms" link and printed versions of the new enrollment brochure are expected to be available in early January.

These plans are specifically designed to deal with the language issues, currency translation and business practices unique to the medical care of international travelers. I believe that the improvements in benefits will be welcomed by customers. The relatively low cost of these plans means that a modest price increase is not a significant barrier for most customers.

The updated rates and forms are now available online at www.MedSave.com using the International Health Insurance or the "Forms" link and printed versions of the new enrollment brochure are expected to be available in early January.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT, is a tax and benefits adviser based in Narberth, PA. His businesses Freedom Benefits Association and MedSave.com provide enrollment services to individuals and businesses nationwide

Connecticut Cracks Down on Illegal Health Insurance Plans

2008-03-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

The state of Connecticut cracked down on a number of unlicensed health insurance plans and agents this month. The Insurance Department issued warnings to consumers to check the licensing of any firm before doing business. The targeted illegal heath plans were primarily offered to small businesses through their professional industry associations. The health plans claimed that since they were not fully insured and operated in multiple states Connecticuts strict insurance regulations did not apply to them. CT Insurance Department disagreed and closed the plans. A list of the approximately 40 closed plans is posted on the Departments Web site. Since the affected health plans are offered in multiple states, consumers in other states may soon be dealing with similar actions.

But the news is not all black and white. This crackdown closes the door to some of the few remaining affordable health insurance plans for many Connecticut small businesses. Connecticuts past legislative blunders in regulating health insurance are now costing its residents in sharply higher health insurance premiums. The illegal low-priced health plans are actually quite legal and well accepted in other states. The affected consumers are more likely to be irked by the Big Brother attitude of their government than by the fact that their health plan did not meet all applicable state laws. Most will be unable to find replacement health coverage in the same price range.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT, Online Adviser at MedSave.com suggests that consumers keep in mind the simple principal If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are no bargains or great deals in health insurance. If one health insurance plan costs less than another, that is only because it provides less coverage. Make sure that you know specifically what coverage you are giving up before enrolling in a low cost health insurance plan. As long as a plan is fully insured and the agent is also licensed and insured, then it is OK to save money by choosing a plan that eliminates coverage that you do not need. For example, if you dont need maternity coverage or pre-existing condition coverage, then it is safe to buy a plan that costs only half as much as a health plan that does include this coverage.

Novak emphasizes that these buying guidelines apply to residents of all states, not just Connecticut. Unfortunately, too many small businesses buy the lowest cost health plan they can find without really understanding the reason for the cost difference or the risks they may be taking with the lower cost plan.

MedSave.com also adds that the Connecticut crackdown did not affect any of its health plans. All MedSave.com health plans are fully insured and licensed in the state where they are offered.

But the news is not all black and white. This crackdown closes the door to some of the few remaining affordable health insurance plans for many Connecticut small businesses. Connecticuts past legislative blunders in regulating health insurance are now costing its residents in sharply higher health insurance premiums. The illegal low-priced health plans are actually quite legal and well accepted in other states. The affected consumers are more likely to be irked by the Big Brother attitude of their government than by the fact that their health plan did not meet all applicable state laws. Most will be unable to find replacement health coverage in the same price range.

Tony Novak, MBA, MT, Online Adviser at MedSave.com suggests that consumers keep in mind the simple principal If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are no bargains or great deals in health insurance. If one health insurance plan costs less than another, that is only because it provides less coverage. Make sure that you know specifically what coverage you are giving up before enrolling in a low cost health insurance plan. As long as a plan is fully insured and the agent is also licensed and insured, then it is OK to save money by choosing a plan that eliminates coverage that you do not need. For example, if you dont need maternity coverage or pre-existing condition coverage, then it is safe to buy a plan that costs only half as much as a health plan that does include this coverage.

Novak emphasizes that these buying guidelines apply to residents of all states, not just Connecticut. Unfortunately, too many small businesses buy the lowest cost health plan they can find without really understanding the reason for the cost difference or the risks they may be taking with the lower cost plan.

MedSave.com also adds that the Connecticut crackdown did not affect any of its health plans. All MedSave.com health plans are fully insured and licensed in the state where they are offered.

Tax and Benefits Adviser
Freedom Benefits Association

How to Save Up to 70% on Health Insurance Premiums

2008-03-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of paying too much for health insurance premiums?
Only 5 or 6 years ago health insurance seemed very affordable
with fantastic coverage to match. Well, if youre an individual
or family who pays for health insurance today chances are youre
literally getting punched in the pocket book, and it hurts.

Dramatically health insurance has changed over the last five years
and this article will no doubt arm you with the knowledge you need
to get the most out of your next health insurance plan. First,
an individual or family needs to identify with what they need out
of a health plan. Notice I say need, because unless you make more
money than you know what to do with there is no way in the world
most people can afford the "Perfect" plan with all the bells
and whistles.

Do you need a doctors office co pay?

Most people dont realize this will save you up to 30%
with some companies by cutting this benefit out of your
health insurance plan. Doctors continually raise their fees
for visits and most of the time the consumer will go much faster
to the doctor if he or she has a $10 co pay as opposed to paying
the $50 the doctor may charge. Insurance companies pay millions
for these fees and trust me, after the first 12 months of your
plan being in effect youre the one who will be paying by a
huge increase in your premium. Ive seen insurance plans go up
79% after the first twelve months. Totally ridiculous.
The consumers cannot afford this.

Another huge problem which Ill go more in depth
in another article is prescription drug cards.
I really cant see where the consumer wins here either.
Dont get me wrong, if youre on an employer sponsored
group health insurance plan your probably getting a good deal
but I can assure you that your company is paying out the nose
for the coverage youve come to love. I talk to people weekly
who literally work for their health insurance coverage.
If you can do without a prescription drug plan I would.
It can generally save you 20 to 40% off your premium by
not having this benefit.

Consumers usually pay 500 to 700 dollars a year
for this benefit alone while the average family who can
qualify for individual or family medical plans dont spend near
this amount of money. And, once again when you finally use your
card the insurance company will generally offset the cost at
your renewal date by raising your health insurance premium.
Cut out these things and go with a deductible of $1,000 or higher
and you will definitely save yourself money both in the short
and long term. Most of us can pay for the occasional doctor visit
and prescription rather than giving our money up front to the
Insurance Company. Just a little food for thought.
Only 5 or 6 years ago health insurance seemed very affordable
with fantastic coverage to match. Well, if youre an individual
or family who pays for health insurance today chances are youre
literally getting punched in the pocket book, and it hurts.

Dramatically health insurance has changed over the last five years
and this article will no doubt arm you with the knowledge you need
to get the most out of your next health insurance plan. First,
an individual or family needs to identify with what they need out
of a health plan. Notice I say need, because unless you make more
money than you know what to do with there is no way in the world
most people can afford the "Perfect" plan with all the bells
and whistles.

Do you need a doctors office co pay?

Most people dont realize this will save you up to 30%
with some companies by cutting this benefit out of your
health insurance plan. Doctors continually raise their fees
for visits and most of the time the consumer will go much faster
to the doctor if he or she has a $10 co pay as opposed to paying
the $50 the doctor may charge. Insurance companies pay millions
for these fees and trust me, after the first 12 months of your
plan being in effect youre the one who will be paying by a
huge increase in your premium. Ive seen insurance plans go up
79% after the first twelve months. Totally ridiculous.
The consumers cannot afford this.

Another huge problem which Ill go more in depth
in another article is prescription drug cards.
I really cant see where the consumer wins here either.
Dont get me wrong, if youre on an employer sponsored
group health insurance plan your probably getting a good deal
but I can assure you that your company is paying out the nose
for the coverage youve come to love. I talk to people weekly
who literally work for their health insurance coverage.
If you can do without a prescription drug plan I would.
It can generally save you 20 to 40% off your premium by
not having this benefit.

Consumers usually pay 500 to 700 dollars a year
for this benefit alone while the average family who can
qualify for individual or family medical plans dont spend near
this amount of money. And, once again when you finally use your
card the insurance company will generally offset the cost at
your renewal date by raising your health insurance premium.
Cut out these things and go with a deductible of $1,000 or higher
and you will definitely save yourself money both in the short
and long term. Most of us can pay for the occasional doctor visit
and prescription rather than giving our money up front to the
Insurance Company. Just a little food for thought.

Ryan Orrell has been a specialist in the field of
health insurance since 1996 counseling hundreds of individuals
and families on policies which may be right for them.
Ryan is president of http://www.quotemonster.com,
an online shopping service designed to help individuals
and families find affordable health insurance plans.
This article is also posted on the Web at
http://www.quotemonster.com/health-insurance-article-1.html

Tales from the Corporate Frontline: The Worth of Health Insurance

2008-03-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

This article relates to the Compensation and Benefits Competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. The questions included in this competency will help your organization determine whether your employees feel they are fairly paid for the work they perform when compared to a similar job at a different company. This competency also queries their feelings regarding the adequacy and quality of their benefits package. A fair and attractive compensation package is critical for hiring and retaining quality employees. A high satisfaction level in this competency requires that your compensation structure and benefits package be fair, balanced, and understood by your present employees.

This article, The Worth of Health Insurance, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It focuses specifically on the value of employer provided health insurance to employees in today's workplace and economic climate.

Anonymous Submission:

Large salary increases are rare these days, especially for mid level, mid career employees. Having worked at the same small, family owned business for about ten years now, my fellow employees and I were accustomed to getting about the same raise every year. It never varied very much, and we considered it fair, especially since the business was quite solid and successful with a steady profit stream for the past several years.

That's why we were all so shocked this year when our expected increase amount was cut in half. After the shock faded, the office was abuzz with speculation "the company is going under, that sales rep, Mr. Brown, lost that lucrative account, I knew this would happen, the owners are just getting greedy, they're thinking of selling to a large multinational" - were some of the stories considered.

Finally, our general manager caught wind of the discussions and settled us down for a meeting. He told us that the reason the increases had been cut was that the health insurance program premiums had risen very sharply. The owners decided that rather than require the employees to pay more for the insurance, it would be better to pay the extra premium and give smaller salary increases. He told us that many companies are handling rising premiums in much the same way.

Many employees, myself included, were skeptical. Sure, we told each other. That's a good story. And we picked up where we'd left off with our previous speculations.

That night, I received a phone call. It was my sister, and she was crying. She's a stay- at- home mom, her husband has been downsized, and the family is at the point where it has to pay for health insurance. As my sister tearfully recited the rates she'd been quoted, I was beyond shock. It amounted to a small fortune. After she hung up, I went online to my health insurance provider website. I checked the rate I would pay without my employer contribution. The price difference was far higher than my raise reduction, and the coverage wasn't as good.

Humbled, I went to work the next day and told my coworkers what I'd discovered. We'd all underestimated the worth of a solid benefit plan with good health insurance in today's workplace and economy. Suddenly our salary increase seemed a lot larger.

AlphaMeasure Employee Surveys, Inc. -
This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes the author bio information, and all links remain active.

Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.
Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.
AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.

Caregiver Stress Accounts for 27% Increase in Health Insurance Benefits by South Florida Employees

2008-03-10T02:22:00.000-07:00

27% Increase in Health Insurance Benefits by South Florida Employees accounts for Stress as Caregiver to aging parents.

27% Increase in Health Insurance Benefits by South Florida Employees accounts for Stress as Caregiver to aging parents.

The impact of Elder Care issues on corporate America will continue to grow as our elderly population increases:

Employees juggling job responsibilities with care giving are a reality in the workplace of today and the future. Workers are torn between the demands of their job and the ability to provide quality care to their relative.
One out of three American workers is also managing the care of an older relative.
Loss of productivity resulting from time off to care for an aging relative is estimated at $6100 per employee per year.
Caregiver stress accounts for a 27% increase in use of company health insurance benefits.

Seventeen percent (17%) of caregivers quit their jobs to provide care for aging family members, and another 15% reduce their work hours to assist their loved ones. This shocking loss of employee productivity is hitting South Florida businesses very hard as more Boomers have senior parents who require caregiving.

To stop this workforce hemorrhaging South Florida companies are looking for methods to provide assistance in caregiving to employees to keep them on the job and productive, while being sensitive to the needs of the employee.

There have been attempts at Corporate Elder Care programs, however few as comprehensive at A Good Daughter, (www.agooddaughter.com) based in Margate. According to Olga Brunner, President, Our Corporate Elder Care program was developed to help employees balance job responsibilities and caregiving. Our Professional Care Managers plan and organize care and services for the employees of Broward and Palm Beach elderly population, affording families a peace of mind that their loved ones will find and secure services such as ongoing supervision of certified home care assistants, home maintenance and care, medication supervision, coordination of medical appointments and representation at these appointments, legal counsel, specialized air travel escorts, and many other services.

While A Good Daughter works with individuals, the Corporate Elder Care program is ideally suited to the mid-sized company with fifty plus employees.

A Good Daughter, Inc.
www.agooddaughter.com
Olga Brunner
800-963-3877

Professional Marketing Firm reaching the Manufacturing Community Worldwide

Health Insurance for the Self Employed

2008-03-07T22:56:00.001-08:00

Health insurance, having enough and being able to afford it, is
one of the most nagging concerns for those who leave corporate
America to run their own business.

Many small businesses have dropped health coverage or reduced it
in the past three years because of rising rates. About 24
million of American small-business employees and their families
are uninsured, according to a study by the Kaiser Family
Foundation.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a
federal law that requires employers to allow departing workers
to buy health insurance through the employer's group plan. For
the first 18 months after you leave your employer you may elect
to continue to receive coverage in your employer's group plan at
your expense.

However, the cost of the monthly premiums for COBRA can come as
quite a surprise if you're accustomed to you employer picking up
most of your health insurance tab via pretax paycheck
deductions. COBRA coverage for a family can run $500 a month,
and upwards of $200 a month for an individual.

Depending on which State you live in COBRA may not necessarily
be the best deal for you. Shop around, you may find joining a
short term insurance plan to be less expensive than continuing
your current insurance under COBRA.

One piece of good news for the self-employed - Starting in 2003,
the self-employed health insurance deduction is increased to
100% from the 70% that was deductible in 2002. As a result, if
you work as a consultant, freelance worker, and other
self-employed individual you will be allowed to deduct all of
your health insurance premiums. The self-employed health
insurance deduction is especially valuable because it is an
above the line deduction for Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). This
means that you can take advantage of this deduction even if you
do not you itemize your deductions on your tax return.

Even with health insurance the portion of medical expenses that
has to come out of your pocket can be more than you imagine. If
you have to dip into your retirement savings for certain medical
expenses, distributions from your IRA used for that purpose may
be exempt from the IRS 10 percent early withdrawal penalty.
However, you still will have to pay taxes on the IRA
distribution. Another alternative is to transfer your IRA to a
Self-Employed 401(K) plan and take a loan from that plan. Loans
from a 401(k) plan are tax-free and penalty free as long as the
loans are paid back.

Daniel Lamaute is a retirement plans specialist with Lamaute
Capital. Its website www.investsafe.com covers retirement plans
and other benefits for the self-employed.

Health Insurance: The-More-The-Better, Or No-More-HMO?

2008-03-06T00:47:00.000-08:00

---------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Health Insurance: The-More-The-Better, Or No- More-HMO?
AUTHOR: Irina
LENGTH: 571 words
FORMAT: 58 characters per line CONTACT: irbonness@ureach.com --------------------------CUT HERE------------------------

Health Insurance: The-More-The-Better, Or No-More-HMO?

========================================================== The author grants permission to publish this article, in its entirety, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included. Other articles by Irina are available from http://www.megaone.com/hbb/savemoney/articles.html ==========================================================

In the movie "John Q," Academy award winner Denzel Washington fights the HMO restrictions to provide the necessary cure for his dying son. When such a lackluster topic like health insurance generates enough drama for a Hollywood movie, you know that something must be seriously wrong...

The problem indeed is severe. Almost 45 million Americans are uninsured and the number continues to rise. Those still insured are frustrated by the double-digit premium increases outpacing all other sectors of the economy. High costs and HMO limitations discourage seeking an immediate medical help. As a result, "little aches" often develop into the life-threatening illnesses and financial disasters for some unfortunate individuals and further escalate already intolerably high health care costs for the rest of us.

To endure the existing health care crisis, we all must recognize one simple fact. There are TWO DIFFERENT LEVELS of health care needs that must be covered with two separate tiers of payment. One level is catastrophic illness - and for that, insurance may still be the answer. Policies that carry a high deductible (say $5,000 a year) are relatively inexpensive, even when the coverage is very high ($1 million or more) or unlimited. That is because most people do not get catastrophic illnesses or injuries.

In fact, most of us only need health maintenance and routine medical procedures that comprise a totally different level of health care needs. For these, the present INSURANCE-based model is not the answer because it is financially incompatible with any efficient HEALTH CARE system.

Everyone knows that the INSURANCE works best when the fewest number of participants actually use it (i.e. make claims). Then the system generates profit, which lowers the premium that, in turn, brings more paying participants. The participants are happy NOT TO USE the insurance, especially if it does not cost them too much. On the contrary, the HEALTH CARE system works best when the most people use it (i.e. get teeth cleaning, checkups and vaccinations).

Fortunately, back in the 1980s, the idea of so-called patient advocacy via health care savings programs was introduced to the U.S. These programs negotiate prices with health care providers on behalf of their members. Since they represent large groups, the resulting discounts are usually the same that the hospitals and physicians give to big insurance companies.

This innovative approach benefits medical providers because they get paid "on the spot" without enormous paperwork and disputes with insurance companies. It also benefits you and me by providing an access to the discounted "insurance rates" without high premiums.

Many of such programs also allow their members to contribute money to medical savings accounts that are tax deductible or not taxable. Monthly membership fee is affordable and no one can be turned down because of a pre- existing condition.

It does not look like the current health care crisis is going to have a Hollywood-style "happy ending". It's up to us to analyze the situation and find the solution... otherwise, the next blockbuster about healthcare may well be a horror movie.

========================================================== About the Author:
Irina helps people save money on healthcare and create steady stream of residual income working from home http://www.megaone.com/hbb/savemoney/ ==========================================================

Irina helps people save money on healthcare and create steady stream of residual income working from home http://www.megaone.com/hbb/savemoney/

Health Insurance for the Self-Employed - Protecting Your Business's Greatest Asset

2008-03-06T00:46:00.000-08:00

Health Insurance for the Self-Employed - Protecting Your Business's Greatest Asset

2002 Elena Fawkner

"I've been considering quitting my full-time job and getting a part-time job that would pay the bills [so I can start a home business] ... The one biggie my full-time job provides me now is health insurance. If I was to get a part-time job, I'd probably have to pay for my own health insurance and I know that can be expensive."

Like Jason, who sent me the above email this week, many a dissatisfied employee would chuck in their full-time J.O.B. (just over broke) for their part-time home-based business in a heartbeat if not for one thing. Employer-provided health benefits. It's a biggie, no doubt about it.

Undeniably, employer-paid or -subsidized health benefits are one of the few real perks of working for someone else. In fact, surveys have shown that, for employees (especially those with families), paid benefits are hands down the most important element of their compensation packages.

And there's no shortage of people already running their own home businesses with no health or disability coverage at all. Scary. After all, if you're dependent upon your home business as your sole source of income and you lose your health, you lose your livelihood as well.

Bottom line? If you run a home-based business you can't afford not to have health coverage of one form or another. Here's how to make it happen, whatever your circumstances.

BASIC OPTIONS FOR THE EMPLOYER OF ONE (YOU)

You have three basic options when it comes to health and disability insurance.

=> Spouse Coverage

If your spouse has health coverage from his or her employer, as a general rule, use that. It probably provides better and less expensive coverage than you could get on your own.

=> Group Health Insurance

The main advantage of group health insurance plans is that they can't turn you away because of health problems. The good news for the solo entrepreneur is that an increasing number of companies are offering group health plans for "groups" of one. This varies by state though so you'll need to do your homework to find one.

=> Individual Health Insurance

These plans are fine if you don't have any pre-existing medical conditions. (If you do, try your best to find a group plan that will cover a group of one.) They're subject to medical underwriting so your state of health will be a factor the insurance company takes into account in determining whether to accept your application.

Of course, the mere fact that you're able to get into a good plan is one thing. Doing so affordably is quite another.

REDUCING THE HIGH COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE

There are several ways of minimizing the cost of health insurance. Your tolerance for risk will determine which, if any, you are comfortable with.

=> Reduce the Level of Coverage

Do you really need to have every doctor's visit and prescription covered? If you only go to the doctor once a year for an annual examination, have no health conditions, don't need regular expensive prescription medications and are generally healthy, consider cutting out coverage for office visits and prescriptions.

=> Higher Deductible

Similarly, if you're reasonably healthy, don't visit the doctor very often and don't need to use expensive medications, consider switching to a higher deductible to save on premium costs. By increasing your deductible from $100 to $2,000, you can cut your premium payment in half.

=> Annual Premium Payments

If you can afford to do so, pay your premiums annually rather than monthly or quarterly to avoid service fees and to take advantage of prepayment discounts where available.

=> Join Associations

Just because you're going it alone in your business doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the group buying power that being a member of an association offers. Check out your local chamber of commerce, various trade and professional groups and small and home business associations for member benefits. Many offer access to discounted health insurance.

Here are a few small/home business association links to get you started (you'll need to cut and paste some of these links if they wrap to the next line):

National Association for the Self-Employed http://www.nase.org/nase_benefits/health_benefits.asp American Association of Home-Based Businesses http://www.aahbb.org/benefits.htm Home Office Association of America http://www.hoaa.com/allbenefitsnew.htm National Business Association http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/Directory/Internal_Pages/Member_Benefits/Health.htm

Don't forget to check out local associations in your area or associations relevant to your particular profession.

=> Shop Online

Being able to offer insurance products online means insurance companies save on broker and agent fees. Often, this translates into premium savings for policies purchased over the Internet. So, when your fingers do the walking, make sure they do so on a keyboard and not the Yellow Pages.

=> Medical Savings Accounts

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), if you're self-employed you may be eligible to use a medical savings account, or MSA.

MSAs work in conjunction with higher deductible health insurance policies to reduce premiums and allow you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for your medical expenses up to the limit of the deductible on your insurance policy.

Basically, you reduce your premium by replacing a low- deductible policy with high-deductible policy and use the premium saving to make fully tax-deductible contributions to your MSA. You can contribute up to 65% of the deductible each year into your MSA (75% for families). The money goes into a tax-deferred account or trust and you pay your medical expenses (until you reach the deductible) by drawing from the account. Once you hit the deductible, of course, the insurance policy kicks in.

If you spend less than you contributed, the surplus stays in the account and earns interest. Not only that, the funds can be invested in high-return vehicles such as mutual funds and stocks.

As the balance can be carried forward, an MSA can be used to accumulate a pretty healthy nest egg for retirement. In fact, a Journal of Financial Planning analysis calculated that if you contribute $1,500 per year into an MSA for 25 years, assuming a 12% rate of return, you'll end up with almost $1.5 million. That's assuming you don't draw from it to pay for medical costs, of course.

There are some limitations though. First, the range of deductibles is limited to $1,500 - $2,250 for individuals and $3,000 - $4,500 for a family. Second, as we saw above, you can contribute only 65% of the deductible as an individual or 75% for a family.

So, if you're an individual and you choose a policy with a $2,000 deductible, you'll be able to contribute 1,300 pre-tax dollars into an MSA each year. In other words, Uncle Sam pays for part of your health insurance/retirement fund. How fitting.

The money in the MSA can be used to pay any medical expenses incurred before the deductible is reached, as well as other eligible costs such as contact lenses and dental work. If you use the money for anything else, you must not only pay tax on the amount withdrawn, but a 15% penalty on the top. (If you're over 65 when you make the withdrawal the penalty is not applied but you'll still have to pay the tax.)

(By the way, MSAs are also available to you if you work for a business with fewer than 50 employees.)

In short then, MSAs offer a very tax-effective and potentially lucrative way to self-fund part of your health care costs while dramatically reducing your premiums. If luck is on your side and you remain healthy, by the time you reach retirement age, your MSA could well fund your retirement.

Pretty neat.

=> Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction

Finally, the self-employed can write off 70% of their health insurance premiums in 2002. This increases to 100% in 2003. That's only so long as the total doesn't exceed the net profit from your Schedule C minus deductions for one half of the self- employment tax and Keogh, SEP and Simple contributions though.

Also, the deduction can only be claimed for months when you weren't eligible to participate in a subsidized health plan from another employer (including your spouse's employer).

Self-employed workers who qualify for both the self-employed health deduction and the itemized medical deduction can write off the other 30% this year on Schedule A. (Medical expenses are deductible on Schedule A only to the extent they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income.)

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE UNINSURABLE

The foregoing is all well and good if you're able to get health insurance in the first place. But what if you have a pre- existing condition that disqualifies you from an individual health plan and you can't get into a group plan? In other words, you can't get insurance at any price.

=> HIPAA

Although beyond the scope of this article, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) may offer you some protections. For more information about how HIPAA may help you obtain health insurance even if you have a pre-existing condition, visit http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/hipaa/content/hipsteps.asp .

=> Risk Pools

High-risk health insurance plans, also known as risk pools, are state-funded plans and are an important safety net for individuals who are denied health insurance because of a medical condition. They're available only in 29 states though.

To be eligible, you must be a resident of the state from which you seek coverage (unless there's reciprocity between that state and the state you reside in) and you must be able to prove at least one of the following:

1. that you've been rejected for similar health insurance coverage by at least one insurer; or

2. you're presently insured with a higher premium; or

3. you're presently insured with a rider or rated policy.

You will not be eligible for participation in a risk pool if:

1. you're not a resident of the state from which you seek coverage (again subject to reciprocity between states); or

2. you're eligible for Medicare or Medicaid; or

3. you've terminated previous coverage in the plan unless at least 132 months have since elapsed; or

4. you're an inmate of a public institution.

For more information on risk pools in your state, contact your state health insurance department, the national association "Communicating for Agriculture and the Self- Employed" (1-800-432-3276) or visit http://www.selfemployedcountry.org .

Coverage via the safety-net protections of the HIPAA may end up being "risk-pool" coverage.

=> Healthcare Savings Programs

Healthcare savings programs are patient advocacy programs that minimize out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

They're not insurance policies but rather programs that allow you to access networks of healthcare providers for the same negotiated rates that large insurance companies enjoy. Savings range from 20% to 50%.

Not ideal but better than nothing. Also, since they're not insurance policies, all pre-existing conditions are accepted.

A modest monthly fee is usually required to participate. See, for example, Care Entree at http://www.careentree.com for $20 per month.

Although health insurance may seem like a luxury you just can't afford if your finances are already stretched to breaking point thanks to your home-based business, you never know what's around the corner. Quite simply, you and your business can't afford not to have health (and disability) insurance.

You are your business's greatest asset. Protect it.

------

** Reprinting of this article is welcome! ** This article may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you include the following resource box; and (2) you only mail to a 100% opt-in list.
Here's the resource box to use if reprinting this article:

------

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ... practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the work-from-home entrepreneur. http://www.ahbbo.com
Also, visit Elena's newest site, Web Work From Home http://www.web-work-from-home.com

Health Insurance for Seniors on the Web

2008-03-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

Health Insurance For
Seniors On The Net

When a good friend of mine inquired where he could obtain information about medical insurance for his out-of-state, elderly mother, I told him to try the Internet.

With our baby boomers facing this problem in ever increasing numbers, and with the information highway in full bloom, there is a definite need for planning.

The federal government has mandated to all states through legislation, the standardized senior health insurance policy guidelines, which are governed and regulated by each state insurance department.

Early planning is important, as qualification becomes increasingly more difficult as the applicant's health declines. The senior health care market is complex. I will offer some words of advice to attempt to alleviate potential pitfalls. *Choose a well-informed, seasoned, and service oriented agent or broker to assist your decision making process. The professional can offer invaluable information, but do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions and even get a second opinion. *Do not wait until your parent or loved one is sick, or injured. Plan ahead and take the time needed to cover all the options. *Choose an experienced insurance company. A Company that has been in the marketplace for a significant time and has maintained a balance of rates and benefits and sound risk selection with moderate rate increases over time is your best bet. *The plan should be flexible, with a broad range of options and benefit selections to the insured. There should be no tricks, or complicated language for the coverage. An incredibly low rate is a red flag for trouble in the future. *Do not rush or be rushed by an over aggressive sales person.

As I have mentioned in my article, the best way to avoid potential problems are to plan ahead. I have found a company, that I highly reccommend as they are professional senior care specialist's and offer sound, practicle, individualized, advice
for caregivers, family members, seniors, and guardians. They will advise on tax, legal, financial, health care, and other family issues, and are available nationwide.

author: William H. Pritchett Jr.

Mr. Pritchett is a certified estate planner with over 25 years of experience in long term care, medicare, and custodial care health insurance products. Mr. Pritchett was a pioneer in this market and developed the first "Home Health Care" insurance plan available in the United States in 1983. He has written many articles, is a national public speaker on the subject and sits on the board of directors for several large corporations.

Portable health care insurance gets rolling

2008-03-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

Employees covered by group plans are often forced to remain at jobs only because they have suffered reversals in health. Were they to leave, they fear that they and their families might lose insurance benefits and new employers might be unwilling to
Once the Clinton Administration's massive health reform program was unceremoniously laid to rest, Congress began to nibble away at the social ills which prompted the ambitious initiative in the first place.

Among these is the sad fact that health insurance hasn't been "portable."

Since 1985, when the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) brought some relief, most employer-sponsored group health plans have been obliged to offer employees and their dependents the option of purchasing continued health coverage in case of termination or reduction in hours of employment, death, divorce or legal separation, enrollment in Medicare or the end of a child's dependency under a parent's health plan.

COBRA's maximum coverage period is 18 months. And, other than COBRA, no federal requirements apply to group health plans, insurers or health maintenance organizations (HMOs) fostering the portability of coverage.

But now all of that has changed. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 will impose portability requirements on group health plans in three ways.

It will prohibit excluding individuals from coverage based on health and related factors that have traditionally been taken into account. Thus, medical underwriting will be outlawed.

The new law will require that coverage offered by health insurers and HMOs generally be guaranteed renewable at the plan sponsor's option. Health insurers in the small-group market must also provide coverage to employees on a "guaranteed issue" basis.As a result, employers with two to 50 employees will be able to secure coverage without any underwriting at all.

The new will law place limits on exclusions of preexisting conditions. A preexisting condition is one for which medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment was recommended or received within the past six months. When the laws take effect, health plans will be able to exclude coverage for such conditions for no more than 12 months (or 18 months for late enrollees). HMOs are permitted to substitute a two-month waiting period (three months for late enrollees) for a preexisting-condition limitation.

The new limits on preexisting-condition exclusions mean some administrative hassle. For one thing, the law mandates that health plans credit any prior group coverage toward preexisting-condition exclusion periods and a health plan will now need to provide a certificate of coverage to a former enrollee, documenting the length of coverage under the plan.

In addition, health plans must enroll individuals who initially decline health coverage because of other coverage if they seek to enroll within 30 days of losing their other coverage. And individuals who become dependents because of marriage, birth or adoption will also be entitled to special enrollment periods.

Not surprisingly, there is a price for all of this, and prudent employers will begin to assess the new law's impact on them and how best to control that impact before the portability rules take effect -- for plan years beginning after June 30.

They will need to consider whether the potential cost savings of applying a limited preexisting-condition exclusion outweigh the added administrative expense. They will need to assess whether market conditions still warrant providing extended health coverage until age 65 for early retirees, who may have an easier time securing affordable individual coverage in light of new "guaranteed issue" requirements benefiting individuals.

In addition, employers will need to review contractual arrangements with service providers. And they will need to see that health plan documents and disclosures are revised to reflect any changes before they take effect.

Marc Lane is a business and tax attorney, a Master Registered Financial Planner, a Registered Financial Consultant, and a Certified Investment Specialist. Marc is the author of 30 books on business organization, taxation, and personal finance. His newest book, "Advising Entrepreneurs: Dynamic Strategies for Financial Growth" draws from his experience working with those who have successfully built their businesses. Marc is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern University and an Adjunct Professor of Business at the University of Illinois. His practice areas include Individual Taxation, Corporate Tax Planning, Business Tax Planning, Estate Planning, Investments, Retirement Planning,Elder Law, International Trade, Business Law, and Wills, Trusts and Estates. Additional articles, case studies, and a free email newsletter are available at www.marcjlane.com.

Health Insurance for the Self-Employed

2008-03-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

Having health insurance and being able to afford it is a great concern for many who leave a corporate job to run their own business.

The national crisis in health coverage is hitting the small business owners especially hard. About 24 million small-business employees and their families are uninsured, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

After you leave your employer you may elect to continue to receive coverage in the employer's group plan at your expense for up to 18 months. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal law that requires employers to allow departing workers to buy health insurance through the employer's group plan.

However, the cost of the monthly premiums for COBRA can come as quite a surprise if you're accustomed to you employer picking up most of your health insurance tab.

Luckily starting in 2003, if you work as a consultant, freelance worker, and other self-employed individual you will be allowed to deduct all of your health insurance premiums. This is an increase form the 70% that was deductible in 2002. You can take the self-employed health insurance deduction even if you do not itemize your tax return.

But, even with health insurance the medical expenses that come out of your pocket can overwhelm you. If you have to dip into your retirement savings for certain medical expenses, the best way to do so is to transfer your IRA or previous 401(k) account to a Self-Employed 401(K) plan that you set up. You can then take a loan from that plan. Loans from a Self-Employed 401(k) plan are tax-free and penalty free as long as they are paid back.

By Daniel Lamaute of www.InvestSafe.com Daniel is a retirement plans specialist and owner of Lamaute Capital, (InvestSafe.com) an investment brokerage firm that works with individuals and small businesses.

Where To Find Cheap Health Insurance

2008-03-02T23:18:00.001-08:00

Health insurance costs are rising all the time. Many people feel they cannot afford health insurance. Others feel that they dont need it because they are healthy and have never had any major medical problems. This is definitely faulty thinking on their part. As a matter of fact, you do need health insurance, and there are a lot of ways to get affordable health insurance for yourself or your family. Health insurance is protection against the possible health problems that could happen in the future, and you have absolutely no way of knowing what those might be.

For people who are low income, every state has a Medicaid program that they could possible qualify for. The requirements vary form state to state, but all it takes is a trip to your local Division of Family Services office to get an application. You might be surprised at the number of people who would actually qualify for this service that dont think that they would. You will need to fill out the application and provide some documentation about your finances. This program can cover the health insurance needs of the entire family, including dental work, eye care, doctor visits, emergency care, prescriptions and more. For people with children who dont get insurance through their work, this is a very good option to check out. It is free and a fairly painless process, and if you qualify, it could make you like a lot easier.

Another option for cheap health insurance is to look on the Internet. There are a ton of companies that offer all types of health insurance plans, and it is very possible that you could find one that is perfect for your family and fits your pocketbook. The costs vary, so do plenty of research before choosing one or another. It is a smart idea to find out how long the company has been in business, and what kind of reputation they have. Ask for a quote from several sources, and see what kind of a deal they can get for you. Make sure they are also licensed in your state, because it does no good to get insurance if they cant operate in your state.

Still other options include your local insurance agencies. Ask around to find out about the different agents and their policies. Many agents will work very hard to get you an affordable health insurance plan for your family at a cost you can live with. Even if you cant get every type of coverage you want, some is better than none.

Follow up with advertisements for prescription card plans and alternative health care plans. While some of them wont be suited to your needs, there may be one that is perfect for you. An affordable health care insurance plan can be found, but you might have to do some searching.

Bob Hett offers great tips and advice regarding all aspects concerning Health Insurance.
Get the information you are seeking now by visiting

A Guide To Online Health Insurance Quotes

2008-03-01T00:36:00.000-08:00

It is a fact that people in the 25-34 age group often dont have health insurance. This is not because they cant afford it, but is because they think that since they are young and healthy, they dont need insurance. This is most definitely not true. One catastrophic illness or accident could wipe out their financial stability in one moment. Having health insurance protects you from things that would otherwise devastate you financially and make it difficult or impossible to recover from.

Of course, the online health insurance business is a booming one. Getting an online health insurance quote is very easy and requires no obligation or someone coming to your home or office to bother you. If you dont have insurance or you want to supplement your current insurance, going online is a good choice. Online health insurance companies offer a variety of plans for diverse coverage needs, from individuals, to families, to small businesses. You can shop around for the best rate and compare different companies and health insurance plans.

It is a good idea to do a little bit of research on any online health insurance company you re considering. You will want to find out how long they have been in business, how stable their business is, and if they are licensed in your state, which they need to be for you to use their services. The best part about online health insurance is that they must report premiums paid to your state, and this amount is regulated by your state, so you will know that they cant overcharge you and you can rest assured that someone is making sure they arent going to rip you off.

You also need to decide what kind of health care coverage you need. Will you need a prescription card to give you discounts on your prescriptions? Most people do. Will your insurance provide coverage if you are traveling? How about emergency and ambulance coverage? Will you need to have a referral to see a specialist, and can you go to a doctor that is outside of your provider network? It is extremely important to find out about the details of any health insurance plan before you buy.

One thing that is very hot with online insurance health and also with other insurance programs are HSAs. They are health Savings Accounts, and the money you lace in them ca be used for immediate medical expenses, saved for future medical expenses, or invested for medical expenses after retirement. This is just one of many health insurance plan aspects to consider when choosing an online health insurance company. Once you have made your choice based on your needs, sit back and let the online health insurance quotes roll in until you find the one that is best for you.

Bob Hett offers great tips and advice regarding all aspects of
the health insurance industry. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.healthinsurancejournal.info

Choosing a Health Insurance Quote: The Best Bang for your Buck

2008-03-01T00:27:00.000-08:00

Most people get a series of health insurance quotes when shopping around. Everyone requires health insurance of some sorts, whether you are single, married have kids or are a student and quotes help narrow down your options. However, the process can be quite a tedious one! Not only will this decision affect your levels of medical care, it will also affect your pocketbook. This article will help you manage the choices available to you when shopping for a health insurance quote, so that your medical requirements and budget are both met satisfactorily.

Most of the health insurance quotes that youll receive will be grouped into one of three categories:

Health Insurance Quotes: Indemnity of Fee-For-Service Plans
The plans that our parents used to use were probably indemnity plans; these health insurance quotes allow you to visit any doctor of your choosing. Highly desirable by many people, these types of health insurance quote are in great demand, however, they are becoming harder and harder to come by, and seem to be creeping up in price. But many consumers are willing to pay this price, because of the convenience and flexibility these plans offer.

Health Insurance Quotes: Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
HMOs are becoming more and more common lately; most health insurance quotes are for this type of plan nowadays. HMOs are, essentially, a group of health service providers who bundle their services together in a fixed price option. If your doctor doesnt refer you to certain care, then you wont be eligible to receive payment for it under your health insurance quote. These types of plans are good for people who know they wont need any specialized services, and if your budget is a factor, this is one of the lower, and more predictable options.

Health Insurance Quotes: Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)
PPOs are a health insurance quote that combines aspects the two aforementioned plans. PPOs offer the same type of managed group services as HMOs, but also allow users to go outside of their network without a referral. It only makes sense, though, that using this option will cost you more out-of-pocket expenses, but it is covered partially. PPOs are a good middle ground health insurance quote option; you get the flexibility of using your group of health care providers or ones outside of the network, and the costs for this type of plan are in the middle range of the three (although costs can be a bit less predictable).

Health Insurance Quotes: Where to Go?
Many consumers get their health insurance quotes from their workplace, which may or may not be partially paid for through the company. If your company doesnt offer this benefit, perhaps talk to professional organizations, unions, banks, club or other group that you belong to they may have an option that is attractive to you. If you cannot find group coverage this way, you can always opt for individual coverage but this is by far the most expensive health insurance quote option out there. Talking to an insurance agent who can assist you with the quote process is a good idea, if this is your only avenue.

For more more information about health insurance quotes please visit

Understanding Health Insurance Coverage: A Primer

2008-02-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

Health Insurance Coverage: What are Covered Services?
Health insurance coverage is a contract used to determine medical benefits that are covered, or not covered, between you and your insurance provider. The insurance company, based on a fee that you provide them on a regular basis, promises to pay health insurance coverage on certain items or benefits listed in that contract. These are called covered services. Covered services can include a wide variety of things, such as implements, prescriptions, services (such as massage), checkups, tests and/or research.

Your contract should also list all of the things NOT covered in your health insurance coverage these are items or services that you will need to pay for out of your own pocket, should you require them.

Health Insurance Coverage: What is a Medical Necessity? How is this Different from Covered Services?
Just as it seems, a medical necessity is something that your health professional has deemed a required service/ item that will affect your health negatively should you decide not to purchase it. However, just because your doctor tells you something is a medical necessity does not mean your health insurance actually offers coverage for it.

Since insurance companies decide what health coverage they will and will not provide, you really have no leeway in this area.

Health Insurance Coverage: What Do I Do?
Most doctors try and keep themselves abreast as to what the major insurance companies do, and do not cover when it comes to health coverage. However, there are a LOT of plans out there, so this just isnt enough. So how can you avoid any nasty surprises during an emergency?

Read your health insurance coverage. Youre better off knowing what your health insurance company will, and will not provide coverage for right off the bat. Then, if your doctor decides on a treatment plan that isnt covered, you can ask for alternatives that may be.
If there are questions regarding your health insurance coverage, do not hesitate to contact the insurance company. Questions are good, and they expect them.

Health Insurance Coverage: What Do I Do if Something I Need Isnt Covered?
The gross majority of what your doctor orders for you will be covered in your health insurance plan. If you do get a treatment or supply that isnt covered, you can always challenge the health insurance coverage. You may not be the only one who requires the same type of service, benefit or item so youll end up fighting not just for yourself, but for others in the same situation.

Ask your doctor for their side, and use this in your claim. It may not help in the end, but if your doctor is on your side, you may be able to convince the health insurance company that coverage is required.

For more more information about health insurance coverage please visit

Is Pet Health Insurance an Option?

2008-02-28T21:59:00.001-08:00

Most pet owners arent aware that health insurance for their loved animals has been available for about 15 years now. However, both the availability and restrictions on most plans have made this type of health insurance out of reach for most pet owners.

Interestingly enough, pet health insurance has changed in the past couple of years. Now, animal owners are able to afford medical procedures previously prohibitive because of the cost. But many skeptics are concerned that health insurance for pets will see an increase in the red tape us humans already encounter every day.

Animal medicine is one of the few health care services that isnt financially dependent on health insurance. Medical, dental, surgical and pharmaceuticals are all pretty much covered by health insurance in humans, but veterinary patients are responsible for all of that, themselves. Or, at least their owners are.

Health insurance for pets is very similar to insurance for humans. The same fees, deductibles, coverage rates and plans are all in place, with different plans based on the age, species, and general health of your pet.

Most health insurance policies for animals start around the 6-8 week range, but when the policies end depend on a variety of factors, mostly decided by the health insurance company. Some have age limits, and some dont.

And just like with humans, some health insurance companies will only accept your pet on their plan if they are healthy; others will accept them only if they have had a stable condition for more than six months in a row.

Currently, deductibles stand around $100 for pet health insurance. Policy costs vary as much as human health insurance does, unfortunately. Some depend on what types and kind of coverage is desired, and yet others are just blanket coverage catch-alls. Some may only cover accidents and illnesses. And more pets usually means a reduced health insurance rate for subsequent animals.

But what if you decide that an health insurance policy is not right for you, and your pet? There are other options, of course!

First, discuss your situation with your Veterinarian. Some animal hospitals offer packages that arent quite health insurance, but can offer a rate deal of some sorts on more mundane medical procedures (spaying/neutering, vaccinations, etc.), or packages for your aging animal.

Secondly, research plans that offer discounts on animal health services. PetAssure is one of these companies, but there are a myriad of not-for-profits that may offer this as a side benefit when you join. Or, these same animal not-for-profits may offer financial assistance for pet owners whose health costs are beyond their means a sort of emergency fund, if you will.

All in all, it depends on you, and your pet(s), whether or not pet health insurance is the right choice. Hopefully, with the help of this article, your choice will be an informed one.

For more more information about pet health insurance please visit

Dog Health Insurance

2008-02-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

Should you seriously consider buying a dog health insurance policy? Yes, you should. Here's why health insurance for dogs is a good idea:

Dog health insurance saves you money. As with just about all other costs, veterinary expenses have increased rapidly in recent years. Without dog medical insurance (or more accurately, veterinary insurance), you are responsible for paying for everything: routine checkups, preventive procedures, emergency care and disease treatments. That will run into hundreds of dollars. Why not get some help?
Dog Health Insurance: Quick Cost Facts

* Health insurance for your dog, like health insurance for yourself, has annual premiums and deductibles.
* Pet insurance premiums depend on the breed of your dog and the type of policy you decide upon. If you have more than one dog, there is usually a reduced rate after the first policy. Dog health insurance deductibles can vary as well. The average annual deductible is about $100.
* You may choose among different coverage plans which are based on your dogs age, breed, and pre-existing medical conditions. Some policies even consider the dogs lifestyle; for instance, whether your dog is purely a pet or a watchdog, too.

Health Insurance for Dogs: Quick Coverage Facts

* Dog insurance healthcare plans can vary greatly. Some canine health plans are quite comprehensive, covering annual checkups, routine care, vaccinations and other preventive medications, and spaying/neutering, as well as illnesses and accidents. Others only cover unexpected sickness or injuries.
* Dog insurance coverage for emergencies begins immediately on most new dog health plans, with a 30-day waiting period for illness and other claims.
* Your dogs age can affect your dog's health insurance coverage. Typically, policies begin veterinary healthcare coverage when the dog is 6 to 8 weeks old, although some will start when the dog is younger. Similarly, some dog health insurance companies only will cover dogs under 8 years old unless the animal was already insured with them before turning 8.
* Many dog health insurers will not cover your pet if she has a preexisting condition or a terminal illness. Some will insure the dog only if the condition is controlled or stable, usually for 6 months.

With all these options, it is important you check out the various dog health insurance companies, their pet insurance policies and corresponding dog healthcare plans.

In short, if you care about your dog, you should care about his health. If you care about your wallet, you should care about your dog's health insurance coverage, too.

You can read more of Joel Walsh's articles on dog issues such as Dog Health Insurance at:

How to Shop for Individual Health Insurance

2008-02-26T00:52:00.002-08:00

Thompson

If you find yourself in the position of shopping for an individual health insurance policy, there are certain things you'll want to keep in mind. Whether you are coming out of a job that covered you before, or are at the end of your COBRA benefits, or simply have never had coverage before there are things you can do to get coverage on yourself and your loved ones.

The basic thing to know is that if you have a shot a group health insurance, whether through a job or an association you're a member of, that is usually much more affordable than buying individual health insurance on your own. First you need to figure out your health insurance goals; in other words, what are you after? If you're young, healthy as a horse, no dependents and not attempting Mt. Everest next week, you may want to opt for a policy that covers only the catastrophes, and cover the rest out-of-pocket. On the flip side of that, if you're the sole bread winner with a family to support, the scenario is different.

The basic choices you'll have are Fee-for-Service, Managed Care Plans, and Association-based health insurance. Fee-for-service is the traditional indemnity plan, harder to acquire, more expensive, but usually great coverage. Managed care plans include most HMO's and PPO's. These offer lower costs but your choices are somewhat limited. Another way to get insured is through a group or association you may already be a member of, such as professional, religious or trade organizations. Often they may offer health insurance. It's worth checking out, as sometimes you can strike gold in this vein.

Things to consider when you're looking for any policy are what's covered on this plan, how much are the monthly premiums, what is the yearly out-of-pocket, what is the deductible, how much are office visits, does it cover preventative medicine, vision, dental? And I'm sure you can come up with many of your own. Sit down before you go shopping and make a list of your needs and wants, and decide in advance what you're willing to give to get. Be aware that once you start getting quotes they can vary as much as 50% for the same person! Remember, you're shopping, and nobody's making you do anything. If one insurer isn't cutting it, move on to another. If you're coming at this cold and have no good recommendations it may be wise to use a broker who represents several companies, as he or she wil be more likely to find the best policy for you, as opposed to selling the company they work for.

Shopping for individual health insurance can be frustrating and time-consuming, but if you come armed with facts you'll be able to navigate this highly competitive and ever-changing field.

Keith Thompson is the webmaster at a site geared toward helping you find great individual health insurance!

Canadas Aging Baby Boomers: Planning Health Insurance for the Future

2008-02-26T00:52:00.001-08:00

The first of Canadas aging baby boomers are poised to turn 65, and with this milestone birthday comes a variety of new health care concerns. In response to these changing medical needs, the Canadian health care system is preparing to handle some 10 million boomers whose reasons for visiting the hospital will range from hearing loss to long-term care. The aging of this Canadian demographic is inevitable, but falling into financial debt in order to pay for these services can be avoided. By thinking ahead to what medical services may be required, individuals are able to customize their health insurance accordingly.

Living in a country like Canada where health care is provided for all is an undeniable luxury. Yet, despite the many benefits of Canadian health care, there are gaps that exist in coverage. These gaps dictate the need for supplementary health insurance. Sadly, there are many instances where people have met with unexpected illness, but there are also many health issues that can be planned for. Aging is one such issue.

Some of the most common services required by seniors include: x-rays for weakening bones, a visit to the podiatrist for any number of foot related issues and testing and fitting hearing aids for hearing loss. Each of these services may be an inevitability for the aging individual, but they may not all be covered by the Canadian government. Provincial health plans vary from province to province with certain provinces offering a proscribed amount of money yearly for various necessities, such as a trip to the podiatrist. A visit to a specialized doctor or the purchase of a hearing aid can be very costly, and with little to no coverage, people are often left with a substantial financial burden. Supplemental health insurance is the best way for seniors to plan for and minimize these costs.

Opting for supplemental health insurance allows you to customize your plan to suit your individual needs. For many seniors, the prospect of spending time in a hospital is not a pleasant one, but with supplemental coverage, a private room in a health care facility can make the stay more comfortable. Not only does health insurance ease the worry that individuals may have concerning their own personal welfare, but it also helps to assuage the fears of family members on whom the burden of long-term care would fall.

As ten million Canadians begin to approach the time in their life when retiring is imminent, it becomes a necessity to plan for whatever eventualities the future might hold. Thinking ahead to answer the various demands of aging helps guarantee a peace of mind for yourself and your family and ensures that you are ready to face the challenge of lifes milestones.

Anna Dorbyk is the editor for Canada Health Insurance and is a graduate student in Communication Studies at Concordia University. For more information on health insurance for Canadians please visit

Health Insurance and health care

2008-02-14T02:32:00.000-08:00

Health insurance is something that everyone needs today. The rising cost of visiting a health care provider or a hospital stay makes it imperative that everyone have some type of health care coverage. Government statistics estimate that over 40 million people in America are not covered by any type of health insurance on any given day. That's an enormous number of people who really are taking a financial risk.

Even if you're on a tight, limited budget, it's very important that you pick up some kind of affordable health insurance. Even if you only have a plan that covers unexpected hospitalization, your peace of mind will be greatly enhanced. Keep in mind that a catastrophic health insurance policy can come with a high deductible before their coverage kicks in. They don't pick up the cost of preventive physician visits or emergency room visits to get a few stitches.

Some questions to ask when considering affordable health insurance.

1) Can your and/or your family afford to pay ALL your medical expenses if you're sick or injured?

2) How much is the deductible?

3) How much are the premiums?

With a little searching and comparison shopping you find the best rate for your personal affordable health insurance.

Mike Yeager
Author/Publisher

What to look for in good Health Insurance

2008-02-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

Health insurance is a kind of protection that provides payment of benefits for covered sickness or injury. Included in health insurance are various types of insurance such as accident insurance, disability income insurance, medical expense insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

Before sign the health insurance policy make sure that you have read thoroughly the benefits section. Take note of any health care service that is not covered by your health insurance policy. Also, pay specific attention to how the health insurance policy is worded. Sometimes, health insurance companies hide the health insurance coverage exclusions within the definitions of words.

For instance, a health insurance company may define the term emergency as anything that is life threatening condition that cannot be reasonably treated by a primary care physician. Whereas, your definition of emergency may be anything that requires quick medical attention.

Clearly, there is conflict for the two definitions. If you find yourself in an emergency situation where you incur a broker arm, for instance, your insurance company may deny coverage for emergency room treatment of a broken arm for the reason that the broken arm does not fall under the life threatening category.

Therefore, you should read over carefully the health insurance policy definitions, paying close attention to the seven key words:

medical emergency
medically necessary
accidental injury
experimental or investigational
pre certification
pre-existing condition, and
reasonable and customary

These words and any words that are open to interpretation should be regarded with wariness. Find out how your health insurance company defines each of these.

Finally, find the section describing the procedures you must follow in order for your insurance company to reimburse you. These policy conditions or prerequisites are typically worded in a positive tone. Read through each condition carefully, make notes and call your health insurance company with any questions.

You should also compare health insurance contracts before you sign one. In order to compare exclusions, take two policy contracts and find the exclusions sections. If you want to compare a number of health insurance contracts then you could use an online service.

After you obtain your free quote for the health coverage you desire, apply for it online, and you'll obtain all the information that you'll need to compare exclusions of each health insurance policy (though sometimes this will require more research.)

Mike Spencer recently became unemployed and moved into self employment. He was forced to find his own health insurance plan to protect his family. It wasn't as easy as he first thought. Here he shares the pitfalls of various plans and what you need to look out for when picking a good plan for you:http://www.1st-for-health-insurance.com/articles/what-is-health-insurance.html

Natural Health Insurance: 3 Proven Immune Boosters

2008-02-13T02:20:00.000-08:00

As important as it is to make sure you have 'normal' health coverage, it's even more important to increase the amount of 'natural' health insurance you have. After all, if you protect your body now you won't need to worry about paying a big doctor's bill later! One of the best ways to do this is by boosting your immune system and helping your body to fight off disease.

The following tips are some of the most effective methods for boosting your immune system naturally. Each one is absolutely proven to help protect you from a wide array of diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Incorporating them into your lifestyle is one of the easiest ways to 'buy' natural health insurance!

Eat Colorful Vegetables & Fruits

These extremely healthy foods should be the basis of your diet. Eating colorful veggies and fruits is a must if you want to stay healthy for life. They are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that keep your body -- and your immune system -- strong and ready to fight off disease. Choose things like leafy greens, bright red tomatoes, orange grapefruits, yellow peppers, and plump blueberries. Remember, the more colorful your plate is the healthier you're going to be.

Get 8 Hours of Sleep

There is no longer any doubt that lack of sleep affects the immune system and leads to health problems. Several recent studies have shown that getting a good night's sleep can dramatically boost your immune response, while even one night of poor sleep can significantly suppress immune function. The immune system is constantly working, so when we sleep the body is able to 'reinforce' and strengthen it, most likely by producing powerful hormones. Most people need about 8 hours of sleep per night for optimal health so that's a good number to shoot for.

Exercise 6 Days a Week

Exercise is a powerful immune booster, not to mention a very important component of good overall health. Regular, moderate exercise has been shown to lower an individual's likelihood of getting sick. It also boosts natural energy levels while relieving stress at the same time. To top it all off, regular exercise makes it much easier to sleep at night! Just don't overdo it. Too much exercise can actually suppress the immune system. Try to get about 30 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, leaving one day for rest and recovery.

Well, there you go -- 3 powerful and proven ways to boost your immune system and stay healthy. Each of the above are healthy habits which, over time, will provide you with an abundance of natural health insurance. If combined, you'll enjoy great health and wellbeing for a very long time!

Ryan Wilson is a writer for Natural-Health-Insurance.com, a guide to useful news & information about staying healthy. You can learn more at: http://www.natural-health-insurance.com/.

Note to web site owners: Feel free to use this article on your site or newsletter. Just be sure it includes a 'live' link back to Natural-Health-Insurance.com

How To Save Money On Health Insurance Premiums Using HSA's

2008-02-11T03:33:00.001-08:00

Opening a health savings account (HSA) can save you hundreds on your health insurance premium and help pay for out of pocket expenses and deductibles. Anyone younger than age 65 who buys a qualified health insurance policy with a deductible of at least $1,000 for individuals, $2,000 for families, can open an HSA. An HSA lets you set aside pretax money up to the amount of the deductible (with an annual maximum of $2,600 for singles; $5,150 for families). You can use the money tax-free for medical expenses, and anything left over grows tax-deferred. You can use the money for anything after age 65 without penalty, but you will owe income taxes on any money that isn't used for medical expenses.

In many cases, the cost savings from buying a high-deductible policy make up for the higher out-of-pocket medical expenses you'll have to pay -- not to mention the tax benefits.

The HSA Insider Web site (http://www.hsainsider.com) has a comprehensive list of insurers offering HSA-eligible policies and financial institutions providing the investment accounts. You can also search for a quality high deductible health insurance plan to complement your HSA at Best Insurance Deals (http://www.Best-Insurance-Deals.net).

Charles White has authored several informational articles related to saving money on insurance. He is the owner of Best Insurance Deals, a website offering several sources of free insurance quotes saving you hundreds on Auto, Life, Health, Long Term Care and RV insurance. You can visit the website at http://www.best-insurance-deals.net and save money today.

How to Get NPI - National Provider Number for HIPAA-Compliant Medical Billing in 7 Steps

2008-02-11T03:31:00.000-08:00

The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated the adoption of standard unique identifiers for health care providers, as well as the adoption of standard unique identifiers for health plans. They become mandatory on May 23, 2007.

The purpose of these provisions is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the electronic transmission of health information. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) to assign these unique identifiers.

CMS has contracted with Fox Systems, Inc. to serve as the NPI Enumerator. The NPI Enumerator is responsible for dealing with health plans and providers on issues relating to unique identification.

HCFA Timetable

Changes in the HCFA 1500 form to accommodate the NPI number took place January 1, 2007. Until March 30, 2007, using NPI number on the HCFA form is optional but as of April 2, 2007, using NPI becomes mandatory.

Getting an NPI is free - Not Having One Can Be Costly: If you delay applying for your NPI, you risk your cash flow.

Enumerate: Enumeration is mandatory for both individual providers and organizations and subparts. When applying for your NPI, CMS urges you to include your legacy identifiers, not only for Medicare but for all payors. If reporting a Medicaid number, include the associated State name. This information is critical for payors in the development of crosswalks to aid in the transition to the NPI.
Update: Make sure to upgrade your software, HIPAA Transactions, CMS1500, UB04, and/or Dental claim form changes.
Communicate: Notify your payers once you have obtained your NPI number. As outlined in the Federal Regulation (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)) you must also share your NPI with other providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and any entity that may need it for billing purposes -- including designation of ordering or referring physician.
Collaborate: Check the readiness of your payment partners (such as health plans, TPAs, clearinghouses, etc...)? Not all payers are ready to accept the NPI number at this time. Use both your existing (legacy) number and the NPI number when submitting electronic claims.
Test: Test transactions well before the deadline. Make sure to test HIPAA Transactions, e.g., 837 Claims, 835 Remittance Advice, and, if you submit paper claims, verify that the data is printed in the correct fields. The new HCFA form has new fields for identifier numbers on lines 17b, 32a and 33a.
Educate: Focus on staff working on insurance verification of eligibility and claim denial or underpayment follow up.
Implement: Once you obtain your NPI, it might take about 120 days to do the remaining work to use it. This includes working on your internal billing systems, coordinating with billing services, vendors, and clearinghouses, testing with payers.

Yuval Lirov, PhD, author of "Mission Critical Systems Management" (Prentice Hall), inventor of patents in Artificial intelligence and Computer Security, and CEO of Vericle.net Billing Technologies and Services. Vericle? unites hundreds of billing services across the nation. Its electronic medical billing software tracks payer performance from a single point of control and shares compliance rules globally. Yuval invites you to register to the next webinar on audit risk at BillingPrecision.com

No Living Will & Power Of Attorney?: HIPAA Law Shuts You Out

2008-02-09T01:42:00.000-08:00

What do you mean I can't find out about my husband's accident injuries? Why can't we move my mother to the nice nursing-home down the street? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA caused two of my clients to live through these very situations.

A husband and wife were involved in a terrible automobile accident. The husband was seriously injured. His wife wanted to make certain that the needed medical attention was given to her husband. The wife could not get any medical information from her doctor. Even though she was the wife, the new HIPAA law and regulations prevents her from receiving medical information without specific written authorization!

In another case, an elderly widow lady became incapacitated. Her two children wanted to place her in a nursing home so that she would receive adequate care. Even though they had a living will and health-care power of attorney for their mother, they were required to go to court and be appointed her guardians so that they could place their mother in the health care facility.

What is the HIPAA Law all about?

The HIPAA Law in a Nutshell

HIPAA took effect on April 14, 2003.

This legislation applies to virtually every physician, nurse, pharmacist, dentist, and health care provider in the nation. It impacts everyone's access to health care information.

What does this privacy act mean? The regulations stress that health care providers must limit health information to those who are intended to receive it. This means health care information cannot be released to any unauthorized person. This may mean you may not be able to receive medical records for your spouse or parent.

HIPAA Violation Penalties

The penalties for health care providers are staggering. For each disclosure violation, there is a $100 fine. If the violation is knowing, there are criminal penalties of a $50,000 fine and up to one year in prison. If information is provided or obtained under false pretenses, there is $100,000 fine and up to five years in prison. If the wrongful sale, transfer or use of the information was for commercial advantage, there is a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

How does this affect you? To ensure an easy transition, you must have the appropriate medical release language to comply with HIPAA in three of your estate planning documents.

Documents to Update

The documents which need to be updated are:

Your Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney
Your Living Trust
Your Durable Power of Attorney

What if I do nothing?

You may be forced to sign the doctor's or hospitals forms in a stressful emergency situation. These documents may not reflect your choices and may contain confusing legal and/or medical terminology. Or you may be unable to sign anything and may repeat one of the above scenarios.

If your documents were created before 2003 and have not been amended since, have your attorney review them for HIPAA compliant language. Are you missing some or all of these documents? Make an appointment today!

Visit http://www.stevenallen.com for tips and tools on Wealth Preservation. You can also subscribe to his monthly newsletter Secrets To Wealth Preservation. Steven W. Allen has been an Estate Planning attorney for over 30 years. He is a member of the Arizona Bar Association, National Lawyers Association, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and National Speakers Association. He is the author of four books including the most recent You Can?t Take It With You...So How Will You Leave It Behind?. Go to http://www.EstatePlanningDr.com for your 3 free chapters.

HIPAA and Document Imaging

2008-02-08T00:00:00.001-08:00

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996 and has made quite an impression on the world of digital document imaging and forms processing. Any company as a covered entity of HIPAA needs to take certain precautions when outsourcing any aspect of their operations that deal with personnel health information (PHI.) There are two main components to HIPAA that deal directly with the outsourcing of document imaging and claims processing. Privacy issues and Administrative Simplification are of the utmost importance to HIPAA.

If you have been to doctor?s office the last few years, you probably have been asked to sign all kinds of new forms; these forms are HIPAA privacy forms. It does not end with privacy and disclosure forms, people handling medical information must take special precautions when handling private medical information. This information includes but is not limited claims, patient history files, and enrollment files.

Whenever dealing with a Document Imaging Service provider you should always ask them about their HIPAA policies and procedures. Every one of their employees needs to sign an agreement stating they are aware they are handling people?s PHI. The company should have a zero tolerance policy on distributing or reading anyone?s PHI. Every care and precaution must be taken to ensure PHI remains private.

Under the privacy rule of HIPAA there is a security rule which has three parts:

Administrative Safeguards ? are policies and procedures designed to clearly show how an organization will comply with the HIPAA act.
Physical Safeguards - Physical access to PHI must be restricted and controlled to guard against inappropriate access to such data.
Technical Safeguards ? Any organization engaged in the handling of PHI must control access to computer systems and protect communications containing PHI. These communications must be protected against interception.

The primary goal of the Administrative Simplification portion of HIPAA is to simplify and streamline the administration of health care. Essentially, standards are created to facilitate various types of health care electronic transactions. No one insurer can ask any claims submitter to file in any other electronic formats other than those mandated by HIPAA.

A little bit of work up front will pay off in time. If you use an experienced service bureau or clearinghouse to process your claims, they will be able to convert your paper claims according to the standards set fourth by HIPAA with little effort. Once you successfully submit claims in the HIPAA standard ANSI 837 format, submitting to another insurer will be a piece of cake.

Under the old system, one health care provider could require all claims submissions to be in a HL7 format while another could require a custom text string. There were about 400 different ways to submit an electronic claim before HIPAA. Now there is one way, HIPAA's Way.

Less setup for new claims submitters (One size fits all)
Easier training for new staff
Faster payments

If you feel the company you are doing business with is not serious about HIPAA, find another company to do business with. In the end you are responsible for the actions of your contracted vendors. Any vendor dealing with PHI is also considered a covered entity of HIPAA and therefore legally bound by the act.

We are a NY document imaging company dedicated to finding you the right solution for all your digital data needs. We believe in providing you with all the necessary information and expertise to help you make a sound decision regarding your data processing projects. For more information visit our website at http://www.paper-scanning-services.com

HIPAA And How It Will Affect Your Office

2008-02-06T22:46:00.001-08:00

This information is designed to help you better understand HIPAA and to assist your office in becoming HIPAA compliant. The information was obtained from a variety of sources and is not intended to be legal advice. If you are having difficulty understanding any portion of the HIPAA regulations you should consult your legal counsel. First, there are no HIPAA police. No one is going to come into your office to inspect you to see if you are HIPAA compliant. A complaint must be filed in order for any action to be taken.

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act. It was enacted by the federal government in 1996 as part of a healthcare reform effort. HIPAA is intended to ensure confidentiality of all patient related health care information. It also intends to simplify the administrative processes of health care, thereby reducing the costs and administrative burdens of health care.

One thing to remember is that the HIPAA Act uses the word ?reasonable? several times. You and your office staff must do whatever reasonable to protect your patient?s privacy. For instance, smaller medical offices do not have to take the same privacy measures as large hospitals do. That would not be reasonable.

Also, there are no ?privacy police.? No one is going to come in and inspect your office randomly. Someone must file a complaint first. The complaints will be handled by the Office of Civil Rights. If someone puts in a complaint, then it will be investigated. The fines are very high, so you will want to be sure that your office has good privacy practices and that they are followed all of the time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the type of your practice may determine the level of privacy that you need to acquire. For example, patient?s in an optometrist?s office may not be as concerned about people knowing they are there, as opposed to patient?s in a mental health office. There are several different components of HIPAA, each one having its own implementation date.

Section 2: The Privacy Component : implementation date: April 2002

1. You must do everything within reason to protect your patient's privacy.

2. Patient's files and information should be kept in a secure section of your office, a section that is not accessible by other patients.

3. Charts should not be left lying around, open where someone can read it.

4. If you are making a phone call about a patient or to a patient, you need to do it from an area where you cannot be overheard if you will be giving out personal information. For example, if you are calling their insurance company, and you will be saying the patient's first and last name, date of birth, ID#, and/or a diagnosis, then you do not want to do it where others, perhaps in a waiting room, can hear you.

5. If patient's charts are ever removed from the office you need to have a policy in place. For example, you should have a sign out sheet which states the patient's name, date taken, by whom, and then signed back in when the chart is returned.

6. If charts are removed , they should be carried in a case that is marked ?confidential - medical records.? If you were ever involved in an accident, or separated from the bag for any reason, either authorities or medical personel would secure the information for you. Or you would have at least done whatever reasonable to protect that information.

7. If computer screens are in a position that patients can view them, you may want to move them, or get a screen cover. A screen cover makes it so that the computer screen can only be read when directly in front of it. The above are just some things that you will need to consider when becoming HIPAA compliant. Each office will have it?s own areas that need to be reviewed. The above are many of the common areas.

Section 3: Administrative Simplification: compliance date: October 2002

This component requires the standardization of data transmissions, or EDI, and procedure/diagnosis codes.

As for the standardization of procedure/diagnosis codes, this just means that you must use CPT-4 codes for procedure codes and ICD-9 codes for diagnosis codes.

As for the standardization of EDI, that refers to your electronic billing. In order to submit your claims electronically, you must do so in a HIPAA compliant format.

Section 4: Security Component: no implementation date set yet

This component requires that health care professionals, Billing Services, and clearing houses take appropriate security measures to assure that health information pertaining to an individual remains secure and is not accessible by others.

Things to consider:

Where is your fax machine? Is it in a place where only office staff can access incoming faxes? Is it on 24 hours a day? When you are not in the office (after office hours) can anyone else access your fax machine? Whenever you fax personal information about a patient you should use a fax cover sheet with a confidentiality statement. The statement should explain that the following fax contains personal medical information and that if the fax is received by anyone other than the intended party, that the fax should be destroyed and they should notify you that it was received in error.

Do you hire a cleaning person/crew? Are they in the office when you are not? Do they have access to the patient?s personal information? You may want to ask them to sign a confidentiality statement.

Do you rent office space? If yes, does your landlord have access to your office? Do they ever enter your office without you being present? If they do, you may want to ask them to sign a confidentiality statement.

By asking people who have access to your office to sign a confidentiality statement, you are making a reasonable attempt to protect your patient?s privacy. It is not always reasonable to never allow anyone access to areas that contain private information. If those people sign an agreement and then breech that agreement, you would not be held responsible.

If you do any business by email, you will need to use an encryption service. This will ensure that if anyone were to intercept your emails, they would not be able to read them.

Section 5: Privacy Officer

All offices must designate a mandated ?privacy officer.? This person would be responsible for making sure all staff are HIPAA trained and that privacy policies are typed up and followed. They would also be the person that staff members or patients could go to with any concerns or questions about HIPAA compliance. Even if you are a very small practice, you MUST have someone designated as the privacy officer. It may even be the Doctor themself.

Section 6: Release of Patient Information/Consent

You need to have the patient?s written consent in order to release any of their records/information.

(Exception: If request is due to immediate/urgent care of patient.)

You should review your current consent and authorization forms to make sure they are HIPAA compliant. HIPAA requires you to obtain consent for the use and disclosure of information from each of your patients. You may refuse to treat patients who will not sign the consent form.

Section 7: Unique Identifiers: No implementation date set yet

HIPAA will mandate the use of unique identifiers. More to come on this component. Most likely you will have one national provider number, instead of a different provider number for each insurance company.

Section 8: Policies and Procedures Required by HIPAA

1. Identify people on your staff who require access to protected health information.

2. Prevent access to protected health information by unauthorized persons.

3. Ensure that the ?minimum necessary? amount of information is released for routine disclosures (only release information pertaining to what is requested, not the patient?s entire file.)

4. Verify the identity of the requestor of information.

5. Provide patients access to their records, the opportunity to request corrections, and access to and accounting of disclosures.

6. Every office must have written policies regarding privacy practices.

Summary

Evaluate your physical office for potential privacy and security risks. One of the best things that you can do to become ?ready? for HIPAA is to walk through (better yet - have someone else walk through) your office as if you are a patient. Look around at EVERYTHING. What do you see? Do you see any personal patient information, charts in full view? Start right from the front door, and go through every room in your office, especially the rooms that patients have access to. Then continue to do periodic checks to ensure ongoing compliance.

Make sure that you have written policies regarding any privacy practices, such as removing charts from the office, faxing patient information, reviewing any complaints from patients, etc. Also, make sure you designate a ?privacy officer.?

Make sure all staff members are trained regarding HIPAA policies. Remember to train any/all new employees regarding HIPAA policies. You should also review your current HIPAA policies regularly.
Michele Redmond is co-owner of Solutions Medical Billing and has been in business since 1994. She has a bachelor?s degree in Computer Information Science and is responsible for the medical billing for over 50 providers. For more information on medical billing and HIPAA visit her website at http://www.solutions-medical-billing.com