Monday, December 29, 2008

High Deductible Major Medical Insurance - Where to Get the Best Rates


Looking to lower your monthly premium on your health insurance? High Deductible Major Medical Insurance may be the answer you've been looking for. Here's what it is and where you can get it cheap.

What is High Deductible Major Medical Health Insurance?

This type of insurance covers you only for serious injuries or illnesses. You select the deductible you want, which will usually be from $500 to $10,000 per year. You pay all your medical expenses up to this deductible, after which the company pays 100% of any additional medical expenses.

If My Deductible is so High, How Am I Saving Money?

You are saving money because, while your deductible is high, your monthly premiums are low. Consider this: your monthly premiums can be half of what you would pay for a traditional health insurance program. In addition, these types of health plans are often coupled with "insurance savings accounts."

What's an insurance savings account? You can think of it as a medical 401-K, in which you regularly deposit money-on a pre-tax basis-to cover your medical expenses until you meet your deductible. So if your deductible is $2,000, you would want to deposit $2,000 in your insurance savings account each year to pay for that deductible. When you have a medical expense, you draw money out of the savings plan to pay for it.

Sounds Great - Where Can I Find a Cheap Plan?

You can find free quotes for cheap high deductible Student health insurance plans quickly and easily by going online to an insurance comparison website. On such a site, you can shop for a plan any time by just filling out a simple form with information about yourself and your health insurance needs. You then receive quotes from multiple A-rated companies, which you can look over on your own time and choose the best plan for your situation.

Source: EzineArticles.com


Friday, December 26, 2008

Cheap Medical Insurance Companies Online In Alabama


If you are looking for cheap Medical insurance companies here in Alabama there's really only one place for you to look, and that's online. Online sellers of insurance have almost no overhead and so they can pass truly remarkable savings along to you. The super good news is that there are simple ways for you to save even MORE!

One thing you can do is to pay your monthly premium automatically each month out of your savings or checking account. If your insurance company doesn't have to send you a costly bill every month they can afford to reduce the cost of your medical insurance.

If you don't see your doctor often then it can really pay for you to increase your co-payment from 25% to 50%.

Likewise, you can save money on your Medical insurance instantly if you increase your deductible. Just be careful that you don't increase your deductible past the point at which you can afford to pay it.

And speaking of high deductibles, one of the newest forms of cheap medical insurance is called a Health Savings Account, or an HSA. This is a special savings account that you fill with cheap tax-free dollars. You use those tax-free dollars to pay for all of your medical costs.

You also use those tax-free dollars to pay for a cheap super-high-deductible medical insurance policy. This cheap policy will have a deductible so high that in a typical year it won't pay even a penny toward any of your medical bills - that's what you use the tax-free savings account for.

Where these policies come in handy is if you should suffer a catastrophic illness or accident that runs up medical bills into the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars - something that can happen in the blink of an eye.

Without one of these cheap medical policies you would be forced to wipe out your life savings, you might have to sell your home and you might even be driven into bankruptcy.

So check out all of your alternatives - but when it comes time to buy your medical insurance you really NEED to buy it online. You'll save even more money when you buy your insurance online if you take the time to review prices from a number of International health insurance price comparison websites and not rely on the results from just one site.

So happy hunting - and remember, if you take the time to look carefully online you really and truly CAN fine health insurance at prices you probably never dreamed possible.


Source: EzineArticles.com

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

High Deductible Major Medical Insurance - Where to Get the Best Rates

Looking to lower your monthly premium on your health insurance? High Deductible Major Medical Health Insurance may be the answer you've been looking for. Here's what it is and where you can get it cheap.

What is High Deductible Major Medical Health Insurance?

This type of insurance covers you only for serious injuries or illnesses. You select the deductible you want, which will usually be from $500 to $10,000 per year. You pay all your medical expenses up to this deductible, after which the company pays 100% of any additional medical expenses.

If My Deductible is so High, How Am I Saving Money?

You are saving money because, while your deductible is high, your monthly premiums are low. Consider this: your monthly premiums can be half of what you would pay for a traditional health insurance program. In addition, these types of health plans are often coupled with "insurance savings accounts."

What's an insurance savings account? You can think of it as a medical 401-K, in which you regularly deposit money-on a pre-tax basis-to cover your medical expenses until you meet your deductible. So if your deductible is $2,000, you would want to deposit $2,000 in your insurance savings account each year to pay for that deductible. When you have a medical expense, you draw money out of the savings plan to pay for it.

Sounds Great - Where Can I Find a Cheap Plan?

You can find free quotes for cheap high deductible international health insurance plans quickly and easily by going online to an insurance comparison website. On such a site, you can shop for a plan any time by just filling out a simple form with information about yourself and your health insurance needs. You then receive quotes from multiple A-rated companies, which you can look over on your own time and choose the best plan for your situation.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

No Load Life Insurance Quote - How to Get a Cheap Rate


With no load life insurance, you get the benefits of a whole life insurance policy but at a lower cost. Here's how to get a cheap no load life insurance quote.

No Load Life Insurance

No load life insurance, also called low load life insurance, is a whole life policy with few or no annual fees. You can buy no load life insurance from professionally licensed insurance advisors and brokers, and sometimes even directly from an insurance company. Your bank or financial brokerage might also offer no load insurance policies.

Cheap No Load Life Insurance Quotes

The best way to get a good no load life insurance quote with a cheap rate is to take advantage of the power of the Internet. The Internet can help you quickly get quotes from multiple companies so you can compare them and find the best no load life insurance quote for your needs.

All you need to do is complete a form on an insurance website. The form will ask for information such as...

* Your contact information

* Your medical history

* How much insurance you want

The website will then search for insurance companies that match your needs and provide you with free quotes from multiple A-rated companies. The best insurance websites also have insurance professionals on hand to answer your questions and help you get the best rate on your no load medical insurance.

To get the best rate on your no load life insurance quote, be sure you answer the questions on the online form as accurately and completely as possible.

The insurance company may require you to have a physical or submit medical records so they can make sure you are in good health and don’t have any pre-existing conditions. If you do need to have a physical, schedule it for the morning, when your blood pressure and cholesterol counts will be lower.

source:ezinearticles.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Student Health Insurance Quotes

Student Health Insurance quotes rarely say much about the quality of the policy, so when you request for a quote online, request for other important data about the policy.

Lifetime payout. The insurance company sets a limit on the amount you can be reimbursed over your lifetime. Usually, lifetime payout levels can cost you more, while lower lifetime payout levels may not be enough if you do incur an expensive or long-term illness.

Provision on waiver of premiums. Insurance quotes do not say if you can defer payment throughout the length of a prolonged illness, so ask the insurance company about it. This may not seem essential at first, but such a provision can be very useful if your disease prevents you from working.

Deductible rates. Ask the insurance company to not just send you quotes, but they should also factor in the deductibles. Set a high deductible and copayment if you want to lower your premium rates considerably. Never sign up with a policy that makes deductible rates out-of-reach.

Policies on renewal. Look past the insurance quote and immediately check to see if the company allows you to you can renew your Health Insurance policy even if you have already been ill.

Emergency coverage. A low insurance quote is useless if the policy does not cover emergency medical services. Do not sign up with a company that still requires the primary physician to endorse emergency care. Be sure to understand how the insurer defines "emergency." Check for the company's ratings on this particular provision if you can.

Source:EzineArticles.com

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Medical Insurance For Your Pets

A lot of people reading this probably think that Medical Insurance for pets must be some type of new fad and craze suddenly popping up, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Health coverage plans for pets have been around for the last 20 years or so, but are just now starting to become common place amongst pet owners.

Most people have the wrong view of their pet's medical expenses. Most people are oblivious to the high expenses of paying for a visit to the vet and a pet's medicinal needs. The shock usually sets in when they get the bill in the mail and realize just how much money these bills are going to cost. Over the last few years the price of a visit to the vet has risen considerably. This leaves many people in a hard position when it comes to their pet needing serious treatment done. Some people even have to let their dogs be put down because of not being able to afford a life saving operation. This can be devastating for a family to go through, especially children.

If you aren't sure where to look for health coverage plans for your pets you should try searching on the Internet. The Internet has a wealth of information on just about any type of pet Health Insurance need you may have. It may take you awhile to find the right company with the right plan, but isn't your pet worth it? Make sure that you shop around and that you don't settle for the first company and plan that comes along. Try contacting these companies and getting as much information as possible about their plans and how much the deductibles will be.

Sit down with the whole family and take a look at your family budget. See how much cash you really have to work with before picking a plan. Make sure it's a plan that will fit within the family budget and will not put any unnecessary strain on you financially. Once you've got your budget adjusted it's time to contact the company and sign up for the plan you want.

There are a lot of different plan options for you to choose from and each one has it's benefits and it's down sides. You can always opt for a plan with a higher deductible that will be cheaper than some other plans. You can always go for a co-payment type of plan as well. This is a lot cheaper than some other plans.

Taking care of your pets is a must if you want them to have a happy, healthy long life with you and your family. You should definitely think about the financial costs of having pets before going out and purchasing one. This will benefit both you and the potential pet you could've had by realizing you may not be financially secure enough to pay for all the high costs of a healthy pet. Remember to shop around and try to find the best deal you can that will help you to be able to pay for your pet's health care.

Source:EzineArticles.com

Monday, September 8, 2008

International Medical Insurance

One of the most important factors for anyone is taking care of one's health and being financially capable to pay for medical care. Medical insurance is currently the best way to do this, but if you are planning to travel outside of the country your regular policy might not cover costs incurred in foreign countries. For this, you need international medical insurance.

International Medical Insurance can be bought on a temporary basis - for vacations, infrequent business trips, short visits with family in other countries, and so on. But it can also be bought on a more permanent basis, for those who travel often. Either way, you should be able to find some good health insurance to cover any mishaps, sudden outbreaks of disease, or continuing treatment for a recurring syndrome you might have. Be sure to shop around for the different rates and terms of service, and read the fine print.

Do not mistake International Medical Insurance companies with those of the non-government organizations (NGOs) who conduct social and charitable works throughout the nation and the world. International medical insurance agencies are for-profit businesses. Actually, international medical insurance groups have to abide by a complex patchwork of federal and state regulations. There are a number of different types of rules depending on the mode of operation of the international medical insurance groups in various parts of the United States, and these rules depend on the insurance coverage purchased directly by individuals or on behalf of a group, just as it is the case in employment-based medical insurance.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Health Insurance - Usual Dilemmas Associated With It

Insurance is chiefly utilized to circumvent against the consequences of a contingent loss. It is defined as the impartial shift of the consequences of a loss or failure, from one body to another, in return for a premium. The company or corporate body that is selling the insurance is called an insurer. The dynamic that is utilized to ascertain the amount to be charged for a specific amount of insurance coverage is termed as "insurance rate."

The two intrinsic challenges that must have to be dealt with by health insurance systems are adverse selection, which impacts any insurance scheme through which a third party takes on major liability for the expense - whether it is the government or an employer.

These usual problems are defeated by some national schemes with enforced insurance by utilizing plans such as community rating and risk equalization.

Moral vulnerability takes place when a consumer and health insurer enters into an agreement under symmetric information. One usual example of moral vulnerability is third-party payment. It occurs when the organization concerned in making a judgment are not accountable for bearing expenses arising from the judgment.

Adverse selection is a term utilized by Affordable Health Insurance companies in depicting the tendency for those who will take advantage of the insurance to acquire it. Particularly when speaking about health insurance, unhealthy consumers are more likely to obtain a health insurance for the reason that they anticipate higher medical bills. On the other hand, consumers who think they are logically healthy may come to a decision that medical insurance or health insurance is an unneeded expenditure.

A Health Insurance company could be left by adverse selection with principally sick subscribers and have no means to weigh out the value of their medical expenses with a huge amount of healthy subscribers. Because of the dilemma brought by adverse selection, health insurance companies utilizes medical underwriting, through the use of a patient's medical record to screen out those patients whose current medical conditions pose too much risk.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Student Health Insurance - Know the Facts Before You Buy and Save Big Money

If you are attending college, you must be prepared to either; provide proof of insurance, find a temporary insurance policy. or purchase coverage through the school you are attending. This is done to prevent uninsured students from becoming a liability for the college. If you look at this objectively, it also saves you from any potentially financially devastating medical bills.

Living in a dorm is a bit like living in a large petri dish. If one student becomes sick, the illness tends to spread through the dorm population in no time at all. If a student is insured, he or she would be more likely to see a doctor and obtain medication, if needed, to stop the illness in it's tracks. In addition, if a student were to be injured on campus, it would be in the best interest of the college for the student to be covered by Health Insurance.

How does this affect you as a student? If you are not already insured, you will either have to purchase temporary insurance, which can quickly eat up your savings, or you could finance this through financial aid by purchasing student health insurance through your college to get your student health insurance

Compared to the overall cost of a college education, Student Health Insurance is usually just a small amount. State colleges and universities offer policies that cost approximately 1/10 of the cost of tuition, which is not too bad. However, if you attend a private college, it might be worth your while to check out alternative sources of insurance, as insurance at a private school could be more expensive.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Short Term Health Insurance - Is it Right For You?

Some people in just don't need long term health insurance cover. That's where short term health insurance, is very useful. It is particularly popular among college leavers and people that find themselves between jobs.

If you have just left college and you're waiting to get your first job, then short term health insurance maybe ideal for you. After you get your job you should be covered by the employer's scheme. Short term insurance typically lasts between 1 and 12 months; you can choose the length of time that suits you. If you need a longer period of time, you would be better off considering a regular plan.

If you find yourself between jobs, you don't want to be saddled with big medical expenses. Think what would happen if you've been working for one of the big companies and you suddenly lost your job. You would lose your health cover too. That's where Short Term Health Insurance can come in handy. The application process is very quick compared to applying for normal health insurance. This maybe important if you've been laid off suddenly and have lost your health benefits along with your job.

The only real stipulation is that you don't have a pre existing condition. If you have recently seen a doctor about a medical condition in the last 3-5 years then you may find it either expensive or virtually impossible to get cover. Talk this over with your broker because he may know insurers that will take on your case.

Short term health cover is generally easier to apply for because you don't need to go through a complicated medical. You can be covered in as little as 24 hours. The cost of insurance varies according to where you live. But in general terms the cost of short term Health Insurance is affordable.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Health Insurance Offered By UK Health Insurance Companies

Health insurance companies UK offer a variety of options for health insurance buyers. They offer a wide range of products that cater to every segment of the market. It is a good idea to sift through all of these offerings and find one that will suit your needs and your budget. With the many health insurance plans and packages being offered, you will surely be able to find one.

What you need to understand are the basic types of health insurance available. Health insurance companies UK try to design Health Insurance Uk products that are offshoots of these basic types. There may be slight modifications, additional benefits and other nuances but the core principles should be similar.

• Private medical insurance provide coverage for consultations, tests, and operations. With this coverage, you do not need to wait in line as with NHS health plans, and you can choose where and when you will get treatment. You also have the benefits of a private room and other amenities.

• Critical illness insurance plan covers patients diagnosed with a severe illness. The health insurance company UK pays for a tax-free lump sum which can be used by the patient for any purpose.

• Income protection insurance provides benefits to those incapacitated by an illness. The health insurance company UK will pay a percentage of your gross income if you are unable to return to work because of an illness.

• Health trust fund is an alternative to the traditional health insurance plan. It has lower cost, no excess payments and no automatic premium increases.

• Cash plans are low cost health plans that provide cash to cover medical expenses such as dental, optical or nursing.

• Ex-pat insurance is for those UK residents who are working or living abroad for extended periods. The Health Insurance company provides health care coverage while ex-pats are on an international assignment or living in another country.

• Travel insurance is provided to those who are going on short trips or extended stays. Health insurance companies UK shoulder the cost of your medical treatments, if you suffer an illness, while on holiday.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Self Employed Health Insurance In UK

Getting self employed Health Insurance in UK is extremely important as if you are unable to work then you will not have any funds coming in. Although the UK still has a National Health Service sometimes getting the treatment you need can take much longer than you would have expected. But having the right kind of health insurance cover means that if you need treatment and you are covered it can be dealt with almost immediately.

When looking for any kind of self employed health insurance you need to first decide just how much you are willing to pay on the premiums each month. A good idea is to sit down and think about the level of health insurance coverage you actually want. Often by not having annual checkups, prescriptions or other regular health checkups included in the policy can save you money.

Also when looking for Health Insurance avoid those which offer extras such as health club memberships. Unfortunately these will only add more on to the cover of your insurance and you may well find that you do not actually even use it or need it.

When it comes to you paying a sum (deductibles) towards any costs that you may incur in the future then put the amount you are willing to pay as high as you possibly can. By doing this you are actually reducing the amount you are going to have to be paying for in your premiums.

The quickest and easiest way to search for good quality self employed health insurance in UK is by surfing the internet. There are a number of sites that will allow you to compare a number of different insurance at one time saving you both time and money.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Dental and Vision Insurance Plan-Cost Benefit Analysis

For most of us who work and get Medical benefits through our employer, once a year we are asked to select an insurance plans as part of our health benefits. Every year we are also given a choice to add coverage for dental and vision insurance.

Some employers may not provide the coverage for both dental and vision coverage but in some cases they may cover up to a certain amounts or some basic services. For example federal employees have their own federal employees dental and vision insurance program.

Normally since we go along with the employers group insurance provider we may be able to get a discount rate for vision and dental plans.

It is highly recommended for you to scrutinize the dental and vision plans offered in order to see what are the services covered and you can do the cost benefit analysis. That is comparing the services offered to the monthly premium amounts that you have to pay.

Most of the time you will come out as a winner, since dental and vision package can save you a lot of money in the long run. Most of the major provider make this plan available at a reasonable rate. Some of the plan are tied to your health insurance but some are available independently.

At the same time you may also realize that your vision or dental check up are long overdue and it is about time to visit the dentist or eye doctor.

Most of the adults do not visit eye doctor or dental office on a regular basis. Many of us will visit the dentist and the eye doctor only when we have problems and absolutely have no other choice.

It is very important for the adults to get regular dental and vision care especially as we get older. Of course with the coverage of dental and vision plan, that would take care of the expenses for the services provided.

The cost for dental and Vision Insurance is relatively cheaper than the regular medical or health insurance. For a simple reason since your visit to dentist or eye doctor are less frequent than your visit to family doctor.

On a final note, it is a very good deal to have both dental and vision insurance as a package plan. If you look at the long term the benefits, it is far out weight the monthly cost.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Dental Insurance For Small Business

As a small business owner you are facing with many difficult business decisions on a daily basis. One of the most important decisions that you have to make is finding the right Dental Insurance health plans for you and your employees. It is a very crucial decision because it involves not just you but also your small business employee insurance coverage.

It is quite a challenge to find the right dental and health insurance for small business entity. However there are many insurance health plans on the market that suit your business and your employees.

What are your options?

Of course we cannot afford to mention literally hundreds or more different dental insurance providers here. Nevertheless you have a great selections of dental insurance companies that cater to small businesses, but we are just going to mention a couple of them here.

Among the best small business dental insurance choices available to you is eHealth Insurance. They are the parent company of eHealth Insurance Services Inc., which is accepted as being the leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses. They have the resources of research, analysis, comparison and purchase of health and insurance products that best meet your needs.

Since they are a Health Insurance agency and not a health insurance company, they can offer plans from multiple insurance companies in your area. They offer a broad selection of health insurance companies and plans.

They offers the fastest way to apply for health insurance since many of the plans offered can be submitted and signed electronically, eliminating the need to manually print and mail applications. This reduces average processing time significantly.

TD Bank is another great company that offers small business dental insurance. They understand that you have invested a lot into your small business and want to help give you the most benefits with your dental insurance possible.

They want to help you protect your hard work and investment and they provide small businesses with big business advantages. They already serve more than 100,000 personal, corporate, and small business customers, and this proves that they have the experience and knowledge that you are looking for.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Monday, August 4, 2008

Find Low Cost Student Health Insurance - You Can Get It

Many college and university students are able to remain covered by their parents’ Health Insurance policy, even after they have turned 18 and left the nest. This is because most health insurance policies still consider these individuals as being dependents of their parents because they are enrolled in a college or university. Do not be mistaken; you can not stay in school until you’re 40 and expect to still be covered by your parents’ health insurance policy. Each health insurance company has its own policy rules and regulations.

However, not every college or university student is covered by his or her parents’ health insurance policy and must seek health insurance elsewhere. Undoubtedly, obtaining low cost health insurance is the goal; luckily, it is a goal that can be achieved.

Below are three tips to help you get low cost student health insurance.

Decide on payment options. Before you even begin your search for low cost Student Health Insurance, take a look at your budget, how much you will be able to afford, and how often you will be able to afford it. While paying monthly seems cheaper and easier, you can usually get discounts by paying semi-annually or annually. Plus, paying semi-annually or annually allows you time to save up, which means you will be ready to send the check when the time comes, rather than scraping to make ends meet each month.

Keep searching. Not every health insurance company offers low cost student health insurance in your state. In other words, you may find it difficult to find one. Don’t give up too soon; remember, there are other health insurance companies out there.

Do not limit your options. In the event that you just can not find a low cost student health insurance policy for students residing in your state, you may also want to apply for an individual and family health insurance policy, especially if you have dependents.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Cheapest Health Insurance for Families

Health Insurance is one of smartest financial moves an individual or a family can make. It means the difference between being financially ruined in the event that a sickness or injury hits or being able to come out financially sound after the ordeal. With the rising cost of medical care, many people are finding it increasingly expensive to keep up with doctor’s visits. That is sad to note that despite the risk associated with having inadequate or no insurance, many people still continue to live without insurance either because they are ignorant of how it works and how to get it or they simply cannot afford it.

There are millions of people who understand the benefits of health insurance and acknowledge that it is indeed a smart financial move that hedges against risks in times of sickness or even death but they still lack insurance because they cannot afford it. In the United States, there about 800,000 people who live below the poverty line and cannot afford health insurance let alone enough food clothing and shelter. Then there are also families who may not necessarily be living in absolute poverty but nevertheless have no health insurance because they cannot afford it. There are thus thousands of low income households which cannot afford health insurance.

The easiest way to acquire health insurance for low income families is through group insurance. Many companies participate in health care plans that allow them to offer group policies for their employees. The reason these plans are reasonably affordable even to low income households is because the group aspect of the insurance causes it to be cheap and the insurance companies and health care providers are therefore able to offer it at a discounted rate. If one has a large family, all he or she needs to do is find a job with a company that offers health insurance. Adding the rest of the family is as easy as calling the human resources department and making the request. Even though adding the other family members may cause the monthly premium payments to increase slightly, group health insurance through an employer is the most cost-effective and convenient way for low income households to acquire health insurance.

Source: articlesbase.com

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Cheap Health Insurance is Available As Long As You're Willing to Do This

Are you looking for Cheap Health Insurance? If this is the case, chances are good that you can find affordable prices, the options open. There are many products on the market, you can cover that you need. Some of them a number of options for an amount of the ceiling, you will get the franchise, you have to pay, and the doctors can you visit. What is important is to know that the cover, that you pay, is expected to bring the coverage that you need.

It is a good idea, several plans for health insurance before it on a single. They want to know that at the end of one, you get a product to help you if you need it. If you have a system of affordable health insurance, know why it is so cheap. Are there services that are not covered? It may be that openness is much higher. Can you describe the funding for this openness, then? By comparing several plans at an affordable price, you can determine what is the best solution for your needs not only one, the least cost.

The plans, available today for a medical supply routes often affordable. Some offer more than others. Some are very good plans, which can offer a discount influence on other plans. But in the age old adage that you find what you pay, which is something you need to be considered. That does not mean that you can not find a quality, affordable system of Cheap Health Insurance they can afford, what you need. It is enough to compare the options available to you as the first.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Where To Get Cheap Emergency Medical Insurance

If you plan to use the visit of a lifetime, the last thing you feel sick or injured while on your trip. But the accidents and injuries occur, and you desperately need health insurance to help you the best possible medical care as possible, but far away from home.

But not for my health insurance claims me?

If you have Cheap Emergency Medical Insurance, you should check your policy to see the extent of coverage is available, if you far away from your home country. You probably find that your health insurance does not cover or only 50% coverage for medical expenses. It should also not cover you if you need to be evacuated to return home.

What the medical emergency care the ceiling?

It covers the cost of travel in connection with the Medical Emergencies, if you are a student abroad for several months, a businessman, or a holiday trip for a few days. In fact, you can insurance for the exact number of days, you're there.

If your emergency insurance, do not forget that the policy:

* Applies to all pre-existing conditions you have

* Contains an emergency telephone number, you can call in order to find a doctor or a hospital, if necessary

* Including the evacuation of urgency

You can also choose if you want the policy to include other insurance for luggage, travel insurance, interruption of travel and insurance costs.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Cheap Discount Health Insurance - Find Best Quote

One of the most expensive personal expenses, you can have health-care insurers. It is difficult, a large health insurance at a reasonable price. if you work for an employer, a large insurance that is affordable, you should believe, because the probability that if you are not part of a large group of May, you have difficulties in finding a cheap insurance.

It is very important that you a kind of Health Insurance, because you never know when you are sick and need in hospital. It is always a good idea, online and a source of information can be several prizes for you to compare and insurance, a choice to ensure that your health. The cheapest insurance May not always the best insurance, health, because you want to make sure you have a policy for your needs. The repeated that the people need drug coverage, because it is a condition, which requires that certain types of requirements expensive.

If you do not have the funds for medical care and there are several alternatives that can also be an eye. Most Member States have some form of Medicaid if you have a low income, that you May in a position to opt for this kind of reporting. It is important to contact your state to see what is for you and remind you that some ceiling is still better than no protection for all.

Remember that the research for the Health Insurance, you received several prizes and compare the prices are still in the politics of benefit.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Cheap Medical Insurance Quotes - Where to Get Them

Thanks to medical costs sky high, the share of health insurance through the roof. So, how can you buy, not to expensive medical care for the price of well-known companies? Here's how ...

Cheap Medical Insurance

A few years ago the only choice you have for health insurance, a fee of service plan, also known as a compensation plan. With this plan, should you pay for your medical care, fill in a lot of forms, and then you wait will be reimbursed. These plans only "reasonable and customary" of expenditure, and are very expensive.

Ticket-service plans are still there, but they are not so popular that the management of health systems - BGL, OPP, and POSS. These plans for a network of providers of health services and hospitals, for which you pay a monthly fee and a small copayment for each doctor visit.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organizations) are the cheapest of these plans, but you can doctors in your network. OPP (Preferred Provider Organization) and POSS (in the planning, service) costs a little more, but you also have the ability to doctors outside the network.

Managed care plans vary widely, depending on the benefits and expenses. And similar plans from different companies may vary according to the 1000 $ or more, so it is important that the plans for a number of different companies then examine each plan to ensure the best policy for your situation.

Cheap Medical Insurance price comparison

With the introduction of the Internet, you can now go online and maintain a health insurance prices in a few minutes. The best way of doing this is to enter a comparison insurance site, where you fill in a questionnaire for several awards received by various companies. It is fast, easy and free.

Some of these sites offer recommendations insurance companies and tips, and some even have a chat function where you get answers to your questions about the health insurance by an expert. (See link below).

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Learn How to Cheap Health Insurance

Find health insurance card, which is affordable, is becoming increasingly difficult every day. You want a low cost for health insurance that is affordable, but they want an adequate coverage. Even if you are relatively healthy and fell, as you do not need insurance, it is a must in order, because you never know when you have something to achieve, you need to cover a good service. Health insurance can protect you, if you go to the hospital and need a procedure, it is also useful to a large health insurance if you need minor surgery.

Learning to find: Ceremony of Health Insurance

If you are in the low-income benefit from Medicaid, because most states have this program to people who are in the low income and need in health insurance. The great thing about this service is as if you get the coverage in most cases for the whole family. The insurance can be used for medical purposes as well as dental treatment of eye and many other services. Do not hesitate in your office of health services and know how your application for you to receive the benefits that you need.

Seek advice: the conditions

Remember that it is important to the health insurance, because even if you think, well, there comes a time you need to use and it is recommended that you work with a crisis and not insured. After a certain form of insurance is better than no insurance for all.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

How to Find Cheap Health Insurance

Find medical insurance card, which is affordable, is becoming increasingly difficult every day. You want a low cost for health insurance that is affordable, but they want an adequate coverage. Even if you are relatively healthy and fell, as you do not need insurance, it is a must in order, because you never know when you have something to achieve, you need to cover a good service. Health insurance can protect you, if you go to the hospital and need a procedure, it is also useful to a large Cheap Medical Insurance if you need minor surgery.

If you are in the low-income benefit from Medicaid, because most states have this program to people who are in the low income and need in health insurance. The great thing about this service is as if you get the coverage in most cases for the whole family. The insurance can be used for medical purposes as well as dental treatment of eye and many other services. Do not hesitate in your office of health services and know how your application for you to receive the benefits that you need.

Remember that it is important to the medical insurance, because even if you think, well, there comes a time you need to use and it is recommended that you work with a crisis and not insured. After a certain form of insurance is better than no insurance for all.

Friday, June 27, 2008

How can I find a room affordable Medical Insurance

Find Medical Insurance card, which is affordable, is becoming increasingly difficult every day. You want a low cost for health insurance that is affordable, but they want an adequate coverage. Even if you are relatively healthy and fell, as you do not need insurance, it is a must in order, because you never know when you have something to achieve, you need to cover a good service. Health insurance can protect you, if you go to the hospital and need a procedure, it is also useful to a large health insurance if you need minor surgery.

If you are in the low-income benefit from Medicaid, because most states have this program to people who are in the low income and need in Medical insurance. The great thing about this service is as if you get the coverage in most cases for the whole family. The insurance can be used for medical purposes as well as dental treatment of eye and many other services. Do not hesitate in your office of health services and know how your application for you to receive the benefits that you need.

Remember that it is important to the health insurance, because even if you think, well, there comes a time you need to use and it is recommended that you work with a crisis and not insured. After a certain form of insurance is better than no insurance for all.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Finding Health Insurance If You Have a Pre-Existing Condition

For anybody with a pre-existing medical condition buying health insurance can be something of a nightmare and, while there are some promises that the 'discrimination' against those with pre-existing conditions might disappear following the current Presidential Election, this is almost certainly more political rhetoric than reality. So just how do you go about finding an affordable health insurance plan if you have a current medical problem?

The first and perhaps most important thing to realize is that not all insurance companies are the same and while some will penalize you heavily (or even refuse to cover your condition altogether) others will adopt a much more lenient attitude. So, your search should begin by looking for those companies which view your condition favorably.

Once you have found two or three health insurance companies which will look on your condition reasonably favorably, you then need to look in detail at how they would handle it. For example, if you are very lucky they might not penalize you at all and simply provide you with full cover at no additional cost. Failing this however, they will normally either exclude your condition from cover for a period of time, or agree to cover you for an additional premium.

When it comes to waiting times these should be reasonable and should certainly never exceed a year, effectively requiring you to renew your plan in order to receive the benefit of cover. As a rule of thumb, excluding a condition from cover for a period of three to six months is not generally considered to be unreasonable.

When it comes to additional cost however it is a matter of balancing this against the cost of treatment for your condition without insurance cover and here you will have to make an assessment based upon your experience of treatment to date and the prognosis for your condition. As long as you feel the additional cost is likely to fall below what you would otherwise have to pay then it is probably a good deal. This of course is not always something that is easy to assess and, in the absence of hard data on which to base your decision, it is often a question of simply deciding for yourself whether or not you consider the extra cost is reasonable.

Many people balk at the idea of having to pay extra for covering pre-existing conditions but it makes perfect sense for insurers to levy a charge in what is after all a private insurance market. Insurance premiums, whether for life insurance, car insurance or health insurance are all based upon risk and clearly if you have an existing medical condition the insurance company is at greater risk of having to pay out on your behalf.

Despite all of its problems one advantage of the current insurance market is that it is so large and so competitive that you will almost certainly find what you are looking for as long as you are prepared to take a bit of time and shop around.

Source: EzineArticles.com/

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Superior But Affordable Medical Insurance - Using The Internet To Your Advantage

If you want to get superior but affordable medical insurance coverage, then you really need to look at the opportunities presented by the internet. To overlook them would be to deliberately opt to pay a lot more than you should. So in what ways can you pay less with the internet...?

1. You can get useful information that will both help you pay less and get the best policy for your peculiar needs. Look everywhere online. There are great articles on health insurance. All it will cost you is just the discipline to read through and make use of the great recommendations you get.

2. Has your health insurer NOT kept its own part of the deal? With the internet, you can easily make these big companies sit up.

But more importantly, it only takes spending a short while in different health insurance forums for you to discover insurers to avoid in case you are just shopping for a policy.

Furthermore but more importantly, you also have your state's department of insurance or it's equivalent, BBB, standard and Poor's and other rating organizations to help you determine if an insurance company is worthy of your business.

3. The internet makes the entire process of comparison shopping far easier than it used to be. Could you imagine picking up the Yellow Pages, searching for agents in your area and then calling them one after the other for quotes?

With the internet all you have to do is visit a site, fill a short questionnaire and you'll receive quotes from five or more insurers.

But can you believe a lot of folks still don't make the most of this? They just get quotes from one site and based on that, they make their decision. That's wrong. Visit not less than five reputable sites for quotes. This will give you a very broad range of quotes from a wider range of insurers.

This will expose you to more exciting offers and make it a lot easier for you to pay far less for superior coverage.

Source: EzineArticles.com/

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tips For Finding Cheap Family Health Insurance

There are a number of companies that will provide online health insurance quotes at no cost. This is an excellent way to compare plans and find the best deal on rates. If the monthly premium is a concern, this is a good way to determine if you can pay less monthly.

In most cases, there is an affordable health insurance family plan that can cover you and ensure your financial security in case of an emergency. No one ever plans to get hurt or be out of work due to an illness. Not only does this cost you with your paycheck it can also leave you straddled with thousands in medical bills. That is the reason that health insurance is so important.Cheap family health insurance is not always easy to come by, but you should be able to find a reasonably priced rate. The monthly premium is sometimes difficult to come up with every month, but the alternative can prove disastrous. One doctor's visit or day in the hospital can devastate even wealthy resources.

If you own a business, you may qualify for small business health insurance plans. This could be an incentive and attractive package to potential employees, as well as save you thousands every year. You can cover your family as well as offer the coverage to employees at a discounted rate.

Group insurance policies allow for lower deductibles, affordable premiums and a few add on that individual policies may not have. Any time that a group can come together the prices will be reduced.

If you are looking for affordable health insurance quote for individual and family start on the Internet to find the best deal possible.

Source: EzineArticles.com/

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Health Insurance Cost Cutters

How does 100% off the cost of next year’s health insurance premium sound?
This is on offer through the Prudential Insurance Company’s Pruehealth. They offer their Comprehensive Plan and here are the details, based on a 40 year old non smoker in good health: The monthly payment for a male would be £62.85 and for a female £66.43, there is an excess of £100. The premium is reduced if you gain “vitality” points and this is how it works:

At the end of the first year there is a discount of 25% and you earn further points and therefore further discounts, by improving your health. Measures such as reducing your blood pressure, taking fitness assessments and regularly visiting the gym are encouraged. Cheap gym membership is on offer. There is a website offering encouragement and handy tips about diet and exercise.

When checked with other medical insurance policies, the Pruehealth policy mentioned above came out more expensive than those of General Medical, Health-on-line and Axa PPP. General Medical, for example, offers their Foundation Plus First Choice policy. The premium again based on a 40 year old non-smoker, male or female, is £48.05. The excess is £100.

As the cost of insurance rises with age, inevitably the insurers are going to have to recoup their costs. Some work their premiums out based on age bands and the cost of insurance can jump sharply as you move up from 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and so on. Rather than sudden increases in the premium, many companies increase by a smaller amount, but apply this yearly.

At a time when private medical insurance seems to be roaring away and the very people that need it most are starting to cancel their policies, it’s clear that something needs to be done. Medical inflation accounts for an 8% rise in premiums per year, as new drugs and diagnostic equipment cost soar.

Consumers can feel reassured by some of the latest changes on offer in a bid to address the problem. One idea is suggested by Penny O’Nions, of the specialist broker Onions Group. They have a plan which covers inpatient care only. Any private outpatient care would have to come out of your own pocket and whilst most serious illnesses such as cancer would involve hospitalisation, increasingly these are treated in outpatient facilities and therefore wouldn’t be covered.

An excess on your policy (the part you pay yourself in the event of a claim) can gain large savings in your premium. By paying an excess of £100 you could save around 10% and if you’re prepared for an even bigger excess, say £2000, you could halve the amount you pay. This effectively puts a ceiling on the costs of illness.

No claims discounts usually apply to these types of policies and you should be able to transfer these if you decide to “jump ship”.

As you can see, there’s a vast range of options. Many people stick to the same old policies, feeling it’s just not worth the effort of transferring but in fact it couldn’t be easier. Just go to your favourite search engine, search for insurance brokers and find one which offers health insurance. They’ll take your circumstances into account and find the best deal for you. There’ll be the additional bonus of an on-line discount.

Source: EzineArticles.com/

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Budget Health Insurance Tips UK

The cost of health care has increased substantially over the past decade, so it should be no surprise that the cost of private medical insurance has followed suit. With premiums up from around annually to 18 according to Data Monitor, it is becoming harder for many people to afford private medical insurance at all.

There are ways to cut costs and still get quality cover and quality medical care, though. Here are a few suggestions for getting quality health insurance for you and your family on a budget.

Downgrade from comprehensive cover

If you've been paying for comprehensive PMI, you may reduce your costs by downgrading to a budget plan. There are a number of budget plan types available. One of the most common methods of reducing costs on PMI is to exclude cover for some types of treatments. Those treatments may include tests, complementary health care and psychiatric care. Exclusions are one way to cut costs t if you end up needing tests, scans or physical therapy, or any other type of treatment not covered, you could wind up paying far more out of your pocket than you would have paid for the extra cover.
Agree to a higher excess

Another popular way to lower premiums is to opt for a higher excess. You can lower your premiums by well over 50% if you choose to accept a high excess. If you do choose to take on a higher excess payment, be sure to check how the excess is charged. A per claim excess can wind up being far more expensive than a full cover excess.

Share the responsibility

A third way to cut the cost of your premiums is to share the cost of your medical expenses with your insurance provider. Rather than paying a fixed excess cost, you agree to pay a percentage of your treatment cost up to a predetermined cap.

Pay for your own treatment

A new class of payment type for private health care costs is to pay for your own expenses without insurance. There are private hospitals that offer fixed rate operations to allow you to shop around and budget for an operation rather than wait for your turn on the NHS.

Private treatment at NHS facilities

If you opt to pay your own medical expenses, one option to look into is using private facilities at NHS hospitals. The cost may be cheaper than the same treatment at a private hospital.

Employer based PMI

Check to find out if your employer offers PMI as a company benefit. Group rates for private health insurance are considerably cheaper than individual, so even if your employer requires you to make a contribution, it's likely to save you a good amount of money on your health insurance policy.

Depending on the policy and the company, you may also be able to get cover for your spouse and children. In some of the larger companies, you may even be able to get cover if you have a pre-existing condition.

Source: EzineArticles.com/

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Cheap Health Insurance - Make Use Of The Following If You're Committed To Getting Big Discounts

There are sure-fire steps you'd have to take if you're really serious about getting big discounts. This write-up will show tips that will help you save much...

1. The pharmaceutical industry has big brand names. You'll raise your rates if you buy big brand name drugs. But will you believe it if I told you that all generic drugs are required by law to include the same active agents as brand name drugs? Where they are free to have any dissimilarity is in the inactive ingredients.

So by buying brand names you surely aren't getting more value even though you are paying a lot more. Discuss with your doctor about this.

2. If you participate in high risk or extreme sports you will attract high rates. It is therefore up to you to quit such dangerous sports if you need lower rates.

3. There are individuals who are not eligible for special health insurance for low-income earners and at the same time are unable to afford standard policies. If you're among such people, you will benefit greatly from a discount medical card.

A discount medical card makes you eligible to use a network of doctors who have agreed to provide card carriers medical services at a lower rate. These cards are not connected to any insurance company.

You can fall back to this option if you have a pre-existing condition that has made health insurance carriers either declare you uninsurable or give you a rate that is too high. This type of card does not exclude anyone notwithstanding your health history. All you have to do is pay a little monthly fee and you will be eligible to use the services of a network of health care providers at a reduced rate.

4. Paying your premium annually will get you more affordable rates than choosing monthly payments. True, paying monthly might be stressless but it's also much more expensive.

There are transaction charges that are incurred when processing a check. Over the course of a year, your monthly checks would be processed separately because they are all separate transactions. This implies that you'll pay transaction fees 12 times.

Besides, there are also administrative costs that come with the monthly payment option. For instance, it costs some money to send payment notices monthly.

These costs plus a profit margin for this feature is factored into your health insurance premium making it more than the same profile that pays annually every year.

5. This won't be an issue for most individuals but we will still have to talk about it...

Using illegal drugs will raise your rate. And, drug abuse will as well make you get very high rates. That is, if it doesn't make you uninsurable. Steer clear of self-medication as well and you will certainly get lower rates than those who do not.

Source: EzineArticles.com/

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Cheap Family Health Insurance

The cost of buying health insurance is high. There are many families who cannot pay the high premiums, and therefore do not insure themselves or their families. Many other families feel that they are healthy and do not require a health insurance policy. Calamities can strike anytime and then, they realize how important it is to have insurance, even if just in case of an accident.

People, who cannot afford health insurance are often eligible for low-cost health insurance policies. Health insurance means protection against any accidents, diseases, and viral infections. Getting a health insurance does not mean buying expensive policies. One can also opt for cheap and low budget health insurance plans.

There are many companies that offer a cheap health insurance plans. But apart from companies, there are also many local insurance agencies that give low-income families, a complete package for securing their health. Some of these local agencies offer health insurance that covers dental, eye care, and emergency care. Some insurance companies just offer health insurance coverage.

Many insurance companies consider situations and give the best, correct, and cheap health insurance policies that suit the needs of the family, and also come under the specified budget. It is very important to compare the best health insurance deals, to get the cheapest policy compared to the rest.

The Internet is regarded as one of the other choices, to look up for the cheapest plans relating to health insurance. Many companies advertise online to promote and encourage families, to take cheaper and low cost health insurance plans. People can request online for the best quotes available and can compare the two. It is always advisable to take the quotes, compare them with the others available and then opt for the one that suits the needs of a person.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Where to Get Cheap Group Health Insurance

Looking for a cheap group health insurance plan with a top rated company? Here are the various plans that are available plus where to find the best rates.

Group Health Insurance

Under a group health insurance plan the group is issued a master policy and each individual in the group is issued an insurance certificate which is their personal policy.

Group insurance is usually cheaper for an individual within the group than an individual policy, and can include special coverage that's more expensive or not available to an individual.

Group Health Insurance Plans

The various health insurance plans that are available to a group include:

Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans

* Major Medical Insurance - These plans let you choose your doctors and hospitals. They pay for doctor visits, hospital fees, surgical costs, and prescription drugs.

* Short-Term Major Medical Insurance - These plans provide you with the same coverage as major medical insurance, but for a limited amount of time.

* Managed Health Care Insurance - These plans assign you to a group of physicians and hospitals. They pay for doctor visits, hospital fees, surgical costs, and prescription drugs, and may include preventive care.

Specialized Health Insurance Plans

* Hospital and Surgery Insurance - These plans restrict your insurance coverage to hospital expenses such as surgical fees, room and board, lab tests, and X-rays.

* Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance - These plans pay a certain amount for each day you're in a hospital.

* Specified Disease Insurance - These plans pay for medical costs for a single disease such as AIDS, cancer, or heart disease.

* Accident Only Insurance - These plans pay for doctor visits, surgical costs, and hospital fees when your injured in an accident.

* Long Term Health Care Insurance - Theses plans provide health care and help for people who cannot take care of themselves.

* Home Health Care Insurance - These plans provide in-home health care and assisted living care for people who are injured or ill.

* Dental Insurance - These plans pay for dentist's fees and dental specialist's fees - fillings, crowns, extractions, dentures, check-ups, etc.

* Vision Insurance - These plans pay for costs associated with vision correction - glasses, contact lenses, vision tests, etc.

Cheap Group Health Insurance

The only way to get the least expensive group health insurance is to get insurance quotes from a number of companies and compare their rates. The quickest and easiest way to do that is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can get quotes from multiple insurance companies in one place.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Stevens

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Cheap But High Quality Medical Insurance -- Try These Tips If You Want To Pay Less

How can anyone out there get cheap medical insurance that does not put them at risk? If you must get big discounts, then you must NOT miss certain things. I'll show you some of them in this article...

1. The pharmaceutical industry has big brand names. You'll increase your costs if you buy big brand name drugs. For those who don't know, the law demands that every drug must consist of the same active ingredients notwithstanding if they are brand name or generic. The inactive ingredients are the only differences between generic drugs and brand names.

So by buying brand names you truly aren't enjoying more value although you are paying a lot more. Notwithstanding, consult your doctor before making this decision.

2. You'll get lower premiums if you make your payments by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). This process authorizes your bank to credit your insurer with your payments automatically until you advise otherwise. This saves the insurance company in many ways such as eliminating the cost of sending payment notices and the expense associated with processing checks. This is why this results in discounts.

3. If you find it tough to get private health insurance provider because of an unfavorable medical history you can go for COBRA insurance. By the way COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.

4. Certain states offer home business owners an opportunity to reduce their cost. States that offer this opportunity have regulations that make it mandatory that insurance providers extend to home business owners the same rates as they do big businesses. In other states a home business qualifies for a group rate once it employs a staff.

You can have your wife/husband or grown up child to work as a member of staff. You will still qualify for such group rates if such an employee works only part time. This will give your substantial savings as group rates are normally less than individual rates.

You can check if home businesses that are qualified for group rates in your state by checking with your state's department of insurance or its equivalent.

5. There are situations for which you really should not visit a doctor. For instance, your doctor can really do nothing for someone who has a cold or viral infection. Using some home remedies will really help in such situations. It's generally known that doctors cannot do you much good if you have a viral infection.

If your doctor cannot do anything about a health condition then I think it's not advisable to spend about $100 to see him or her. I also believe there are a few home incidents that your first aid box will handle quite well. Teach yourself little first aid procedures. Knowing a few little things and having a well-equipped first aid box will help you save considerably on unnecessary visits to a doctor.

But even in those situations if you're not certain of what to do go and see a doctor considering that it is better to lose money than to endanger your life. And, for people who have some experience with first aid, know your boundaries. There are things you are not meant to even attempt if you are not a medical doctor. Having the right balance is necessary in this and such matters. You will spend less on health insurance without endangering anyone if you do this.

6. You might save several hundreds of dollars by just receiving and comparing quotes from about five quotes sites. And, it will take just about 25 minutes on the whole.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chimezirim_Chinecherem_Odimba

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Where to Get Cheap California Health Insurance Quotes Online

Health insurance is in crisis in California, as it is in much of the United States. If you're without insurance you can find cheap California health insurance quotes online.

The State of Insurance in California

Consider these statistics about health care and health insurance costs in California:

* 6.6 million Californians have no health insurance. That's more than the entire population of Massachusetts.

* Three out of four uninsured Californians are working adults who either can't afford their employer-sponsored coverage or whose employers don't offer any coverage.

* The number of uninsured Californians is expected to grow by 20% over the next five years.

Finding Cheap Alternatives

If you're among those who don't have affordable health insurance through your employer, you may still be able to find cheap coverage by going online. All types of health plans are available online, whether HMOs, PPOs, major medical, or standard comprehensive coverage.

When you go online to search for health insurance you're able to take advantage of the competition between insurance companies and find companies that offer the lowest premiums. By comparison shopping for competitive rates, you'll be able to lower your costs without sacrificing the quality of your health care.

The easiest way to shop for health insurance online is to go to an insurance comparison website. Look for a comparison site that offers an online chat service with insurance experts so you have someone available to answer any questions you may have (see link below).

In order to get your quotes all you do is fill out a simple online questionnaire. Once you're done, you submit it and you'll soon begin to receive quotes from multiple A-rated insurance companies.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Stevens

Monday, April 28, 2008

When You Fix Your Low Cost Health Insurance Self Pay Cover, Make Sure You Know Which Is Which

When you are trying to sort out your own low cost health insurance, self pay can be a bit of a minefield. So here is a quick guide on what to look for and what means what!

What we're talking about exactly here is managed care. The name managed care covers both preferred provider organization (PPO) and health maintenance organizations plans (HMO). These options have developed over time in an attempt to keep your insurance premiums affordable.

But in order to do that the plans have to place a few limits on the level of health care provided. So long as you can live with these limits and reductions in care, a PPO or an HMO may well offer you great value.

Let's have a quick run through what each one is.

HMOs

They are cheaper than the PPO. These normally need you to you use their doctors network or, if you can't or won', they'll ask you to pay some increased rates. Once you've agreed the basic method of operation, you nominate a primary care physician who will be your main point of contact and make the majority of your health and treatment decisions. If you need medical work done outside the network then they will supply the various references and recommendations to ensure you receive the necessary cover.

PPOs

The preferred provider organization plan gives you the chance to actually choose from a network of doctors. As in the HMO you'd also pick a doctor who would be your first point of contact, your main contact.

Basically, the main differences between a PPO and an HMO is one of choice. The HMO would pay the physicians of it's network a "capitation fee" - meaning that they get paid a set sum per member of the HMO on their register. What services, treatments etc that patient needs is immaterial, they are billed as a lump sum fee which is agreed up front. One draw back to this method is that it pays the doc to keep your visits to minimum. The less they see of you, the more of your flat fee value becomes pure profit to them. In a PPO arrangement the doctor actually gets paid for each visit. If you're looking more for a traditional variation of care, then the PPO is the one to chose.

Another potential limitation of the HMO is that they sometimes offer their medical care services via a sub-network of doctors etc. The restriction of this method is that you are effectively tied down to those resources of that network or group. This could be a problem for some people which is why it is now required for all HMOs to notify all of their "clients", offering you the opportunity to make your cover unique, by signing up for Point of Service plan. The PoS lets you use resources which are outside of the network and take out or put in as you need. For those looking for the low cost, self help option, the HMOs are a good choice.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duncan_Roberts

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Small Employers - Thinking About Offering Health Insurance to Your Employees?

If you run a business and you don't have a health plan for your employees, chances are that you may be having troubling attracting and retaining good people. Most employers would like to give their employees this option, however, most cringe at the extra expense to fund a health plan. The most important thing to realize when contemplating whether the business can afford to help out with health insurance expenses is this: As the employer starting a plan from scratch, you have complete control over what you spend!

In working with many small businesses looking to implement health insurance relief for their employees, I have come to a conclusion. The conclusion is this: employees appreciate any help you can give them, even if you don't pay for the entire cost of the plan. Now the question comes down to which route to take when designing a plan. There are two basic paths:

1. Traditional Group Plan

Or

2. Defined Contribution Plan

What is the difference between the two options?

Under a traditional group plan, the employer picks the plan design for all employees and agrees to pay a portion of the premiums, anywhere from 50% to 100%. Under a defined contribution plan, the employer gives each employee a fixed amount per year and it is up to the employees to choose their own individual health policies.

Why would a business choose a defined contribution plan?

There are a few reasons why some businesses prefer this choice. First, the employer knows exactly what his or her expenses are going to be each year. Under a traditional group plan, the employer is forced to pay a portion of the plans premium each year, even if rates jump 30%. Second, there won't be a jump in rates due to an individual claim in the group. In a traditional group plan, if you have a small group, your rates may jump dramatically from year to year if someone gets hurt or sick. To make matters worse, the rates jump for everyone in the group! With a defined contribution plan, the employees purchase individual policies where their rates won't jump due to an individual claim. Third, the employer is out of the health insurance business. It is up to the employees to shop around each year, not the owner. Last, it is often a better choice for the employee if they ever leave. Instead of going on COBRA coverage and after the COBRA period ends trying to find an individual policy, they will already own an individual policy that is fully portable.

Why would a business choose a traditional group plan?

Despite the advantages of a defined contribution plan, many employers still prefer a traditional group plan. First, it is typically simpler to administer. The employer writes one check each month. Second, it is more equitable for older employees. If a younger employee and an older employee each get the same amount to use toward their health premiums, the younger employee will be able to buy a better plan due to the lesser premiums for the same plan as the older employee. Third, some employers don't trust their employees to be responsible enough to purchase health coverage (sometimes your business may be referred to as adult daycare). The employer figures that if they pay the check, the irresponsible employee will be covered. Last, there are many more plan options available in the group arena regarding co-pays than on the individual side.

What design would be best for my company?

There is not a one size fits all answer. It depends largely on the factors discussed above such as the budget, employee ages, and degree of simplicity desired as well as other factors not even mentioned. Your best bet is to find a competent broker who will help you evaluate your company's situation and walk you through the general options available.

Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Engelmann