Meeting The Cost Of Medical Care Without Health Insurance

Meeting The Cost Of Medical Care Without Health Insurance

Health care spending is rising faster today than at any time in history and a staggering 80 percent of all Americans now say that they are dissatisfied with the manner in which health care is both managed and funded. Indeed, 60 percent of all Americans went as far as to say that they were very dissatisfied.

National health expenditure in the United States is now nearly $2.5 trillion (which represents more than $7,500 per person) and this figure is expected to rise to more than $4 trillion over the next ten years. At present this is more than twice the health care spending in countries such as Switzerland, Germany, France or Canada and is more than four times the amount the United States spends on national defense.

In short, the United States spends more on health care than most other industrialized nations (many of which provide health care for all of their citizens) and yet, despite this incredibly high level of expenditure, there are more than 47 million Americans without any form of health insurance. This is a national disgrace!

But this of course is only part of the picture because things are often little better for those with health insurance. The cost of medical insurance is now so high that half of all Americans cite it as their top economic concern and an increasing number of people are either limiting their cover to meet their budget or accepting what are in reality already unmanageably high deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Every 30 seconds somebody in the United States files for bankruptcy as the result of a serious medical problem and more than half of all bankruptcies today are in part the result of problems with medical bills. Indeed, the average medical bill debt for people filing for bankruptcy is now $12,000.

When we talk about the cost of medical care without health insurance we are not talking just about the financial cost but are also talking about the cost in terms of ruined lives. Of course medical bills do not force everybody into bankruptcy, but many families are forced to make significant changes to their lifestyle to pay their medical bills and millions of Americans delay treatment for often serious medical conditions simply because they cannot meet the cost.

In this Presidential Election season it is not surprising to find that health care, and health insurance in particular, comes high on the agenda but will it simply be used as a political weapon to get votes or will there be a significant change in direction during 2009 to begin to solve this enormous problem? Only time will tell of course, but a look back over the past few years can hardly inspire any of us to believe that, whoever ends up in the White House, he or she is likely to be able to do anything to make a significant difference for those of us who want nothing more than to provide adequate protection for both ourselves and our families.

Health Insurance - Anthem and Medical Mutual

Health Insurance - Anthem and Medical Mutual

If you find yourself out of work without health insurance or self-employed and looking for affordable coverage there are a number of options in Ohio. Companies like Anthem and Medical Mutual have put together a large network of providers in Ohio to keep the costs down for their subscribers.

If you are looking for a plan similar to the one offered by most major employers, Anthem's Premier coverage is the closest. This plan is aimed at families and emphasizes preventive care for children and adults alike. The premiums are higher than the other plans that Anthem offers but because it pays for wellness visits it could end up being more affordable in the long run. Costs can also be controlled by taking higher deductibles and coinsurance rates.

If you are looking for individual coverage or don't have children, Anthems' Smart Sense may be better suited to your needs. This plan provides basic coverage at some of the companies' lowest rates. Smart Sense requires copayments for the first three doctor visits each year and covers all generic drugs as well as some brand name drugs. The premium you pay will be based on the size of the deductible you choose.

Medical Mutual of Ohio also offers a variety of coverage plans to fit your needs and budget. You can pick from high deductible plans and plans with a variety of copays. Medical Mutual through its SuperMed One plans also offer value plans which combine traditional health insurance with health savings accounts. The government allows considerable tax savings for people who set up health savings accounts to help pay medical expenses. The savings accounts can be combined with high deductible plans to make sure that your family isn't wiped out by a catastrophic illness.

Medical Mutual and Anthem both also offer short term insurance plans that are perfect for someone caught between jobs without health insurance. These coverage plans offer similar benefits to the other plans. It also might be worthwhile to check the alternatives the companies offer to COBRA because in many cases your premium will be less expensive.

The Most Popular Health Insurance Plans Available

The Most Popular Health Insurance Plans Available

When shopping for health insurance there are many things to consider for your options. There are a couple of plan styles to choose from in the healthcare marketplace, lets look at them.

HMO: Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are legally organized entities that share the common characteristics of responsibility for both financing and delivering comprehensive health care services to a defined group of members for a prepaid, fixed fee. HMOs differ from traditional insurance indemnity plans in that they are both the financing and servicing mechanism. They emphasize preventative medicine and early treatment through prepaid routine physical examinations and diagnostic screening techniques. At the same time they, provide complete hospital and medical care for sickness and injury.

PPO: Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) are groups of health care providers that contract with employers, insurance companies, union trust funds, or others to provide medical care services at a reduced, negotiated fee. Like HMOs, they make take the form of group practices or separate individual practices. PPOs typically differ from HMOs in two aspects. First, they provide benefits on a fee-for-service basis as their services are used. Fees are usually subject to a schedule that is the same for all participants in the PPO. Second, plan participants have financial incentives to use the preferred provider network. A participant's access to specialist is not controlled by a primary care physician, as is the case in HMO plans.

EPO: Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs) are similar to PPOs in their organization and purpose, but unlike PPOs, EPOs limit their participants to participating providers. In general, individuals covered by an EPO are required to receive all their covered health care services from providers that participate with the EPO. Because of the severe restriction on choice of provider.

POS: Point-of-Service-Plans (POS) are not really a health care provider per se; however they are more of a hybrid arrangement that combines aspects of traditional medical expense plan with an HMO or PPO. In a POS plan, a participant's access to a provider network is controlled by a primary care physician. Participants retain the option to seek care outside the network but at reduced coverage levels. POS plans are sometimes referred to as open ended HMOs. The POS plan is the fastest growing health plan in the United States.

PHO: Physician-Hospital-Organizations (PHOs) are organizations that are jointly owned and operated by hospitals and their affiliated physicians and typically are developed to provide a vehicle for hospitals and physicians to contract together with other managed care organizations to provide healthcare services. Carve-out-plans are health care programs managed separately from an employer's general health care plan by HMOs or PPOs that specialize in a particular type of care. An HMO or PPO that specializes in a particular type of care may be more successful at controlling cost for that type of care than a general purpose medical care network. Mental health, substance abuse, prescription drugs, and dental care are some of the more common types of care approached in this manner.

Accident Health Insurance - Plan For the Emergency Room

Accident Health Insurance - Plan For the Emergency Room

Accident health insurance supplements are being used to cover upfront injury related expenses for the ER. Plans can be used to compliment an existing health insurance policy or just as a personal injury plan to pay for any unexpected ER visits or surgeries.

Many Americans are concerned with insuring the everyday mishaps like bodily injuries and emergency room coverage. Of course, insuring things like Cancer and Heart Attacks are important, but for younger adults and especially kids, emergency room visits are far more prevalent. Unfortunately, a trip to the emergency room isn't cheap and the healing process from a serious bodily injury can be exhausting. Damaged body parts often need to be surgically corrected and the post operation Physical Therapy sessions feel like a Sylvester Stallone Rocky Movie. I'm not going to lie, the Rocky Four soundtrack got me through my Physical Therapy workouts post ACL Knee surgery.

Health insurance for the self-employed is especially complicated when it comes to emergency room visits. To qualify for a Major Medical PPO plan one must go through underwriting and medically qualify. Assuming you get approved, you'll need to select a deductible and plan style. The most cost effective PPO policies in the individual health insurance market are the HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) plans. Deductible is the out of pocket expense the insured has before the health insurance policy picks up the bill. PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization and is the type of health insurance that lets you choose any doctor. Choosing any doctor isn't necessarily true, theirs a lot of gray area with "being in network or out of network" with PPO's.

Deductible options for individuals in the PPO market are $1,500, $2,500, $3,500, and $5,000. Typical family deductible options are $3,000, $5,000, $7,000, and $10,000. You'll want to choose a co-insurance of 100%. Co-insurance is the shared expense between you and the insurance company after the deductible. Most people are familiar with 80/20 % co-insurance. 100% co-insurance is popular because you won't need to understand Calculus to figure out any future hospital bills. Insurance plan picks up 100% of the bills after deductible with this option. On a side note, it's a good idea to set up a Health Savings Account. HSA's have some decent tax advantages and you can set up an account equivalent to the deductible amount. So a $10,000 HDHP can have a $10,000 health savings account attached to it. The yearly max contribution to the health savings account is determined by your HDHP deductible. Ask your CPA about health savings accounts if your self-employed.

Higher deductible health insurance plans have lower monthly premiums. However, with that high deductible comes risk of having to owe that deductible amount if you use the health insurance. A $5,000 dollar deductible hospital bill is one broken bone away. Guess how a lot of Americans end up paying that HDHP $5,000 deductible? You guessed it, in the emergency room from a accidental bodily injury.

Accident health insurance supplements have been doing a good job filling this ER gap for years. Other names used for this plan include personal accident insurance, emergency room insurance supplement, accident medical coverage, personal injury insurance plan, 24 hour accident coverage, and accident supplemental benefit plan. These plans are under marketed in my opinion, and most licensed health insurance agents are doing a disservice to their clients if they don't bring it up. I say this because so many people are shelling out a lot of money each month to insurance companies, and if they actually use the insurance could be stuck with a huge deductible bill.

Opposite the PPO health insurance industry is Guarantee Issue insurance products. Emergency room insurance supplements fall into this category and are automatic approval. Online applications have zero health questions but do need social security numbers and birth dates. This type of guarantee issue accident medical expense coverage is an indemnity. Indemnity's compensate members with a predetermined benefit amount.

Personal injury insurance plans in this category are membership based associations. The membership organization helps individuals and families in the United States gain access to discount programs and in this case, the pound for pound most practical emergency room insurance supplement I've seen so far.

Each association member can choose a benefit level of accident coverage to fit their monthly budget or to match the HDHP deductible. Plans cover the HDHP deductible giving high deductible health plans a virtual zero deductible effect. Remember, a lot of HDHP's max out deductibles from ER visits due to injuries. ER plan pays injury related expenses to pay off the PPO deductible. Again, plans only cover ER related expenses due to injury and not sickness.

Members can choose a emergency room coverage level of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000. Accident compensation benefits pay out per injury and have no limits on use. Typically a person will have a $100 dollar deductible per covered accident. ER policy pays up to the $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 per accident excluding the $100 deductible. In simple terms, you'll owe $100 dollars for any covered injury assuming the bill doesn't exceed the policy benefit max of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000.

Here's some figures on what the leading personal accident insurance dues are. Indemnity plan rate increases are seldom because it's an association based health insurance product.

-$24 dollars a month: $5,000 benefit individual plan.

-$29 dollars a month: $7,500 benefit individual plan.

-$36 dollars a month: $10,000 benefit individual plan.

-$35 dollars a month: $5,000 benefit family plan.

-$41 dollars a month: $7,500 benefit family plan.

-$47 dollars a month: $10,000 benefit family plan.

(family policy prices include everyone, it's the same price for a 3 person family or 12 person family)

It doesn't matter what accident health insurance plan brochure you pick up, all plan brochures EOB (Explanation Of Benefits) page say the same important benefit: Members may choose any Doctor, Hospital, or Emergency Room. Since this is accident indemnity, benefits have no restriction on health care providers to choose from. Accidents are unpredictable and so is knowing what emergency room you'll be showing up at. I can't imagine accident plans would sell if they came with some lame network provider booklet of acceptable doctors. This brand of accident coverage is 100% portable and can be used up to two months outside the United States while traveling abroad.

Accident Plan benefits at a glance:

-Hospital Emergency Care

-Doctor's fee for surgery (in and outpatient)

-Laboratory Tests.

-X-Rays and MRI's.

-Ambulance Expense.

-Registered Nurse.

-Hospital room and board.

-Operating Room Costs.

-Anesthesia.

-Prescription Drugs.

-Physical Therapy (super important post operation)

-Doctors visits (inpatient and outpatient).

-Dental treatment for injury to sound natural teeth.

-Splints, Crutches, and Casts.

United Health Care - A General Overview of Good Health Insurance

United Health Care - A General Overview of Good Health Insurance

United Health Care is one of the largest health insurance companies and offers near universal acceptance by medical facilities. Those who are looking to purchase United Health Care insurance have plenty of plans from which to choose, including copay, high deductible, short term medical, health savings accounts, and student coverage. United also offers dental insurance for those who do not receive coverage through an employer.

People with pre-existing medical conditions may find it easier to receive coverage through United Health than through other insurance companies, although they will still have to go through an exclusion period.

Individuals and families who are looking for a United Health Care insurance plan with many of the same benefits as those provided by an employer should choose the copay option. You will need to pay a set fee for preventive care and office visits, but after copayment, 100% of exam costs will be covered. Most copay plans also cover all prescriptions. This plan offers $3 million in lifetime coverage, with the option to purchase up to $5 million if you find it necessary. This plan is best for families and individuals who visit the doctor often and like the convenience of co-payments.

Another option to consider is a high deductible insurance plan. With this option, you will pay for all medical expenses until your yearly deductible requirement is met, but all subsequent medical expenses will be covered in full. Although the deductible is much higher than other plans, this option offers lower premiums and is a good choice for anyone who is healthy and has money set aside for sudden illnesses or accidents. In this scenario, you might end up saving money even though the deductible is higher. It does require a high level of financial responsibility before any insurance benefits kick in.

Students can also take advantage of United Health Care's student insurance plan. Although many parents are still covered by their parents' insurance while they are attending school, others may be forced to shoulder the responsibility of medical bills themselves. By getting United Health Care insurance, students can receive coverage for medical expenses incurred both on- and off-campus as well as 24/7 access to registered nurses via NurseLine. United Health Care is also accepted nearly anywhere, a huge benefit for students who may be attending school far from home. However, your school will have to offer United Health Care for you to take advantage of their special student insurance coverage.

This has to be one of the best carriers available in the individual marketplace, if you would like some more detailed explanations regarding these benefits, please visit our website at http://www.health-insurance-buyer.com and provide your contact information so we can educate you.

Health Insurance Rules

Health Insurance Rules

Many dual income couples, include their children on each group health insurance plan to maximize benfits. However, without some sort of system in place to help the health insurance companies coordinate benefits, it's possible that either you or your doctor would be reimbursed for more than 100 percent of the actual cost of your claim.

To prevent this, health insurance companies typically designate one parent's health insurance plan as the primary plan and the other as the secondary plan. (That's why the patient questionnaire at your doctor's office asks for information on primary and secondary coverage.) The primary plan is responsible for paying covered expenses up to the limits of the policy. If any unpaid costs are left over, the secondary coverage kicks in.

THE DATE OF BIRTH DETERMINES WHICH HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDES COVERAGE

The birthday rule is often used to determine which plan is primary and which is secondary. Under this rule, the plan of the parent whose birthday occurs first in the calendar year is designated as primary. The date of birth is the determining factor not the year so it doesn't matter which spouse is older.

Like most rules, the birthday rule has exceptions:

- If both parents share the same birthday, the parent who has been covered by his or her plan longest provides the primary coverage for the children.

- If one spouse is currently employed and has health insurance through a current employer, and the other spouse has coverage through a former employer, the plan belonging to the curently employed spouse would be primary.

- In the event of divorce or separation, the plan of the parent with custody generally provides primary coverage. If the custodial parent remarries, the new new spouse's coverage becomes secondary. And finally, the non custodial parent's health insurance plan would provide a third layer of insurance protection. This order of payment can be altered by a court issued divorce decree or by agreement, but the health insurance companies must be notified.

THESE ARE JUST HEALTH INSURANCE RULES NOT THE LAW

Keep in mind that these practices are common among health insurance companies, but they are not governed by law. Practices may vary from one insurer to another. Read your policy carefully to make sure you understand how your insurance company handles dual coverage. If the policy coverage is unclear, ask for help from your employers benefit specialist or your insurer's customer service department.

What to Do if You Don't Have Health Insurance - You Might Not Beat the Odds

What to Do if You Don't Have Health Insurance - You Might Not Beat the Odds

Have you been working hard and paying your bills on time your whole life? Saving your money and trying to get ahead, looking forward to retiring some day? You read in the paper and hear on the news about so many people that are uninsured. Uninsured, and don't have health insurance because they can't afford it. Are you one of the uninsured people like I am? Are you worried about having a health care emergency and not knowing how you would pay your medical bills? You know you really can't switch jobs. You feel you're getting too old or under skilled to be hired by anyone else. You might even be self-employed too. You know you can't or don't want to learn a new skill to get a new job at a bigger company that has group health insurance. Your present employer really can't afford health insurance for his employees and you don't see that changing where you work.

You have gotten by this long without health insurance and you know that you should do something about it. But health insurance is expensive and getting health insurance is a good idea and something you have always been planning to do. But, we just keep putting it off, until it is too late. So what is a man with a family, or a single person do if you barely can find the money to pay for the necessities, like the rent, or a mortgage, the higher price of gas and food, much less expensive health insurance?

Do you think you can beat the odds? For men it is one in three, for women one in five that you will have a major health care emergency hospitalization and incur medical bills for surgery, hospital stay, outpatient medical care, therapy and prescription drugs. Do you worry and lay awake at night, wondering how you would pay for emergency care, if you needed it?

Ever wonder what you will do if the worst happens and you had to go to the hospital without health insurance? In a word. Bankruptcy. The retirement you worked your whole life for and dreamed about... the retirement you always envisioned is gone...taken away from you in an instant. And by a calamity you have tried to avoid. A calamity that broad sided you, and you had no warning and you never knew what hit you.

Imagine this scenario. You are 55, been in great shape your whole life, you work hard and live right, don't smoke, eat healthy foods, watch your weight and have been taking care of yourself the best way you know how. But lately you have been getting a little short of breath. You shake your head and say "it's just getting old" and keep right on working on the house, the car, the lawn, the crops or a new project you just have to get done. While working, all of a sudden you feel really short of breath. You stop, sit down and can't breathe. You look down and your arm is feeling funny and tingly. All of a sudden you feel a shooting pain running up your arm into your shoulder, "ah...just overdoing it again" you say to yourself. I'll just rest a spell and it will go away. But this time the pain does not go away like other times. You feel the numbness and worse, a stabbing pain goes into your shoulder. Quickly the pain intensifies and travels deeper and is shooting across your chest, a crushing pain and now you are really scared. "Wonder if this is a heart attack?" You know you waited too long and it's too late...This time it's for real. You are in the middle of a heart attack.

You are desperate and in stabbing pain. You know calling 911 might save you...if you can get to a phone. You call for your wife and she is inside the house and does not hear you. You try to get up and feel faint and you have no strength and your legs just can't move. You holler louder, it hurts so bad and she hears you this time. She rushes to your side and you are so short of breath you can't talk, the pain is too great. You point to your chest and she can see by the look on your face you are suffering and in great pain and something is terribly wrong. She runs to call 911, frantic about you and tells the ambulance to come right away and she thinks you are having a heart attack. She runs back to your side and you both are terribly scared and all you can do is wait.

The bad news has just begun...When the ambulance arrives, you find out the very worst has happened. You really are having a heart attack...they rush you away to the hospital, taking your vitals and giving you the drugs to save your life. Expensive surgery follows with angioplasty to open up your blocked arteries in your heart, and you get a stint to keep the worst blocked artery open. The doctors say that you should make a good recovery with adequate care, rest and therapy. You will have to take heart medications and high blood pressure drugs the rest of your life. Already the worry has started, and you think to yourself. "how am I going to pay for this"? The deep financial worry never leaves you. You have heard stories of financial disasters happening to good people with no insurance, Tragic consequences happening to people getting hit with huge medical bills for surgeries in the tens of thousands of dollars. You lost...you did not beat the odds.

Now what can you do? Your retirement dream is gone, now you will have to work the rest of your life to pay your medical bills off. The story, I shared is real, this medical tragedy happened to my brother, a farmer, a hard worker, a self-employed bulldozer operator in the prime of his life. No health insurance and he now faces a $45,000 medical bill he can't pay. Not unless he wants to sell the beautiful log cabin home he built with his own hands and the farm he worked his whole life for. He is worried sick and tied to heart drugs for the rest of his life. Heart drugs and a stint that make him feel even more sick. He has decided to sell part of his land to pay the hospital and clinic bills. He hates to do this, but has no choice.

He tried to pay the hospital and clinic with agreed upon payments of a $1,000 a month each, paying every penny he could, but that was not fast enough or good enough. The hospital and the clinic still turned his account over to the collection agencies even though he was paying over $2,000.00 a month. He is an honest man who worked hard his whole life and did not deserve this. He can barely afford the heart drugs and makes just enough money so he does not qualify for state-assisted health care or prescription drug benefits.

One more thing is important...That is not the only calamity. He is not eligible for any type of health insurance for his heart, even if he could afford to pay $850.00 a month for health insurance coverage, plus his monthly medical bill payment to the collection agency. Why? Because now, he is uninsurable. In order to be covered under health insurance for his heart, he would have to not have any hospital care or treatment related to his pre-existing condition for seven years to quality for having that heart condition covered under any health insurance policy. For my brother, he will have to work harder than ever to pay this debt off, just when he should be taking it easier and not working so hard to prevent yet another heart attack. There will be no retirement for him, he is 59 and that is a terribly hard price to pay.

What does this mean for you? Don't wait, don't let a major health problem ruin your chances of retirement. Health care coverage can be purchased and can be budgeted for. If my brother knew what was going to happen, he would have budgeted the money for a health insurance policy. He could have spared a couple thousand a year for an inexpensive health care policy with a high deductible. This would have cut the medical bills he received by a significant amount, and he still would have health insurance to cover him in the future. When you're lying in bed at night, think of the people you know that have had their lives turned up side down by a health calamity, lost their jobs, their homes, all their savings and their cherished retirement. This is too big a price to pay. Take care of yourself, and your family. Protect your retirement dream. Getting an online insurance quote, is easy, and safe and can help you take a step in the right direction. Help remove most of the worry, about "what if a medical emergency occurred to you or a loved one". Would you be covered? Let's hope the answer is "Yes."

When I got laid off from a great job due to a large corporate company downsizing, at the age of 50, I lost my group health insurance. I went on the Internet and found the online insurance quote websites a real help. The easy to fill in forms "just fill in your zip code" got me started with my online quote. The websites were easy to use, and I enjoyed getting free insurance quotes. The websites connected me with top insurance agents who helped me figure out how to compare the quotes. The agents were friendly, easy to talk to, and I got a policy to protect me at a cost I could afford. Please click on the link above and get some health insurance that will protect you and your loved ones. Just knowing something really can happen and taking the right steps to protect yourself can help remove some of the worry. Don't try to beat the odds, you may not win. Don't let a small financial burden become an impossible one. Do it for yourself, do it now before it is too late.

What Are The Typical Health Insurance Premiums In The US?

What Are The Typical Health Insurance Premiums In The US?

In health insurance, two major factors affect policy premiums or rates. The first major factor is your family health or personal health history. The second factor is age.

While calculating the life insurance premiums and health insurance premiums, the insurance companies, consider family history and personal health of the individual, as the major contributors. Most health insurance companies request urine samples and blood samples to ensure that there are no pre-existing health problems.

Most insurers offer policies with higher premium amounts to people, suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and other health risks.

People who have perfect health can observe that the standard term policy may have more premiums simply, because such policy covers most health risks. This policy is good for those people, who do not have time to lower their risk factors and can afford to pay huge premiums.

Thus, before applying for policy, people can check out various online quotes that can help them to locate a guaranteed issue policy. Moreover, people can also refer to FAQ's to see, what factors they need to consider while obtaining an ideal health coverage plan.

Unfortunately, even though policyholders can have low insurance premiums, family history and health are not always controllable. Therefore, such people may have to pay high premium amount.

Some Statistics:

In the early part of the decade, typical health insurance premiums skyrocketed with an annual growth of 10.8 %. In the year 2003, the premium growth shockingly remained strong, before it decreased to 8 % in the year 2004. Right from the year 1982, health insurance premiums have registered an average 7% annual growth. For health insurance premiums, volatile business cycle is very typical thing.

In the year 1992, health insurance constituted 6.3 % of the employee compensation for the private industry employers. In the month of September 2007, health benefits comprised a large portion of employer provided benefits. This included 7.1% of the entire compensation. This made health insurance the largest compensation share for employers having an excess of 500 employees.

The moment the costs escalated, most employers passed their increased premium on to their employees. This has really just shifted the problem.

Conclusion:

An aging population has a significant impact on the future of health care industry in the United States. In terms of pharmaceutical treatment, in-patient care stays and physician visits, the elderly are the most high-cost demographic groups.

The main cause of rising health insurance premiums are the aging population. An aging population creates huge problems in terms of the Medicare Program, since it attempts to fund the services of at least 22 % of the total population.

It is important for people, to pay their monthly premiums on time. Some insurance firms also provide discounts for such people. Secondly, it is also essential that the policyholders compare various health insurance plans. Thereafter, they can select the best plan amongst them all.

Health insurance has become an extremely important issue in America due to spiraling health costs. Thus, easy to pay typical health insurance premiums can ensure coverage for majority of American population.

If you need to cover your own health care cost consider getting a free quote to see if you could save money. You can get them free instantly by simply visiting one of the sites below.

Health Insurance That Covers Cervical Cancer

Health Insurance That Covers Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer is the third most common cancer of the female reproductive system. It's classified as either pre-invasive or invasive. Pre-invasive cancer ranges from minimal cervical dysplasia, in which the lower third of the epithelium contains abnormal cells, to carcinoma in situ, in which the full thickness of epithelium contains abnormally proliferating cells. If left untreated in may progress to invasive cervical cancer, depending on the form. In invasive disease, cancer cells penetrate the basement membrane and can spread directly to contiguous pelvic structures or disseminate to distant sites by way of lymphatic routes. In most cases the histological type is squamous cell carcinoma, which varies from well differentiated cells to highly anaplastic spindle cells.

When covered under a managed care health insurance plan certain preventative treatment may be tested for to detect and terminate the progression of cancer if treated early. Such testing may include certain diagnostic procedures such as a Papanicolaou test more commonly known as a Pap smear to identify abnormal cells, and a colposcopy which determines the source of abnormal cells evidenced on the Pap test. There is also the Cone biopsy which is performed if endocervical curettage is positive. Another useful test is known as the Vira/Pap test which is used to permit examination of the specimens deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) structure to detect Human Papiloma Virus a predicator to cancer cells. Additional studies such as a lymphangiography, cystography, and major organ and bone scans, can detect metastasis.

But What Do You Do If You Have No Insurance And Have Cervical Cancer?

There are a few organizations that can help or provide financial assistance if you have been diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. First try contacting the American Cancer Society a non profit enterprise funded through donor volunteer groups. Second try contacting The Angel Network a private equity fund sponsored by Oprah Winfrey dedicated to assisting individuals diagnosed with the debilitating disease. Finally there are some insurance companies that will provide health insurance, however there is usually a limited open enrollment period for acceptance of an application.

We Can Help.

If you are diagnosed with Cervical Cancer you will need financial assistance to compensate the medical facilities for a multitude of expenses. Acute clinical staging will determine the type of treatment. Pre-invasive lesions may be treated with total excisional biopsy, cryosurgery, laser destruction, conization and sometimes even a hysterectomy costing thousands. Therapy for invasive squamous cell carcinoma may include radical hysterectomy and radiation therapy requiring additional out of pocket expenditures. Pelvic exenteration might also be performed for recurrent cervical cancer.

Complications of the surgery itself can run up more charges because of bladder dysfunction, formation of lymphocytes or seromas after lymphadenctomy, and pulmonary embolism. Other possible complications to be considered in cost are the radiation therapy itself. When it is all said and done the cost of treating a single case of localized (early stage) cervical cancer can average anywhere from $25,000.00 to $35,000.00 dollars and while the cost of treating a single case of distant (later stage) cervical cancer can range anywhere from $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 dollars so you will definitely need help.

Denied Health Insurance - What to Do Next?

Denied Health Insurance - What to Do Next?

There are thousands of people around the country who face expensive medical bills but are denied health insurance due to existing medical conditions. Insurance companies often refuse to cover those who suffer from high blood pressure, cancer, asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, leaving these people to face significant financial hardship. Although being in this situation is difficult, being denied does not mean that you should give up. Many insurance companies allow appeals, and there also a number of alternatives to private health insurance.

If you have been denied medical insurance for some reason, the first step is to appeal the decision with that particular company. Make sure to research any applicable laws (they vary depending on the state) and record every step of the process in case the company needs documentation. If the company denies coverage again, try contacting a health insurance broker. Talk to him or her about your situation and he or she will try to find an insurance company that best matches your needs. Generally speaking, medical insurance brokers know the ins and outs of several different companies and can help you work through the system. You may have to offer a compromise such as an elimination rider, however. This would allow you to have basic health coverage, while excluding treatment for your condition. Obviously, this is not the optimal solution.

While private medical insurance may be the most comprehensive, there are a number of other options. If you have been denied medical insurance before, you might be eligible for your state's high-risk health insurance pool, if available. These pools are available in at least 34 states, and are usually easier to get into than other insurance plans. However, they might not cover certain diseases, and by relying on state health insurance you trust the legislature to remain intact. If you are married and your spouse has health insurance provided by his or her employer, you have another option. Many of these plans do not require any proof of good health before enrollment, but you might only be able to enroll once a year during the open enrollment period.

The good news is that reform is on its way and if you have been denied health insurance, you will only need to find a temporary alternative. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law in March of 2010, prevents insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing medical conditions. It also eliminates pre-existing condition exclusion periods. The act will cover children beginning in September, 2010, and will extend to adults starting in January of 2014.

If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help you save up to 50% on your health insurance monthly premium.

Health Insurance and Health Care Reform in 2014

Health Insurance and Health Care Reform in 2014

The most significant changes implemented by health care reform legislation will come into force on January 1st of 2014. These changes will have at least some impact on all individual and family policy holders and will also effect grandfathered policies that were effective on or before March 23, 2010. The positive changes will be for those who have been rated up or declined for health insurance in the past, for those who are currently or plan to become pregnant, and those whose income is less than 400% of the federal poverty level (I will be developing a worksheet to help you determine whether you are eligible for a subsidy). The negative changes will be for those who have an average or better than average health rating and for those on the younger end of the health insurance spectrum (20s-30s).

If You've Been Declined or Rated Up

If you have pre-existing conditions, you are now in the sweet spot of health care reform. Starting in October of 2013, health insurance companies will be able to begin accepting applications for policies with a January 1st, 2014 effective date. These policies will not use health status or pre-existing conditions to determine benefits, to decline or charge higher rates. Moving forward, the only factors that will contribute to your health insurance premium is the plan you choose, your age, and tobacco usage. I am not yet aware of how currently effective policies will transition, whether your rating will simply be removed from your existing policy or whether you will need to apply for a new policy to get rid of your rating. I will know more as we get closer to the open enrollment period starting in October 2013.

Maternity Coverage

If you are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy, starting on January 1st, 2014, all new health insurance policies will cover maternity automatically. It has not been made explicitly clear whether women who are currently pregnant will be covered. However, given the language of new policies regarding pre-existing conditions, I am comfortable in speculating that there will not be a waiting period for women who are currently pregnant and whose due date falls in 2014 and beyond. I will give updates as I become aware of definite regulations.

Health Insurance Subsidies

Health insurance policies sold through the NC exchange on or after October 2013, with January 1st effective dates, will be eligible for the subsidy. The subsidy amount will be based on your income and you will be eligible if your income is less than 400% of the federal poverty level. Based on income brackets, the premium you owe for your health insurance policy will be calculated as a percentage of your annual income. As previously stated, I will be creating a calculator to help you predict what percentage of your monthly income a health insurance policy will cost you. Health insurance agents will have the ability to assist you in purchasing a policy through the exchange.

Young and/or Favorable Health Rating

If you are young and/or have a favorable health insurance rating, in almost all cases, you can expect rate increases in 2014. This rate increase is due to required pre-existing coverage and to rate variance shrinking from young to old subscribers. The purpose of coverage penalties for currently uninsured individuals is an attempt to bring in healthy policy holders and temper this increase. There will be high deductible plans available to those who want to satisfy the health insurance mandate while minimizing monthly premium expenses.

There is a danger however, that individuals with low health care expenses will be driven to companies that have high complaint ratios, but offer coverage that fulfills the mandate, because those with poor health are likely to gravitate towards the health insurance companies that most reliably pay claims. If a scenario like this occurs, the reliable health insurance company's premiums will be driven very high, which may even cause them to go bankrupt if they are unable to attract healthy subscribers. The tragedy of this type of scenario would be that the bargain basement health insurance company would come out on top for the very fact that they don't do a good job of paying claims.

Grandfathered Versus Non-Grandfathered

If your health insurance policy was effective on or before March 23, 2010, and you have not made changes to your benefit level since then, you have a grandfathered plan. Grandfathered plans are not subject to many of the health care reform requirements, so if you are one of those who expects to see rate increases due to coming changes, it makes sense for you to stick with your current plan for now. If you are in your 20s or 30s, and/or have a very good health rating with your current plan then you probably fall in this category. However, in several years, up to 40% taxes will be applied to grandfathered plans that will cause them to lose their appeal. When these taxes are applied, then in almost all cases it will make sense to roll into a non-grandfathered plan.

When to Enroll (Open Enrollment)

Starting in October of 2013, you will be eligible to begin applying for a policy that falls under the new health care regulations. The initial open enrollment period will last for 6 months. After this time, there will be an annual open enrollment period at the end of each year (October 15th-December 7th) in which you may switch your benefit level or apply for a policy with a new company. Outside of open enrollment periods, you may change your policy during special enrollment periods created by certain life events such as moving your residence, losing group coverage, getting married, or having a baby.

How to Enroll

The enrollment process for policies sold outside the exchange likely remain much the same as they are today with two major exceptions. Medical underwriting will no longer be a part of applications and enrollment periods will be restricted as described above. Policies sold inside the exchange will have the same type of applications as outside except there will be required proof of income if you are eligible for a subsidized policy. It is not yet clear what specific documentation or tax form will be required to substantiate claims of income.

Current Policies

If you currently have a health insurance policy that you are happy with and plan to keep your policy beyond the open enrollment period, your policy will likely transition on January 1st of 2014 and be automatically modified to accommodate the new regulations coming into force. As previously stated, I am not aware of how ratings on current policies will be handled. They might stay on, in which case you would need to apply for a new policy without a rating to shed your old health rating. The more likely scenario is that non-grandfathered policies will automatically shed their health rating and transition into the new rating pool for that specific policy.

What Should You Do?!

There's nothing to do immediately. As October moves closer and the NC health insurance exchange is up and running, I will be able to provide more specific details and directions in navigating the coming changes. I wish you well and invite you to contact me with questions or concerns.

High Deductible Health Insurance Plus Supplements For Affordable Coverage

High Deductible Health Insurance Plus Supplements For Affordable Coverage

Does Health Insurance Cost Too Much?

While it seems like we all have an opinion about health insurance, everybody agrees that it is expensive. Individuals may cost hundreds of dollars every month while family premiums can run up into the thousands. This is an issue for private people and for businesses. We are all waiting to see what reform plans finally get accepted, but most of us are not really holding our breath any more.

Instead of waiting for government intervention or reform, some creative agents are taking a different approach for their clients. They found a way to make sure their clients were covered with the most benefits at the lowest possible price. This play may seem a bit complicated at first. But please give it a chance because it really can help many small businesses, individuals, and families afford premiums.

High Deductible Major Medical vs Lower Deductible Major Medical

It may seem crazy to consider a $10,000 deductible major medical plan, but I would like you to consider this idea. $10K is a lot of money, but a lot of times these plans cover at one hundred percent after the deductible is met. Compare this with a $2,500 deductible that covers at 80/20 until the insured person has met a $10,000 yearly out of pocket maximum. They both carry the same risk of having to spend $10k on medical expenses a year. And some of those lower deductible plans have a $15k or even $20k out of pocket maximum..

Beware of Low Plan Deductibles with Low Yearly Maximums

And beware of some lower deductible plans that advertise being budget friendly. Many of them cap the plan limits for certain expenses at very low amounts, like $2,500 or even $25,000. A common is example is one plan that caps out patient treatment at a choice of limits for varying premium amounts.

$2,500 may seem like a lot, but if you have made one trip to the emergency room lately, you will understand it is not. $25,000 might seem like a lot, but it would not cover many chemotherapy treatments. Chemotherapy is often done on an out patient basis. I have heard of many examples of people maxing out their benefits on services like chemotherapy even though they had health insurance!

The $10K Deductible Plan Looks Better Now

So let us say you take out a high deductible health insurance policy with a very high yearly coverage limit. That means our risk is limited to $10k. Add a health savings account (HSA) to that and you have a sensible way to save for a health problem. Many HSA accounts earn interest. They all roll over from year to year so you do not lose anything. And the final benefits are that they are tax advantaged up to IRS limits. At retirement age, you can cash them in too. So if you are lucky enough to save more than you spent, you have more retirement savings.

But What About That $10,000?

Right now, as you are just shopping for health insurance for yourself, your family, or your business, that $10,000 may seem like an awful lot of money. You have not begun to build an HSA account, and you do not know how you could come up with the money to pay for an emergency room visit or expensive medicine. It may still seem like a big risk at the beginning.

Supplemental Health Insurance

This is where health supplements kick in. You can find very inexpensive accident or illness supplements that pay cash for covered health issues. Many will pay up to $5 or $10 thousand dollars. With a supplement, you can have the cash to pay for medical bills that are not going to be paid out by your major medical.

In addition, just being covered by a major medical plan should allow you negotiated fee discounts from your main insurance plan. I had tests recently that would have cost well over $200, but were discounted to $75. It is not secret that people with insurance pay less than people without insurance for many services.

Benefits of High Deductibles Plus Supplements

• Lower premiums and relaxed underwriting on higher deductible health plans.
• The savings power and tax advantages of an HSA.
• Affordable health supplements that pay cash.
• Business owners may cover the higher deductible plan but ask their employees to help contribute to the supplemental plans in order to share costs. This may be the only way they can afford to provide their employees with coverage.

This plan will not work for everybody. It is more complicated and requires the insured person to take more control of their own health plan. But it also has a lot of benefits, and if you believe that health insurance just costs way too much, you should consider it.

Compare Health Insurance Rates - High Deductibles Vs Low Deductible

Compare Health Insurance Rates - High Deductibles Vs Low Deductible

As many compare health insurance plans, they are always faced with the question of whether to go with high deductibles or low deductibles. This is not a straight cut question and answer situation. Each person would need to understand the pros and cons of each plan and then armed with this information, they can then decide which plan is best for them.

Many people are usually most concerned with the monthly premium they would have to pay as a way of knowing what that health plan would cost them. Nothing can be more mis-leading than this. The lower your monthly premium, the higher deductible would be.

I think we should go back for a bit and ask what a deductible is.

What is a Deductible?

A deductible is an amount you are required to pay before your insurance kicks in. Usually, if you do not or can not pay your deductible, you can not access the benefits of your health insurance coverage.

Above, we looked at the fact that having a low monthly premium is by no means a representation of the cost you would bear. On the other, looking for low deductible plans would not necessarily save you money since your monthly premium would certainly be high.

How then do I choose a plan?

First understand where your cost are coming from. These are:

Monthly Premium
Deductible
Doctor's copays
Coinsurance
Other out of pocket (OOP) expenses

All the cost above will differ from plan to plan. In some plans, you would not have to pay for coinsurance or a high monthly premium or a high deductible. I have always insisted that the very first thing to do is to determine your health needs.

Generally, high deductible health plans (HDHP) seem to favor people who have less need for frequent medicare. If they do not need medical care, then they wouldn't have to pay the high deductibles or eve coinsurance. While on the other hand, people who need frequent medicare benefit more from low deductible health plans (LDHP) because though their premium is higher than the in the HDHP, the frequency at which they receive medical care makes it worth it. Note, this is a general statement.

From the above, you can see that which plan would be best for you would depend on your health need. It is therefore very necessary that you first determine what your health needs are.

You can begin to get more information about different health plans online. Just compare health insurance rates by getting free quotes from quotes comparison sites. This exercise would improve your ability to choose the ideal and most cost effective health plan for you.

Health Insurance Bankruptcy - A Common Dilemma

Health Insurance Bankruptcy - A Common Dilemma

Medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy, according to a Harvard University study, which also showed that more than 75% of those who declared bankruptcy because of mounting medical bills had health insurance at the start of their illness.

These days, the word "insurance" may be a misnomer. Health care coverage no longer insures that the bulk of your medical costs will be paid. The safety net that medical insurance provided in the past has become riddled with holes so large that many people are falling through, leaving them nearly as vulnerable as those without insurance. These people are considered underinsured.

Two reasons for the recent upsurge of people who are worrying about health care costs and struggling to pay their premiums, even if they are employed and have health benefits through work or are eligible Medicare are below.

First, health care costs are rising at twice the rate of inflation and most Americans can't keep up. Bigger chunks of a person's income now go toward paying for insurance and treatments. Prescription drugs can be costly also.

Second, employers are passing more of the financial responsibility for health care onto their employees. In an attempt to save money, employers are switching from comprehensive coverage( broad contract that provides coverage for almost all types of medical expenses, with a few internal limits, and usually subject to a small deductible and coinsurance), to high deductible coverage. The result is that employees bear more of the cost. Premiums for health insurance through employers increased nearly 8% in 2006.

With the cost of maintaining health skyrocketing, consumers are desperately seeking ways to keep out-of-pocket costs as low as possible. Unfortunately, some options look good at first glance, but could end up further emptying your pockets. One way you can ease your worries is to fund your own health care by putting money in reserve. There are two ways to do this. Flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts (HSA's)..

Flexible spending accounts allow you to set aside money from your paycheck before taxes are taken out and use the account to pay for medical expenses throughout the year. Because you lose whatever money is left in the account at the end of the year, flexible spending accounts work best for known recurring expenses, such as regular prescription costs.

A health savings account works somewhat like a long-term flexible spending account, enabling you to save for medical expenses on a tax-free basis, but you also must have a HSA qualified high deductible health plan. Anyone younger than 65 who buys this type of policy can open an HSA. You cannot be enrolled in Medicare, however, or covered by another insurance policy that isn't a qualified high deductible plan. Contributions to HSA's are limited and adjusted annually. Unlike with a flexible spending account, the money in an HSA is yours and can be rolled over and used in future years, and even grow through investment earnings.

Illinois Low Income Government Health Insurance Guide

Illinois Low Income Government Health Insurance Guide

There are a number of different Illinois low income government health insurance programs that residents of Illinois can take advantage of. Whether you are looking for Illinois low income health insurance for your children, for someone who is disabled, or even if you are looking for an IL low income health insurance plan for yourself or your entire family then there are different options, bother governmental and private, that you should look into.

The state of Illinois is one of the largest states in the United States when speaking about population. Although the state is not very big compared to Texas or California, it houses approximately 12 million people and population has been growing about 3% every 5 years. With this in mind it is important to understand that the need for quality health insurance is a common one in this great state. With the health care costs rising, the state government has been faced with important decisions regarding what to do with families that have no money to afford health care, or families that do have money; but cannon really afford it because they live from paycheck to paycheck. The state of Illinois is one the best states in the nation regarding health insurance for low income families.

The Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services is a prime place for low income families to find coverage for them or for their children. A program started by the former governor of Illinois, Mr. Rod R. Blagojevich is called Illinois Covered. This program is designed to allow those 1.4 million of uninsured people residing in the state of Illinois to gain health insurance coverage. The program which provides "affordable healthcare for all" was started simply because the governor is tired for waiting for Washington D.C. to come up with answers to the health care crisis that is roaming America in the last decades. The program in whole is divided into different categories depending on eligibility requirements a person needs to have in order to qualify.

One of the programs is called Family Care and its main focus is to provide health care coverage for Illinois people who are below 185% of the poverty line. The governor is trying to get a piece of legislation started in which the eligibility for this plan would go up to families below 400% the poverty line, which would include a larger percentage than those under the program now. What this plan does is offer healthcare coverage to parents living with their children 18 year old or younger and to relatives who are caring for children of those ages. The plan includes doctor visits, dental care, hospital care, emergency services, prescriptions, etc and these services will have small copays of approximately $5. Parents should expect to pay a monthly premium of $15 to $40 depending on the number of family members covered under the plan.

Another program the Illinois government has is called All Kids "Healthcare for kids" and it was started on July 1, 2006. This program is available for children ages 18 and younger, and recently the governor has proposed to cover people up to the age of 21 with this plan. There are a quarter of a million children (approximately 250,000) in the state of Illinois who do not have health insurance coverage. This program is designed to cover kids at an affordable price, and make them eligible to go see a doctor or get surgery when needed. The plan includes services such as doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription drug coverage, vision and dental care, and medical devices such as glasses and asthma inhalers. They rates are affordable and for middle income families the rates will be much lower than those in the private health insurance market.

Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities coverage is another program in the state of Illinois, and they began providing services for in the year 2002. Families that were once middle class and are now low income families due to the disability of a family member is covered with these health plan as well. After a person is injured, many people fear going back to work because that would mean losing their health insurance coverage and many others just simply cannot afford private health insurance coverage. This program eases the transition from a disability back to work by making sure those people are fully covered with Medicaid. If you are an individual between he ages of 18 and 64 that is disabled and you earn a monthly income of $1,702 per month for individual and $2,282 for a couple you might qualify for this health benefit.

Two other important programs in that the state of Illinois offered that are somewhat linked to each other are Illinois Covered Assist and Illinois Covered Rebate. Illinois Covered Assist is a new program that focuses on primary care and disease management of very low income families, primarily speaking families making less than $10,210 annually for an individual or $13,960 for a family. They will provide access to a medical home through a medical center in the community and prescription drug benefits. On the other hand, Illinois Covered Rebate was designed to help middle income Illinois families to pay for their health insurance premiums. This will pay up to 20% of their premium or up to $1,000 per year.

Although healthcare in the state of Illinois is not perfect and there is still a lot to be done to improve it, the former governor has been doing a great job expanding the benefits so that his programs cover a variety and a high number of people. If you want more information about low income coverage for families in the state, you can contact the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services or a local Illinois health insurance agent or broker.

Health Insurance - Do You Know Your Rights?

Health Insurance - Do You Know Your Rights?

Your ability to obtain health insurance may depend upon your health status. However, you do have certain rights. Most insurance is regulated at the state level but federal rules also apply. Underwriting standards for individual health plans are tighter than ever, but if you understand your legal protection, you should certainly be able to obtain major medical. However, even with current legal protection, I cannot promise that your monthly premium will be affordable, especially if you have current health problems.

If you leave your job, you may be able to keep your group health plan for several months. This is COBRA coverage. However, your monthly bill will probably increase because your company no longer needs to make contributions. Many people are shocked by the bill when their previous employer stops making contributions.

If your employer extends group benefits, you cannot be excluded because of a pre-existing health condition. This is called nondiscrimination. That's why group plan premiums may be higher than individual premiums. Many people don't realize that individual health insurance premiums may be less expensive than group premiums because they are not aware of their company's contribution.

Some states do not allow individual or group plans to turn down applicants because of health issues, or even to charge more. However, most states do not offer this protection. Groups with a less healthy population my be charged considerably more, and small groups may see a considerable increase if an employee or two has a serious health condition.

All states have some sort of high risk medical plan for individuals who do not have group health insurance, but cannot get accepted for individual plan because of health status. In some states this is a high risk pool. Applicants with pre-existing conditions may obtain health insurance, but the premiums may be high.

If you have a low or moderate household income, you may qualify for free or subsidized coverage. Medicaid covers individuals with very low income and assets. CHIPS covers children with moderate household incomes. In addition, many counties offer health plans for moderate income individuals.

If you have had trouble obtaining health insurance, don't give up. A good local health insurance agent should be able to advise you, even if you cannot qualify for a private plan. You can also check with you state insurance department or county department of human services. These government organizations exist to serve citizens. Access to health insurance is not guaranteed in all situations, but with persistence, most individuals can obtain a health plan.

For details on your state's unique rights, consult the Georgetown University Health Insurance Consumer Guide at healthinsuranceinfo.net.

Low Cost Group Health Insurance

Low Cost Group Health Insurance

Low cost group health insurance is an affordable coverage plan offered to employees or members of profit and non-profit organizations. The group health insurance plans have many contributors and there are various policies that provide more services to each participant, at a lower cost. The insured get health insurance premiums at affordable rates and all the necessary medical facilities. This plan is also referred to as low cost group health insurance. Most companies provide their employees with low cost group health insurances. The facility is also made available to the staff of churches and labor unions.

Some of the policies of low cost group health insurance involve the participation of an HMO or health maintenance organization or other major medical associations, such as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Most of these policies do not restrict the insurers to go to particular physicians or specialists, except for the HMO policies, which often restrict the patients to consult doctors on their panel. Low cost group health insurance policies cover emergency as well as routine medical procedures. The medical treatments also include eye and dental care, though the coverage for these may be limited to specific procedures. Some of the companies provide their employees with an annual health check-up, at private hospitals. This includes blood tests, blood pressure and height and weight check-up. Group health insurance may not necessarily cover the health care of the employee?s spouse or dependents.

Low cost group health insurance is a lot more affordable than individual health insurance, but it has its share of disadvantages and drawbacks. Apart from the limited choices of doctors offered by the HMO policies, some of the companies suddenly impose strict health care policies, such as a ?no smoking for the insurers. These policies in regard to personal health are often interfering.

Health Insurance - Coordination of Benefits

Health Insurance - Coordination of Benefits

There are plenty of things to understand about health insurance. Coordination of benefits is a plan that is implemented when two or more insurance companies have to cover the cost of medical expenses. This refers to group health insurance policies, and is not something that applies to individual health insurance plans. Group health plans need to provide coverage that doesn't exceed 100% of the total expenses, and using a COB plan they can divide up the coverage correctly. In order to understand this and whether it applies to you, you must start by finding out whether you have more than one group insurance plan.

If you and your spouse both have employer health coverage, you will need to know how coordination of benefits works. Of course, if you have employer health coverage and another group plan offered through a membership of some kind, you also need to understand this term. You have to figure out which company is the primary insurance provider. They will be first in line to cover your expenses. Typically, this will be your employer's health insurance. The rest of the coverage will be picked up by the secondary source where you are listed as a dependent, such as a spouse's insurance or another group insurance program.

You have to understand the coverage that is offered in the case of divorced or separated couples for dependants of those policies. Typically, this will offer another set of coordination of benefits guidelines that you need to follow. If you want to learn more about coordination of benefits specifically in regards to your insurance coverage, you should check out your state's health insurance department website. This is where you will find all of the rules and regulations that you need to know.

What's important for people to understand is that when Medicare and Medicaid are involved, they have their own unique coordination of benefits rules. In order to get the coverage that you need, you have to get the information from your provider to understand which policy is primary and which is secondary, as well as what expenses are going to be covered by this plan. Whether you have multiple group policies or you are dealing with public aid insurance like Medicare or Medicaid, you have to understand how the COB rules affect you so that you can file claims correctly and get the coverage that you need and deserve.
If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help you save up to 50% on your health insurance.

Denied Individual Health Insurance Coverage? Reasons For Health Insurance Coverage to Be Denied

Denied Individual Health Insurance Coverage? Reasons For Health Insurance Coverage to Be Denied

What should you do if you have been denied health insurance coverage? What options do you have if you have been denied individual health insurance coverage? What are some of the common reasons that health insurance coverage can be denied?

In a nutshell, if you have been rejected individual health insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions then you should first of all shop around and compare rates from multiple companies. After all, different health insurance companies have different underwriting guidelines and just because you have been denied coverage with one company does not necessarily mean that the next company will do the same. Having the services of an experienced independent health insurance agent at a time like this is a definite plus.

If for any reason you are rejected from receiving health insurance by a company, you may also want to try to look for companies that don't require you to answer questionnaires, or even better go for some that can give you at least a little coverage for a low-cost - this is a last option though as almost all individual plans that do not have medical underwriting are really just discount plans in disguise and will not give the coverage that a true major medical comprehensive health insurance plan will.

Some states (29 to be exact) have what are called high risk pools. These were created to serve those people that are considered medically uninsurable or those that are described as a "high risk" for the insurance companies. What these pools do is give those people that have been turned down an opportunity of having health insurance. With a high risk pool you will never be turned down for any reason and the best part is that it will help you pay for large medical costs.

There are however, a bunch of things that might be viewed as disadvantages to the customer deciding whether or not to consider a high risk pool. Some of the disadvantages include that the state can terminate your coverage if there is legislation against it, there are usually long waiting lists, the cost is much higher than private health insurance plans and you can lose eligibility if you move or if you start receiving Medicare and Medicaid. If you want to know if your state is one of the 29 that offer "high risk" pools or for more contact information to enroll in one of them then you should speak with a health insurance broker local to your state. Again, keep in mind that a high risk pool should be one of the last options that you consider.

With the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) passed in the year 1996, new doors were opened for the people that weren't able to qualify for private individual health insurance. Within this act a law was passed that states that a person cannot be denied health insurance for any reason if they decide to join a group health plan. This means that if you have a job with an employer that offers group health insurance coverage, more than likely you won't be denied coverage. The only way in which coverage wont be given to a person in the even that they seek group health insurance, is in the event that you do not meet the eligibility requirements of your employer.

Some of those eligibility requirements could be the total number of hours you work per week and whether you have a salaried or an hour employee. It is of note to highlight that group health plans may refuse to cover a person with pre-existing conditions; however if you have at least 12 months of continuous creditable coverage, a group plan will not be able to deny you insurance due to pre-existing conditions.

This doesn't mean that if you have had health insurance in the past and you have a pre-existing condition you are covered. If you have had a break in coverage (lapse in coverage) and you apply for group coverage you will be given an exclusion period. During this exclusion period the insurer will not pay for any treatment or doctor visits related to your pre-existing conditions, instead you will be responsible for all unrelated treatment.

The HIPAA laws also dictate that individual health insurance coverage must be issued on a guaranteed issue basis (everyone is approved) and all pre-existing conditions are covered if someone meets 6 criteria. These 6 HIPAA health insurance requirements are an important part of the HIPAA laws to understand if you have major pre-existing conditions and have been denied for regular individual health insurance coverage.

Health Insurance Coverage For Epilepsy

Health Insurance Coverage For Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a paroxysmal condition of the brain affecting neurological systems and characterized by a susceptibility to recurrent sporadic seizures. Seizures are events associated with abnormal electrical discharges of neuron in the brain. In most patients, this condition does not affect intelligence, however some episodes can be life threatening. Epilepsy usually occurs in patients younger than age 20, and is believed to be present in an estimated 2% of the population. Most patients achieve and establish control of the disorder with strict adherence to prescribed treatment if insured by a health plan.

Typically, treatment for epilepsy is a combination of multiple therapeutic attempts and protocols systematically managed to either temporarily relieve the patient or terminate epileptic occurrences altogether. Treating epilepsy can be very difficult and expensive which is why being covered by health insurance is essential and necessary to accomplish the means successfully.

This article was created to assist patients diagnosed with epilepsy to obtain health insurance coverage in the individual private healthcare market without the endorsement of limitable riders or attached exclusions on the policy when placed and issued.

There are various methods in clinical practice for treating epilepsy including prescription medications, surgery, and cutting edge experimental procedures. The most commonly prescribed drugs are Phenytoin, Carbamazepine, Phenobarbital, Valproic Acid, and Primidone administered individually for generalized tonic-clonic seizures or complex partial seizures. Valproic Acid, Clonazepam, and Ethosuximide are commonly prescribed as adjunct therapy for partial seizures. Fosphenytoin is an Intravenous preparation that is also effective in treatment.

If drug therapy fails, treatment may include surgical removal of a demonstrated focal lesion to attempt in ending the seizure activity. Surgery is also performed when epilepsy results from an underlying problem, such as intracranial tumors, a brain abscess or cyst, and vascular abnormalities.

Vagal nerve stimulation may also be attempted. A pacemaker with a stimulator lead is placed on the vagus nerve. The nerve is stimulated for approximately 30 seconds every 5 minutes. This procedure is very useful in refractory epilepsy, decreasing seizure frequency and intensity. It has also diminished the need for more medication and increased the quality of life for some individuals.

Transcranial magnetic stimulators are currently under investigation and have been beneficial for some patients. By now it should be clear, insuring this condition is necessary because of the amount of healthcare needed to achieve the goal of treatment.

How The Health Insurance Underwriters View Epilepsy.

Health insurance underwriters are concerned primarily with the associated complications which can occur during the course of a seizure. This may include anoxia from airway occlusion by the tongue or swallowing vomit following traumatic injury. Such trauma could result from a fall at the onset of generalized tonic-clonic seizures such as rapid, jerking movements that frequently occur during or after an episode or from a sudden illicit movement sustained while the patient is confused and has an altered level of consciousness.

In any event, the hesitation to write a policy at reasonable standard rates if at all will be determined by the interrogative stage of screening. In the eyes of a health insurance underwriter it is unpredictability of an epileptic patient that causes concern, as such here are some tips in reference to the screening questions asked to make a proposed applicant appear predictable enough to issue a policy.

Questions Asked by Health Insurance Underwriters on Epilepsy and Tips on Answering Them.

(1) When was the applicant diagnosed with a seizure disorder?

Tip: It is important for underwriters to know how long ago the applicant was diagnosed with the disorder. As a general rule the farther back the better especially if it was diagnosed more than 10 years ago and is being controlled with prescribed medication.

(2) What type of seizure disorder does the applicant have?

Tip: Elaborating to health underwriters is crucial in this regard. Underwriters want to know if an applicant is predisposed to partial seizures, simple partial seizures, complex partial seizures, generalized seizures, mycolonic seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, or akinetic seizures. If status epilepticus is documented on file in claim history, with an incidence requiring hospitalization, a letter of medical clearance from the physician is going to be required.

(3) When was the applicant hospitalized for his or her last seizure?

Tip: The underwriting decision of seizure disorders is in part based on the applicants degree of clinical stability. Most health insurance companies within the individual private healthcare market are requiring last episodes to have taken place with a two year time interval from the date of service when hospitalized in order for consideration of medical clearance. If the last episode happened during the course of the last 24 months an application will have to be submitted to carriers who are more lenient in this regard.

(4) What medications is the applicant currently taking?

Tip: The majority of seizure disorders are treated with medications. In many cases, this involves more than one drug. Seizure control with tolerable side effects can be achieved in up to 80% of patients with only using one prescription, as a general rule the less medication the better a chance to get approved. Some patients may become seizure free without any medications indicating to the underwriter the disorder is not a lifelong condition. Consider weaning the dosage down prior to application submission or receiving the medication during consultation visits with the practitioner instead, this way it appears on record that medications are no longer being used.

(5) Is the applicant employed on a full time basis and in the currently has a valid driver license?

Tip: The severity of a seizure disorder can also be measured in terms of its impact on functional ability. An applicant who cannot work or obtain a drivers license presents serious underwriting concerns for individual coverage. On the other hand, an applicant who is employed full time and has an issued motor vehicle driver license will have an excellent underwriting outcome. The department of Motor Vehicles receives information regarding medical conditions from many sources including accident reports, police reports, and physician reports. In the event there is a revocation or suspension of licensing due to epilepsy ask the physician to provide a certification that the condition is treated and controlled and does not affect driving skills. Many times this simple procedure has overturned many previously denied or substandard rated underwriting decisions and have gotten policies issued with approval at affordable rates.

If you or someone you know is having a difficult time obtaining an approval for major medical health insurance or get an affordable rate because of epilepsy, please visit our website at http://www.health-insurance-buyer.com and leave your contact information. One of our licensed agents will contact you to provide the solution guaranteed.

Children's Health Insurance - Good News, Bad News and a Couple of Options

Children's Health Insurance - Good News, Bad News and a Couple of Options

The importance of children's health insurance cannot be stated strongly enough. Our children, besides the fact that they are precious and rely on us adults to provide for them, are also the future of our nation and some day will be taking care of us as we grow into our elderly years.

Ten years ago, then President, Bill Clinton, signed into law the SCHIP program. SCHIP stands for "State Children's Health Insurance Program". This program has been incredibly successful since it's inception, helping over 6 million poor children get health care that they may not have gotten otherwise. Unfortunately, SCHIP is running out of money and the initial 10 year run of the program is up in September of 2007. 14 states have already run out of funding, while others have hurriedly passed new budgets in order to keep the program alive for the children of their low income families.

The SCHIP program was originally designed to provide help to working families whose income was too high to qualify for Medicaid coverage, but not substantial enough to afford private health insurance.

Although it appears that the program will be renewed again, the question is the amount of federal funding that it will receive. The biggest problem up to this point has been certain states running out of money.

Unfortunately, even as successful as the SCHIP program has been, there are still over 50% of our kids out there that have no children's health insurance. So what other options are there? Let's take a look.

#1. Purchase an inexpensive discount plan. These plans are not insurance. They only provide discounts on routine medical care. Many of these plans are affordable and they have been known to significantly reduce the amount of hospital care with their negotiation tactics.

#2. Raise your deductible to the highest level. I realize that this means paying for your basic children's health care out of your own pocket, however, think about this for a moment before you scoff at the idea. How many times a year do you actually take your child to the doctor? 1-2 times is about average for most. Most people have some amount of annual deductible anyway so you'd be paying that out of pocket first, right? Even when your policy kicks in most have an 80/20 co-pay, right? Well, this means that you're going to have to pay something anyway, regardless of what you do. By raising your deductible you'll substantially lower your monthly premiums and cover yourselves in the event of an emergency. Something to think about when you decide to buy children's health insurance.

Health Insurance - The Impact of Malpractice Lawsuits

Health Insurance - The Impact of Malpractice Lawsuits

There is a major effort to undertake health care reform going on at the moment. Reform is definitely needed because the cost of health insurance has gone through the roof the last two decades. Whether the current plan being offered is a good one or not is up for debate, but what is clear is it does not address one of the factors in rising health care costs - malpractice lawsuits.

There was a time when just about the last thing a doctor had to worry about was being sued for malpractice. Most doctors were tied into their community and new their patients on a very personal basis. When problems or mistakes occurred, an apology was issued and remedy was searched for. Those times are long gone. The health care industry has become, well, something of an industry. The personal relationship between doctor and patient is now a cold one in most cases. When mistakes inevitably occur, the patient tends to look to the courts for a remedy.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are on the rise in a big way and so are the premiums doctors pay for errors and omissions insurance. Still, what does this have to do with the cost of health insurance going up so dramatically? Well, there is a direct causal relationship. Doctors are paranoid about being sued. To limit their risk, they order just about every diagnostic test and treatment that could possibly tell them anything. Why? They don't want a lawyer asking them why they didn't do a certain test.

One can hardly blame doctors for taking this approach. Everybody guards against being sued if they can help it. The problem is this approach has a very practical effect of driving the costs of health care absolutely through the roof. Insurance companies will discount these costs to a certain extent, but sooner or later they have to pay a good chunk of them. Guess who the carrier is going to past the costs onto? Yes, the people paying the premiums on the insurance policies. That would be you and me.

I am not suggesting in any way that negligent doctors should be let off the hook when it comes to malpractice claims. The point of this article is simply to suggest that there are many reasons our health care system is out of control from a cost perspective and the possibility of fixing them with one health care reform act is not realistic.

Health Insurance Portability in India

Health Insurance Portability in India

We have all heard of mobile number portability (that it gets perpetually delayed is another matter altogether!). Similarly, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) is now working with an aggressive timeline for Health Insurance Portability in India. At a simplistic level, health insurance portability means that the insurance policyholder can transfer the health insurance policy on renewal from one insurance company to another, without losing any of the accrued benefits.

The basic idea is to enable the insurance policy holder to continue with a minimum base cover that is constant across all insurance companies. Today, if you acquired an illness during the earlier policy term, it is treated as a pre-existing one by the new insurer, and thus people (especially senior people) find it very difficult to change their insurance company even though they might be dissatisfied.

This is a boon for policyholders in India. What it does is that it ensures that the Indian insurance company with whom you are currently insured cannot afford to take you for granted (irrespective of what the customer service department would like you to believe, you are nothing but a revenue stream for the insurance company!). It also will make the insurance company think twice before frivolously rejecting any claims. The biggest advantage is that the policyholder is not tied down to one insurance company, and has an option when his existing insurance company might not want to cover his risk any more. This will also ensure that insurance companies will introduce more cost competitive and customer friendly schemes so that there is no switch by their existing policy holders, thus leading to a reduction in premium.

Currently, most medical insurance contracts are one year contracts, and if there has been no claim, bonuses in the form of higher sum assured for the same premium, or a reduction in premium, is assured. However, if the policyholder wants to port it to another company, the bonuses are not transferred and the policyholder pays the base rate. For senior citizens who bought the original policy many years earlier, it becomes even more difficult to shift as the insurance companies are reluctant to sell new policies to the elderly.

Some of the major issues such as data exchange, bonus transfer and two policies being different are being worked out. According to senior officials, the basic product has already been developed by GIC and is now awaiting the approval of IRDA. Health Insurance portability in India will most probably be available for sum insured upto Rs 1 lakh or 2 Lakh ( we recommend 2 lakhs). Since two medical insurance policies are hardly ever identical, GIC is working towards a common minimum benefit which can be carried forward if one decides to change the insurance company.

Accumulated bonuses on claim free policy will not be carried forward and extended cover will be treated as a new policy. On the base cover, there will be no exclusions on the basis of cooling off time or pre existing diseases. While health insurance portability might take away customization of health insurance policies, it is a small price to pay for the freedom of knowing that the health insurance company cannot twist your arm when you are at your weakest. Health insurance portability will also ensure that online comparison through sites such as www.PolicyTiger.com will play an even bigger role in the decision process.

Affordable Health Insurance - Luxury Or Necessity?

Affordable Health Insurance - Luxury Or Necessity?

There is a question out there: Is affordable health insurance a luxury or necessity? There has also been lots of talk about whether or not you really need health insurance if you are an overall healthy individual. In this economy, people have been looking for ways to cut any corner they can in order to save a buck. If you are trying to save money, you should not exclude health insurance. Maybe it is time for you to look harder for more affordable coverage, but not having it at all should not have to be an option.

Even if you are a healthy individual who does not get sick much, you could still get injured and it is still imperative to get a health plan. At any given moment you can get sick and at any given time you could get in an accident. Without healthcare you could really destroy yourself financially in the blink of an eye.

Having a health plan means taking care of yourself better too. People that are uninsured often try to avoid doctors because of the fear that they are going to be paying an arm and a leg for their services. You should not have to worry about medical costs when you know that you need to be seen by a doctor. Affordable health insurance gives you peace of mind because you need not worry about your financial situation when you get sick or hurt.

Just like eating and sleeping every day, healthcare should be thought of as something that you need to have every day. Imagine if you choke on something that you are eating, and you need to be rushed to the emergency room. Would you not having healthcare prevent you from choking? No. You would choke anyway and need to be rushed to the hospital. With coverage, you would not stress over the bill.

Affordable health insurance gives you the luxury of not worrying about medical costs, and should be thought of as a necessity for everyone. There are many affordable plans and options available that will fit into your budget.

Ken S., Founder

LowRateSearch.com

© 2009

What Is The Difference Between Health Insurance Companies In California?

What Is The Difference Between Health Insurance Companies In California?

Whether you already know it or not California has a lot of options for health insurance. There are companies that we all heard of and there are some companies that we never heard of. With all the Health Insurance Companies out there you might be wondering what the differences are and which one is right for you.

First in state of California the health insurance companies you should be looking at are; Aetna, Assurant, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, HealthNet, Kaiser, Nationwide, PacifiCare, Celtic and a new company that is going to be available in state of California is Golden Rule. These are the largest carriers that are available in the State of California. If you are looking at any other company that was not mentioned previously, use caution. With all the health insurance premiums going up there are companies that prey on people with low premiums and coverage that does not cover anything. They are just out there to make a quick buck buy collection as much premiums as they can before you cancel your coverage. Stay away from companies that you never heard of, not matter what they tell you. If you hear something like, "affordable health insurance for self-employed", run.

Second what you have to understand that the actual cost of insurance no matter what company you go with is about the same. So how do insurance companies have so many different plans with different premiums? If it is a large insurance company and the company ran efficiently that is how you get great premium with great coverage. What creates variety of prices for coverage is the creative aspect of the insurance company designing their plans. The way they do it is by deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, drug coverage deductibles, whether the plan covers brand name drugs or generic drugs only, maternity coverage, maximum out of pocket, deductible and co-pays for all kind of different services.

The name we all know is Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross has been around since the recession of 1929, and it used to cost only 1 cent a day. The times have changes since then, but the Blue Cross name is still around. Blue Cross has been over the years the most stable largest health insurance provider in the United States. Their strategy is to keep rates stable and have stable rate increases. While most other plans might lower their rates to get more people on their coverage and then keep increasing their rates. There fore as some plans might be more attractive in premiums at the moment over time eventually they have to catch up with the actual market health insurance cost. Sometime the company has to charge people more for health insurance in the future so they can give more affordable rates today. Blue Cross will give the one of the largest varieties of plans to choose from and you can always downgrade a plan without going through underwriting is the monthly premiums because to expensive.

The most competitive health insurance coverage you will be able to get in California today is through Aetna and once Golden Rule plans come out by United Health Care then Golden Rule plans are going to be the most completive plan. Every time most of the large insurance companies enter a new state with a new plan they make that plan more competitive just to capture the percentage of that market eventually the company will have to raise their rates to the market level. Aetna plans in California are the most competitive. This is where you can get the most coverage for your money. Keep in mind that the Aetna Individual plans in the state of California do not cover Maternity.

Assurant Health Plans is provided through Fortis Insurance Company witch is the 26th largest company in the world and Fortis Insurance Company has been around since 1892. Assurant Health Plans are the most widely accepted and flexible plans that are available on the market today. Assurant Health Plans utilizes dozens of provider networks Nationwide to give you the worlds largest selections of doctors in United States and worldwide. Assurant Health Plans are the only plans that will cover you world wide as they will cover you in the United States. There is a big difference when insurance company says that you are covered for emergencies worldwide. Insurance company can make a final decision on whether that was true emergency or not. Assurant Health Plans have no such restrictions. Assurant is the only company that will allow you to move to different state without going through underwriting process all over again. That meant that with most companies even if it is a same company if you move from one state to another you have to cancel you policy in the current state and re-apply in the state that you are moving to. The down side with Assurant in some states is that they are not the most competitive and harder to get approved for. If you considering HSA plan, Assurant Health is the best options available to individuals and families.

Blue Shield of California is great coverage especially if it is young family looking for a plan with maternity coverage and for a family where one of the adults on the plans is significantly younger than the other. Blue Shield bases their monthly premiums on the youngest primary policy holder. This can be any adult in the family. Blue Shield plans have low maximum out of pocket and wide acceptance with doctors. A lot of doctors in state of California prefer Blue Shield plans because Blue Shield reimburses them faster than most other insurance companies. Keep in mind that in some states Blue Cross and Blue Shield are the same company in state of California they are two different insurance companies competing for your business.

HealthNet of California is the insurance company available in western states. HealthNet family plans are affordable, have some of the lowest maximum out of pocket and designed for healthy individuals and families. The new line of plans form HealthNet are their popular no deductible PPO plans. Which are some of the worst plans for families. No deductible plans are not designed for families since they have extremely high maximum out of pocket witch might be a great fit for single healthy individuals. HealthNet of California also offers some of the best HMO plans available on the market.

Health Net's simple design and affordable plans are perfect match for healthy families. The way their family plans work is that once you meet your deductible HealthNet will pay 100% for all of your medical expenses after that. The down side is that their family plans do not cover regular sick doctor visits. The money that you are going to save monthly is going to be way worth no having doctor visits covered until the deductible is met. All you will get is negotiated rates that HealthNet has with doctors and hospitals. Your doctor office visits are going to cost you anywhere from $65 to $65 per visit.