Health Insurance

Supplementing Health Insurance

admin — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:50:20 -0500

Health insurance can be a wonderful thing to have, but depending upon the policy that you purchase you might find that there are some gaps in the coverage that you receive. Some of these gaps occur because they don’t fit cleanly into what’s covered in basic health plans, while others occur because they would normally be covered under other health insurance options. Depending upon the type of health insurance that you have you might find yourself with more or less gaps apparent in your policy.

Take Control of your Health Insurance

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:15:24 -0500

Your health is important, and that means your health insurance is, too. For a number of reasons, however, it can be difficult to take control of your health insurance, and reduce your costs while increasing the effectiveness of the benefits your insurance provides. If you’re on an employer health plan, for example, this can be quite a difficult think to achieve. When it comes to health insurance, making the most of what you’ve got is more about learning how your insurance works, than it is about learning where you can save.

Health Insurance: The Basics of COBRA

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:47:38 -0500

It's important for individuals who have health insurance through their employers to understand their rights under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). According to this important piece of legislation, workers who participate in employer sponsored health insurance programs, and their eligible dependents, are guaranteed an opportunity to continue their health insurance coverage following separation for employment under certain circumstances and for a specific period of time.

Health Savings Account (HSA) vs. Health Insurance

admin — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:54:56 -0500

In order for many people to receive vital health care, they will either need a health insurance policy or a health insurance savings account. Many people become confused between the two and often believe that a health savings account is the same thing as a health insurance policy. Typically, a health insurance policy is a form of insurance that helps you pay for medical expenses ranging from preventative medical check ups to treatment for illnesses and emergency care.

Health Insurance: Are You Covered for Catastrophic Illness?

admin — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:20:33 -0500

What will happen to your family if you are diagnosed with cancer, or have a heart attack or stroke and are unable to work? Many people mistakenly assume that their health insurance will cover all of the medical costs associated with a catastrophic illness. The truth is that few traditional health insurance policies provide adequate coverage if you or someone in your family suffers one of the major illnesses, especially if that person is a primary breadwinner in the family.

Choosing Health Insurance Plans

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:31:23 -0500

The question of how to choose a health insurance plan is riddled with factors. Some people take this very seriously while others dismiss the value of such questions and do their best to close their eyes and point to the plan they figure might be relevant. This is a decision, which believe it or not, will impact your future in one way or another. So, taking time with it is in everyone’s best interest in the long run.

HSA: A Medical Plan that Makes Cents

admin — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:10:32 -0500

Health Savings Accounts, also known as Medical Savings Accounts, are one excellent way to save money on your health insurance and medical costs. The HSA is a solution that helps you take control of the high cost of health insurance by saving your own money toward medical expenses while paying less for medical insurance. It works in conjunction with a high deductible medical insurance policy and saves you money on health care costs in a number of ways.

What is a Health Savings Account (HSA)?

Affordable Health Insurance for the Freelancer

admin — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:48:26 -0500

Purchasing Health Insurance if you are a Freelancer

Health insurance is an expensive part of any budget. If your employer provides health insurance you may not realize exactly how expensive health insurance truly is. Before you leave a full time job to freelance, you should determine how you will pay for your health insurance and make sure that you can afford it. As expensive as health insurance is, it is disastrous not to have this coverage.

Preferred Provider Organizations for Health Insurance

admin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:18:50 -0500

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) are comprised of a network of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers that work with a health insurance carrier or another type of third-party administration organization to provide managed care health plans. The providers in the network provide healthcare services to people who purchase the carrier’s health insurance plan, at a reduced rate compared to the costs of non-insured healthcare.

PPO Plans: The Basics

Self-Directed Health Plans

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:42:10 -0500

Self-Directed Health Plans (SDHPs) are, as their name suggests, one of the most flexible health insurance options available. SDHPs combine aspects of Health Savings Accounts and PPO plans, and provide users with the option to choose any healthcare provider whether in or out of the managed care network.

The Basics of SDHPs

What to Look for in an individual Health Insurance Policy

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:05:38 -0500

Most Americans have access to employer healthcare. For those who don’t, individual healthcare policies are available. However, they’re typically more difficult to obtain, and they’re also more expensive. If you don’t quality for employer-based healthcare, obtaining individual health insurance is definitely worth the time and money spent, however.

Where to Look for Individual Health Insurance?

Pay for Performance and Health Information Technology

admin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:30:02 -0500

Two relatively new concepts—Pay for Performance and Health Information Technology—may make substantial changes to the function and performance of healthcare management in America over the next decade or two.

Pay-for-Performance

Health Insurance - Start Saving More Money

admin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:43:29 -0500

It’s not a surprise to most people that health insurance prices are increasing constantly. While some simply don’t get health insurance because of the high expense, other think they are healthy and haven’t had any history of health problems, therefore they don’t need coverage. Everyone needs health insurance, especially if you have a family. Fortunately there are many ways to acquire affordable health insurance for you and your entire family.

How Health Insurance Premiums are Determined

admin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:32:46 -0500

There are underwriting criteria used by health insurance providers regardless of whether it is for profit or not.

A major factor in health insurance is age. Generally the older you are, the more likely you are to get sick or need some sort of medical treatment. For this reason, the older you are, the higher your insurance premiums are going to be.

What is Infertility Health Insurance?

admin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:21:05 -0500

Every year, around 6 million women experience the disappointment of infertility – and for many couples, it can be a touchy subject. Infertility health insurance can be so costly and difficult to obtain, that many couples consider other solutions such as adoption or using a surrogate mother.

One reason why infertility insurance is so difficult and expensive to obtain is that the procedures involved are so costly. A typical in-vitro fertilization procedure can cost $10,000 or more and so-called Assisted Reproductive Technologies cost from between $10,000 to $18,000.

Health Maintenance Organizations for Health Insurance

admin — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:12:37 -0500

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are organizations that provide health insurance to large groups of people, such as employer groups (in fact, most people with HMO health insurance have obtained it via their employer). HMOs typically offer the most well-known and commonly-used managed care health plans of those available in the United States.

The Basics of HMOs

Features of Health Savings Accounts

admin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:10:34 -0500

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are very similar to Investment Retirement Accounts in the way they work, and also share some features with conventional health insurance.

An HSA is essentially a savings account to which the account owner can make non-taxable contributions up to a yearly limit. The owner can make withdrawals at any time for the purpose of paying medical expenses. Withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are not taxed. Once the owner of an HSA reaches 65, they can withdraw the savings for any purpose without penalty.

Health Insurance Options for Small Businesses

admin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:38:31 -0500

Employees working in a company that employs fewer than 50 people are twice as likely to have no health insurance as employees working in a company with more than 50 people. Many small business owners feel that they don’t have the time or can’t afford the expense of health insurance. However, offering such benefits to your employees decreases turnover and increases job satisfaction, so it’s definitely worth some consideration.

Your Private Health Insurance Options

admin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:54:38 -0500

Most Americans rely on a third party— either a private insurer, or a public governmental entity—to help them finance the cost of their medical needs. The following are various types of third-party coverage offered in the US.

Employer Coverage

How to Find Affordable Health Insurance

admin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:59:29 -0500

Wondering where or how you can find affordable health insurance? You’re not alone. Health insurance is practically a necessity that few can live without, but trying to find an affordable health insurance plan is becoming more and more tricky as health insurance costs continue to rise. The widespread problem is more that many individuals and families find that they cannot afford health insurance in the first place, rather than just the inability to finder a cheaper plan than they already have to cut down on expenses.

A Health Insurance Glossary

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:34:54 -0500

Here’s a quick run-down of some common terms you can expect to see in relation to health insurance. Understanding what these terms mean can help you make the right choice when you’re selecting a health insurance plan.

Allowable Fee: The maximum amount an insurer will pay for a medical procedure.

Government/State-funded Health Insurance Options?

admin — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:25:56 -0500

Being healthy is important to just about everyone, but not everyone can afford to pay for regular medical care. Medicaid, or government funded insurance, makes it possible for may people to get the health care they need so they can not only get healthy, but stay healthy, as well. The following paragraphs will discuss Medicaid health insurance, as well as who is eligible and how to apply for it.

Health Insurance for the Self Employed

admin — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:54:27 -0500

It may be surprising to learn that the number one reason stated for people not leaving their career for self employment is the lack of inexpensive health insurance benefits. It doesn’t surprise me with the skyrocketing prices of health insurance costs.

For those who have already jumped into their own business there are many ways to cut your costs of living, and going with health insurance is not a way to save money. If something was to happen and you weren’t covered under any health insurance you would likely lose you business to medical bills and prescriptions.

Getting the Most Out of Your Health Insurance

admin — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:03:06 -0600

Your health insurance company wants to be a partner in keeping you healthy. Over the past few decades, the major health insurers have come to realize that keeping their subscribers healthy is one of the best ways to reduce their own costs. They took a long, hard look at their way of doing business, and the ways that their policies forced consumers into ill-fitting health care and started making changes to their policies to reflect health care that makes sense.

How to Make the Most of your Health Insurance

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:36:08 -0600

Saving money on your health insurance is not as straightforward as saving on life insurance, mortgages, and other types of financial purchases. However, you can get the most out of your health insurance in other ways that don’t involve saving money so much as they do understanding how your insurance works so you can take advantage of it more effectively.

Choose the Right Plan

HRA, HSA, FSA, SDHP—What's the Difference?

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:05:01 -0600

HRAs, HSAs, FSAs, and SDHPs are all means of covering the costs of healthcare that isn’t covered by general healthcare plans. These different types of health-related accounts are commonly offered by employer groups. However, while the acronyms all sound similar, each type of account works quite differently.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Fee for Service Health Insurance Plans

admin — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:54:58 -0600

Fee-for-Service Plans

Of the different types of managed care health plans available in the United States, Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans are more similar to traditional health insurance than any other plan type. More so than other managed care options, the FFS plan provides a high degree of freedom and flexibility for policy owners. FFS plans include an extensive provider network that may cover the entire country, but policy owners can opt to visit non-network providers.

How does an FFS Plan Work?

Disability Insurance: The Basics

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:06:03 -0600

Disability insurance is one of the simplest health insurance products around. This form of health insurance replaces a percentage of your gross income (typically between 45% and 60%) if a medical condition prevents you from working and earning an income.

Buying disability insurance is not just a matter of finding the cheapest product. Different companies offer very different plans that provide varying levels of coverage, and buying cheap disability insurance might save you money in the short term, but in the long run it could prove to be a disaster.

Employer Health Insurance: Your Rights

admin — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:31:29 -0600

Given that most Americans have access to employer health insurance, chances are you have this type of health insurance—but do you know what your rights are?

While individual health insurance policies are regulated at the state level, employer-based group health insurance is regulated at the federal level. There are three main federal statutes that provide certain rights to all employees with group health insurance.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

Affordable Health Insurance for the Self Employed

admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:37:51 -0600

Approximately 14 million people are self employed in the United States and most of them have chosen that path for the flexibility and the freedom of working for themselves. One of the disadvantages of being self employed is trying to find affordable health insurance – many people are actually reluctant to be self employed for this reason. Of the estimated 40 million Americans without health insurance, most of them are self employed or work at small companies.