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Posts Tagged ‘affordable health insurance’

The Reason For Insurance

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Self-employed and family medical insurance is a preferred type of insurance coverage made available to all entrepreneurs and their families. This is for the medical insurance corporations to direct sell to the individual forming a bound contract between the person and the insurance provider. This is the high priced and specialized insurance policy available to the unemployed or self-employed; an individual health insurance policy is always an option, but not an inexpensive one.

Medical health benefits will further classify into fee-for-service or as they are called, indemnity or traditional insurance, and to managed care policies. Both the group insurance plan and the individual insurance plan can be either a fee-for-service or a managed care plan. There are three managed care insurance plans to choose.

1.               The Health Maintenance Organizations or HMO

2.               The Preferred Provider Organizations or PPO

3.               The Point-of-Service or POS

The managed care insurance plans typically use medical health provider networks. These networks agree to service for managed care plan patients at pre-negotiated rates and will usually submit the claim(s) to the insurance company. Generally, the self-employed individual have a lower out-of-pocket expenses with the managed care health insurance plan and a broader choice of medical care providers with an indemnity plan.

Each of these three provider insurance plans offer a substantial healthcare coverage benefits to individual members as mentioned through the articles published here. Fortunately, if the indiividual have enough to have a choice of the plan , it is best to think about the advantages and disadvantages.

Compare the cost of care, the difference in premiums, deductible amounts and the freedom to choose a medical doctor outside the insurance provider plan. There is a variety of other coverage to consider also, from the prescription drug programs to dental to alternative therapies.

Indemnity or fee-for-service medical insurance plans usually cover the same expenses as managed care does operating with low cost health insurance. The main difference is the medical doctor is asking for pay for each visit with the claim filed by either the individual patient or the medical insurance provider. Unlike many of the managed care insurance plans, fee-for=service allows the individual a large amount of personal freedom to choose which medical doctors and hospitals to utilize.

However, the individual prepares to pay an annual deductible before the medical insurance provider begins to pay on the turned in claims. There are times that an Indemnity plan will require the individual to pay up front services rendered before submitting the insurance claims.

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Long-Term Care Insurance (Part7)

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Another option for people with care needs is continuing care retirement communities, but this is a very expensive option and only those who have above average incomes and a significant assets to cover expenses.  These continuing care retirement communities offer seniors a place to live with a variety of in-house long-term healthcare services, and they offer the elderly recreational and social events and services, sports facilities, clubs for those with special interests, vacation and outing opportunities.  Besides these services, they offer an array of home care services, nursing services, as well as access to grooming specialists and private doctors.

Fees for these residents range in price from approximately 0,000.00 to a million dollars, and these units also have are and maintenance fees in the range of about 2,000 to 5,000 monthly, which the majority of the seniors cannot afford; which is why these communities are generally considered only for the exceptionally wealthy.

New York State’s Continuing Care Retirement Communities offer three different contract packages:

Plan A – This plan or contract provides for a senior’s housing, residential services, amenities and unlimited health-related services, which include all long-term care services.If the seniors' health deteriorates during their residency in the continuing care facility, they must be admitted to a nursing home, all of their nursing home needs are covered without increases to their monthly fees, except to cover normal inflation adjustments and operating costs.

Plan B – This plan is different than Plan A even though it covers housing, residential services and many amenities, it has a limited amount of coverage for nursing and care services before the senior must pay the fees from their own pocketbook.Once the number of days had been reached in the nursing home, the patient would then be expected to pay.

Plan C - In this plan all housing, residential services and other amenities are covered under this plan; but all nursing homes, home care, or other nursing and medical services are covered by the seniors themselves on a per service basis.  Although they pay lower fees upon entering into this type of facility, they accept greater risks when it comes to paying for their health care needs.

If you would like additional information about Continuing Care Retirement Communities in the greater New York State, please visit:

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Work out You Have to A College Health Insurance Plan?

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

What time you are finally finished through your high school learning, there is no doubt that you’ll be enrolling into a college. A lot of times once a child reaches the age of 20, they are no longer covered through their parents’ insurance and this be skilled to show the way to a troubling situation if they are not working and just strictly going to college. However, countless colleges provide health insurance plans. Whether individual of these insurance plans are right for you or not takes a lot of deliberation.

College health insurance benefits are going to vary from campus to campus. Although many people think that they are free, this is not true. Once there is usually no toll for an office visit and routine checkups, the student wish need salary for lab trade and other specialist kind of visits. Benefits wish usually pay definitely for only types of covered services at the campus health center. In the event that you have to see an outside doctor then the student’s coverage be able of fall up to 70% and act the probability of being desired to wage a high deductible.

If you get a pre-untaken condition, then you may take a problem through getting treatment at the college health center. Having a pre-existing illness or disability does not mean that you will be disqualified for obtaining a college health insurance plan, but you may not be talented of find treatment for that pre-available illness. This can pilot to a number of problems if a present problem arises and is a product of a pre-existing illness.

All plans are different, so be sure you find out everything you be proficient of about your college’s plan. Be sure to check if you or your child wish be covered during summer break what time students are not taking classes. This is telling because you don’t want to take an accident and notice out that the insurance becomes inactive what time they are not in class. Lots of colleges give coverage during summer break, however some act not.

Make sure you allow the plan. Is it an HMO, or can the member use any provider they should? This is just as important because you must to understand where you be clever of go in the event of an emergency, and there is nothing worse than finding out after the fact that you will be stuck by paying the entire quantity for a medical bill.

There really is no definitive say as to whether you should or shouldn’t commit to getting college health insurance. Be sure that you allow your plan fully so that no problems can arise in the event of an emergency. While it is not free insurance, it surely want save you capital in the event of an accident or illness.

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The Self-Employed and HSA Accounts

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Due to the burdens of the governmental laws and regulation, it had made several medical insurance expensive and somewhat difficult to obtain. As a self-employed entrepreneur living in New York, you have some options and maybe owe it to yourself to explore each and every one of them.

Recent changes in our health care system will aid a variety of Americans, especially the self-employed and small business sole operator to acquire affordable medical insurance. New York had achieved available plans to reach out to the entrepreneur. Many new medical insurance plans introduced into the community are high deductible health plans and combine with the already existing Health Savings Account or HSA.

This affords the self-employed and small business entrepreneur to have access to more affordable health insurance with annual premium rates to conform to any budget. The Health Savings Account is a type of medical plan with a high deductible, but you still receive complete coverage at a monthly premium rate that will remain relatively low.

  1. Money deposited into the HSA account is tax deductible.
  2. Money deposited into the HSA account is there to pay for insurance deductibles when you need it most.
  3. The individual receives 100% coverage at a very little to no out-of-pocket cost once the annual deductible meets the requirement.
  4. The deductible that you decided upon can vary from 0.00 to $10,000.00.

At Vista Health Solutions, they give a complete and very comprehensive explanation of what is covered and how the HSA or Health Savings Account functions to the benefit of the individual. In the long run, this can be a very helpful tool for the self-employed and the small business owner. For a variety of personal packages offered through this plan, any self-employed individual will have the ability to view these various health insurance quotes that are offered.

The self-employed have the ability, under this plan, to adjust the amount of the monthly premium by raising or lowering the deductible.  This in itself is an asset, as the self-employed know there is no steady income and this would help to keep the self-employed afloat during times of less available ready cash.

Benefits from the small business and the self-employed equal that of any group plan. By utilizing the in-network system, you can get the most benefit of a low-cost health insurance, and the providers who are involved to keeping the individual healthy. In-network providers work diligently with the various insurance companies to offer the best care possible.

Once the registration is complete by the self-employed entrepreneur, the coverage will then begin immediately and the individual can now relax and get back gto the business of operating their lifelong dream.

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Various Disability Insurance Types for the Self-Employed

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Basically there are two types of disability insurance that a self-employed individual would consider in his or her overall health care package.  The first type of disability is short-term disability and the second is long-term disability. The waiting period to start is either different.  With short-term disability a self-employed individual would be able to get on the policy no later than 14 days, however, with long-term insurance the waiting period is from a few weeks to several months. Purchasing long-term disability health insurance makes much more business sense, because a self-employed individual will come across times in their life when they may be out of work due to a serious accident which may render them disabled or they come down with a debilitating illness.  It is important for self-employed individuals to prepare for the future for not only their job is affected their family income potential is affected as well.

There are two important standard features in long-term disability policies.  The first feature is called Non-Cancelable. The only condition that would allow a company to cancel the policy would be non-payment.

The second feature is called Guaranteed Renewable, which means that a policyholder can renew every year regardless of how many times that policyholder would have to use benefits.  This function of the disability policy is so important for general health care and so crucial for protecting the business from folding in case the self-employed individual is out too long.

There are other options available which would be beneficial for a self-employed individual.For example, there is the option to purchase more disability health insurance at a later date. Don’t overlook this option, because even though you may be young and healthy there will come a day when your health may fail. You want to make sure you have the extra cushion to purchase more disability insurance to prepare for that possibility.

The feature of Coordination of Benefits will specify a total sum amount and so when all income from other avenues for disability relief is calculated what those benefits would not cover, the disability insurance plan will.

Cost of living adjustment (COLA) adjusts benefits that is based with the cost of living however, premiums will be adjusted as well.

The residual or partial disability rider feature is extremely useful for a self-employed individual because the policy allows for policyholder to return to work part-time and collect a partial salary and a partial disability payment.

Return of premium, which is another great benefit also, mandates that if a claim has not been made within a certain time period, the insurance company will refund some premium. This is great for a self-employed individual who is interested in maximum health care protection.

Finally the waiver of premium provision stipulates that if a policyholder has been disabled for more than 90 days he or she is no longer required to pay the premiums.

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Disability Insurance and the Self-Employed (Part 1)

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Society today is full with individuals who are self-employed. Some consider to have a few employees to help them manage their business and some some consider a group of one only. Acquiring medical health coverage is needed in either cases.  If they have not already done so, this is first and foremost on the list of important issues. New York has a lot of insurance agencies that are accessible to assist you in finding the right plan for you.

of course, as a self-employed and with the assistance of a few employees, accessibility to a group plan is a lot easier, but what about you being a self-employed as a group of one? Which agency do you begin? What type of medical health insurance coverage are available to you? Would it be better to apply for an individual policy? Did you ever consider the disability insurance coverage in case of catastrophic incident occurs in the future? For those individuals that are looking into acquiring the disability insurance, whether as a separate policy or an addendum to a current medical insurance policy, there are a few things that should be taken into consideration. Through www.about-disability.com they go into detail to help you find which is best for you, such as:

    * 
         1. Own occupation means the inability to perform current employment expectations.
         2. The inability to continue performing mandatory duties of the current occupation is called Modified Own Occupation,.
         3. Gainful Occupation is the inability to perform any current business related tasks based on education, training, and experience.

Though it may not often be considered, but it may be in your best interest to look into disability insurance coverage as well as a low-cost health insurance.

    * 
         1. This is to provide a financial cushion for yourself and your family members in the event of a catastrophic accident or unforeseen debilitating illness.
         2. Continuous guaranteed income between 50% – 65% of your gross annual income, depending on the disability insurance program chosen.
         3. Individual disability insurance income would continue for the duration the disability exists, unless you are able to get back on your feet.
         4. This brings the individual peace of mind in handling month-to-month expenses.

The absence of acquiring affordable health insurance could become very costly to you down the road. Applying for the state assistance can leave a person wandering in a sea of red tape that may take months for a decision to be rendered. Depending on the Social Security, provided that you have been paying into the system could be costly as well. Time lapse can leave you bankrupt.

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Finding Self Employment Health Insurance.

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

Sometimes it’s tough enough trying to keep afloat when you are self employed. That’s why it’s so important to have some sort of self employed health care coverage to get you back on your feet again in case of illness or injury. But how can you go about finding cheap health insurance? Check out these tips.

The flip side of the perks for self employment is the fact that you need to research and find help for health care insurance and retirement needs. Most companies offer some sort of group benefits that are typically less expensive than individual or family plans on the open market. Do some checking around though, as options do exist.

COBRA. You can take advantage of employer-sponsored health benefits if you are leaving a job to be self-employed, thanks to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 which can extend these benefits for up to 18 months. Note, however, that you will be responsible for all of the premium that your previous employer paid.

Professional associations.
Group health insurance benefits are often provided as an incentive to join a professional association or other organization. Check with the associations related to your business, or even other organizations to see if they offer low cost health care insurance.

Individual health plans. You can shop for quotes on individual health care plans or, if necessary, family health insurance coverage. Plans and rates vary from company to company so you should compare several plans. To make it easy, use a health insurance plans comparison Web site so you can view different plans and get quotes all at one place. You can even apply and pay directly online.

Nowadays, you should be able to deduct premiums for self employment health insurance from your federal taxable income. Consult with your accountant or tax advisor on this deduction.

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Self-Employed and Liability

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Thinking about taking the next step and becoming self employed while living within the borders of New York State. In an economy that is sliding downward, this is no easy task to accomplish. Will the business that you are interested in requires hiring a few extra hands or will you be working solo? It is not easy to make the transition when the economy is doing good. Are you prepared to start while there are so many others becoming unemployed?

Liability insurance alone will be costly for a start up operation. Adding affordable health insurance and automobile insurance, you could have an unforeseen problem on your hands before you even get started. Do a little research before hand to find that there are a few simple steps that will guide you through. Check out www.self-employed-health.org who will guide you on your way to a successful business. They offer a simple, yet structured program listing five specific ways to reduce the cost of medical care premiums while still receiving adequate coverage.

  1. Know your plan. Take note which doctors and hospitals in your area accept your individual health insurance provider. Try to stick to your plans or strategies because it could cost you more if you stray.
  2. Negotiate your options. Learn the details of your prospective health care policy and see if you can eliminate some of the coverage that is not essential to you.
  3. Choose generic drugs if possible. If you have added a prescription drug clause, ask your pharmacist for the generic version first to keep the expense down.
  4. Consider the possibility of an HSA or Health Savings Account.This will help you set aside neccessary funds for out of pocket expenses like deductibles and co-payments.
  5. Remember to research how much you can claim as a write off on taxes. This is the money you can take out from your IRS Form 1040. Following the guidelines from the government, you will have the ability to write off medical health insurance expenditures of up to 7.5% of your yearly adjusted gross income.

It may seem overwhelming at first, but in time it will become easier. Beginning a new business is never easy, but it can be very rewarding. One thing that is great about this is the opportunity to be your own boss and setting not only the rules of operation, but the amount of time devoted into it. Whether a business in the field of sales, landscaping, construction, painting, roofing and so many other countless opportunities, there are so many things to consider.

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The American Healthcare System and the Cost of Obesity

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

American cooking is good. In fact, some people would go as far as saying that no better food can be found anywhere else on the planet.   However despite as good as American cooking may be, are Americans eating healthy? The fact is the way Americans eat is causing a health crisis at this time.  All those pastries, and fried foods are literally killing us.  Though it is true that traditional homemade cooking like biscuits and brown gravy has been a main staple in many American homes of the past, the rate of obesity was not as alarming as it is today.  The American lifestyle has changed over the years.  Many homemakers of today also work outside the home and have less time to produce traditional hearty and healthy meals.

More and more Americans are eating out at fast food chains or ordering fast food take-outs rather than cooking their own. Greasy fast foods such as French fries and hamburgers, fried chicken, and pizza are affecting the general health of Americans.In fact, most fast food chains, whatever they may be, are saturated with cholesterol. Bad cholesterol – LDL-C is responsible for weight gain and medical conditions including obesity, kidney failure, hypothyroidism, Cushing disease, and more.

Take the bad eating habits of Americans, lack of exercise, and sedentary lifestyles and you have a recipe for disaster. America is considered an overweight nation and despite the media coverage and warnings given out by various health groups, the situation is not going to change in the near future. Anyway, approximately 80% of the nation’s doctors do not really offer dietary services citing the lack of funds is a major deterrent for the services at this time.

The US Congress is currently looking at different ways for a healthcare system and they are concerned about the nutrition and dietary needs of the Americans.They took the warning from physicians seriously and that preventive measures will curtail the possibility of chronic disease resulting from poor eating habits.Several organizations including the World Health Association or Organization (WHO), the American Dietic Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health all agree that obesity is a chronic disease.

To date, the US healthcare system treats diseases related to obesity, but does not recognize obesity as the cause of these various diseases. It does not treat obesity as a disease on its own. Still, millions of Americans are overweight and do go to their doctors/physicians for various diseases such as type II diabetese, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and metabolic syndrome for medication and treatment.

The American Sports Data organization stipulates that the obesity stats were measured at 13% in 1962, and by 2000, it has grown to 31%. According to the body mass index, 63 percent of Americans are overweight (over the 25.0 index), and 31 percent are actually obese (over the 3.0 index).The more alarming situation is the childhood obesity, which is over three times higher than it was 20 years ago.

Most of the researched statistics ever documented are primarily focused on the body m.  Looking at actually body weight, according to the recent findings by IHRSA/ASD Obesity Weight Control Report, they concur that American population is overweight.They cite that over 3.Presently, about 8 million Americans are overweight with 400,000 individuals reach over 400 pounds. These stats are of epidemic proportions.  The average American woman weight in at 163 pounds indicating that the average American woman is not physically fit and is running the risk of future health problems.

If the stats continue at this rate of growth, the situation with hit crises levels; with about half of all Americans becoming overweight or obese in the next few decades. As it stands, the Surgeon General Report points to 300,000 deaths resulting from obesity related diseases in America each year.

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention cite that chronic diseases of which obesity is included are responsible for a whooping 75 percent of the 2 trillion dollars that the USA is currently paying for health care every year.

Besides the health risks for obese individuals, there is a strain on the health care system and the health insurance companies are also feeling the strain.Overweight people are at a higher risk category than a healthy person and therefore use the benefits more than others.  What this does is to jack up the insurance premiums for all insurers and they are far too high as it is.  Also, some health insurance companies will charge higher premiums for the obese individuals while others will not insure them at all.

This growing obesity crisis has everyone affected. It is not limited to overweight individuals.verage-weight Americans are footing the bill in most cases. All segments of society must intervene to make a healthier America.  Governments, researchers, health care professionals, health insurers, media, social aid, social activist groups, the fast food industry, family, friends and the obese themselves must pool together to find solutions to this growing problem before we eat ourselves to death.

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Purchasing the Right Health Insurance for the Self-Employed

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

 

With all the medical insurance companies that work within the state of New York, one would be led to believe that finding the right medical insurance coverage would be an easy proposition. Although, there are more medical healthcare companies than any individual would have time or patience to do a research. Most of the varied wellness programs are standard throughout the state and that helps. Whether you live in Western New York, Upstate New York or on Long Island, the coverage of all the policies offered is uniform. At www.ins.state.ny.us they offer a listing of covered service, such as:

 

  1. Offering diagnostic screening for cancer, men’s health and, women’s health.
  2. They offer Inpatient hospital services consisting of daily room and, board necessary amenities.
  3. Outpatient hospital services with diagnostic and, treatment services.
  4. They have physician services which includes diagnostic and treatment services.
  5. They offer maternity care and pre-admission testing.
  6. They offer treatment of diabetes and adult preventive services.
  7. They offer services for children that are dependent which includes routine well-child visits and immunizations.
  8. Emergency services.
  9. Prescription drugs which are obtained at a participating pharmacy ($3,000 maximum per person annually) with a $100.00 annual deductible for prescription drugs.

Though all are regulated and monitored by the state itself, there are a few designed to cover very specific ailments. Give one a call and request a few health insurance quotes. Understand what your affliction is and go from there. Look for a plan that affords you the freedom to seek a health physician that you feel comfortable with. Some of these state wellness insurance policies are very detailed in what they do and do not cover. They may suggest or require you to see only those medical personnel that they recommend. If your medical doctor is not on their list of doctors to visit you might want to move on to the next medical insurance company.

 

If your preference is towards regular office visits and less on which hospital you are allowed to frequent, then that is what you look for in a health insurance policy. If you are required for more emergency and hospital stays, like in chronic surgery every couple of years, then you might need to search for a hospitalization plan that will cover a major portion of the hospital expense. Check to see if you are required to be committed to a hospital of the insurance company’s choice or if you are free to frequent any community hospital within a reasonable distance to your home. These are all important factors to be considered when you are looking for the right medical insurance to suit yours, and your family’s personal requirements.

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