So your employer in Dallas, Houston or any place in Texas doesn’t offer health insurance. Perhaps you can’t afford to pay for a health plan. Or maybe you just don’t want pay for health coverage because you’re healthy enough that you feel “you don’t need it.” If you fall into any of these categories, you may be a candidate for a “catastrophic” health insurance plan, or what is sometimes called a “high deductible” health plan (HDHP).
Catastrophic health insurance is usually characterized by its high deductibles and low monthly premiums. These plans typically cover major hospital and medical expenses only above a certain deductible. This means you are likely to pay out-of-pocket for most everything else, like routine doctor visits and many, if not all, prescription drugs.
The many catastrophic health insurance plans offered these days cover expenses for hospital stays, surgery, intensive care, diagnostic X-ray and lab tests.
When choosing this kind of plan, your deductible may start at $ 1,000 a month or higher. Along with the high deductibles, many catastrophic health plans have high lifetime maximum benefit payments, or caps, which can be between $ 1 million and $ 5 million. Once you reach your cap, the insurance company won’t pay for any additional medical expenses and your coverage is terminated.
By selecting a high-deductible plan, it’s expected you’ll pay for your medical needs until your expenses exceed your deductible. For example, with a $ 15,000 deductible and surgery that costs $ 5,000, you would pay for the surgery entirely. You should also be aware that the deductible limit for a high-deductible health plan, which is qualified as a Health Savings Account (HSA) is $ 5,000 in 2007 (unless you are age 55 or older).
If you decide to pursue a catastrophic health insurance plan, you should also know that most of them do not cover most of the costs of pregnancy care. So if pregnancy is a possibility, make sure to check if pregnancy coverage is available with your plan. Some catastrophic plans don’t cover maternity care for a full year after your effective date.
People who buy catastrophic health insurance tend to fall into two groups: young adults in their 20’s and older adults ages 50 to 65. Young adults who buy catastrophic coverage are usually self-employed or have no coverage through their employers.
Older adults who buy this kind of policy are concerned with financial losses associated with heart attacks, cancer or other serious illnesses. They’re generally healthy, have very few or no prescriptions, and would prefer to pay out of pocket for office visits to save on premiums.
Catastrophic health plans can be purchased as an individual health insurance plan, as well as through employer group plans. Companies with 1,000 or more employees typically offer higher deductible plan options. Retirees, who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare, also often choose catastrophic plans to reduce their premiums.
Certain pre-existing conditions will make you ineligible for a catastrophic health plan in the individual health plan market. Health conditions such as AIDS, diabetes, emphysema, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia, as well as some other serious illness, are red flags to insurances companies and can prevent you from being underwritten for a catastrophic plan. While serious impairments like these will disqualify someone from a high- deductible plan, that it is much easier for someone with mild impairments to get a high deductible plan – particularly the very high deductible plans – than a low deductible plan.
Like many other health insurance plans, you can purchase different levels of catastrophic coverage depending on what type of high-deductible plan is chosen.
Before purchasing a catastrophic health plan, you need to consider:
How much is the premium, and do you pay monthly, quarterly, annually?
How much is the deductible?
How much of a deductible can you afford?
How extensive is the coverage?
Do you need prescription medications?
Are your own doctor’s office visits affordable?
Do you have any pre-existing conditions?
Do you get sick often?
What’s the annual and lifetime coverage limit?
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Every small business in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas wants to attract high quality individual employees who will contribute to the growth and success of the company. In order to recruit and retain these people, many larger business owners offer health insurance coverage, specifically group health, as an employee benefit.
If your company is small, especially if has ten or fewer employees, there are still ways to offer your employees health insurance coverage. In most states, insurance companies which offer small group health insurance plans are required to accept any employer group of two to 50 employees, provided the employer agrees to insure 100{3813292df256cc7359db914c8bfffc508a0964aa786224d36d2cb21f4b33d600} of the eligible employees.
Before you can offer any health insurance coverage, you must decide how much your employees will pay, as well as the kind of insurance that you wish to offer.
It’s expensive. So who pays?
Most businesses that offer their employees group health insurance plans contribute towards the cost of the coverage. Some pay for all of the employees’ premiums (for single coverage) and let the employees pay the premium if they need coverage for their families. Other businesses pay a percentage of the total cost.
The amount you choose to pay will depend on your own situation. First, think about how your contribution will affect your budget. Second, think about how it affects the desirability of your plan to your present and future employees.
Many businesses choose to have their employees make a contribution towards some of the cost, especially as health care costs and insurance premiums continue to increase.
Plan designs
There are three major types of health plans – managed care, preferred provider, and fee-for-service. The plan that’s best for your business is determined largely by your business location, the physicians and hospitals available through the plan, the options offered by insurance companies, and the constraints of your budget.
Managed care
Managed care plans are agreements between certain doctors, hospitals, and health care providers, and are designed to offer a range of services to members at a reduced cost. Managed care plans are typically HMOs. They may also be referred to as an Individual Practice Association (IPA) or Point of Service (POS) plan.
Most HMOs minimize the out-of-pocket expenses members pay for medical care, as long as members use the HMO’s preferred providers and facilities. If members go outside of the network, they may be responsible for paying the entire bill.
In addition, members must choose a primary care physician, and see that person first whenever they need medical attention. The primary care physician will make necessary referrals to specialists.
With HMOs, the per-visit or annual deductibles are usually lower than with other plans.
Preferred provider
Preferred provider plans, known as PPOs, negotiate price discounts with health care providers. They refer to the health care providers that they have discounts with as “network” providers. PPOs pay a higher percentage of your employees’ claims if they use network providers.
Unlike HMOs members, PPOs members can see physicians without referral and can use physicians outside the network if they are willing to pay the non-network cost sharing.
PPOs generally require more cost sharing than HMOs, even for in network care. The per-visit or annual deductibles are usually higher than with HMO plans.
There may be some managed care elements with PPOs, but not as extensive as HMOs. For example, you may need pre-authorization for a hospital stay, surgery, or an expensive diagnostic test.
Fee for Service
Fee-for-service plans, also known as indemnity plans, allow employees to choose health care providers themselves. This gives them a wide range of options that includes specialists such as cardiologists and surgeons. But because these plans do not give members incentives to use low cost providers, the plans are expensive. Some insurance companies limit the fee-for-service expense by imposing low maximum benefits and/or fee schedules. As with any insurance plan, carefully read the benefit description for a fee-for-service plan.
Check out the insurance company
Along with selecting the right group health plan, selecting an insurance company is important, because the service delivered will directly impact each of your employees. Look for an insurance company with a good network of health care providers, timely claims service, and relatively stable premiums.
In addition, check with other small business owners in the area, or with your Small Business Association. The Texas Department of Insurance will also have information about the financial stability of the insurance companies that you are considering, as well as any history of customer complaints.
Can I choose my own small business health insurance provider?
Sure. Small business group health plans are available from reputable insurance companies who are using the Internet to help reduce administrative expenses.
Do I need an agent to help me select a plan?
No. Keep in mind that many agents only represent a small number of insurance companies. If you use an agent, you should expect him/her to ask questions about your goals and objectives and to learn about your business and employees before recommending a plan.
Health insurance for your employees can be expensive. The following tips will help you ensure you’re offering the best option for employees and the most cost-effective option for you.
Do your homework:
* Survey your employees for their insurance needs. Do their families require insurance?
* Consider insurance plans that require second opinions and include built-in cost containment features.
Talk to your employees:
* Design a plan that includes employee contributions towards cost and keeps employees informed of health care costs and rate changes.
* Create a committee to investigate the group health insurance market.
* Survey your employees to make sure you understand their needs and objectives before launching a plan.
Educate your employees about the cost of appropriate health care:
* Encourage employees to request second opinions and alternative, less invasive treatments.
* Help employees understand what is and is not covered under the plan.
Create a health-conscious work environment:
* Limit smoking at work to designated areas or eliminate it entirely.
* Offer healthy choices in vending machines and alternatives to pizza and beer at employee events.
* Promote moderation in use of alcohol and establish a zero tolerance drug and alcohol abuse policy.
What is your Texas health plan all about?
If you were given just $ 1,500 to purchase groceries annually, you’d be a lot more careful about how you spend your money. You’d peruse the supermarket flyers, shop around for the best deals, and forgo the more expensive items, like lobster and steak. This is exactly the kind of “consumer-driven” behavior some employers in Dallas, Houston and all around Texas are hoping to spark in you and your co-workers by offering “consumer-driven” and defined-contribution health insurance plans.
You have to pay very close attention to understand the costs and consequences of your health care decisions. For example, with a $ 20 co-payment, you can get a cholesterol-lowering prescription drug that actually retails for $ 100 per month, compared to changing your diet or increasing the amount you exercise. But if you had to pay full price for your medical care and prescriptions, most everyone would think more carefully before shelling out their own money.
Even though the line is blurring between consumer-driven and defined-contribution health plans, there are differences. Under a defined contribution scenario, your employer pre-screens and pre-selects a variety of health plans and then gives you cash, or vouchers, to buy a policy. Your employer then bows out. If you choose a plan costing more than your employer’s contribution, you must pay the difference.
With the consumer-driven approach, your employer still contracts with insurers for group health insurance and still retains some measure of control over your health insurance purchasing decisions. What these plans do is give you more choice in terms of benefit levels – you choose your own deductible – and you can see any doctor you want without a referral. However, the plans also increase your share of the costs and risks.
Plans such as these are still relatively new – many only a few years old – and there’s no immediate way to judge their impact on health insurance costs or how popular they will be with employers. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), less than one percent of all employer-sponsored health insurance is currently comprised of consumer-driven and defined contribution plans. But it’s clear from the growing popularity of consumer-drive plans that employers are looking for relief from skyrocketing health insurance costs and are expressing increasing interest in this benefit design.
Depending on how your employer sets up your consumer-driven health plan, you may be able to choose your deductible and that choice will determine your portion of the plan’s premium. A higher deductible generally means you’ll pay less in premiums, a lower deductible generally means you’ll pay more. But estimating how much medical care you will need in any given year can be tricky – particularly when you’ve always plunked down a small co-payment and you’ve never bothered to look at your doctor’s itemized bill.
Let’s say you’re a young, single, healthy individual and you know you’ll have one routine physical exam during the year. Even if you figure in the costs of treatment for an ear infection and add an unexpected minor injury such as a cut on your head that necessitates stitches, you figure you’ll still be way under the $ 500 your employer puts into your personal health care account. You’ll probably never have to spend a dime of the $ 1,000 deductible out of your own pocket, right?
Well, not necessarily. According to the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education, the average doctor’s fee for stitches to close a minor cut on your head – not including anesthesia, hospital, or laboratory fees – is $ 334. Add a routine physical exam ($ 175) and a doctor’s visit for an ear infection ($ 32) and your total is $ 541. And that’s without paying for any laboratory tests or prescription medicines. Even if your health insurer has negotiated discounted fees with your provider, these charges can still quickly add up. So, if you can’t afford to pay $ 1,000 out of your own pocket, you might be better off opting for a lower deductible, if there is that option, and paying a little more up front in monthly premiums.
Just as it would be difficult for you to plan your food budget for a year if none of the items in your supermarket carried price labels, it would likewise be hard for you to choose your consumer-driven health insurance plan and your deductible level if you’re not sure up front how much your medical providers charge for certain procedures.
Some critics of health insurance plans also fear consumer-driven plans punish the sick because the sick visit their doctors more often and need more expensive treatments. But think again if you define “the sick” as only those who suffer from life-threatening illnesses. The sick also include the one in four Americans who have common chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or mood disorder. According to the Yale School of Medicine, these five conditions cost Americans more than $ 62 billion a year in treatment costs alone. Critics are concerned that “consumerism” will cause employees to skip needed care, both necessary and preventive, in order to save money.
Another big question is trying to define just how well employees understand their new consumer-driven health plans. There is plenty of evidence that shows that many employees don’t understand how health insurance works at all. According to D.S. Howard & Associates, in a June 2001 survey, 100 large employers – those with 500 or more employees – reported that 54 percent said that most or some of their employees think the rules about health insurance coverage are difficult to understand and 48 percent say most or some find health plans too complex and hard to understand.
Complicating matters further is that HMO plans are heavily structured; so most people don’t really need to understand how they work in order to use them. Consumer-driven health plans have much less structure – requiring you to understand how they work, how much you pay and how you can reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Consumer-driven health insurance plans are often accompanied by Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
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Health insurance. Everyone needs it, but not everyone has it. And with medical expenses on a seemingly endless rise, paying out-of-pocket for them could land you in the poor house. So when choosing a health insurance plan, it’s good to know the basics to help you make better, more financially sound choices when selecting a plan.
Health insurance plans generally fall into one of three categories: indemnity plans, also known as reimbursement plans, preferred provider plans (PPOs), and managed care plans (HMOs).
An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and it completely pays for your medical expenses, either in full or according to a schedule of benefits. The schedule of benefits may be substantially less than your actual costs. Preferred provider plans and managed care plans can provide broader coverage, but they involve an arrangement between the insurer and a specified network of health-care providers. In addition, managed care plans require pre-approval of many health care services. For example, an HMO may require that a primary care physician in its network coordinate all of your care as well as refer you to specialists that belong exclusively to the network.
No matter which kind of health insurance you buy, make sure it provides you with the right kinds of coverage. And when it comes to coverage, a good health insurance plan should offer several types. For example, hospital expense insurance pays room and board as well as incidental services costs if you’re hospitalized. A surgical expense insurance covers surgeons’ fees and all other related costs. A physicians’ expense insurance policy pays for visits to a doctor’s office or when a doctor’s visits you in the hospital. Finally, major medical insurance offers very broad coverage with an extremely high maximum benefit that’s designed to protect you against losses due to serious illness or injury.
So what might be covered in a health insurance plan? When comparing plans, make sure they provide additional benefits that you may need, including:
– Prescription drugs
– Preventive care
– Mental health benefits
– Maternity care
– Vision care
And what can all this cost? In addition to the monthly premium expense, there may be other out-of-pocket expenses that can really add up, especially if you have children or other family members who make frequent visits a doctor. You should check to see if the health insurance plan you’re considering asks you to pay any or all of the following:
– Co-payment – The amount paid for each visit to a health insurance provider. This is generally required by HMOs.
– Deductible – The amount paid toward your medical expenses, most probably annually, before the insurance company pays any claims. This is generally required by indemnity plans.
– Coinsurance – The percentage of your medical costs paid after reaching any applied deductibles.
Now that you’ve established the why and what of health insurance, you need to find out where you can get it. Health insurance can be acquired through a group plan at work or through a group affiliation, such as a school, a club, association, etc. Or you can purchase an individual plan. When buying an individual health insurance plan, you can most probably customize it for your particular needs. If you’re looking for an individual plan, start by going online to compare coverages and rates from a number of companies to find the best plan and rate that meets your needs.
You now know the what’s, why’s and where’s of the health insurance game. Your next step is to select the best health insurance plan that meets your needs. You should select one that gives you the greatest flexibility and the best benefits for the lowest cost. Since this is a major purchase, you should shop around and get several quotes before choosing a plan. But before you dive in, here are a few things to consider:
1. Co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance requirements, which ones apply?
2. Do you have the freedom to choose your own health-care providers?
3. Does the plan you’re considering cover the health services you need?
4. Does the plan you’re considering work with the health-care providers you’re currently using?
5. Does the plan you’re considering offer family, and individual, coverage?
6. Does the plan you’re considering cover pre-existing conditions? If so, is there a waiting period? FYI – The average waiting period can be three months to one year.
7. Does the insurance company you’re considering have a good reputation and a positive rating from a major ratings organization? For more information, contact your state’s department of insurance.
Many Americans rely on their automobiles to get to work. No automobile means no job, no rent or mortgage money, no food. A single parent, struggling to make ends meet in the suburbs with 100,000 miles on the odometer, would presumably welcome the guaranteed opportunity for low-priced insurance that would take care of every possible repair on her auto until the day that it reaches 200,000 miles or falls apart, whichever comes first. Especially if the insurance is valid regardless of whether she even changes the oil in the interim.
So why aren’t the auto insurance companies writing such coverage, either directly or through used auto dealers? And given the importance of reliable transportation, why isn’t the public demanding such coverage? The answer is that both auto insurers and the public know that such insurance can’t be written for a premium the insured can afford, while still allowing the insurers to stay solvent and make a profit. As a society, we intuitively understand that the costs associated with taking care of every mechanical need of an old automobile, particularly in the absence of regular maintenance, aren’t insurable. Yet we don’t seem to have these same intuitions with respect to health insurance.
If we pull the emotions out of health insurance, which is admittedly hard to do even for this author, and look at health insurance from the economic perspective, there are several insights from auto insurance that can illuminate the design, risk selection, and rating of health insurance.
Auto insurance comes in two forms: the traditional insurance you buy from your agent or direct from an insurance company, and warranties that are purchased from auto manufacturers and dealers. Both are risk transfer and sharing devices and I’ll generically refer to both as insurance. Because auto third-party liability insurance has no equivalent in health insurance, for traditional auto insurance, I’ll examine only collision and comprehensive insurance – insurance covering the vehicle – and not third-party liability insurance.
Bumper to Bumper
The following are some commonly accepted principles from auto insurance:
* Bad maintenance voids certain insurance. If an automobile owner never changes the oil, the auto’s power train warranty is void. In fact, not only does the oil need to be changed, the change needs to be performed by a certified mechanic and documented. Collision insurance doesn’t cover cars purposefully driven over a cliff.
* The best insurance is offered for new models. Bumper-to-bumper warranties are offered only on new cars. As they roll off the assembly line, automobiles have a low and relatively consistent risk profile, satisfying the actuarial test for insurance pricing. Furthermore, auto manufacturers usually wrap at least some coverage into the price of the new auto in order to encourage an ongoing relationship with the owner.
* Limited insurance is offered for old model autos. Increasingly limited insurance is offered for old model autos. The bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, the power train warranty eventually expires, and the amount of collision and comprehensive insurance steadily decreases based on the market value of the auto.
* Certain older autos qualify for additional insurance. Certain older autos can qualify for additional coverage, either in terms of warranties for used autos or increased collision and comprehensive insurance for vintage autos. But such insurance is offered only after a careful inspection of the automobile itself.
* No insurance is offered for normal wear and tear. Wiper blades need replacement, brake pads wear out, and bumpers get dings. These aren’t insurable events. To the extent that a new car dealer will sometimes cover some of these costs, we intuitively understand that we’re ‘paying for it’ in the cost of the automobile and that it’s ‘not really’ insurance.
* Accidents are the only insurable event for the oldest automobiles. Accidents are generally insurable events even for the oldest autos; with few exceptions service work isn’t.
* Insurance doesn’t restore all vehicles to pre-accident condition. Auto insurance is limited. If the damage to the auto at any age exceeds the value of the auto, the insurer then pays only the value of the auto. With the exception of vintage autos, the value assigned to the auto goes down over time. So whereas accidents are insurable at any vehicle age, the amount of the accident insurance is increasingly limited.
* Insurance is priced to the risk. Insurance is priced based on the risk profile of both the automobile and the driver. The auto insurer carefully examines both when setting rates.
* We pay for our own insurance. And with few exceptions, automobile insurance isn’t tax deductible. As a result, the fear of increasing insurance rates due to traffic violations and/or accidents changes our driving behavior and we sometimes select our automobiles based on their insurability.
Each of the above principles is supported by solid actuarial theory. Although most Americans can’t describe the underlying actuarial theories, most everyone understands the above principles of auto insurance at the intuitive level. For sure, as indispensable automobiles are to our lifestyles, there is no loud national movement, accompanied by moral outrage, to change these principles.
Unsustainable Market
In contrast, similar principles are routinely violated in health insurance. To demonstrate this, let’s return to the same suburban mother from the opening paragraph. She’s busy working, driving to and from work, and driving her kids to school and activities. She ends each day exhausted, sitting on the couch with fast food. She’s obese, has a sedentary life, a bad diet, and hasn’t taken the time to go to the doctor in years. After a simple injury doesn’t heal for weeks, she turns up at the emergency room and learns she has type II diabetes. Although type II diabetes is controllable, changing diet and exercise habits and properly tracking her condition takes time and effort and she’s never quite successful in implementing the necessary lifestyle changes.
So the initial emergency room visit is only the first of a long list of health care related to non-controlled diabetes and other problems associated with obesity. Whether she has individual or group insurance, her insurance pays for each episode of care, without singling her out for a premium increase, and without charging her any more cost sharing than is charged to the healthiest and most medically diligent insureds. Her coverage continues until she voluntarily changes insurance companies and/or employers or becomes eligible for Medicare. If she’s covered under group insurance she may not even pay any premium. Her insurance continues unabated, even though the disease was caused by neglecting her body and she maintains her poor lifestyle even after the disease becomes known.
This just wouldn’t happen in auto insurance. This scenario is the auto insurance equivalent of guaranteed access to low-priced auto insurance that takes care of every possible repair, including damage already done, until the day the car falls apart so completely it’s unsalvageable (death) or reaches 200,000 miles (Medicare), regardless of whether she even changes the oil (takes care of herself) in the interim.
As a society, we don’t expect this in private-market auto insurance, but we expect it in private-market health insurance. Furthermore, there’s a chorus of national and state interests, which continuously pushes us further away from the auto insurance principles.
The current private health insurance market isn’t sustainable. Prices have been consistently increasing faster than inflation for decades. Each year, insureds use more health care than ever before and more people have no insurance at all. Most actuaries and other people in the private health insurance market don’t want national health insurance with its bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all benefits. Yet, we’re trying to sustain a private insurance system, which violates the very principles we know are necessary for private insurance markets.
Yes, health insurance involves the sacredness of human life and is therefore different from auto insurance. But if we’re to sustain a private-market solution to health insurance, actuaries need to explain to the larger society, in terms that society understands, the rationale for the following principles:
* As sacred as health care is, it’s still an economic transaction that has to be balanced by individuals and societies, against other economic choices. It can’t be unlimited. Sometimes it will be secondary to other choices. On a given day, for example, the mother in our scenario may value her car more than her health.
* Insurance premiums should be paid by the individual and tied to controllable risk factors. This will provide the best incentive for the control of risk factors.
* Although it’s hard to draw the line between abuse, neglect and ignorance, self-abuse shouldn’t be insured and we need to draw that line somewhere.
* The private market can’t provide unlimited, self-directed health insurance.
* Routine care and ongoing treatments of chronic conditions can be pre-funded, can even be subsidized, but they don’t constitute ‘insurable events.’
* Insurance can’t be expected to keep every human body in pristine condition. No amount of health care will prevent everyone’s ultimate death.
* Comprehensive, unlimited, non-subsidized private-market coverage isn’t possible for people with severely impaired health.
* The private health market can provide limited non-subsidized health insurance, such as protection from accidents, to even health-impaired individuals.
* Individuals who can afford to do so and who take good care of themselves should be able to ‘buy up’ to better coverage. People have the option of buying up for everything else in life.
Discussion of these principles is lacking from most of the current health insurance debate. If society can intuitively understand how similar principles apply to health insurance, then they should be able understand the principles in the health insurance context. We need to initiate the debate.
This commentary is solely the opinion of its author. It does not express the official policy of the American Academy of Actuaries; nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the Academy’s individual officers, members, or staff
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Health insurance. Everyone needs it, but not everyone has it. And with medical expenses on a seemingly endless rise, paying out-of-pocket for them could land you in the poor house. So when choosing a health insurance plan, it’s good to know the basics to help you make better, more financially sound choices when selecting a plan.
Health insurance plans generally fall into one of three categories: indemnity plans, also known as reimbursement plans, preferred provider plans (PPOs), and managed care plans (HMOs).
An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and it completely pays for your medical expenses, either in full or according to a schedule of benefits. The schedule of benefits may be substantially less than your actual costs. Preferred provider plans and managed care plans can provide broader coverage, but they involve an arrangement between the insurer and a specified network of health-care providers. In addition, managed care plans require pre-approval of many health care services. For example, an HMO may require that a primary care physician in its network coordinate all of your care as well as refer you to specialists that belong exclusively to the network.
No matter which kind of health insurance you buy, make sure it provides you with the right kinds of coverage. And when it comes to coverage, a good health insurance plan should offer several types. For example, hospital expense insurance pays room and board as well as incidental services costs if you’re hospitalized. A surgical expense insurance covers surgeons’ fees and all other related costs. A physicians’ expense insurance policy pays for visits to a doctor’s office or when a doctor’s visits you in the hospital. Finally, major medical insurance offers very broad coverage with an extremely high maximum benefit that’s designed to protect you against losses due to serious illness or injury.
So what might be covered in a health insurance plan? When comparing plans, make sure they provide additional benefits that you may need, including:
o Prescription drugs
o Preventive care
o Mental health benefits
o Maternity care
o Vision care
And what can all this cost? In addition to the monthly premium expense, there may be other out-of-pocket expenses that can really add up, especially if you have children or other family members who make frequent visits a doctor. You should check to see if the health insurance plan you’re considering asks you to pay any or all of the following:
o Co-payment The amount paid for each visit to a health insurance provider. This is generally required by HMOs.
o Deductible The amount paid toward your medical expenses, most probably annually, before the insurance company pays any claims. This is generally required by indemnity plans.
o Coinsurance The percentage of your medical costs paid after reaching any applied deductibles.
Now that you’ve established the why and what of health insurance, you need to find out where you can get it. Health insurance can be acquired through a group plan at work or through a group affiliation, such as a school, a club, association, etc. Or you can purchase an individual plan. When buying an individual health insurance plan, you can most probably customize it for your particular needs. If you’re looking for an individual plan, start by going online to compare coverages and rates from a number of companies to find the best plan and rate that meets your needs.
You now know the what’s, why’s and where’s of the health insurance game. Your next step is to select the best health insurance plan that meets your needs. You should select one that gives you the greatest flexibility and the best benefits for the lowest cost. Since this is a major purchase, you should shop around and get several quotes before choosing a plan. But before you dive in, here are a few things to consider:
1. Co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance requirements, which ones apply?
2. Do you have the freedom to choose your own health-care providers?
3. Does the plan you’re considering cover the health services you need?
4. Does the plan you’re considering work with the health-care providers you’re currently using?
5. Does the plan you’re considering offer family, and individual, coverage?
6. Does the plan you’re considering cover pre-existing conditions? If so, is there a waiting period? FYI – The average waiting period can be three months to one year.
7. Does the insurance company you’re considering have a good reputation and a positive rating from a major ratings organization? For more information, contact your state’s department of insurance.
The shaky public health care system is one of the weak factors leading to poor human development index of the country. Indian health care system has lot of defects leading by low public expenditure by the federal and state governments and low awareness of health insurance among citizens of the country. Government does not have any coherent and sustainable plan to fulfill health care demands and increasing overall health care standards of the country. Owing to many years of neglect, lower-level public healthcare facilities often suffer from a range of problems, including worker absenteeism and dual public-private practice, truncated demand for their use, and scarcities of supplies and staff which has been one of the major factors for a poor health care system.
Health insurance is not a new concept in India but its lack of awareness among people is the major hindrance leading to poor health care situation. Majority of the Indian population does not have health insurance policies in place leading them to pay for health and medical treatments from their own pockets. The World Health Organization’s global health care portfolio ranks India as low as 112 out of 190 countries which does not meet the country’s ambition as a developing economy. This can be attributed to the fact that health insurance is really a minor player in the health ecosystem of the country and which needs large attention in order to turn and rectify this situation.
Indian health care system is going through major transition where government and other private players are running several programs to increase awareness of importance of health insurance. Several non-profit organizations’ are also working hard to provide knowledge to Indian rural population which is almost 70{3813292df256cc7359db914c8bfffc508a0964aa786224d36d2cb21f4b33d600} of the country’s total population regarding health insurance schemes and their necessity in the event of a contingency.
Historically, health insurance has played a pivotal role in improving access to health care around the world and same is happening in India. Today, most Indians seek private health care facilities which have helped improving health care system in the country. Many people have understood growing necessity of health insurance schemes but still most of the people remain uneducated about its importance. Health insurance penetration in the country is largely limited to urban areas where most of the people are educated and are above poverty lines. Most of them are covered under health insurance provided by their employers which is actually helping to improve health care system in the country. But due to poor penetration in the rural areas, health insurance companies face big challenges to overcome the same.
Many of the health insurance companies in India have tie ups with foreign partners to provide health insurance to bigger masses and have been able to succeed as well. Though, challenges remain for the health insurance providers but increasing their own business and to provide quality health care to the community will drive them to increase penetration leading to improvement in the overall health care structure of the country.
Whether you use the HumanaNatura natural health system on your own or with the assistance of an experienced HumanaNatura practitioner, our four health techniques will help you to achieve greatly increased health awareness and your breakthrough to a remarkable new state we call progressive health-centered life.
HumanaNatura is a cooperative and non-profit organization, supporting and supported by a global network of practitioner-advocates who use and promote the HumanaNatura system in communities around the world.
Welcome to HumanaNatura — a natural revolution in modern life and health.
HumanaNatura is a powerful, open-ended system for individual and collective health promotion. The HumanaNatura system is free for personal and non-profit use, and you can use it right away to measurably improve your own health, fitness, and quality of life.
HumanaNatura begins with the science and key lessons of flourishing life in nature, and advocates a practical, progressive, and ultimately revolutionary new approach to the way we think about and pursue modern life and health today.
The HumanaNatura approach involves the ongoing use of four integrated natural health techniques. Together, HumanaNatura’s health techniques guide and even accelerate us toward a now waiting modern opportunity for dramatically increased natural well-being and quality of life. HumanaNatura’s techniques also show how modern science can be used by individuals and groups to create an optimally healthy, naturally fulfilling, and more adaptive approach to life, in our time and for the future.
All of us who are part of HumanaNatura’s revolutionary new approach to modern life share a common mission and essential new focus — advancing human life through the science and power of progressive natural health.
Our progressive approach to life and health
HumanaNatura offers two health science programs, introducing and providing step-by-step guidance in the use of the four techniques of our progressive natural health system.
First is HumanaNatura’s seven-part Personal Health Program. This comprehensive introduction to health-centered contemporary living outlines the HumanaNatura natural health system, challenges common thinking about our health and natural vitality, and introduces all four of HumanaNatura’s science-based health techniques. The program encourages new appreciation and the ongoing pursuit of our waiting modern potential for intentionally progressive and naturally health-seeking life.
Our second program is HumanaNatura’s innovative Community Health Program. This eight-part guide to collective or public health promotion addresses our modern need and opportunity for strong and deliberately progressive health and quality of life action in the larger social environments where our personal health and individual lives ultimately occur. The program is designed to train and assist HumanaNatura practitioner-advocates in the health-centered leadership of local communities and regional governments, and in the support of these efforts at the national and international level.
HumanaNatura’s two health science programs combine to examine, redefine, and transform our life and health potential in the modern age. Together, they show how revolutionary new well-being and quality of life are available to us all — through a new commitment to informed and enriching personal and collective action modeled on nature’s underlying method of health-seeking progressivity.
HumanaNatura’s comprehensive natural health programs are key elements of our worldwide work to promote health-centered modern life and revolutionary human development through health science education, community-based quality of life advocacy, and new social and governmental leadership. You can become a member of HumanaNatura anytime, and learn about health outreach opportunities in your area, via our Join Us page.
HumanaNatura’s four health techniques
The HumanaNatura health system encourages progressive health understanding and action via four transformative health science techniques. The four HumanaNatura techniques are: 1) Natural Eating, 2) Natural Exercise, 3) Natural Living, and 4) Natural Communities.
A good percentage of Californians get their health insurance through companies, the government (State, Local, and Federal), Military, or State programs (Medi-Cal, Medicare, etc). That still leaves a large number of people that need to find and purchase California personal health insurance. Purchasing personal health insurance is usually both an expensive and confusing endeavor so let’s try to simplify it and offer guidance on how the find the most affordable personal health insurance in California. Before we jump into that process, let’s discuss who is in the market for personal health insurance and what their options are.
Who buys personal health insurance?
Basically, the purchaser of personal health coverage is anyone who doesn’t have coverage somewhere else. A fair number of these shoppers are self-employed or small business owners (think mom and pop type businesses). This includes 1099 contract workers who are essentially self-employed. You also have employees of companies that do not offer group health insurance. This dynamic might change a little with health reform but not much since the law doesn’t apply to small businesses in California (under 50 equivalent employees) and the majority of employees work for small companies. You also have dependents of employees who only get group health coverage for themselves (and not the dependents). Add in students, artists, kids, and that wraps up who generally finds themselves looking for personal California health insurance. So what does the market look like and what are the pro’s/con’s of personal health coverage?
The personal health insurance market pre and post health reform
The personal health market is very different from group in California in that it is currently medically underwritten. You can be declined due to health status/history until Jan 1st 2014. You can find more detail on the personal market at our Understand Individual health insurance page. Since personal health insurance is medically underwritten, the rates tend to be much less than group health for comparable coverage. The benefits also tend not to be as rich as company insurance since people are paying for their own coverage and that tends to push down benefits over time especially with the history of rate increases. Starting Jan 1st, personal health insurance will be guaranteed issue (regardless of health) like group health currently is. It will also be much more expensive than current available plans. You can check out the coming changes at our Understand California health reform page. One note…self employed people (including S-Corp officers/owners) may be able to deduct 100{3813292df256cc7359db914c8bfffc508a0964aa786224d36d2cb21f4b33d600} of the their personal health insurance premium. This is a huge advantage that the non-self employed do not have.
Current plans on the personal health insurance market in California
We’ve written extensively about the best health plans available but here’s the important pieces. HMO’s have priced themselves out of the market. We’re really only insuring for a short period of time since all the current personal health plans on the market will go away Jan 1st (or on your anniversary month in 2014). It’s hard to justify going up the scale of benefits for personal coverage. The mid to low range plans generally make the most sense. Catastrophic or Major Medical personal plans are by far the most popular these days. You can run quotes and apply for California personal coverage online and instantly through our quote page. Rates are primarily driven by age and area although health status can affect the core rate available. Contracts are month to month and can be cancelled for any reason. Once approved, your individual rate cannot be increased due to your specific health situation going forward. There are no lifetime or annual caps. Maternity and preventative benefits are covered on all plans.
These are the highlights of California personal health insurance but we’re happy to help you with your particular situation.
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Health insurance in India has become a much more sophisticated industry than what it was a decade or so ago, thanks to the growth of such phenomena as online health insurance and the way the health policy has developed and expanded in scope. When it is now definitely easier to get health insurance than what it was before, the problem has had more to do with choice than with the availability of mediclaim. This is an age where the crux of the issue of choice focuses on a fresh aspect – to compare health insurance.
Again, it is the power of the internet and the way that online health insurance has taken off, that has led to increased power in the hands of the consumer, to compare health insurance, understand the insurance policy, and be informed of key concepts in mediclaim, such as health insurance premium and sum assured. But, as a consumer, you should also know what forms the basis for comparing the health insurance leaders online. How do you get health insurance that is the best fit for you, among the numerous options that you get bombarded with?
* Awards and Recognitions: While brand name commands a lot of respect in the business of health insurance, brand is not all that you could go by, when you get health insurance. Brands are created not just by performance but also by power. Find out which insurance products have been recognised in the industry and have been awarded by the industry bodies. Health insurance could be recognised and awarded based on, for instance, hospital cover and other value added services/coverages. There are insurance awards declared by different insurance bodies such as, “The Indian Insurance Award for Best Product Innovation”, “The Health Insurance Company of the Year”, and “The Excellence in Growth Award”. Following these developments in health insurance industry would help you arrive at better judgements and decisions about the products and the brands.
* Understand health insurance: If you want to compare health insurance, one of the first pre-requisites is that you should understand the products. Health insurance policy is not just one that fits all – they are unique and they range from health policy that is meant for young singles, to mediclaim for mature singles, parents, couples and established families. When you compare health insurance, it is important to look at the different aspects of health policy on offer and identify the ones that suit you the best.
* Online health insurance: There are many distinct advantages of making use of technology and venturing into online health insurance – you could get health insurance at your own ease, in the comfort of your home, and you could get health insurance real fast, cutting down on the processing time. But the most important of them all is that you would be able to compare health insurance and get the best deals that you deserve.
* Health Insurance Premium: One key point to note, however, when you compare health insurance, is that price is not the be all and end all of it. It is a good idea to evaluate factors such as sum assured and health insurance premium that you would have to pay when you get health insurance. However, to pay an inordinate attention on the price at the expense of other factors may not give you the best health policy for you. You are encouraged to exploit the power of online health insurance, leveraging its potential and getting the most value for the health insurance premium that you pay for your own protection.
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It is quite easy and straight forward these days to get health insurance than what it used to be earlier. For one, you could hope to have affordable health insurance along with choice, which makes it the consumer’s call in opting for the best health insurance available in the market. Most of these factors associated with convenience and choice need to be attributed to the success of health insurance online. However, how safe is online health insurance? And how reliable could one regard the internet to get health insurance? Could they be substitutes to mediclaim and other private health insurance that you get from the real world retailers of health care insurance?
Advantages of health insurance online:
There are obvious advantages associated with purchasing health insurance online.
* Ease of transaction: It is nothing like having to call and walk into retailers in search of the best health insurance. All that you need to do to get the best deals in private health insurance is to log in, and the rest would fall in place.
* Abundant choice: When you explore health insurance online, you have convenience and choice. You could have access to so many options in health policy, more than what you could grab in the real world.
* Compare insurance: With choice, you also acquire the right to compare, when you get health insurance. There are many players in the private health insurance industry, and you could compare them all to enjoy affordable health insurance.
* Security: This is one of the chief considerations when you buy health insurance online. And thankfully, some of the best places to get health insurance online have secured connections. In a world where so many transactions happen online, there is no reason why you cannot buy affordable health insurance safe and secure online.
Disadvantages of health insurance online:
As you would expect, while you could get the best health insurance using the power of the internet, there are also demerits associated with the purchase of private health insurance online.
* Crowded marketplace: Talking of the choice that you have to get health insurance, you may even be overwhelmed at the sheer quantity of claims that you are bombarded with. You need to be a discerning customer to be able to find the right mediclaim that would suit you.
* Counterfeit offers: This is an issue that accompanies the troubles associated with the number of players in private health insurance who provide their products and services online. You need to be absolutely sure that you are dealing with genuine companies who provide affordable health insurance. You do not want to get caught off-guard in your pursuit of health care insurance.
* Improper information: While the best health insurance providers tend to be aboveboard with their products and offers, the onus is on you, the customer, to check that you have all the information you need to make the purchase decision. Since you would not be dealing with someone face-to-face when you get health insurance on the net, it pays to be doubly sure that you have all the information you need to go ahead and buy health insurance online.
How safe is it to buy health insurance online?
As always, there are two sides to the story, and you need to have given careful considerations towards both the sides for you to buy the best health insurance. Health insurance online presents an opportunity like none other, and you could get the most affordable health insurance when you shop around. However, being aware of the potential pitfalls in mediclaim and health policy when you go online for their purchase helps you get health insurance that fits your needs to perfection.
Irrespective of the fluctuations in economy, our healthcare requirements are always the same. It is our primary concern to see that we get a quality health care. Since there is a highly competitive environment outside there in the health insurance arena, there are a lot of health insurance companies advertising their health care plans at highly affordable rates and with highly beneficial coverage options. Therefore the task of finding a suitable health insurance plan is made easier than ever for the residents of Georgia.
Health insurance plans enable the Georgia residents gain access to quality health care as and when they require it. As the costs of health care treatments are escalating day by day, it has become a crucial necessity to have a suitable health insurance plan to face routine as well as emergency medical needs. Getting a good health insurance plan is one of the best ways Georgia residents can secure the future of themselves and their families.
Health insurance policies might appear tough to get if you are on a tight budget. The best thing to solve this problem is to go for a suitable group health insurance policy. Group health insurance policies are comparatively much cheaper than independent policies in Georgia as the insurance carriers take into account the average health care costs of a larger group of people. Therefore, the costs of premiums work out comparatively much cheaper for group insurance policies as against independent health insurance policies.
In Georgia, there are a number of health insurance companies marketing a wide array of health insurance policies. The customers can therefore easily compare between different policies and choose the right one that fits their typical health care needs. Most companies in Georgia sponsor group health insurance plans for their employees. In addition, it is also possible to independently purchase a suitable health insurance policy by directly contacting the insurance carriers. In some cases, some organizations and professional associations offer health insurance plans for their members.
Purchasing health insurance policies help the residents of Georgia get timely health care by giving access to doctors, clinics and other health care service providers that can offer the required medical care in return for a cost that will be wholly or partly paid out by the health insurance plan. On the other hand, the healthcare professionals very well know that the patients can afford expensive medical care treatments as they have already bought good health insurance plans.
The main difference between an inexpensive and expensive health insurance policy is the timely treatment. By having a good health care coverage, Georgia residents need not look further to gain access to quality medical care during the crucial hour of need. In addition, health insurance policies encourage the citizens promptly take-up routine health examinations. They also help people significantly lower the medical costs and the costs of trips to doctors.
Georgia health insurance market is flooded with a number of popular health insurance companies. Online search is the easiest and the fastest way to discover a good health insurance plan. Look for some companies in the State that have their own websites with literature detailing the health care policies offered by them. Some independent websites also help the consumers compare between various popular health insurance plans.
Having a health insurance plan in Florida has become a basic necessity these days since it means having access to quality health care. If you do not have adequate health insurance coverage or if you have insufficient funds, you will not have a say over the type of treatment that you will receive in case of unforeseen health issues. These days, the cost of health care has raised sky high. Therefore, those uninsured will find themselves under ruinous debt if they have to undergo a surgery, spend a day-or two as in-patient, get treatment for a chronic health condition, buy the prescription for a given drug therapy, or stay in an Hospital emergency room for several hours. Recent researches have revealed that the mortality rates in case of cancer and other chronic diseases are higher among the uninsured.
The rights of health insurance subscribers in Florida vary depending on the source from which they purchase the health insurance policy. There are individual as well as group health insurance plans available in the Florida state. Those individual subscribers of health insurance plans in Florida directly purchasing health insurance policies are not guaranteed the right to health insurance in the Florida State. Private insurers can deny health insurance coverage on the health status of the buyers in addition to pre-existing health conditions.
On the other hand, they can also exclude the pre-existing health conditions from the coverage or charge a significantly higher premium. Contrary to this, those covered under group health insurance plans in Florida offered by employers cannot be charged high or denied of health insurance coverage on pre-existing health conditions. Federal laws in Florida protect the citizens from being denied of treatment in a hospital emergency care unit irrespective of their insurance status and the ability to pay.
The three basic options available for subscribers in Florida with respect to buying health insurance policies include the following. Employment or organization-related coverage, private-direct purchase health insurance plans and government subsidized health insurance plans. Most people under 65 in the Florida state are covered by employment-related health insurance coverage. Under this system, the employee pays a part of the premium cost, while the employer union pays the remaining. This is also known as group health insurance. Coverage of pre-existing conditions can be excluded for a given period of time. The employer or the insurance company can also impose a waiting period before the coverage begins.
Subsidized health insurance policies are made available to students in Florida in most colleges and universities. Students seeking to enter into some collegiate courses can benefit out of this option. Small employers in Florida are guaranteed the right to buy group health insurance coverage for their employees. In addition to being cost effective, the one great advantage of group health insurance policies in Florida is the fact that the policy cannot be cancelled if someone in the group gets sick. However, there is a significant variation in the premiums depending on the age of the employees or the location of the business.
COBRA law enables the employees to retain the benefits of the group insurance policy they had from their employer even after they leave their jobs for a period of eighteen months. At a point when the employee becomes ineligible for benefits after leaving the job, he or she is given the option to continue to enjoy the coverage by paying the full premium amount pertaining to the health insurance policy in Florida. In this case, the health insurance policy in Florida will be cheaper as against the other kind of independently purchased health insurance policies in Florida.
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With the implementation of the healthcare reforms, low income health insurance California has become cheaper than ever. There are a large number of health insurance carriers in the California state offering low income health insurance benefitting the residents who cannot afford to buy independent expensive health insurance plans. The Affordability Act has revolutionized the concept of health insurance in the state and consequently, the low income groups of California can get the following advantages in the health insurance arena.
The California state will give federal tax subsidies to over 503,000 small businesses in the state if they extend health insurance coverage to their employees. Earlier, a few firms were only offering health insurance to their employees since they had to bear 18{3813292df256cc7359db914c8bfffc508a0964aa786224d36d2cb21f4b33d600} more expenses than the other bigger firms. This is a major advance in the low income health insurance California arena since a large number of citizens in the state can now be guaranteed of group health insurance coverage.
Group health insurance coverage is a significantly economical option as against independently purchased health insurance plans since the rates of premiums are subsidized in addition to the company bearing a sizeable amount of the premiums.
Those Medicare beneficiaries in the California state who have exhausted their health insurance coverage will have to shoulder the full costs of health insurance. However, the Affordability Act has made a provision for a one-time discount of $ 250 over the cost of their prescription drugs. This has come as a significant help to low income health insurance California.
The act has also enabled 430,000 early retirees in the California State to avail of a federal fund of $ 5 billion to gain access to affordable health insurance plans from their prospective employers. Low income groups can thus leave their worries of continuing within the health insurance coverage after leaving their jobs.
Low income health insurance California has become cheaper than ever with the act removing life-time limits and annual limits over the insurance coverage thereby benefiting more than 19 million residents of the state. Dishonest health insurance practices cannot drop low income health insurance in the California State to more than 2.7 million citizens of the state if they happen to fall sick.
Children in the low income families of California can now enjoy health insurance coverage even if they are reported with pre-existing health conditions. This is enabled by a high risk pool program instituted by the state worth $ 761 million federal dollars. The Affordability Act has also made it possible for more than 1, 96,000 adults in California State to stay within the low income health insurance coverage purchased by their parents till the age of 26. This has guaranteed health insurance coverage to these groups till they complete their studies and take employment. Low income health insurance California has also been realized to a great extent in the state with the act making it possible for the patients to choose doctors as per their healthcare needs. In addition they are now free to go to any participating primary care provider.
Low income health insurance California has benefited women in the state in the following way. With the revisions made in the health care laws, women in the California State will not need prior authorization to consult an ob-gyn. They have been relieved of gender discrimination while purchasing independent low income health insurance plans besides getting the guarantee of the same type of health insurance coverage like males of the same age and health status.
With the Affordable Act, the California State has significantly raised the federal funding for the following categories of low income health insurance California. More health centers are being built in the state to nearly double the number of patients’ intake in the Community Health Centers. $ 1.5 billion dollars funding has been sanctioned to benefit the National Health Service Corps for a five years’ period to meet out the needs of about 9{3813292df256cc7359db914c8bfffc508a0964aa786224d36d2cb21f4b33d600} of the Californian population residing in the underserved areas of the State. In addition, Medicaid health plans have been made more flexible than ever to take-in more citizens with low income irrespective of their age, health condition and the ability of their families to purchase health insurance plans.
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You may need to depend on health coverage in case any injuries or accidents happen in your life, because if you do not get health coverage then you might have to bear all the expenses of your medical care. For people, who do not have the benefit of receiving the health coverage as an employee in their job in the government and private sector might look up to other health coverage plans that are available for them and their family. You can either take health coverage individually or for your family. However, the Individual Health Coverage is one of the best choices to go for, because it covers all the expenses for your individual health care. When you are looking for Individual Health Coverage, you will first need to find the program that is offered for the residents of your state, so that you can enlist yourself under the Individual Health Coverage easily.
You can either contact through the health care officers of the health coverage program or you can contact and enlist yourself under a program in the health coverage program in different websites which conducts their health care services in your state. Through the health coverage program, you can now easily make insurance through public or private health policies. Before making insurance for your health, you can ask for detailed information from the health care services, you are registering. There might be a variety of plans for individual and family health coverage programs under which you can make insurances; however, it is always better to know in details before enlisting under such health care programs. For example, make sure that you get ample medical expenses through your insurance when you have an accident or injury or in any case of medical emergency.
When you are making insurance on an Individual Health Coverage you need to clarify yourself about the details of the plan from the health coverage representatives. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which was signed in March of 2010 clearly state that; any kind of health coverage program should have certain benefit for their individuals. Among the mandatory health care services, there is emphasis for the expansion of public programs, employer requirements, individual mandate requirements, changes to private insurance, cost and coverage estimates, health insurance exchanges etc. Therefore, the insurance company that is responsible for the health coverage of the individuals will have to follow these procedures when they are offering health plans to people. So, make sure that your Individual Health Coverage has these benefits.
Before, you choose to enlist yourself and your family members under a health coverage program, make sure that you choose the best health insurance company. You can do this by taking notes on the ratings of the companies available in your state and then go for the one which is the best and has broader facilities. At present, the registration for receiving health insurance can be done through online website of the Individual Health Coverage program that you are opting to choose.
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Dr. Edward Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM is the founder and CEO of Global Healing Center. He assumes a hands-on approach to producing new and advanced life changing products and information to help you maintain a clean body and live a healthy lifestyle. It’s our mission to bring back good health, positive thinking, happiness, and love.
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While one is searching for health insurance, he is provided with a variety of health insurance options. This variety is offered in order to meet the demands of the populace. Depending on the needs and budget one can opt for budget (or local) health insurance policy or international (or global) health insurance policy. Domestic health insurance policies depend on the local healthcare system of the country. Along with the domestic health insurance plans provided by the country there also exists health insurance policies and plans that provide health coverage all around the world (i.e. globally). Such health insurance policies are also known as international health insurance policies.
* Domestic health insurance policies are limited to covering healthcare expenses only within the country where as international health
insurance policies provide coverage for health care expenses globally.
h * Domestic health insurance policies are more affordable than the international health insurance polices. However the coverage and benefits are more in the international health insurance policies.
* If one is the owner of a domestic insurance policy then he will not be covered for his medical expenses outside the country.
* There is a difference in the way the insurance companies calculate the premiums for the domestic and international insurance policies. Also domestic health insurance policies as well as international health insurance policies both have and follow different systems for assessing and adjusting their premiums every year.
* The terms and conditions of domestic health insurance plans get affected by national issues where as the terms and conditions of the international health insurance company get affected by the international issues.
* The main difference between the two types of health insurance policy is that if one shifts from one country to other before his policy matures then he does not get the benefits of the existing policy in other country if the policy is domestic one. Thus he will have to purchase new policy in the country he shifts too. Also if he is already suffering from some health problems and is covered under the existing domestic policy then after shifting while buying new policy in the new country this illness is considered to be pre-existing and hence will not be covered under the new policy. How ever if you are the owner of the international health insurance policy then the only formality you need to undertake is change of address and then you can have the benefits of the international health insurance policy that you own in which ever country you shift. This can also be referred to as portability of the insurance plan.
* Both the types of health insurance plans (domestic and international) allow citizens upto 65 years of age to apply for the health insurance policy. Some health insurance policy companies have extended the age limit up to 80 years also. However the point that makes a difference between the two types of health insurance policy is that renewal of domestic health insurance policy is allowed up to certain age limit only but on the other hand the owner of the international health insurance policy can with guarantee keep renewing the policy as long as the policyholder wishes.
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Today, many of us are finding that we have to stretch every dollar we make. Health insurance should not be considered another expense that we have to budget for, but more as an investment in peace of mind. Because life is filled with unexpected events which can include unexpected illnesses and injuries, it is important that we all have a quality health insurance plan. Below is a list of the reasons why health insurance is vital to your health and well being. Check out your options.
Protection for Unforeseen Health Events: health insurance is not just beneficial for older people, but it is also important for the young. In life, we never know what the day will bring so it is important that we have health coverage for sudden illnesses and unexpected injuries. For instance, unexpected events can include: car accident, diagnosis of a health condition that will require a lot of treatment including expensive medications, losing a tooth due to an injury from playing sports or a slip and fall, etc. For such conditions, treatment cannot only include medical treatment but also ambulance transportation, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and follow up medical care. When you have a good health plan, you will rest easy knowing that you will not go into debt trying to pay for the costs of health care.
Coverage for Prescription Medication: If you have an ongoing medical condition, the cost of your prescription can be enormously expensive. In addition, there are many drugs for specific conditions that are extremely costly. It can be financially devastating paying for prescriptions if you do not have a health plan. Having a health insurance will ensure you can manage your prescription bills while focusing on your recovery. Without coverage, the financial stress can hinder your recovery. Options for prescription plans.
Health Professional Appointments: If you go to a health professional appointment such as a dentist or eye doctor and you do not have a health plan that covers such health appointments, it can be really expensive paying for treatment. The health costs can quickly add up. With a health insurance plan that includes coverage for such health care services, you will have only small percentage to pay as outlined in your health plan. In addition, when it comes to eye health care, many health insurance companies will cover a significant part of the costs for such items as: eyeglasses, contact lenses, various test, etc. Lasik eye surgery.
Health Care Prevention: Today more health insurance companies are covering a certain amount of costs associated with health care prevention. For instance, some weight loss surgeries may be covered as prevention for obesity related health conditions and alternative health care coverage may be provided for such things as acupuncture, therapeutic massages, and preventative disease testing such as mammograms and annual physicals. Without health insurance, many people may not take advantage of health care prevention to avoid future more serious health problems. Life insurance.
No matter how old you are or where you live, it is essential to have a health insurance policy. A good health plan provides financial protection in the event you are in a situation where you require a lot of health care treatment. Like life insurance, health insurance is an investment in your future, particularly an investment in your future health.
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Health and health related subjects are a hot topic in all kinds of industry today. People taking health and its education seriously, have made it possible to emerge as a Health Industry in the coming future.
Health education is important for all of us to keep ourselves healthy. But more than that, health education has become a career option for the upcoming world. We have already seen the boom of IT industry and technological growth. And within last 20-25 years, this career option has been explored to almost its limits. Although the options aren’t finished in the existing sectors, but health is a sector, which is ready to show its boom, just like the IT industry all over the world.
People were already made aware of the benefits of taking care of their health through various sources. Now is the time to bring in that awareness into the ground reality, where people can also make money and career out of it. Due to these reasons, health education programs, health education careers and health education degrees are quite in demand.
A career in the health sector does not restrict one in being a doctor. The avenues are umpteen, and options countless. Twenty years back the scenario might have not been the same, but now the conditions have changed. The health education sector alone encompasses areas like social health, environmental health, physical health, mental health, emotional health and spiritual health.
Health education for kids is another avenue being explored extensively as a career. The growth of a child needs an all round care. Especially in the competitive world like today’s, a kid unless and until best in all fields, is not considered up to the mark. Although this cut throat competition is not a very advisable way of grooming one’s child, yet it is important to have an eye over the child’s all round development.
Therefore the health related professional areas have in-numerous options. Right from nursing, to assisting doctors in various health related activities, preparation of the combination of medicines in many cases are some of the areas where health education is explored. Coming down to the more traditional aspects of health aids, such as the naturopathy, Reiki, Acupressure, self healing, Yoga, these are a few other dimensions, where people have started to impart education, and health education degrees.
Later these degrees are also taken further to form the health related career prospects. Hence the health education careers are also explored. Such careers include trainings, coaching, mentoring on what health related careers one should opt and consultation part. A lot of psychological health educations, and Health education lessons , degrees are bestowed which are different from the traditional psychiatrist degrees. People coming into the practice after owning these degrees, are often found to provide better services than the traditional doctors, because they mostly opt for such degrees and careers more for their passion than for money.
The lateral health related industries have started to come up, and with people being interested in the field and self fitness, have been making it a success.
Health education programs, like the AIDS awareness, malnutrition awareness programs are conducted all over the world. The big business tycoons like Bill Gates have been involved in all ways to make the mission of global health, and global health education a success. With so many efforts being made simultaneously, it seems like the world will soon be a healthier place.
Health Care News
This is a very fast paced world. In this rapidly moving world one of the most important aspects that is neglected by people is their health. People have been ignoring their health and are ignorant about how many things can affect them. In such times, health care news can be very useful for people. Even in the news that we watch daily, health care in the news forms an important aspect of the news headlines. Your health is the most important part of your life. Issues related to your health are very unpredictable. If you qualify, getting medicare health insurance for yourself should be the utmost priority. Providing affordable health insurance for you and your family should be the focus of every individual. With that in mind, we can keep up to date with all health care news. “Care411.com”, is one of the leading websites for news health care. This site will provide you with all the healthcare guidance that you can ask for and much more.
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There is the whole list of health insurance companies from which you can choose a company that can provide you an insurance plan that suits you best. Medical health news today mostly comprises of health care policy news and health care business news. There are not many ways to get complete health care news. On care411.com, in addition to new, we explore the concept of healthcare informatics and how it affects people. You can also get health insurance quotes New York and health care reform news articles on this site. If you have a low income or a bad credit score, getting health insurance can be a problem. We even guide people on how to get low income health insurance, so that even a low income cannot deter you in getting health insurance. New York is one of the most populated and is the business capital of the world. All the services in New York come at a high cost. We can show you ways to get independent health insurance New York at minimum possible cost. California is the costliest state in the US; you can get the whole list of top health insurance companies in California on care411.com.
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Should you not have medical insurance, a significant amount of health bills can jump significantly in a year alone or you may end up in overwhelming financial trouble if you had a sudden health emergency. Even when you have employer or government health protection, it might not give you the coverage you need, particularly if you have a family. As well, as without a dental plan or eye health plan, you can also end up with expensive medical costs if you have dental emergency or eye health emergency. Fortunately, there are health insurance plans obtainable and there are also dental plans and eye insurance plans that can be bought alone. With supplemental health insurance, you be sure that you do not find yourself with expensive medical bills that can significantly harm your financial well being. Health insurance is a smart investment in your health. Understanding Health Insurance.
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When you supplemental health insurance, it is possible for you to find and buy the precise insurance coverage that meets your requirements so that you and your loved ones can have peace of mind understanding that you are financially protected if there is a health emergency event resulting in the need for a lot of health services. As well, it helps to make sure that can maintain your health. Find out what a health insurance supplier can do for you and your family.
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