Dipping into your State Health Insurance Pool - What Are The Requirements?

Health Insurance - State health insurance is a branch of health insurance that is for high-risk individuals with chronic and/or pre-existing conditions. Most common diseases to see on this type of insurance are HIV, AIDS, kidney disease, obesity, and diabetes. This high-risk pool is designed to act as a safety net to offer some form of insurance to these people but for a hefty premium.  This program has fewer participants due to the cost. This plan is not low-income friendly. Rates can be as much as double what the normal market value for health insurance is. The pool does tend to offer better benefits but is definitely geared to those people that truly afford insurance. So, most people who fall under this category and require this type of plan are likely to be uninsured due to not being able to afford a plan. This plan is last resort for persons with such illnesses that land them for emergency or hospital care frequently, and it that case pays for itself quickly. Some of the few persons who cannot afford this are lucky enough to have a spouse in the work place that is able to add them to their policy from their employer, these plans cannot discriminate due to chronic or long-term illnesses. The State Health Insurance Pool knows its rates are high, and claims so are medical costs for the chronically ill. They have to charge more to be able to get ahead and stay afloat.

Most risk pools are nonprofit associations ran by the state. Usually they do not use taxes to operate their business. Most persons requiring this type of service usually are filling up the gap in cost of what their normal plan won't cover or is a temporary pit stop till they can find a plan that accepts them at a lower cost. The people who qualify for this type of coverage must be a resident of the state they are applying in. Most states require you live there for at least six months and some up to one full year before reaching residency status. You also need one of several possible documents from other insurance companies. You will need proof of rejection from at least one company denying them benefits similar to the ones being asked for. You can use proof of insurance with a higher premium as well. You may also be eligible if you can show proof of insurance with a rider or rated policy. Any of the above mentioned could get you approved to apply for the risk pool in the state you reside in. A reciprocity agreement is when a person who is eligible for the plan and is currently on a similar plan, met the waiting period quota, and not used up the lifetime maximum benefits can still be eligible if they move to another state after they meet the residency requirement. Not all states, but most, have this agreement included into their plan.

There is a list of those who are not eligible in the high-risk pool besides non-residents. You are no longer eligible if you move to another state but if you have a reciprocity agreement, you can become eligible in the state you now reside after residency has been established. Most people who are eligible or receive Medicaid or Medicare are also not eligible. Many states do have a high-risk plan for Medicare eligible persons, but if you receive or could receive Medicaid than you don't qualify. If a person has terminated their coverage in another plan and less than 132 months have passed they are not eligible for the pool till that time is up. Those who have used their maximum lifetime benefits for their plan are also not qualifying. Inmates of a public institution are also not eligible for the risk pool. Other specific exclusions can include state decided specific diseases or medical conditions that they just don't want to cover. An enrollment cap may also be in affect so only a specific amount of persons may be actively enrolled at any given point of time. All other applicants who are eligible will be placed on a waiting list till there is an opening. There seem to be a higher list of those who don't qualify then who do for this high-risk benefit that costs an arm and a leg anyway.

Canadian Travel Health Insurance

Health Insurance - With Canada so close to the US, it is easy to forget that Canada is another country and even though we feel at home when we go there, there are formalities one must have in mind – like having a travel health insurance because the American healthcare system does not pay for treatment outside the US.

There is hardly anything special in purchasing a travel health insurance plan when going to Canada that is very different from doing it for any other part of the world. Maybe one difference is that Canada has a high standard of living and therefore you can reasonably expect that there, like at home, medical and dental services will be more expensive than those in some Third World countries. And this is one more reason to look for the best, not the cheapest travel health insurance plan.

As far as money is concerned, a regular basic plan usually provides coverage for you and your family amounting about $50,000 CAD (about USD 43,000), which is usually enough to cover ambulance service, laboratory examination, doctor’s fees, a short stay in the hospital, etc. But if you are afraid that this is not enough, there are companies that offer over USD 1,000,000 as coverage. And if you go to ski in Calgary, for example, or go on a fishing trip to Ontario, do not let a broken limb ($400-500 with therapy, crutches, etc.) break both your mood and finances.

There are many Canadian companies that offer travel health insurance to Americans and there are many American companies that offer the same for Americans going to Canada, so the choice is unlimited. Just visit their sites and spend some time with the online calculators that allow to enter your age, the duration of the trip, the destination province and your medical condition, and in no time at all you will have plenty of offers to choose from!

Can You Afford Not To Have Health Insurance?

Health Insurance - Many people think the best way to get health insurance coverage is simply to get the most complete coverage one can afford. This is, to some extent true, and if you have a lot of liquid resources it is a good idea to get a comprehensive individual health insurance plan that includes everything from a small deductible for hospital visits to full dental and vision coverage. However, if you are on a very tight budget, you may want to consider getting a smaller plan than you can afford and paying for some of your medical expenses out of pocket.

If you are juggling several different prescriptions that are costly to fill and refill, or that require frequent check ups with your doctor to make sure that you have the right dosage, it is important to get a full health plan. However, if you are looking for ways to economize on your health costs, it may make sense not to get such a comprehensive plan. If you don’t have any dependents and don’t need to make regular hospital visits for any reason, consider whether you really need a full health insurance plan that gives you complete coverage. Paying more than you need for health insurance can be a heavy financial burden, so it is worth thinking creatively and realistically about what you really need and if it is possible to get the care you require without shelling out a large monthly payment to a health insurance provider.

Many people find that through a combination of free clinics and minimal health insurance coverage, they are able to get by spending much less money than they would pay for comprehensive health insurance. It is still a smart idea to have coverage that will help alleviate the financial burden if you suddenly develop a condition or meet with an injury that requires emergency care. However, it is a good idea to look into what kinds of plans are available, as one of the many plans designed specifically to give you emergency coverage may be a much better choice than a plan that will leave you generally well insured.

It is never a good idea to gamble with your health care, so make sure that you if don’t opt for the maximum amount of insurance that you can afford, that you have a plan for how to meet any medical expenses that may arise. Think about other ways that you can designate money for your health care needs, such as starting a savings account where you store away the money you would be paying for insurance every month. This will help you make sure that you are prepared for anything. Don’t forgo coverage entirely though. At the very least purchase a high deductible plan that will cover you in the case of a serious illness or injury. Otherwise one serious illness or injury could wipe you out financially.

Americans Without Health Insurance Have New, Affordable Options

More and more Americans are going without health insurance because they can't afford it. But there is a solution. New health insurance portfolios are available that are specially designed to help meet the national need for affordable coverage for individuals and employees of small businesses.

This is good news for many Americans who often cannot afford to purchase health insurance for themselves or whose employers do not offer insurance. This includes individuals who are self-employed; those who are employed by a small business or who run a small business; and individuals in other circumstances that require them to buy their own health insurance.

"More than 45 million Americans fall into one of these categories. Many of these people are uninsured or are struggling to afford the traditional plans that insurance companies typically offer," says Melissa Crawford, senior vice president, Physicians Mutual.

The company bundles together existing and new products to provide an Integrated Health Portfolio (IHP) with a variety of choices and price points.

The IHP offers a choice of benefits, including coverage for:

Doctor's office visits

Preventive care

Hospital stays

Surgeries

Catastrophic major medical

Outpatient treatment.

"This portfolio of products is designed for middle-income Americans for whom the only choice has been major medical plans with high deductibles-$5,000, for example. That's too much for them to absorb out of pocket," Crawford says. "They're looking for a plan that pays a portion of everyday health care costs such as doctor's visits, childhood immunizations, and screenings like mammograms and prostate cancer tests. They also need prescription drug and vision discounts.

"We have options with no deductible to meet, so policyowners receive benefits the first time they have a covered medical expense," Crawford says. "There are also no lifetime maximums on this type of policy."

Crawford points out that individuals and small-business owners usually do not have benefits managers who can talk them through their insurance options. The health portfolio offers a needs assessment to help customers determine which insurance products are right for them.

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company and Physicians Life Insurance Company, a member of the Physicians Mutual family, provide a full portfolio of health and life insurance products, as well as financial products. Both companies consistently receive high grades from independent insurance analysts.

Alternatives To High Priced Health Insurance

Alternative Health Insurance - Most Americans are struggling to afford health insurance. In just the past few years, the cost of buying health insurance for your family has skyrocketed. I was talking with an insurance agent recently, who told me it's not unusual at all for his clients to be paying $1,000 to $1,400 per month for their family to be covered.

I don't know many people who can easily afford those kinds of monthly insurance payments. Most who are paying them are making major sacrifices in other areas. The vast majority of Americans put health coverage very high on their list of priorities, so the other things that get left behind might surprise you. No question, the quality of life is far lower for many people now that they pay so much to be insured.

Meanwhile, many employers are cutting back their employees' insurance coverage. Professions that once paid all their employees' health insurance premiums -- like teachers and firefighters -- are finding the employee footing the bill for larger and larger portions of their insurance.

How are people coping? Many Americans simply don't have health insurance anymore. That's a big problem not only for families, who often put off going to the doctor, but also for society in general. People who hesitate buying medicine or seeing a doctor often end up very sick in hospital emergency rooms.

Others are simply reducing the amount of health insurance they have. They pay a larger portion of their doctor visits and prescription medicine costs. If you are a young adult, it may not make a lot of sense to pay huge insurance premiums to be covered for major illnesses that you are very unlikely to experience.

There are a growing number of health insurance plans that let you pick and choose the areas of coverage you want to pay for. While this practice was prohibited in many states, more and more places are seeing the wisdom and necessity of this approach.

Even more pressing than the cost of health insurance is the cost of buying prescription medicines. Many people simply can't afford the spiraling cost of the medicines they need. Others might insist, willingly lowering their standard of living just to afford overpriced medicine. The solution to this problem increasingly has nothing to do with insurance. Organizations use their large pool of members to negotiate big discounts on prescription drugs at thousands of chain and independent pharmacies nationwide. Typically you can save up to 60% off generic drugs and up to 15% off name-brand drugs.

This is a big advantage for the elderly, families, businesses, organizations, and anyone who wants to lower their cost of medicine. Additionally, some programs also cover medicine for your pets. If you often care for an ill animal, this can save you a lot of money over time.

Unlike insurance, discount drug programs are often very low cost or free. Pharmacies participate in the discount programs to encourage you to buy from them. It's a win-win for both you and the medical industry.

Can You Afford To Have Health Insurance?

Health Insurance - You may think that the best way to acquire health insurance coverage, is simply to obtain the complete coverage that you can afford. Off course to some extent it is true, and if you have many liquid resources then it is  a good idea to obtain a good complete individual health insurance plan that includes everything from a small fees for hospital visits to full dental coverage. But, if you are not good budget, you may consider getting a smaller policy that you can afford and pay for some of  medical expenses from you regular budget.

If you are trying several other methods that are costly to fill and refill, or that need regular check ups with your medical adviser or doctor to make sure that you have the right cure, it is important to obtain a complete health plan. However, if you are searching for other ways to meet your health costs, it may make sense not to get such  plan. If you do not have any dependents and do not need to make regular hospital visits for any reason, consider whether you really need a full health insurance plan that gives you complete coverage. Paying more cost than your requirements for health insurance can be a heavy burden, so it is good to think creatively and realistically about what you really require and if it is possible to get the care you require without a large monthly payment to a health insurance providers.

Many people know that using a combination of free clinics and lower health insurance coverage, they are able to get by  much less money that they would pay for comprehensive health insurance. It is a cool idea to have coverage that can help alleviating the burden if you suddenly develop a condition that requires urgent care. However, it is a good idea to look for different kinds of plans that are available, as one of the most plans designed specially to give you emergency coverage may be a much better way than a plan that will leave you generally well insured.

It is not a good way to apply different trick with your health care, so make this sure that you if do not opted for the maximum amount of insurance that you can afford, then you have a plan for how to meet any medical cost that may arise in future. Think about other possibilities that you can use to get money for your health care needs, such as starting an investment savings account where you store away the money you would be paying for insurance every month. This will help you to get prepared for anything. Don’t forget coverage entirely though.

Alternative Low Cost Health Insurance - Staying On Top Of It

Some things in life are taken for granted and the privilege of having health insurance may be one of them. Employers have to give their employees some kind of benefit program in their overall compensation package. The employee expects it and enjoys the security of having good health insurance. Everything changes when the employee leaves the employer. Insurance decisions have to be made. No one can escape from this process. The employee soon finds the cost to continue the insurance to be much more than expected and they start scrambling for alternatives. Are there alternatives? What can be done to reduce the cost?

There has been a major shift in thinking by the insurance buying public over alternatives to lowering the cost of health insurance. Low deductibles are a thing of the past. It has taken some time to change the thinking about having low deductibles. Low deductibles mean less out of pocket expense. It works the opposite in today’s market for health insurance. The premiums paid for lower deductibles are so high that it no longer makes sense to have them. The higher deductibles reduce the premium dramatically. There are deductibles as large as $5000 in some health insurance plans.

Two Alternatives

1. Take the highest deductible that you can afford. This is called self-insuring. You are insuring yourself for the deductible amount in exchange for a lower premium.

2. Start a Health Savings Account. This is a savings account that is used for medical expenses only. This is a fantastic way of putting money aside for the out of pocket deductible amount and any additional medical expense. The best part about it is that the health savings account is tax deductible. See your tax advisor or accountant on how to set up this plan.

Insurance is a great place to start to lower your monthly bills. We hope that this will help you analyze your next quote. Please refer to our recommended source for insurance quotes of all types.

All about car insurance

Many factors influence the premium for your Motor insurance policy. Your insurer will have asked you many questions whilst producing your quote - some of which will affect your premium and some will not. Below we discuss the key variables that are within the policyholder's control.

Location
A big influence on the cost of your car insurance is where you live. The chance of your car being broken into or stolen is a key concern for the insurer. More urban areas traditionally facing greater risk of theft and therefore tend to be more expensive than countryside locations.

Excess
By agreeing to pay a greater excess on each claim you can reduce your car insurance premiums. This is because you are reducing the liability of the insurer and therefore in return they are able to offer you a lower premium.

Your Vehicle
The cheaper and slower your vehicle the lower your premiums are likely to be. If you are looking to buy a new vehicle make sure you fully consider the cost of insurance – you may be able to buy the car but can you afford to run it?

Consolidating policies
By insuring a number of vehicles with the same insurer, or by trying to take out home and life insurance through your car insurer, you may be able to secure a ‘bulk buy’ discount.

Parking
Where you park your vehicle overnight is also very important to the insurers. If it is kept in a locked garage, you should be offered a lower premium than if you leave it unattended in the street.

Mileage
You can control your insurance premiums by restricting your annual mileage. However, be aware that if you exceed the restricted number of miles you'll then become uninsured!

Security
Security devices that prevent or hinder theft may also reduce your premium. Common examples include alarms and immobilisers, however, be aware that as we improve the quality of our security devices the thieves just become better at bypassing them.

No Claims Discount
Save up your no claims discount by avoiding making small claims upon your policy. After a set number of years, 4 or 5 typically, you'll often be offered the option to pay an additional small premium to protect your no claims bonus. This can prove very helpful if you subsequently end up having an accident.

Your Sex
Women are statistically less likely to have an accident and, if they do, it's less likely to be serious. Because of these statistics women benefit from lower premiums. It is also worth noting that if you represent one half of a couple you should consider having the female as the primary driver with the male as the second driver.

Advanced driving skills
By taking an advanced driving course you may also be able to reduce your premiums. The Institute for Advanced Motorists and the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents each offer membership which provides you with discounts for both the cost of driving courses and your car insurance premiums. Two key variables NOT within the policyholder's control.

Your Age
The older you are, the less likely you are to make a claim. As a result insurance companies charge lower premiums for more mature drivers.

One final piece of advice
A large percentage of car insurance is now sold on the Internet. That's because it's convenient and cheap. Many insurers now give a further 10%-15% discount if you buy online.

Affordable Individual Health Insurance - How To Control Your Own Insurance Costs

The need for affordable individual health insurance is becoming more prevalent because of the rising numbers of self-employed. Entrepreneurs are changing the landscape. Home-based businesses are growing at a phenomenal pace. The enormous growth of small business has generated a greater demand for individual health insurance. This is a first time experience for many of these new start-ups. Group health insurance is provided by the employer. The employee that is enrolled in the company group health insurance plan rarely examines the coverage or the cost. This changes dramatically when they are forced into purchasing their own individual plan.

COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) guarantees a continuance of coverage when you leave your employer. This coverage is made available for 18 months after you leave. You have a 60-day window after termination of employment to shop for your own individual health plan. This window of time is critical to the insurance shopping process. If you have any thought of leaving your employer then it is imperative that you investigate the availability of individual health insurance.

Individual health insurance is medically underwritten. That means that the insurance company will gather all applicable medical information on you and or your family to determine if they can offer you an individual plan. Pre-existing conditions are often eliminated and in some instances coverage can be denied.

Things to consider:

1. Health – Do not presume that you or any of your family is Insurable. There may be certain pre-existing conditions that are covered by some companies and excluded by others.

2. Self-Insuring – The higher deductible that you elect will decrease your premium dramatically. This is called self-insuring. Some companies have deductibles that go as high as thousands.

3. Insurance Company – There are many reliable insurance companies in the health insurance industry use their quotes to compare coverage.

We have done the research so you don't have to. Please see our recommended source for insurance quotes online.