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Is it Advisable to Obtain Temporary Health Insurance?

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 05:03:59 +0000

Author: Vignes Chandran
Source: ezinearticles.com

Many of us out there have our own comprehensive healthcare insurance policies that protect us from accidents and health complications. However, there are people who cannot afford these medical insurance plans, or unable to obtain them due to several specific reasons. Rather than mourning the failure to obtain comprehensive health insurance plans, there is another solution for those in this situation. The solution is called temporary healthcare insurance, which is also known as short term healthcare insurance.

Who are those that would benefit from temporary medical insurance? For one, it is an extremely useful plan for those in transitions, such as between jobs or from college to working life. Those who are unemployed would also find this plan useful. Health insurance companies provide short term healthcare insurance to qualified individuals as well as families. The coverage level of these policies depends on the terms within the contract, and also based on how much of premium you are willing to fork out for the policy. New employees who are waiting to be included in the employer’s group insurance plan would also find the temporary medical insurance plan relevant, while their inclusion in the group plan is finalised.

There are many advantages to this short term medical insurance policies. Firstly, the cost benefit from this plan is very obvious. The premiums are significantly lower than comprehensive insurance plans, without compromising on the important health and accident coverage. The range of coverage is usually as wide as comprehensive plans, and it is extremely easy to obtain temporary health insurance plans. You application could take less than 24 hours to be approved if you are lucky. Some companies include your family as part of your plan, nevertheless if you need individual health insurance, this could easily be arranged as well.

To conclude, these temporary insurance policies would serve you well as a short-term solution when you need it most. And yes, it is definitely advisable to obtain a temporary health insurance plan if you do not have a comprehensive one to back you up during transition periods.

Vignes Chandran is a freelance writer who covers myriad topics including finance and careers. For more information about individual health insurance and affordable health insurance, visit CommonHealthInsuranceFacts.com

Cheap Health Insurance Made Easy

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:59:57 +0000

Author: john willowbr
Source: articlesbase.combr
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Cheap health insurance has become the issue of the moment in South Carolina and across the country. More small businesses are increasingly unable to provide cheap health insurance plans to their employees because of the rising cost and the lack of federal and state legislation that would allow small businesses to purchase cheap medical insurance in pools. In the meantime South Carolina and other states are looking to cut the costs of the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs for the elderly and the poor. However, more affordable forms of health insurance plans are available as some private companies are experimenting with a new variation of cheap health insurance known as health discount plans. In the article that follows we�ll explain the various aspects of cheap health insurance in South Carolina and how to find a plan that works for you.Health Care Costs due to Managed Health CareThe current health care system in America is inaccessible to approximately 47 million poor and lower middle class people. In order to address the growing health care insurance crisis in the U.S. that resulted in health care cost growth in the 1970s and 1980s, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) sprung up. These were initially as non-profit groups designed to separate unnecessary tests and treatments from those that the patient required in an effort to keep costs down. Managed care organizations began screening requested procedures by physicians to pre-authorize what the HMO would or would not cover. However, the number of people who are the riskiest to insure-diabetics, cancer, etc.-continues to rise. Many South Carolina managed care industry experts say the cost of cheap health insurance is still high because of the existing pool of insured people who use the health care system more than an average amount.The other battle that is ongoing in South Carolina involves the health insurance companies and hospitals, the latter which cannot turn anyone away from care by law. However, as the number of South Carolinians who cannot afford cheap health insurance increases, hospital emergency rooms are handling the majority of the load. More people have to turn to hospitals as their primary health care givers given a lack of adequate or non-existant health insurance coverage.Cheap Health Insurance Plans Through the WorkplaceMost cheap medical insurance policies in South Carolina are usually written through group coverage offered at work by your employer through a private South Carolina cheap health insurance company. This is usually the more cost effective way to purchase cheap health insurance now available since a large number of employees allows South Carolina companies to reduce their insurance premiums. Similar to buying in bulk, the more health insurance plans a business can purchase for its employees the less expensive the insurance is per employee. In South Carolina, like the rest of the nation, the number of companies that can provide cheap health insurance for their employees is declining.Personal Health Insurance PlansHealth insurance plans can be purchased by individuals and families from virtually every insurance provider in South Carolina. Trying to purchase health insurance on an individual basis can be more expensive if the person already has a health problem, known as a pre-existing condition. Many companies will not cover people with pre-existing conditions if they have no continuation of coverage-renewing health insurance coverage after only a prescribed short period of time-picked up from an earlier cheap health insurance policy.South Carolina Health Insurance PoolThe South Carolina Health Insurance Pool is a state health insurance plan designed to provide coverage for those that either do not have or have lost medical coverage at no fault of their own and are uninsurable. The pool was created by the General Assembly to help people who couldn�t get health insurance coverage from any other source, including people with certain disabilities. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina currently administers the pool.Coverage is available to a person who has been a state resident for at least 30 days and meets the following criteria:They were turned down for private health insurance coverage for health reasons;They were accepted for private health insurance, but have pre-existing illnesses or conditions excluded from coverage, for a period exceeding 12 months;They are paying health insurance premiums for comparable coverage which are more than 150 percent of the premium levels charged by the pool;In certain situations, other individuals whose last health insurance coverage was an employer based group health plan may be eligible for coverage.No matter what your age, there are also several federally sponsored programs to help you if can�t afford the premiums for individual health insurance, providing you meet their eligibility guidelines.Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease.Medicaid, a program for the poorest individuals and low-income families with children.The Children�s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a plan that provides health care to children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but earn too little to afford individual health insurance.Types of Cheap Health Insurance CoverageCheap health insurance plans generally fall into one of two categories: indemnity plans and managed care plans (HMOs, PPOs or POS plans). An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and pays for your medical expenses totally, in part, or up to a specified amount. Managed care plans generally provide broader coverage within a specified network of health-care providers.Although you can purchase cheap health insurance plans that cover specific areas of health care (surgical, hospital, physician expense plans) most plans cover varying degrees of health care in a number of different areas. This health insurance coverage, known as major medical insurance, offers extremely broad coverage with a very high maximum benefit that�s designed to protect you against losses from catastrophic illness or injury.When comparing cheap medical insurance plans, check to see if they provide additional benefits that you may need, including prescription drugs, preventive care, mental health benefits, maternity care, and vision care. A comparison of various health insurance policies and rates through many South Carolina health insurance companies can be obtained at www.insurances.sc.Cheap Health Insurance Recipient CostsWith most cheap health insurance policies available in South Carolina, the way to control cost is to cut down on the out-of-pocket expenses. Since most health care insurance policies require you to make a co-payment (the amount you pay a health care provider with every visit), anything involving a lot of time spent in the doctor or dentist�s office can become expensive. Most also require a deductible (costs you must cover out of your pocket for any major expense before your cheap health insurance policy picks up the remaining costs). You may also have coinsurance, the percentage of cheap medical insurance cost you will still have to pay after you reach your deductibles.Another thing to consider is COBRA health insurance. This law allows employees who leave a job the ability to stay on that South Carolina company�s employee health insurance for up to 18 months although they have to pay the full amount of the coverage. Check the COBRA benefits to see if purchasing a less expensive individual health insurance plan may be in your best interest.How to Buy Cheap Health InsuranceIf you need to purchase individual health insurance, it can be expensive. Unlike group plans, in which the costs and risks associated with health care are spread among many people; individual health policies are �medically underwritten� to take into account your personal health history. Any �pre-existing� condition such as heart disease, diabetes, and even pregnancy, can nix your chances of acceptance or boost your premiums.To determine the acceptability of a particular applicant, a health insurance underwriter can require information regarding the following:The individual�s age: Age determines rates and whether coverage will be issued at all.The individual�s gender: at younger ages, males have a lower rate of illness and injury than females. That changes by age sixty.The individual�s health history and physical condition: Someone who has had a previous condition that can contribute to a future illness/injury is not considered an ideal risk. In response to a less than ideal medical history, modified coverage may be offered depending on the individual�s health, higher than normal premiums may be issued, or the person may be denied coverage altogether.The individual�s occupation and hobbies: Some occupations such as construction workers have higher insurance rates, along with people who enjoy dangerous activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping. At times certain occupations are considered so hazardous that insurance companies will not cover them at all.Your first step in getting cheap health insurance coverage is to understand exactly what you need. Think carefully about what coverage you must have. Do you need health insurance for your whole family, or just yourself? Do you want to choose your providers? If you�re over 65, do you need insurance to fill the gaps in Medicare? Do you need br
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No Health Insurance Plans, No College? More Universities Mandate Coverage

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:08:28 +0000

Author: Yamileth Medinabr
Source: articlesbase.combr
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Recently, more public universities have chosen to enact a mandate on their students. It is not a requirement that students keep their grade point averages above a certain level, or a code of honor that forbids cheating. Rather, they are forcing all of their attendees to have health insurance plans! Health insurance and studying dont normally seem like related topics. However, many university officials have pointed to scientific studies, which show that students in good health are better able to concentrate on their courses. As a result, they earn higher grades than those in bad health. While having health coverage doesnt necessarily improve a persons health in and of itself, it allows one to use affordable preventative care services that catch illnesses before they worsen. If a students condition is not cared for properly, it can become serious enough to make them withdraw out of school altogether. The majority of college students are covered through the health insurance plans of their parents. These plans are usually employer-sponsored, and the recession has seen an increasing number of people laid off from their jobs. COBRA family health insurance plans can cost over $1,000 in premiums each month, so many families are forced to drop their insurance. College-age children lose their insurance, as well, when that is the case. A parents coverage of a university student as a dependent also expires when a full-time student reaches their 24th or 25th birthday; this affects many individuals who have chosen to return to school or switched majors. Students who receive health insurance through jobs of their own are also susceptible to either layoffs or cutbacks in hours that make them ineligible for employer-sponsored plans. Despite most students already having health insurance, slightly over a quarter of college students are estimated to be uninsured. There are several reasons for this; many young adults believe they are invincible and in generally good health, so they believe health insurance is unnecessary. Also, the cost of student health insurance is daunting–even to those who recognize the need for insurance. Most colleges offer voluntary student health insurance plans, but relatively few individuals partake in them. In general, a large portion of this demographic doesnt realize how important health insurance plans are until they are in a serious accident or diagnosed with a major illness. This is part of the reason health insurance mandates have been enacted in over a third of public four-year colleges, with 22 other state systems looking towards doing so. There are several advantages to college students having health insurance. Most importantly, it will increase the physical and mental safety of students on campus. In addition, health insurance plans assist with significant medical expenses that would otherwise come out of the students own pocket. Since most college students are not flush with cash, many will either skip essential treatments or be saddled with thousands of dollars in medical debt for years. Medical debt is the #1 cause of bankruptcy, and having student loans on top of that doesnt help. Quality health care allows students to finish a degree in a reasonable period of time, without as many health-related distractions; this helps save money on tuition. Other universities are also concerned with the burden uninsured students put on local hospitals surrounding the campus. On the other hand, there are significant drawbacks to mandating health insurance plans among students. The most prominent concern is that health insurance will force students to pay yet another fee, which many can ill afford as tuition rates continue to rise. Higher education will be further out of reach for some college students. Although health insurance plans have long been mandatory in many private universities, most public universities tend to have a less affluent student body that will feel the brunt of such mandates. To counteract this problem, state universities are pointing to the fact that they will be able to use the sheer volume of enrolled students to buy lower-priced health insurance plans from one company. For example, the University of North Carolina claims that they are able to provide health insurance that used to cost over $1,100 in premiums per year (at least 15% of annual tuition in some states) for just $650. Massachusetts, known to be a leader in healthcare reform among states, has required all students–with either full- or part-time status–to have health insurance plans since 1989. In most cases, the mandates have come from the universities themselves. Several prominent university systems, including those in California, Montana, and Minnesota, also have the mandate. Other states, like Florida, are using a pilot program in one state university to test the concept. California is set to expand the health insurance mandate to graduate students next year. Most current mandates apply solely to undergraduates, and some only apply to incoming freshmen and transfer students; however, graduate study often entails long work weeks of research and teaching lower-level courses, leaving no time to take a full-time position. In exchange, graduate students receive a small stipend but no health benefits, which leaves them in situations similar to uninsured undergraduates. (Image: anne.oeldorfhirsch under CC 2.0)br
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pYamileth Medina is an up and coming expert on a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.vitalonehealth.comHealth Insurance/a and a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.healthinsurancesearch.com/healthcare-reform/Healthcare Reform/a. She aims to help people realize that they can find quality a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.vitalonehealth.comhealth insurance plans/a right now while waiting for a public option, if it ever gets passed. Yamileth lives in Miami, FL.
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Overpriced Health Insurance Plans For Students

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:05:57 +0000

Author: Yamileth Medinabr
Source: articlesbase.combr
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When talk of healthcare reform has turned to young adults, it has normally served to use them as a political football. Either they are the young invincibles who must be forced by strict mandates penalties to buy a health insurance plan, or they are the martyrs paying higher premiums to support older people while the budget deficit is passed onto their generation. Despite those stereotypes, many college students have recognized the necessity of having health insurance. Many of them are covered under their parents health insurance policies; the House of Representatives bill allows young adults to stay on those plans until they turn 27, effective immediately. Unfortunately, not all members of this age group are so lucky. In Massachusetts, where having health insurance is mandatory, a recent investigation discovered that students are paying more for lower-quality care. Many young people decide to buy high-deductible health insurance plans, which are often ideal for healthier individuals at low risk. In turn, they pay lower premiums. Although a lot of people are knowledgeable about the trade-off inherent in such plans, quite a few of the options marketed towards college students fail to meet the minimum coverage standards required of all other policies by the states healthcare reform. For example, outpatient benefits such as doctor visits and prescription drugs are severely limited compared to similar plans promoted to the general public. In addition, the majority of these plans cap hospital reimbursements at $50,000 per year. Hospitalization can be very expensive, and treatments for serious illnesses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. If a student is diagnosed with cancer or gets in a horrible car accident, they may receive another shock after they receive their bills. Isnt the purpose of health insurance to protect from unpredictable illnesses and accidents? The health insurance plans promoted to college students dont make up for a lack of quality with low price. Granted, they are inexpensive compared to the full cost individual health insurance students are allowed to buy on the open market. However, the demographic as a whole doesnt earn high incomes, which leaves regular insurance policies that cover standard care out of reach. Meanwhile, the public option subsidized by the state for similarly low-income individuals is not open to them. Students whose parents cant or wont keep them on their health insurance plan have relatively few other options. Those who are working are normally employed in part-time jobs, which are extremely unlikely to offer affordable health insurance. Even the small percentage of married college students are out of luck in acquiring insurance through their spouse, since their significant other is probably within the same age group and in a similar predicament. Private health insurers have been accused of earning massive profits and passing those costs onto the consumer. Health insurance plans marketed towards students have largely escaped this scrutiny, but their profit margins turn out to be far more shocking. On average, such plans have been found to waste a far greater percentage of premiums on administrative costs and profits than the average health insurance plan in Massachusetts. Attendees of state universities, who often attend due to affordability, are gouged even further–the plans promoted by their colleges spend up to 45% on costs unrelated to medical care! Several organizations are lobbying to change the system and make buying health insurance plans more fair for students. Adding the potential of medical debt on top of increasing amounts of student loans. Regulators plan to help colleges and universities purchase group insurance more effectively. Some insurers may plan on students selecting any plan from the first company table they see on campus in order to comply with the mandate, and the general public not taking notice. With the House of Representatives passing healthcare reform on a national level, though, this may change. There will probably be more pressure on insurers as more students are affected by similar, inferior plans. (Image: Wigstruck under CC 2.0)br
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pYamileth Medina is an up and coming expert on a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.vitalonehealth.comHealth Insurance/a and a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.healthinsurancesearch.com/healthcare-reform/Healthcare Reform/a. She aims to help people realize that they can get a a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.vitalonehealth.comhealth insurance plan/a right now while waiting for a public option, if it ever gets passed. Yamileth lives in Miami, FL./pbr
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What Does A Fee For Service Health Insurance Plan Entail?

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:02:32 +0000

Author: Rick Lewisbr
Source: articlesbase.combr
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Fee-For-Service Health Plans Offer A Lot Of Freedom For PolicyholdersThere are many types of health insurance plans available, and one popular type is known as a fee-for-service health insurance plan. With this type of plan your insurance company will cover part of the fees that you are charged when you receive medical care. This type of policy is also referred to as a indemnity plan. A fee-for-service plan is superior to many types of health insurance policies because you get a lot of freedom when choosing health care providers and facilities. With most plans you are able to choose any doctor or hospital you want anywhere in the country.Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Company is one of the best-known companies that provide the fee-for-service plan. However, many other insurance carriers also provide this type of plan. It is common for this type of plan to be offered through employers or through trade associations in order for the policyholders to get group rates. Although group rates are many times available, this type of insurance policy is usually one of the most expensive types of health insurance.Most Fee-For-Service Plans Have Some Basic SimilaritiesDifferent health insurance companies set up their fee-for-service health plans differently, but most have the same basic layout. Each month the insured individual pays what is called a premium. Belonging to a group insurance plan through an employer, for example, can lower the policy�s monthly premium significantly. When you receive health care, before the insurance company pays out any money the policyholder covers a deductible.A typical insurance deductible can be between $250 and $500 and has to be met once each year. Once the yearly deductible is met, the policyholder and the insurer will share the expense of the health care. For example, the insured individual may have to pay 15 percent of the incurred medical fees, this is known as the coinsurance, and the health insurance company is responsible for the remaining 85 percent. Also, most fee-for-service health insurance plans have a cap on them. The cap is the maximum amount of money that the policyholder will have to pay out of pocket each year before the insurance company covers 100 percent of medical expenses.Fee-for-service medical plans are among the best type of medical coverage available, however many times with these plans you will need to keep good records of your medical bills, and you may be required to send forms into your insurance company before they pay out any money.br
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