Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Compare Auto Insurance Prices - 5 Simple Tactics

It is very important to compare auto insurance quotes provided online. The comparison is necessary to make sure that you are getting the lowest auto insurance quote. It is very easy to compare auto insurance quote, if you are doing an online search. Most of sites give you an opportunity to get three auto insurance quotes side-by-side for comparison.

No limitation is given for quotes; you can get as many quotes as you wish to compare one with another. Here are some simple tactics to compare auto insurance quotes.

1. First of all you have to fill an online form, to request free quote for the coverage you desire to include in your policy. Always compare auto insurance quotes for the same coverage.

2. Always remember that price is not the only criteria to approve any auto insurance. Try to know how long the company is working in the field of auto insurance. At the time of comparison, you will find that emerging companies offer lower quotes. This will be a great idea to ask auto insurance quotes from newer companies, but be aware while buying insurance from them.

3. If you have two accidents and/or 3 traffic rules violations in your account then it will be difficult for you to find cheap auto insurance quote. In such a condition you have to do an extensive comparison to find a good quote that suits your budget.

4. It will be better to make up your credit history before requesting for an auto insurance quote, as it will give adverse effect to insurance company. Company may offer you higher quotes. Thus it is not a recommended step for people with bad credit history.

5. It is better for you to start requesting auto insurance quotes in advance. If your insurance policy is nearing the expiry date you might face problem to get a cheaper quote. Start from current company, they might offer lowest quotes.

About the Author:
Oliver Turner
Check our site to compare auto insurance prices. We offer all about auto insurance quotes on http://www.auto-insurance-comparison.info
Article Source: Ezine Articles
Article Submitted On: August 07, 2006

Thursday, August 24, 2006

How To Choose A Health Insurance Plan

Are you thinking about buying health insurance? With so many different alternatives, it is difficult to know which to choose.

When choosing a health insurance plan, never base your decision solely on the monthly premium. There are many other cost factors -- deductibles, co-payments, and the like -- that will determine the true price tag of your insurance. You'll need to read the fine print of the health insurance plan, including what it does and does not cover, the in-network versus out-of-network coverage and costs, claims processing procedures, and the coverage limits.

Know Your Health Care Needs

The first step is to review the scope of your needs: coverage just for yourself, for a large family, or something in between?

Next assess the health needs for all you intend to include in your health insurance plan. Are there any pre-existing conditions to consider? Does someone need to have access to certain medical specialists or medical institutions?

Research and Compare Your Options

The answers to the above questions will give you a good starting point in your search for the right health insurance plan.

Next, you need to explore your options. If you're getting group insurance through your employer, your options will be limited to what the company offers. Otherwise, you'll need to more research and comparison shopping. At a minimum, you have to understand the difference between the 2 basic types of health insurance plans offered today: the Indemnity Plan, and the Managed Care Plan with its variants.

Indemnity Plans and Managed Care

An Indemnity Plan offers the freedom to choose when and where you will seek medical assistance. Along with this freedom usually comes higher out-of-pocket costs. For many this is a fair trade-off.

Managed Care Plans are more restrictive, and require you to utilize the medical professionals and institutions that are part of the plan's "network." Participants often need pre-approval for medical services that are beyond basic preventive care. The costs for this type of plan are usually lower than Indemnity Plans. For those who are basically healthy, don't mind who provides their medical services, and who need to control medical costs, Managed Care Plans are usually the better choice.

This is a very basic comparison of the types of health insurance plans available. It is a first step in your own data gathering and analysis process.

Select The Right Company

Once you've done your homework and know what you want, you need to choose the right health insurance company. Many companies offer health insurance, from well-known corporate giants to small independent outlets. As with any major purchase, you'll want to research these companies before making a final decision.

Also, find out which state or federal agency regulates the type of health insurance you're considering, in case you have questions or experience problems.

Each type of health care plan has advantages and disadvantages. It is in your best interest to research thoroughly, so that the health plan you choose will be the right one for you and your family. For today and for years to come.


About the author:
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer.

Visit http://www.healthinsuring.com to learn more about this subject.
Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted only if the resource box is left intact.
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Monday, August 21, 2006

How Much Life Insurance Is Enuogh?

Before you can start requesting quotes for life insurance online you first have to determine how much insurance it will take to cover your needs. Everyone’s life insurance needs are different depending on their own unique personal situation. A young couple with several children will have drastically different needs than a middle aged man with no dependents.

One of the simplest methods for figuring your life insurance needs is to simply multiply your current annual earnings by the number of years you expect to work before you retire. For example if you are currently 35 years old and plan on retiring when you are 65 then you have 30 years left that you are expecting to be working. If you currently gross $50,000 a year then you would expect to make $1,500,000 or 1.5 million over your working life time. To directly replace that means that you will need a life insurance policy worth 1.5 million. Now this may seem like an extremely high level of insurance but as you will see there are some factors that can increase the amount needed as well as factors that will reduce the amount needed.

The number we came up with using the above calculation is simply a starting point, now we will discuss some factors that can actually increase the amount you should purchase. The first thing to consider are the costs involved with death, the most obvious one is the cost of an actual funeral. The cost of an average funeral today runs between $6,000 and $10,000, this is an added expense that you should figure in when determining how much insurance to purchase. The other possible death expenses you need to consider are medical bills, legal costs, and any applicable taxes.

The other thing to keep in mind are the other benefits of your job that will be lost when you pass. Probably the largest and most important one to consider is health insurance. If you health insurance is currently provided by your employer then you need to figure what it will cost your family to purchase health insurance somewhere else and add that to the amount of life insurance that you purchase. For example if you determine that a non-employer subsdized health insurance will cost your family $300 a month then you will need to add $108,000 ($300 X 12 months X 30 years) to the amount you need.

Now for some good news, we will discuss the factors that will reduce the amount of insurance you need to purchase. In most cases people will subtract the amount of money they have in any current savings plan from the amount of insurance they need to purchase. Probably the most significant factor is social security death benefits. If you have dependents and have paid enough into social security then they will be eligible to receive monthly payments. The amount of benefits that your dependents can receive is based on many factors to find out exactly what your family could receive you will need to contact the social security office. For our example we will use a total monthly benefit of $2000 for the family. In this case you take $2,000 X 12 months X 30 years for a total pay out of $720,000. Now if you take our original 1.5 million and add the $108,000 for health insurance and then subtract the social security benefit of $720,000 you end up with: $888,000. This has dropped the amount you need to purchase by nearly 50%.

This is just one method of figuring your life insurance needs, everyone will have different needs for life insurance.

About the Author:
Steve Welker
Get your free Term Life Insurance Quote at http://www.term-life-4u.com.
Article source: Ezinearticles.com

Friday, August 18, 2006

Health Insurance and health care

Health insurance is something that everyone needs today. The rising cost of visiting a health care provider or a hospital stay makes it imperative that everyone have some type of health care coverage. Government statistics estimate that over 40 million people in America are not covered by any type of health insurance on any given day. That's an enormous number of people who really are taking a financial risk.

Even if you're on a tight, limited budget, it's very important that you pick up some kind of affordable health insurance. Even if you only have a plan that covers unexpected hospitalization, your peace of mind will be greatly enhanced. Keep in mind that a catastrophic health insurance policy can come with a high deductible before their coverage kicks in. They don't pick up the cost of preventive physician visits or emergency room visits to get a few stitches.

Some questions to ask when considering affordable health insurance.

1) Can your and/or your family afford to pay ALL your medical expenses if you're sick or injured?

2) How much is the deductible?

3) How much are the premiums?

With a little searching and comparison shopping you find the best rate for your personal affordable health insurance.

About the author:
Mike Yeager
Author/Publisher
http://www.a1-healthinsurance-4u.com/

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Bariatric Surgery Costs

The cost of Bariatric surgery can be quite high. The typical price of an operation can be $25,000 or more. Medical insurance coverage varies by state and insurance provider, and although some states have legislation in place that requires insurers to offer weight loss surgery for patients, providing it meets health criteria laid down by the National Institutes of Health, other states do not. This means that patients who would benefit from bariatric surgery often have to contend with providers that have not yet accepted that this kind of weight loss surgery can deliver powerful medical benefits that will save them money in the long run. A patient encountering this problem may have to work with his or her surgeon to prove to the health insurance provider that the proposed surgery is not a cosmetic procedure, but a potentially life-saving operation that will minimize future health problems.

Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery and are on Medicare will be glad to know that it covers weight loss surgery for morbidly obese patients with an obesity-related or condition. Morbid obesity is defined as 100 or more pounds overweight or a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more.

Of course, the costs do not end once a patient successfully undergoes bariatric surgery. Because weight loss can be significant, many individuals are left with loose, sagging skin that no longer has the elasticity to fit the new, slimmer shape. Since neither exercise nor diet will help tighten loose skin, many bariatric patients choose plastic surgery as a remedy. The cost of bariatric-related plastic surgery operations can vary significantly, depending on the patient’s condition, complications, the type of anesthesia, and other factors.


Some of the more popular post-bariatric surgery procedures include: abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), body lift (circumferential panniculectomy), brachioplasty (arm lift), breast lift, augmentation, or reduction, face and/or neck lift, and thigh lift.

About the author:
by: Eddie Tobey
Bariatric Surgery Info provides detailed information on bariatric surgery, including cost, patients, centers, diet, financing, and complications, as well as specific procedures like laparoscopic and bypass surgery. Bariatric Surgery Info is the sister site of Gastric Bypass Surgery Web.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Alert: New HIPAA Rules Could Affect Your Organization's Email System

On April 21, 2005, a new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security rule went into effect. The requirements of this rule, which are basically information security best practices, focus on the three cornerstones of a solid information security infrastructure: confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

The HIPAA regulatory requirements encompass transmission, storage and discoverability of Protected Health Information (PHI). Given the widespread use and mission-critical nature of email, enforcement of HIPAA encryption policies and the growing demand for secure email solutions, email security has never been more important to the healthcare industry than it is right now.

Although many assume it applies only to health care providers, HIPAA affects nearly all companies that regularly transmit or store employee health insurance information. HIPAA was signed into law in 1996 by former President Bill Clinton, with the intent of protecting employee health and insurance information when workers changed or lost their jobs. As Internet use became more widespread in the mid-to-late 1990s, HIPAA requirements overlapped with the digital revolution and offered direction to organizations needing to exchange healthcare information.

HIPAA in the Workplace
Collaboration between employers and healthcare professionals has grown increasingly digital, and email has played an ever-increasing role in this communication. However, email’s increased importance can lead to severe consequences without proper security and privacy measures implemented.

In addition to the usual concerns about privacy and security of email correspondence, even organizations that are not in the healthcare industry must now consider the regulatory compliance requirements associated with HIPAA. The Administrative Simplification section of HIPAA, which, among other things, mandates privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI), has sparked concern about how email containing PHI should be treated in the corporate setting. HIPAA, as it relates to email security, is an enforcement of otherwise well-known best practices that include:

* Ensuring that email messages containing PHI are kept secure when transmitted over an unprotected link
* Ensuring that email systems and users are properly authenticated so that PHI does not get into the wrong hands
* Protecting email servers and message stores where PHI may exist

Organizations regulated by HIPAA must comply and put these practices in place. However, the need to comply with regulations puts particular pressure on the healthcare industry to enhance their use of technology and “catch up” with other industries of similar size and scope.

Privacy and Email Security
The privacy protection provisions in HIPAA pose a major compliance challenge for the healthcare industry. These provisions are intended to protect patients from disclosure of any of their individually identifiable health information. Organizations that fail to protect this information face fines ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 for each instance of unauthorized disclosure. If the disclosure is found to be intentional, HIPAA provides for fines ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 and possible jail time for individuals involved in the violations.

The clock is ticking – it’s time to get started
Bringing an enterprise into compliance with the rules set by HIPAA can seem like a very daunting task to even the most experienced executives. Nonetheless, the growing dependence on email as a mission-critical application requires that your organization implement comprehensive security and privacy policies – and soon. A solid combination of security policies and the technologies to enforce those policies can ensure improved security as well as HIPAA readiness and ongoing adherence.

About the author:
By: Matt Coers

Dr. Paul Judge is a noted scholar and entrepreneur. He is Chief Technology Officer at CipherTrust, the industry's largest provider of enterprise email security solutions. Learn how to make your email system comply with HIPAA regulations by visiting www.ciphertrust.com

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Understanding Health Insurance Coverage: A Primer

Health Insurance Coverage: What are ‘Covered’ Services?
Health insurance coverage is a contract used to determine medical benefits that are covered, or not covered, between you and your insurance provider. The insurance company, based on a fee that you provide them on a regular basis, promises to pay health insurance coverage on certain items or benefits listed in that contract. These are called ‘covered’ services. ‘Covered’ services can include a wide variety of things, such as implements, prescriptions, services (such as massage), checkups, tests and/or research.

Your contract should also list all of the things NOT covered in your health insurance coverage – these are items or services that you will need to pay for out of your own pocket, should you require them.

Health Insurance Coverage: What is a Medical Necessity? How is this Different from Covered Services?
Just as it seems, a medical necessity is something that your health professional has deemed a required service/ item that will affect your health negatively should you decide not to purchase it. However, just because your doctor tells you something is a medical necessity does not mean your health insurance actually offers coverage for it.

Since insurance companies decide what health coverage they will and will not provide, you really have no leeway in this area.

Health Insurance Coverage: What Do I Do?
Most doctors try and keep themselves abreast as to what the major insurance companies do, and do not cover when it comes to health coverage. However, there are a LOT of plans out there, so this just isn’t enough. So how can you avoid any nasty surprises during an emergency?

Read your health insurance coverage. You’re better off knowing what your health insurance company will, and will not provide coverage for right off the bat. Then, if your doctor decides on a treatment plan that isn’t covered, you can ask for alternatives that may be.
If there are questions regarding your health insurance coverage, do not hesitate to contact the insurance company. Questions are good, and they expect them.

Health Insurance Coverage: What Do I Do if Something I Need Isn’t Covered?
The gross majority of what your doctor orders for you will be covered in your health insurance plan. If you do get a treatment or supply that isn’t covered, you can always challenge the health insurance coverage. You may not be the only one who requires the same type of service, benefit or item – so you’ll end up fighting not just for yourself, but for others in the same situation.

Ask your doctor for their side, and use this in your claim. It may not help in the end, but if your doctor is on your side, you may be able to convince the health insurance company that coverage is required.

About the author:
Peter Lenkefi

For more more information about health insurance coverage please visit http://www.1health-center.com/articles/Health-Insurance-Coverage.php

Friday, August 04, 2006

What Factors Determine Term Life Insurance Rates

Term life insurance policies provide a limited coverage period, which is determined by the policy owner. Term life insurance rates are actually the cheapest form of life insurance, but there are different rates for different people. This is because once the term of the policy is up you don’t receive any payout from the policy. If you take out life insurance at a young age, you will get much better term life insurance rates than if you wait until you are older.

The total cost of your term life insurance rates can be tricky. Some term life insurance policies appear to cost more, but may, in fact, be cheaper when you look at the total cost of the term life insurance policy. For example, annual renewable policies increase your premiums every year and thus may appear to be more expensive than level term policies where the premiums never increase (although the initial premiums for a level term policy will be higher). But, in fact, level premium policies may involve higher costs over the policy's full term, and become particularly expensive when you try to renew your policy at the end of the term. This is why you do have to compare term life insurance quotes.

Some of the factors that influence your term life insurance rates are:

· Whether or not you smoke. Tobacco users are twice as likely to die as non tobacco users while they are insured. Life insurance companies take this into account when they set their premium and cash benefits levels. You can save from 20% to 30% on premiums by quitting smoking.

· Medical Record. If you have a terminal illness, it is unlikely that any life insurance company will issue a policy. In the case of heart disease, you will get a policy but your rates will be high

· Occupation. if you work in a dangerous occupation, such as working on a ship that carries gas, this will put you into a higher bracket when it comes to getting rates for term insurance. You will have to shop around to compare term life insurance quotes if you are in this category.

Term life insurance rates vary a lot, and you can do something about your premiums by taking some decisions to become more healthy, like giving up smoking.

About the author:
Peter Crump
For a website totally devoted to Life Insurance visit Peter's Website Life Insurance Answers at http://www.life-insurance-answers.com/ and find out about Life Insurance as well as Cheap Life Insurance at http://www.life-insurance-answers.com/cheap-life-insurance.html and more, including Online Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance and Life Insurance Agents.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Why Is Small Business Health Insurance Worth It?

If you’re looking for a guide to how to get health insurance and what kind of health insurance is best for your small business, then this is the article for you. Your business qualifies for small business health insurance if you have anywhere between two and fifty employees in it. If you are self employed then you’ll want to look into getting self employed health insurance.

There are many benefits to getting small business health insurance. A small business health insurance plan will help spread the financial risk around to everyone and not just yourself. As this is the case, this generally will bring lower premiums and more extensive coverage. Along with this, the health insurance provides medical care for you and all other employees as well.

With a small business health insurance people often get group insurance. This too has its advantages on several different aspects. All contributions from the employers are 100% tax deductible, and you’ll save on payroll taxes as well. Small businesses will be eligible for group insurance just as long as you have two or more full time employees working.

When setting up a group insurance plan for your small business, all members will be set up with a coverage plan with rates calculated using the group and individuals. After that it is up to the separate employees themselves if they wish to add riders and additional coverage to satisfy their needs. Keep in mind that not all employees in the small business have to join the group plan. Just as long as there is no fewer then two employees in the business that have the group insurance plan, then you will be fine.

The cost of the group insurance plan varies based on several different characteristics. Some of these include age, health status, business and/or residential location and so on. Like everything in this world it’s not going to be cheap, but it will be cheaper then having a bunch of separate health insurance plans.

Most health plans are going to require employees to pay at least half of the premium cost for covered employees. Some employees will offer to pay 100% of the cost, white now there is a new health plan giving employees the option to pay as little as 25% of the cost. Just know that typically most types of coverage will cost employees a minimum of $1,600-$2,500 per year per employee. By clicking on the link below you can begin getting quotes for your small business health insurance.


visite here

Just remember that many times medical services are needed unexpectedly. If you or other employees do not have health insurance this could be a devastating blow to the wallet. The cost of a hospital visit, depending on the circumstance, will many times be much higher then the cost of health insurance. You want to be able to live life knowing that you’re insured just in case the unexpected happens. Nothing hurts to at least look at some quotes and talk it over with other employees, but you have the power to make the ecision.

About the author:
Jeff Schuman
Small business grants and small business resources to help you start and run your own small business. Small business training, information, articles, loans, and more.

http://www.sites-plus.com