Quality Information on Cheap Insurance Quotes

By Susan Castrianni

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%25 off generic drugs and up to 15%25 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.

Susan Castrianni is founder of http://www.RxFreeCard.com. Get
your FREE Discount Card, then get big discounts for you and
your pets at pharmacies everywhere! This is NOT insurance, but a welcome
alternative to high premiums. Reach Susan at sue@rxfreecard.com.

By Brian Stevens

Do you need immediate medical insurance coverage because you're between jobs, waiting for company insurance, or a college grad? Here's how to get an affordable short term health insurance plan quickly and easily.

What is a short term health insurance plan?

Short term health insurance plans provide temporary health insurance for a period of one to six months. Premiums are relatively cheap and in most cases you don't need to submit to a medical exam unless you're over 55 and haven't had a medical exam in the last 10 years.

Most insurance companies let you extend your plan if you didn't file a claim and your health is the same as it was during the initial insurance period.

What does a short term health insurance plan cover?

Short term health insurance plans are major medical plans that cover you if you're injured or become ill. Coverage includes emergency care, prescription drugs, hospital care, X-ray fees, and lab costs.

These plans do not cover preventive care, routine medical exams, or pre-existing medical conditions, and do not provide optical or dental coverage.

Where can I get an affordable short term health insurance plan?

Short term health insurance plans are relatively cheap, but you should still compare quotes to get the best rate.

In order to get the cheapest rate you need to compare quotes from a number of companies. The easiest way to do that is to go to an insurance comparison website where you fill out a single questionnaire, enter the type of coverage
and the deductible you want, then compare rates.

The better sites even have a chat feature where you can talk with an insurance expert online and get answers to your insurance questions. (See link below.)

To save money on these plans you can raise your deductible (the amount you pay on a claim before the insurance company pays), and choose a 50/50 copayment (you pay half the claim and your insurer pays half ), instead of the typical 80/20 copay.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/health-insurance.html or click on the following link to get affordable short term health insurance plan quotes from top-rated companies in your area and see how much you can save. You can get more health insurance tips by checking out their "Articles" section.

The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and financial consultant who has written extensively on affordable short term health insurance plans.

By Tony Robinson

Like many other people have done before me, I recently left my regular job to start my own business. This is a challenging step for someone who values comfort and security, who likes knowing that a paycheck will come every two weeks regardless of his employer's own business success. Perhaps the biggest problem in becoming self-employed is the loss of non-monetary benefits an employer often provides; namely, medical coverage. It was very challenging to find affordable health insurance after becoming self-employed.

Many companies offer low-cost policies, so it should be easy enough to find some minimal coverage if that is all you desire. However, I wanted more; I wanted coverage for everything from routine checkups to prescription medications to major surgeries. This can be more difficult to come by.

I learned a lot from my search that might be useful to others. First, I learned to look paste the initial price quote. While it is very tempting for the self-employed to base all decisions on money alone, medical coverage is a very complex thing, and the value of an insurance plan can change drastically from provider to provider. Learn to compare policies according to what you actually get out of them and you will find a much greater value overall. Second, I learned that companies offering low monthly premiums often require you to pay huge deductibles in the event of a hospital visit. One can always simply hope that a hospital visit will not become necessary, but that just adds another worry to the self-employed person's mind. Finally, I learned that finding affordable health insurance means reading the policy in detail. It is important to know exactly what is and isn't covered so that hidden charges don't pop up later on. Many policies look good in the broad view but can be costly and ineffective in practice.

Self-employed people are always struggling to find affordable health insurance. However, I believe that any small business owner owes it to him or herself and his or her family to carry medical coverage at all times. Affordable health insurance is not a myth; all it requires is your investment of a little time and energy in comparing policies and finding the one that is truly right for you.

MR ANTHONY D ROBINSON owns and operates http://www.ifitnesssite.com Fitness And Weight Loss

By ElmerFizz

Affordable health insurance - it seems, especially today, those
words just don't belong together in the same sentence. Health
insurance monthly premiums have become the biggest single expense
in our lives - surpassing even mortgage payments. In fact, if
you have any permanent health problems, such as diabetes, or have
had cancer at one time in your family history, your monthly cost
could easily be more than the house and car payment combined.
Shopping for affordable health insurance can certainly be an
eye-opener. If you have always had a health insurance benefit
where you work - especially a state or federal employee - and now
have to buy your own, you may not be able to afford the level of
health insurance coverage you have become used to.
Affordable health insurance, however, is definitely available -if
you know how and where to look.
When you are looking for affordable health insurance, you want
the lowest cost per year that will fit your budget, of course.
But, even more importantly, you want a company that has a good
record for paying without fighting with you on every detail.
Just as there is a car for just about any budget, there is also
affordable health insurance. You may not be able to afford a
"Cadillac" policy - but then you probably don't need all the
frills anyway.
Shopping for health insurance on the internet is the easiest and
best way to find affordable health insurance. Here are five
reasons why.
1. You don't need a local agent to help you submit the claims for
health insurance. The medical provider does it for you. You
save money because the health insurance company saves money by
not paying the agent commission. This could amount to an 8%25 to
12%25 savings to you.
2. All the top health insurance companies are at your fingertips
on the internet. Most local agents can only quote you from the
few companies that they represent. They may not offer you what
is best for you financially or health-wise but only what they
happen to have available.
3. Health insurance companies have to be extremely competitive
because it is so quick and easy to compare them with their
competitors on the internet today. In the past you would have had
to visit physically eight to ten agents to do a similar
comparison. Most folks just didn't have the time or desire for
that.
4. You can change your coverage, deductibles, and payment options
with just a few clicks rather than going through the paperwork
delay with a local agent (and then finding out he/she made a
mistake - more delay).
5. Charging to a credit card means you aren't going to forget a
payment and be without insurance. Also, it gives you another 30
days before you actually have to pay. Also, many companies today
give an additional discount for "auto-pay".
The key, however, to finding affordable health insurance is
realizing that the purpose of any health insurance is to protect
you from a major financial loss - not to protect you from
spending small money on clinic visits and sliver removal. These
small expenses may be cumbersome but they generally will not hurt
you. It's the $100,000 heart operation that will break you.
That's the financial disaster health insurance was originally
designed to prevent.
Also, keep this in mind. Health insurance, as with any
insurance, is a gamble. You are gambling that you will draw out
more than you pay in. Your health insurance company is gambling
they will pay out less. The odds are in their favor for two
reasons. They have all the facts for millions of families to
average out, so they know the risk in advance. Also, they get to
set the rules and the prices. The higher you set your
deductible, the more risk you take. This is not a bad thing at
all. You will most likely be the winner in the long run.
Yes, finding affordable health insurance is much easier than most
people think.
Taking more of the risk with higher deductibles, spending a
little time on the internet comparing eight to ten different
companies, and deleting coverage that you will not likely need
(such as maternity for many folks) will make it very possible to
find your own affordable health insurance.

For More Information on all kinds of Insurance please visit:
http://www.aInsuranceInfo.com
This article may be reprinted If all hyperlinks remain active.

By JM Bauer

When you receive your health insurance benefits through an employer, it will seem so easy to qualify for coverage and to choose the best policy for your situation. However, once you leave the protected confines of an employer plan (if you are laid off or become self-employed), you may be shocked to learn about the overwhelming restrictions now facing you. Many people find it extremely difficult to purchase reasonable healthcare coverage on their own. If this is your task, here are some tips to help you navigate the complicated and worrisome world of private health insurance.

1. Start early. When you know you'll be needing new health coverage in the near future, begin your research at least 60 to 90 days before the new coverage is to begin. As you start researching and applying for potential plans, you may get the nasty surprise of being turned down for coverage. Unlike an employer-sponsored plan, in the world of private health insurance, an insurance company can simply refuse to cover you for any number of health situations. You don't want to learn about this just before your existing coverage is due to expire!

2. Cover children under other spouse's employee plan. Private insurance options are almost never as comprehensive or as affordable as the health benefits provided under an employer-sponsored plan. If either you or your spouse has access to health coverage through an employer, even when the parents are divorced, you should definitely research the terms of this coverage. Don't be afraid to cover family members under different plans in order to find the best health care coverage for each family member.

3. Consider routine vs. emergency coverage. As you begin comparing plans available to individuals and families, take a moment to consider your priorities for future healthcare. For example, does it make sense to have a $0 co-pay for office visits (saving you perhaps $50 per year), but with restricted hospital coverage for dealing with car accidents or the onset of a serious disease (possibly putting your life or savings at extreme risk)? It's not hard to see which benefits the insurance companies will play up in their sales materials!

4. Understand medical underwriting. Ahhh, here's the best kept secret in purchasing private health insurance. When a plan discusses the need for medical underwriting of the policy, they intend to screen your medical history (including covered family members) for any indications of problematic health conditions. Now, please be aware, they are not just screening for serious conditions. Rather, they are attempting to screen out all policy holders who might ever require significant health care. For example, if your weight is too high, you may be denied coverage! Obviously, if you or a family member has a serious issue such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, a disability, etc., then you can assume health insurance will either be denied or that coverage will be offered for all health care except for the specific health issue (known as a waiver of coverage for a specified condition).

5. Research state sponsored plans. Because of the numerous restrictions experienced by consumers in pursuing individual healthcare coverage, many state governments have stepped in to offer reasonable plans and health coverage for their citizens. These plans may cover children, low income families, the self-employed and small businesses, or the hard-to-insure (known as a risk pool). These plans are not strictly limited to low-income families as you might assume, so take the time to see what your state government has in place for people just like you.

6. Read the fine print. When you zero in on a health insurance plan you like, take the time to read the fine print. All insurance policies have restrictions and exclusions, and they will hold you to every comma in the policy. You'll want to understand what services are covered or excluded, if there are waiting periods, and what doctors, specialists or labs you'll be authorized to visit under the plan.

7. Never cancel prematurely. Health insurance coverage is closely regulated by Federal and state laws which have put various protections in place for consumers. These protections are often negated when you willingly cancel a policy in writing. For this reason, and due to the various complications noted throughout this article, you should always have your new confirmed coverage in place before canceling any existing policies.

Author: JM Bauer. Website: Texas
Health Insurance Guide.

By C. Steven Tucker

If you are a business owner, self-employed or an employee of a company that is not offering medical coverage though your employer, you may have to undertake the frustrating, daunting and time consuming task of purchasing health insurance on your own. If this is the case, there are certain things that you can do as a consumer to ensure that you are purchasing the type of health insurance coverage you really need at a price you can afford.

When you purchase a health insurance plan, you must achieve a balance between four important variables; wants, needs, risk and cost, before you spend your money. Although you may "want" a health plan that offers you 100%25 coverage and a $5 co-pay for prescription medications, you may not "need" this type of health plan if you are healthy, take no medications and do not have any significant health related "risk" factors. Since a 100%25 health plan may "cost" significantly more than a health plan with 80/20 coverage, it may not be in your best interest to pay higher monthly premiums for coverage that you are not likely to use.

In addition to weighing the aforementioned key variables, it is also critical that you understand the limitations of your coverage. The following is a list of 10 key questions that you should ask your insurance agent, before making a decision to purchase a health insurance policy.

1. What insurance company do you represent and are you a "captive" agent, "independent" agent or insurance "broker?" (e.g. A "captive" agent usually represents ONE insurance company and can usually only sell that company's insurance products. An "independent" agent or insurance "broker" usually represents many insurance carriers and can sell a variety of insurance products.)

2. What is the plan's calendar year deductible and would I have to pay a separate deductible for each family member if everyone in my family became ill at the same time? (e.g. The majority of health plans have a per person calendar year deductible, for example, $250, $500, $1,000, or $2,500. However, some plans will only require you to pay a 2 person maximum deductible each calendar year, even if everyone in your family needed extensive medical care.)

3. What is the plan's coinsurance percentage and what dollar amount (stop loss) it this percentage based on? (e.g. A plan with 80/20 coverage means you pay 20%25 of some dollar amount. This dollar amount is also known as a stop loss and can vary based on the type of policy you purchase. Stop losses can be as little as $5,000 or $10,000 or as much as $20,000. It is also important to note that some policies have NO stop loss.)

4. What is the plan's maximum out of pocket expenses per year? (e.g. This expense is a total of all deductibles plus all coinsurance percentages plus all applicable "access fees" or other fees.)

5. What is the plan's lifetime maximum benefit if I become seriously ill and does the plan have any "per illness" maximums or caps? (e.g. Some plans may have a $5 million lifetime maximum, but the policy many stipulate that there is a maximum benefit cap of $100,000 per illness. This means that you would have to develop many separate and unrelated life-threatening illnesses costing $100,000 or less to qualify for $5 million of lifetime coverage.)

6. Is the plan a schedule plan, in that it only pays a certain amount for a specific list of procedures? (e.g. Mega Life %26 Health %26 Midwest National Life, endorsed by the National Association of the Self-Employed, N.A.S.E. agents are known for selling schedule plans.)

7. Does the plan have unlimited doctor co-pays or is there a limited number of doctor co-pay visits per year? (e.g. Many plans have a limit of how many times you can go to the doctor per year for a co-pay and, quite often, the limit is 2-4 visits.)

8. Does the plan offer prescription drug coverage and if it does what type of coverage? (e.g. Some plans offer prescription benefits right away, other plans will require you to pay a separate drug deductible before you can receive prescription medication for a co-pay. Today, many plans offer no outpatient prescription drug co-pay options and only provide you with a discount prescription card that gives you a 10-20%25 discount on all prescription medications.)

9. Does the plan have any reduction in benefits for organ transplants and if so, what is the maximum the plan will pay out for an organ transplant? (e.g. Some plans only pay a $100,000 maximum benefit for organ transplants for a procedure that actually costs $350-$500K and this $100,000 maximum may also include reimbursement for expensive anti-rejection medications that must be taken after a transplant. If this is the case, you may be required to pay for anti-rejection medication out of pocket.)

10. Does the plan have any separate deductible or "access fee" for each hospital admission or for each emergency room visit? (e.g. Some plans, like the Assurant Health's "CoreMed" plan have a separate $750 hospital admission fee or "Access Fee" that you pay for the first 3 days of a hospital admission. "Access Fees" are in addition to your plan deductible. Also, many plans have benefit "caps" or "access fees" for out-patient services, such as, physical therapy, speech therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. Benefit "caps" could be as little as $500 for each out-patient treatment, leaving you a bill for the remaining balance. Access fees are additional fees that you pay per treatment. For example, for each outpatient chemotherapy treatment, you may be required to pay a $250 "access fee" per treatment. So for 40 chemotherapy treatments, you would have to pay 40 x $250 = $10,000.

Remember, your health insurance purchase is just as important as purchasing a house or a car, if not more important. So don't be afraid to ask your insurance agent a lot of questions to make sure that you understand what your health plan does and does not cover. And, most importantly, read all of the "fine print" in your health plan brochure and when you receive your policy, take the time to read through your policy during your 10-day free look period.

Lastly, if you have any concerns about an insurance company, contact your state's Department of Insurance BEFORE you buy your policy. Your state's Department of Insurance can tell you if the insurance company is registered in your state and can also tell you if there have been any complaints against that company that have been filed by policy holders. If you suspect that your agent is trying to sell you a fraudulent insurance policy, (e.g. you have to become a member of a union to qualify for coverage) or isn't being honest with you, your state's Department of Insurance can also check to see if your agent is licensed and whether or not there has ever been any disciplinary action previously taken against that agent.

By Shad Woodman

"Choosing the right health plan for you and your family"

Health insurance can be a confusing. So as a service to our customers we put together this handy little guide to help them decide what their needs really are. These are the types of questions that everyone should ask them selves when considering purchasing a health insurance plan. Money is hard to come and by taking a moment to seriously evaluate your needs, you may be surprised at how much money you can save when shopping for a health plan. There is no point in paying for coverage you will never use!
The following is a brief list of some guidelines and recommendations for choosing a health care plan. Please browse thru this article as it offers some important things to consider when choosing the right health care plan for you, your family, or your business.

1. What is your budget for a health care plan? How much do you think you can afford to spend each month to maintain your health care plan?

2: Type of plan you need: Ask yourself some hard questions: Do you need a major medical plan, a high deductible plan, a health discount plan, prescriptions, maternity coverage, routine care, or dental? .

3. How often do you go to the doctor? Some medical plans will cover routine doctors office visits with unlimited use but they are much more expensive than those that have some limits to doctors office visits. If you never go to the doctor, a plan that includes this type of unlimited benefit would be a waste of your money. Some health insurance policies will cover routine "Wellness Visits" at little or no cost to the policyholder.

4. Do you take any medications? Some health insurance plans include prescription drug coverage. If you don't take any medications, having a health insurance policy that covers prescriptions may be a waste of your money. If you do take medications, make sure that the plan you purchase has enough benefits to it to make it worth the added cost to have prescriptions included in the plan.

5. Do you travel much? If you travel a lot you may want to look for a plan that doesn't require you to stay within a network. The insurance benefit that a company pays out is always better if you can stay within that companies network. Some companies use nationwide networks while others may use more localized networks.

6. Are you self-employed? Self-employed people will likely have different needs than people who work for a large company. It is important to make sure your insurance policy will cover you while you are working. Not all of them will!

7. Do you plan on having children? Maternity coverage is very expensive to add to a policy. Nearly all health insurance companies require you to have a policy in force with them for at least nine months prior to becoming pregnant. If you become pregnant before the end of the waiting period, the insurance company will not cover the pregnancy or the delivery.

8. Are there any medical conditions that are considered "pre-existing"? Most health insurance will have some very strict guidelines for covering pre-existing medical conditions. However, many of the discount programs and the guaranteed acceptance discount programs have no waiting periods or pre-existing condition exclusions. These may be a good option for you. This depends largely on what the condition is and how urgent the need for care is.

9. Do you need dental and vision coverage? Sometimes a dental or vision insurance plan can be like throwing your money away. Several of the discount plans offer exceptional savings at rates that are much lower than the insurance plans. If you need major dental work right away, the dental insurance policies may not be your best choice, as they will have waiting periods for up to 1 year before major dental work will be covered. If this is the case for you, the dental discount plans are your best choice, as they have no waiting periods or limits.

10. Who will the benefits cover? Adding people to an insurance policy can cause the rates to go up. The more people on the insurance plan, the higher the risk of financial loss to the insurance company, therefore the rate must be higher.

Keeping money in your pocket is much easier than making it if you are armed with the proper knowledge about what you are shopping for.

Shad Woodman is a licensed health insurance agent and specializes in marketing Arizona Health Insurance ,
Washington Health Insurance , and a nationwide
Dental Plan online.