Archive for House Of Insurance
01.04.09
Posted in House Of Insurance at 2:17 am by admin
If you think you don’t have any need for auto owners insurance, just consider the answer to this question. How would you manage to pay the medical bills of someone who gets hurt in an accident when you are at fault? If you do not have an unending supply of money, then you definitely need auto owners insurance.
While getting auto owners insurance does add to your annual expenses, you can pay out the cost of the premiums through a monthly payment plan. When you get a quote for auto insurance, you need to ask if the company has this option for payment. Then it’s just a matter of budgeting this payment with your regular monthly bills.
The initial quote you get for the auto insurance does not include the cost of financing through monthly payments. Most companies dealing with auto owners insurance have several plans designed to meet your needs. For example, you can pay the amount of the auto insurance in two equal payments, pay a percentage down and have the rest divided into six or eight monthly payments or pay it out over a twelve month period.
There are so many companies that will give you a free quote, auto insurance is easy to find. The rate you pay depends on certain factors, Your age is important in getting a good rate for auto owners insurance, but if you are a new driver or are under the age of 25, then you will have to pay more because you are seen as a higher risk of having an accident. If you have an accident then the insurance company pays the costs of the repairs and any medical expenses that might be involved.
Each auto owners insurance policy also has a deductible. This is the amount that you have to pay before the insurance company pays out any money. The lower the amount of the deductible, the higher the quote for auto insurance that each one will give you. Choosing a high deductible is one way of lowering you auto insurance premiums.
If you are one of these people with a high accident rate, then you should expect to receive a high quote. Auto insurance companies may even refuse to issue a policy for you because they see the possibility of having to pay out more than they collect in premiums. Auto owners insurance companies make money when you pay the premiums and never collect. It does give you peace of mind though, knowing that you have the protection and coverage you need. Everyone has accidents at some time or another and you need to have the insurance to back you up.
So sorry about the bad news, but you normally do need auto owners insurance.
For a website all about Car Insurance visit Peter’s Website Car Insurance Answers and find out about Budget Car Insurance as well as Auto Insurance Company and more, including UK Car Insurance, online Car Insurance and Car Insurance Quotes.
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12.24.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 3:54 pm by admin
Thousands, if not millions of homes, are damaged each year due to flooding. Flooding is an event that can not always be prevented. It is often hard to predict well in advance when a large amount of rainfall is going to cause flooding in a specific area. This has caused a large number of individuals to be unprepared when the weather does cause flooding in their area.
It is a known fact that flooding can occur at just about any point in time and in any location in the United States. While flooding can occur just about anywhere, there are some locations in the Untied States that are more prone to flooding than others. This means that a specific area may be likely to see flooding on a yearly basis. Individuals in these areas are often charged higher premiums for flood insurance.
High premiums are something that can be prevented, but homeowners cannot prevent them all on their own. That is why the National Flood Insurance Program was developed. The National Flood Insurance Program is a federal flood insurance program. The goal of this federal flood insurance program is to offer affordable flood insurance coverage to all homeowners.
The National Flood Insurance Program offers affordable flood insurance coverage that can be purchased directly through the federal flood insurance program or it can be purchased through a licensed agent. The National Flood Insurance Program works to get insurance affordable by monitoring the coverage plans and the amount of money they cost.
Another way that this federal flood insurance program works to help Americans is by improving cities and towns across the United States. By working with the National Flood Insurance Program a city or town could receive flood insurance reductions. These reductions are most often seen when a city or town agrees to make improvements to their area that will limit or restrict the amount of flooding that occurs. If these improvements are made and kept up-to-date, flood insurance reductions may be offered by the National Flood Insurance Program.
In addition to requesting that a city or town make flood improvements, the National Flood Insurance Program also works to save Americans money by allowing agents to sell their coverage plans. As previously mentioned, an agent must be licensed to offer flood insurance coverage from this federal flood insurance program. In many states, licensed agents are able to offer flood insurance for less. This is most commonly seen in the form of upfront rebates. AmeriFlood is one of the few agents that are offering this amazing discount that is 12% off the traditional cost.
If you are interested in receiving low-cost flood insurance premiums, then you should get working now. Whether you choose to get your community to take action or you start looking for a licensed flood insurance agent, you could be saving money on flood insurance in no time at all.
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C.J. Preston is a writer for Ameriflood where you can find a
federal flood insurance program at a special discount price.
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12.21.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 2:23 pm by admin
Insurance may be described as a hedge against life’s uncertainties. To that end, it can never be taken too seriously. Every year, the person insuring himself bets that he will not be living another year and the insurer is betting that he will. If the person lives, and loses the bet, he pays the insurer a small premium; if he dies, the insurer pays the lump sum “jackpot” to the person’s nominee. While the person taking up the policy has only one life to bet on, his insurer is playing the same game with millions of other people like him. Since the insurer’s risk is spread, he can offer huge odds. Moreover, the insurer invests the premium he receives each year, and has employees (called Actuaries or Actuarial Officers) who calculate the odds on each policy based on mortality rates, the mortality experience of the insurer, and the return on investment which the insurer is likely to get. These in essence, form the framework of determining the premiums paid by policy holders, and the returns expected from the policies.
It is the Life Advisors of each company who are responsible for creating the relation between the insurer and the policy holder. He meets with the prospective policy holder, and in conjunction with him, determines which policy would best suit his needs. Indeed, it is through the Life Advisors that every Life Insurance Company manages to maintain a personal relationship with its clients.
It is the requirement of each company to constantly try and establish an identity for itself, and to provide to its customers, both existing and prospective, that which its competitors can’t.
In other words, to establish one or multiple Points of Differentiation. Again, the customer for life insurance ends up paying a rate of premium which has been determined upon data which is sadly loaded in the insurers favor.
As stated earlier, the insurance premiums are calculated by the insurer’s actuaries after taking into account mortality rates, and mortality experience. In many countries, especially the poorer countries, neither private insurance companies, nor the LIC are permitted to conduct the nationwide studies required to determine the mortality rates.
The information is provided by the governments, for a fee, from data taken during the Census. Since this data in itself is old, and mortality rates have significantly decreased in the last 14 years, the customer is actually paying more premium than he should for a life insurance policy.
Interested in this subject? Try this link for more of the same
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12.14.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 3:17 am by admin
1. Do you have dependents at the time that you apply for insurance protection?
If you have children who will need financial care should something happen to you, you will need to consider their financial needs. Things such as school funding and general financial concerns should be considered, and a good insurance policy should cover these things at a minimum.
2. How much do you owe?
When considering life insurance, you should think about just how much debt you will be leaving behind. If you don’t have enough life insurance coverage, that debt could be left for your family to pay. Can you afford that?
3. What should a life insurance policy cover?
Typically, a good life insurance policy should leave your dependents with enough money to pay for your funeral expenses, any debt that you should leave behind, as well as whatever your mortgage balance would be. That way, your policy would pay out your existing mortgage, and should leave your family with money to live on, especially if you’re the breadwinner of the household.
4. Who will be the beneficiary of this policy?
The beneficiary is the person to whom the money will go once the policy is paid out. It is the person whose name will go on the “pay to the order of” line on the insurance company check. For example, because my children are underage, I made my mother the beneficiary of my insurance policy. As she lives with my children and I, should something happen to me, my children will be financially taken care of, and they won’t have to leave their home.
5. What kind of life insurance protection do you need?
Do you need a temporary insurance for something like mortgage coverage, or in cases where you’re lucky enough to have your home already paid for, you might merely want enough coverage to keep your family from having to pay things like your debts, funeral expenses out of their own pockets. In this case, you might consider a more permanent insurance policy.
6. How old are you at the time that you apply for the policy?
The younger you are when you make the decision to get life insurance, the better off you’ll be both in terms of the range of policies that are available to you, and the choice of premium options.
If you’re older, life insurance will either be more difficult for you to get, or your premiums (monthly payments) will be sky high. So make the decision as early as you can.
7. Mortgage coverage
Consider the length of your mortgage when getting life insurance to cover that particular investment. If your mortgage term is say, 25 years, then common sense would say that you should probably get a term policy to cover that expense for it’s duration. Many people over insure, getting a permanent policy to cover a 25 year mortgage. They will be paying those insurance premiums long after it is necessary.
I have a friend who is in her mid 30’s, has no children, and no real family to speak of. She has minimum insurance through her job (enough to cover her debts and funeral expenses), but was recently concerned as to whether or not she should get more life insurance.
This is a case in which additional life insurance is not necessary. My friend is not married, has no children, and has adequate coverage for what she does have, through her work. Why spend the extra money for additional life insurance? Who was she planning to leave that money to? I told her not to bother.
As I said before, discussions about life insurance are most often extremely boring, but when you think about the possibilities, it’s not boring at all.
Because you never know…
Thanks for reading.
Eva Nichols
Copyright 2006 Eva Nichols All Rights Reserved.
Eva Nichols is a writer and mother of 2, who believes wholeheartedly through her experience in the benefits of life insurance. http://www.lifeinsuranceconcerns.blogspot.com
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12.08.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 3:32 pm by admin
The SR-22 is a form that serves as proof to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that you have auto insurance, more precisely motor vehicle liability insurance.
If you have to carry an SR-22 your insurance company is under the obligation to inform the DMV if your policy is canceled, terminated or if it lapses. Canceling your insurance policy will generally result in your license being revoked until you acquire insurance coverage again.
You may be required to carry an SR-22 in general as a result of being considered a high-risk driver. Falling into this category might result from
* driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI)
* driving while intoxicated (DWI)
* serious moving violations or
* causing an accident while uninsured
In general proof of being covered by an SR-22 is necessary for the reinstatement of driver’s privileges after they have been revoked.
Regulations on how long the SR-22 has to be carried vary from state to state, but coverage as a result for violations other than DWI and Refusal (refusing to take a breath test) convictions usually have to be maintained for 3 years.
If you have been convicted of DWI or Refusal, you will generally be required to have SR-22 for 5 years on a first offense and increasing amounts of time with subsequent offenses.
Jackie Smith, Executive Writer
http://www.quotella.com
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12.01.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 6:01 pm by admin
To file a claim with Critical Ill or Life Insurance companies, the recipients often need to mail in receipts of medical proofs and the claim form itself. The policies are valid in most instances, providing that after your prognosis you received report that you have “14 to 28 days” to survive. Once the company is accepted and evidence is clear that you are in fact the policyholder, that your were born on the said date, and that you have received medical treatment from an expert in the field of your condition, and once, all verifications are made, you will receive a large lump “tax-free” sum of cash.
Can I work still, or do I need to stop work after filing a claim?
When illness attack the patient may need to stop work, or else the patient can work minimal hours. Once the patient receives, the lump sum provided by the policy the money belongs to you and if you continue to work, it will not affect your claim. Statistics claim that “35″ percent of men and nearly 50% of the women are increasing contacting cancers, and only live for around “5 years.” While the statistics reveal further, that “1 in 6 women” will experience Chronic Ill and that “1 of 5 men” will undergo Chronic Ill before the giving up work. Therefore, Critical Illness Coverage is important, in that if these statistics are accurate, then debtors are in the making if coverage is not available. This will increase the already existing problem and even if you can work after filing a claim, there is no guarantee how long that work will last.
It makes sense to combine Life Insurance Coverage with Critical Illness Policy. The combined coverage will make a way out when a person becomes ill. While, Critical Illness Coverage will often cover major illnesses, Life Insurance may offer a way out when the ill is not lingering. Since, new medical developments are underway creating solutions for cancer treatment, AIDS, and other terminal illnesses; we can never tell which plan could most benefit us in the event we fall ill. In other words, if you have terminal illness and treatments become available, who knows if Critical Illness plans will work in the same manner. Since, we can never tell we must also learn more about Life Insurance policies, and what the policies will cover.
Life Insurance
Life Insurance Coverage offers a way out in some instances when a patient is temporarily out of work. The plans may offer large “tax-free” cash sums to tie the family over until the patient if well. If the patient is critical ill then the coverage will provide additional burial funds coupled with the funds received from Critical Illness Coverage to help the family out. There are several types of plans available; therefore, it makes sense to shop around looking for policies that you feel may be needed later.
Things to consider when searching for Life Insurance and Critical Ill policies should include health. To consider your health your must consider hereditary conditions, pending conditions, and possible conditions. Does my family history have histories of heart attacks, strokes, mental diseases, or other types of diseases that could affect my health later? If so, what medical treatments will I need and how much will the treatments cost if I should befall the illness? How is my health now? Do I consider myself a risk of poor health in the future? What if my condition causes me to loose my source of income? Is it possible I could get into a car accident that will put me out of work permanently? These are a few questions to consider when applying for Insurance. You may also want to consider the coverage needed and the price you can afford for the policy? Do not forget to consider the premiums, since the premiums will determine cost.
Finally, health is important, since we need good health to function properly in our daily lives. Furthermore, at any given time anyone of us could meet the nasty illnesses that plague lives everyday. Therefore, if you have coverage now, later when you file a claim, the money will be there when you are in need.
Authored by Michael Bens. For more great information about all forms of insurance visit our free online insurance publication the Gabae Insurance Source to find the information you’re looking for!
Also you can check out Gabae Insurance Articles to find the articles’ you’re looking for!
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11.30.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 6:59 am by admin
We all need medical insurance coverage. Although we can not always predict when we are going to need it, we can almost be sure that at some point we are going to need it. Whether you pride yourself in rarely ever getting sick, or you have an illness or condition that you will deal with for life, medical insurance coverage just makes sense.
Whether you are choosing to purchase medical insurance coverage independently or are choosing from a variety of policies available through your employer, you want to choose the policy that best fits your needs. Your medical insurance policy will list benefits such as treatment services, medications, and medical tests and screenings. It will also list services that are not covered. If you are purchasing medical insurance coverage for the first time, or thinking about changing your coverage or provider, do not just choose the cheapest medical insurance coverage. Make sure to take into consideration the benefits available, especially benefits that you already know you are going to needdoing so could quite possibly help you if surprises show up down the road, as well.
Most often your doctor will familiarize him or herself with your medical insurance coverage in order to provide you with the best care for which you are covered. Coverage can be tricky sometimes and your doctor may not be aware of, or able to remember, everything, so you should still make sure that you understand your coverage in order to help.
Even if your doctor is familiar with your medical insurance coverage, he or she may need to recommend treatments or services that are not covered in your policy. If this happens, your insurance provider will probably deny the claim. You have the option of appealing the claim, but you need to know your provider’s appeal policy before you do so. Always try be prepared for extra out-of-pocket expenses for these kinds of occurrences.
Our recommended source for insurance quotes affordable health insurance, car insurance quote
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11.28.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 1:57 am by admin
Recently, I was treated to one of life’s unpleasant surprises - a letter from the service company managing my “retirement” plan, telling me that the cost of my health insurance premium next year would be more than double what I paid last year. Now, the premium wasn’t exactly cheap to begin with, but this is ridiculous; and I don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the cost of my health insurance is just going to keep getting worse, as we baby boomers start moving through the last stages of our lives.
Forget the long term political issue of how we’re going to fund Medicare; this is a problem that affects me and it’s going to affect you, as well. Using a Health Savings Account (HSA) to fund your medical expenses may not be the best approach for everyone - but, everyone should at least consider using one. The availability and cost of health care is always listed as the number one problem that small businesses have today. An HSA can be used by an individual operating as an independent contractor to cover personal health care needs, or by a small business to provide at least some health coverage for its employees. So, this will highlight how HSA’s work and touch on an example of how the math might benefit you.
Health Savings Accounts are similar in many ways to 401k’s and IRA’s - they allow you to set aside funds on a tax deferred basis, have a few restrictions on how they can be used, and must be administered by an IRS approved trustee (usually a bank, insurance company, mutual fund, etc.). They must be used in combination with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP); generally speaking, the money you sock away in an HSA is first used to fund your medical expenses, with the HDHP kicking in to cover medical expenses above the high deductible threshold.
Here are some specifics. As mentioned above, you must first purchase an HDHP, with a minimum deductible of at least $1,050 ($2,100 for a family) and a maximum deductible of $5,250 ($10,500 for a family). The purpose, obviously, is to make certain that a safety valve is in place to cover extraordinary medical costs in any single year and you won’t be able to open the HSA without one. Then you set up the HSA with a financial institution, basically the same way that you would open an IRA. In 2006 you can contribute the lesser of the amount of the deductible on your HDHP, or $2,700 for an individual, $5450 for a family; these amounts are tax deferred - you can deduct the contributions from taxable income on your return. So, here’s the first benefit - the government is now paying a portion of your medical expenses.
You make withdrawals from the HSA to pay your medical expenses as you incur them. If those medical expenses exceed the deductible on your HDHP, it will then start picking up your medical expenses according to whatever provision you have in the policy. However, if you have funds left over in your HSA at the end of the year, they roll forward (remain in the account) and can be used in future years to cover medical expenses that you incur then. In other words, if your family had opened an HSA with $5,450 in year one and incurred only $3,000 in medical expenses during that year, $2,450 would remain in the account to be used in subsequent years (in addition to contributions in those years). This is the second benefit of an HSA - there is no “use it, or lose it” provision in these accounts; if you and your family are healthy, they provide a great means of building up a reserve against extraordinary medical expenses in the future. The third benefit of an HSA is that income earned in the account is also tax deferred - again, just like an IRA.
Withdrawals from an HSA are not taxable, as long as they are used to cover medical expenses, but they cannot be used to pay the HDHP premium, unless you are unemployed. If withdrawals are used for non-medical purposes, they are not only taxed, you also have to pay a 10% penalty on the funds!
There are a few age issues that should affect your thinking on these accounts. You must be under 65 to make contributions to an HSA; if you’re 65, or older, you are eligible for Medicare and cannot participate in an HSA. However, if your age is between 56 and 64, you can contribute an additional tax deferred “catch-up” amount of $700 in 2006 (going up incrementally to $1,000 in 2009) to the HSA. If you have an HSA when you turn 65, it converts to an IRA, but withdrawals are still not taxed, if they are used for medical expenses. Finally, some experts adhere to the idea that these accounts are not as good for older workers; one of the benefits of an HSA is to build up the account balance to use for future medical expenses as you get older and, obviously, the older you are when you start the account, the less time you have to accomplish that.
Small businesses can use HSA’s to provide some basic medical coverage for their employees. The employee still has to get an HDHP to participate, but both employers and employees can contribute to the account on a tax deferred basis. With an HSA, if the employee leaves the company, he’s entitled to take the account with him. The major downside of providing HSA’s to employees, is probably that the company has no control over how employees actually use the money. If they decide to use the money to buy a new car, or go on a vacation, they will have to pay taxes and the penalty on the withdrawal, but the company has very limited legal recourse to stop them from doing it. If that’s money that your business contributed, it’s clearly not doing what was intended.
When you compare an HSA with traditional health insurance plans, the math will depend on individual circumstances, but it can be compelling for some people. Let’s assume you’re forty years old, paying $1,000 a month for health insurance and another $2,000 a year in deductibles and co-pays, for total annual after tax expenditures of $14,000. Alternatively, you purchase a $5,000 deductible HDHP for $500 a month, put $5,000 in an HSA, and incur $3,000 in out of pocket medical expenses. Here you’ve incurred total out of pocket medical expenses of $9,000 ($6,000 for the HDHP and $3,000 in other expenses), less the tax deduction on the $5,000 in the HSA. You also have $2,000 in tax deferred funds that is carried forward to use in future years.
The math obviously doesn’t work this well in every case and each of us has to look at our own particular circumstances. The point here is not that HSA’s are a great deal for everyone - they are not. If your medical expenses go up every year, shame on someone else, or shame on the system. But, if you throw money away, because you didn’t “have the time” to investigate whether or not an HSA would have helped, shame on you!
Jim Deyo is the President of Business Advisor Online, an internet based service that provides small businesses with the ideas they need to grow and the resources they require to make the right decisions. As a former Sr. Vice President with a major banking institution, Jim worked extensively with small and medium sized companies and has over 30 years experience in commercial and consumer lending, accounting, finance, marketing, and strategic planning. Visit the website at http://www.businessadvisoronline.com and sign up for a six week free trial of the service, or e-mail Jim at jimdeyo@businessadvisoronline.com.
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11.27.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 3:50 pm by admin
Are you considering taking out life insurance? If so, it’s a good idea to review what life insurance companies have to offer by searching for life insurance online.
Over the past few years the online life insurance market has become very buoyant. Most major life insurance companies are now represented online, and they have been joined by smaller life insurance companies as well as life companies who operate exclusively online. As the Internet is akin to a level playing field, small life insurance companies now have just as much chance of selling a life policy online as do larger insurance companies. This has created some intense competition between insurance companies for online customers, many life companies providing discounts and incentives to attract life customers to their policies. Consequently, you can now pick up online life insurance for as little as £5 per month.
Online life insurance…choices…choices!
The great thing about shopping online for your life insurance is that everything is at your fingertips. You can receive quotes online and make your life insurance application online, as well as review the different types of policies available and even read the policy’s terms & conditions online.
The first choice you will have to make when looking for life insurance online is what type of life insurance to buy. There are two basic types of life insurance available - term life insurance and reducing or mortgage life insurance.
Term life insurance pays out a lump sum on the death of the policyholder. It is a long-term life insurance product that can last up to 50 years, although it does not normally extend further than the policyholder’s 91st birthday. Mortgage life insurance is a shorter-term life insurance product that mirrors the life of the policyholder’s mortgage. It is designed to pay off the outstanding mortgage debt should death occur before the mortgage is paid off.
In terms of payout, the lump sum received on a mortgage life insurance policy reduces to zero in line with the outstanding mortgage balance. So, should the policyholder die when there is only £1000 remaining on the mortgage then the life insurance policy will pay out only £1000. Payout terms on a term life insurance policy are somewhat different, the lump sum being the same at the end of the policy as at the start of the policy, that is assuming the level of coverage required remains the same.
Both of these life insurance polices are of course available offline. However, phoning around different insurance companies to find the best quote is a time consuming job. You also don’t have the advantage of reviewing the ins and outs of the insurance policy beforehand as you do online.
Best places to look for online life insurance
The best places to look for online life insurance is in fact not on the web sites of the insurance companies themselves. Instead, it is best to look at specialist life insurance information sites and portals where you’ll find a collection of life insurance companies all in one place. You’ll even be able to receive the same discounts as you would by going direct to the web sites of each individual insurance company, leaving you quids in and with more time on your hands to enjoy life.
Gary Tallon has been writing in the finance industry for over 10 years and is currently working with life insurance for Power Insurance.com.
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11.26.08
Posted in House Of Insurance at 9:55 am by admin
These days insurance have been swarming the four corners of the United States. Whether we like it or not, insurance is a need. Why? There is no denying the fact that one disaster can have a devastating effect on a firm, a family and an individual. It can be damage, bankruptcy and death to name a few. What are the factors that we should consider and how can we know the insurance that we need.
CAR/AUTO INSURANCE
One has to consider the purpose of owning it whether for personal use, for public transport use like a private taxi, or use for transportation of goods and industrial materials. Age is also a major consideration. Old vehicles pay a higher premium than new ones. The type and model of the vehicle has a major role also. When buying car/auto insurance online, there are sites that provide automated tools. They’re using an auto coverage analyzer where you have to answer a few question about your financial standing, automobile condition, etc. From this information it will generate what category of coverage you need.
BUSINESS INSURANCE
There are insurance companies which have policies that combine protection for all major property and liability risks in one package. But you could also go with a separate coverage which is called a business owner’s policy (BOP). For protection against flood damage, find out if your office is in the flood zone-area. And if so, you must go for a policy that provides coverage against flood. Special Earthquake Insurance Policy or Commercial Property Earthquake Endorsement can cover you if you live in an earthquake-prone area. However, its policies have different deductibles. Meanwhile, Business Interruption insurance, reimburses you for the lost income during a shutdown only applies to damage covered under this policy. On the other hand, Terrorism Risk Insurance Act 2002 covers loss due to any terrorism only for those businesses that have this coverage. Injuries and deaths due to acts of terrorism are exceptions in worker’s compensation.
HEALTH INSURANCE
With health insurance, you protect yourself and your family in case you need medical care that could be very expensive. If you have insurance, many of your costs are covered by a third-party payer (insurance company/employer), not by you.
KINDS OF HEALTH INSURANCE
Group Insurance
Most Americans get health insurance through their jobs or are covered because a family member has insurance at work. Group insurance is generally the least expensive kind. In many cases, the employer pays part or all of the cost.
Some employers offer only one health insurance plan. Some employers offer a choice of plans. These are:
a) Fee-for-Service
Insurance companies pay fees for the services provided to the insured people covered by the policy. This type of health insurance offers the most choices of doctors and hospitals. You can choose any doctor you wish and change doctors any time. You can go to any hospital in any part of the country. The insurer only pays for part of your doctor and hospital bills.
b) Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
Health maintenance organizations are prepaid health plans. As an HMO member, you pay a monthly premium. In exchange, the HMO provides comprehensive care for you and your family, including doctors’ visits, hospital stays, emergency care, surgery, lab tests, x-rays, and therapy.
c) Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)
The preferred provider organization is a combination of traditional fee-for-service and an HMO. Like an HMO, there are a limited number of doctors and hospitals to choose from. When you use those providers (sometimes called “preferred” providers, other times called “network” providers), most of your medical bills are covered.
Individual Insurance
If your employer does not offer group insurance, or if the insurance offered is very limited, you can buy an individual policy. You can get fee-for-service, HMO, or PPO protection. But you should compare your options and shop carefully because coverage and costs vary from company to company. Individual plans may not offer benefits as broad as those in group plans.
Tips when shopping for individual insurance:
• Shop carefully. Policies differ widely in coverage and cost. Contact different insurance companies, or ask your agent to show you policies from several insurers so you can compare them.
• Make sure the policy protects you from large medical costs.
• Read and understand the policy. Make sure it provides the kind of coverage that’s right for you. You don’t want unpleasant surprises when you’re sick or in the hospital.
• Check to see that the policy states: the date that the policy will begin paying (some have a waiting period before coverage begins), and what is covered or excluded from coverage.
• Make sure there is a “free look” clause. Most companies give you at least 10 days to look over your policy after you receive it. If you decide it is not for you, you can return it and have your premium refunded.
• Beware of single disease insurance policies. There are some polices that offer protection for only one disease, such as cancer. If you already have health insurance, your regular plan probably already provides all the coverage you need. Check to see what protection you have before buying any more insurance.
Floyd Spencer, author “Save on Auto Insurance, Business Insurance, Health Insurance” http://www.oneshopinsurance.com.
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