Archive for the ‘Health’ category

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Does America already have a version of universal health care?

December 2nd, 2010
Mr. Wolf asked:


Anybody in America legally or illegally can currently receive medical care. The health care industry passes on the cost of the uninsured people to the insured ones and there by making addition billions in the process.

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Affordable Health Insurance – Health Insurance For The Self Employed

November 30th, 2010
Carrie Reeder asked:




One of the things that is important to consider when you leave corporate America for the freedom of your own business is affordable health insurance. In fact, the reason most often cited for NOT taking the plunge into self-employment is the lack of cheap health insurance alternatives for people who are not employed by a company that can offer more affordable rates on health insurance through a group health insurance plan.

If you do decide to brave it and be your own boss, there are many places where you can cut corners. Letting yourself or your family go without health insurance isn’t one of them. Here are some common options that can make health insurance affordable if you’re a self-employed entrepreneur or crafter.

Coverage under a Spouse’s Plan

By far the most common option is to cover the family for health insurance through a spouse’s employer. As long as one member of the couple is working for a company that has a group health insurance plan, it’s usually the cheapest option for insuring the entire family.

COBRA

COBRA is an option for the beginning of your self-employment. For the first several months after you leave your job, your employer is required by law to give you the option of retaining membership in their health insurance plan. You will have to cover the entire monthly premium paid by your company rather than the amount that you’re used to paying as an employee when your employer was covering part of the cost. The true cost of that insurance can come as a shock to you – a family health insurance through a group can easily cost close to $1000 a month. It’s still more affordable than most plans that you can purchase as an individual. It’s also only temporary, so you should be looking for other health insurance options while you’re still covered.

A Health Insurance Cooperative with Other Self-employed and Small Business Owners

There are national and local organizations of self-employed workers who have banded together to combine their buying power and get affordable health insurance premiums through group policies. You can find more information about groups in your area through the National Association for the Self Employed (www.nase.org) or the American Association of Home-Based Businesses (www.aahbb.org).

Group Health Insurance for the Self-Employed

In many states like Maine, health insurance companies offer affordable group policies for groups of one. You may have to shop around to find a company that does, but there are benefits other than being a cheaper policy. The most important of these is that they MUST cover everyone in the group, regardless of health conditions. This is important for someone who may have been turned down for an individual health insurance policy because of health.

No matter what, it is vital that you insure yourself and your family against the possibility of illness or accident. There are cheap alternatives to individual health insurance plans for the self-employed.

To view our recommended sources for health insurance, or to
read more articles about health insurance, visit:
Recommended Health
Insurance Companies Online [http://www.ezerk.com/articulos.php?category=53].

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Issues of Employee Health

November 26th, 2010
Connor R Sullivan asked:




With new medical technology becoming more and more available, many issues have been brought up in terms of employee health. According to a commercial cleaning service, companies can reduce their employees risk for long-term health issues by just keeping the office neat and tidy. Companies that have office buildings in warmer climates, like Houston take extra care to have working air conditioning in the building and that the building is kept clean so pollen that is brought in to the area does not trigger allergies, according to a office cleaning company. Many companies are beginning to realize that it is important for them to take good care of their employees so the employees are more productive and so they are more likely to stay with the company rather than working for a competitor. Below is a list of health problems that employers are taking into consideration to keep their employees healthy and productive:

1. Carpel tunnel is a concern for people who work at a computer all day. Carpel tunnel usually affects the fingers and hands from being in the same position over a computer keyboard for long periods of time. To prevent this, employers are making employees aware of the risks of being at the computer in the same position. Some employers have even invested in hand rests and chairs that can be adjusted so people sit in different positions.

2. Allergies and sinus headaches are a big problem for employees as well. Sinus headaches can be triggered by looking at a computer screen all day for eight hours a day, five days a week. Allergies can be brought about by dust, pollen from the shoes of coworkers, and many other allergens that may be in the office. Sinus headaches and allergy problems can keep employees out of work for weeks at a time because sometimes it takes a long time for them to go away. Studies have shown that people who are sick for longer than a week each year are less productive and the company ends up losing money because of this lost productivity. The money spent to keep the employee healthy is much less than the lost productivity and sick pay.

3. Finally, there is the issue of smoking in and around corporate buildings. Even just ten years ago people could and would smoke in their office or cubicle. Nowadays employers are banning smoking in the buildings, which forces smokers to smoke outside. Some companies have gone so far as to not hire anyone who smokes to avoid the issue altogether. Some studies have shown that secondhand smoke is dangerous, while others have shown that secondhand smoke only really becomes a problem after years and years of exposure. It seems that effects of smoking really depend on each individual person and it is the decision of each employer as to how the situation should be handled.

Employers are also beginning to print company newsletters and put up websites that encourage good employee health. These measures, some companies have found, help increase employee productivity and employees’ overall happiness with the company, something that is very highly valued nowadays.

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Medical Insurance – Health Insurance Coverage & Plans Explained

November 21st, 2010
Carrie Reeder asked:




If you’re trying to decide between health insurance plans, you’ll find that there are several different kinds from which to choose. It’s important that you weigh all your options carefully. Your health insurance, even with an employer contribution to the cost, is very likely to be your largest regular monthly expense other than your rent or mortgage. The plan you choose needs to be more than affordable. It will affect your family’s choices in doctors and health care as long as you are a member of that health insurance plan.

Health insurance is like any other kind of insurance. You pay a monthly amount, called a premium, to an insurance company in return for ‘benefits’, to be paid out as needed. Depending on the kind of plan that you choose, those benefits might include regular doctor’s office visits, checkups, emergency room services and hospitalizations, and treatment by specialists. Some health insurance plans also offer benefits that are called ‘wellness benefits.’ like discounts on health club memberships, stop-smoking classes, and nutritional consultations.

The main types of health insurance plans are:

HMO – Health Maintenance Organizations

HMO benefits are geared toward keeping you healthy. They aim for affordable health care costs by reducing the cost of annual physicals, well-child visits and other routine care by requiring you to pay a ‘co-pay’ – a small portion of the actual bill – for every visit to your doctor, and the health insurance company pays the rest. Most require that you choose a primary care physician, who takes the place of an old fashioned General Practitioner – the family doctor who knew your medical history and prescribed visits to specialists if needed. HMOs are generally more affordable than traditional health insurance, but they’ll still cost you several hundred dollars a month.

All your medical care under an HMO will be arranged through your primary care physician. If you need to consult with a specialist, you simply call your primary care physician and request a referral.

Preferred Provider Health Insurance Plans

PPH health insurance plans are very similar to HMOs. They also attempt to keep overall medical costs affordable by providing both preventive and catastrophic health care coverage. Unlike most HMO’s, though, you can usually choose to visit any physician or other provider registered with the preferred provider network. You’ll pay a co-payment, and your health insurance will cover the rest.

Catastrophic Health Insurance Plans

Catastrophic health insurance plans are also sometimes called ‘fee for service’ plans. They generally will pay out to any provider, but they strictly limit the kind of health care that they’ll cover. In most cases, you’re only covered for illness or injury. There’s no coverage provided for regular checkups and other office visits. Catastrophic health insurance plans are often the most affordable option, since they only pay off if you become ill or are injured.

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Buying Health Insurance? From Whom?

November 17th, 2010
Rakesh Kharwar asked:




Health insurance:

From the Company directly

Yes

Most companies do not sell health insurance to their customers directly. They assign the task to their agents who in turn sell health insurance to customers. However, there are certain companies that take the applications for health insurance directly from the customers. Here one needs to be well informed and aware as to the companies that are trustworthy and the ones that are fake. It is important for you to know how one company is different from the other in terms of benefits best suited to your needs. Another advantage of getting your insurance done directly from the company is that you are the sole decision taker, you are in direct touch with the company and know what is happening. There is no middleman involved here and you take your own decisions with regard to health insurance. Also, you know exactly which schemes have come up, and do not have to depend on the knowledge and awareness of either the agent or the broker, who tells you what to do.

No

Getting your health insurance directly from the company means you have to interact with the company for every small issue. You have to personally visit the company each time; also it may even take days sometimes to get data from the company which a middleman (an agent or broker) would be able to get easily.
From the Agent

Yes

An agent is a person who helps you by getting you a health insurance policy through a company which he represents. As he represents a particular company, he is in the complete know-how of all the details pertaining to that company including available benefits, packages offered, the way things are processed there, the deadlines that need to be adhered to, the way claims are to be handled etc. He gives you that personalized touch, by volunteering to come over to your house for collecting documents and payments, for taking your signatures and for other important things. Importantly, an agent gives you all the necessary information as per you requirements, he advises you as to how you should go about investing, when to renew your policy, how to claim your money, when to get a top-up done etc. You simply have to give him your premium and he would do everything else for you.

Besides, banks also provide health insurance to customers by having a tie-up with specific agents. This is a risk-free way of getting your health insured. However, you have to check which bank can provide you with the benefits that suit your particular health needs.

No

As agents represent a particular health insurance company and act on behalf of that company, some of them tend to get biased towards that particular insurance company. Also, as has been observed in a few cases, some agents do not provide customers with information pertaining to the packages offered by the other insurance companies in the market as their commissions are paid by the particular health insurance company they represent.

Again, while buying a health insurance policy from your agent, it is important that you take a look at the policy wordings which contain the details of the policy. This will make the exclusions clear to you. (Exclusions are the finer details including pre-existing diseases, waiting period etc)

As is sometimes observed, especially in India, some agents are mostly seen to specialize in life insurance, and just ‘happen’ to sell health insurance. They do not specialize in health insurance per say, hence the level of knowledge in the subject may be low.

From the Broker

Yes

While an agent represents that company for which he works, a broker actually represents multiple insurance companies. The broker acts as a bridge between the insurance company and you. When you get yourself a health insurance policy from a broker, you will be given an option to choose from various different companies. You can then compare the benefits, the positives and negatives of the packages offered by each company and then zero in on the one best suited to your needs. The broker gives you a complete understanding as to which package by which company would best be applicable to your needs. As this way you get to do a thorough comparison between insurance companies, it is advisable to opt for the broker. Also, as the health insurance broking company gets the same per cent commissions from all the companies they represent, there remains little room for speculation and their neutrality remains intact.

No

Though there are not many potential negatives associated with choosing a broker while buying yourself a health insurance plan, yet, a major glitch is in recognizing the right broker. Many a times, a particular broker, may have limited knowledge of the benefits each company offers, and he may tend to behave like an agent. Also, make it a point to check the credentials of the broking company through which you plan to get your health insurance done. Generally, a broking company has to have a minimum paid up capital of about 50 lakh rupees in order to apply for a license. This means that these companies cannot simply go into oblivion by-night.

By going through the positives and negatives of the options, you can get a clear picture, thereby being able to make an informed choice and being the master of your own mind!

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