Health Insurance: That's the ticket: Insurance for medical tourism

If you’re unable to afford medical treatment, saving money by leaving the United States for treatment can be an attractive, even essential, option. Roughly 648,000 people traveled outside the United States to undergo a medical procedure in 2009.
With health care costs escalating, that number is expected to grow by 35 percent each year, according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Even if you have good health insurance, deductibles and co-insurance can put surgeries out of reach. Besides price, people travel abroad because certain procedures are not available in the United States.

Health Insurance: How to get free prescription medicine

For too many Americans, skipping doses of prescription drugs to save money or cutting pills in half to make them last longer is a way of life.
More than half (54 percent) of Americans say they currently take prescription medicines. According to a March 2008 report, "The Public on Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceutical Companies," issued jointly by USA Today, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, one in five Americans are currently taking four or more prescription drugs on a daily basis.

Health Insurance: Don't be rude! The etiquette of asking your doctor for price breaks and free drugs

You talk to your doctor about personal issues you wouldn't discuss with your best friend but, if you're like many patients, there's one topic you might feel squeamish about: Money.
Particularly if you have a high deductible or no health insurance at all, the doctor's bill weighs heavily, and it's something you should talk about. Your doctor needs to know what you can afford, and you need to get the most cost-effective care.
Here's how to broach the topic without being rude.
1. Be upfront

Health Insurance: How to haggle for a lower price with your doctor

You might have negotiated a better price for a new car or bargained for a great lamp at your neighbor's yard sale, but did you know you might be able to negotiate with your doctor to lower your out-of-pocket expenses?
According to a November 2007 survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, among those who have tried to negotiate medical bills, 93 percent were successful at least once.
"Everything in health care is negotiable," says Andrew Cohen, spokesperson for The Access Project, a nonprofit organization concerned with improving health care access. "Negotiating can be a great way to reduce bills. Unfortunately, people often think that this isn't an option when it comes to medical expenses, but it is something they can take advantage of."
Larry Gelb, president and chief executive officer of Care

Health Insurance: 12 ways to lower your health insurance premiums

You can shop around for health insurance quotes just as you would for better car insurance rates. Fortunately, lower premiums don't mean shoddy health insurance plans.
"There are a variety of affordable health insurance options available today that also offer quality coverage," says Ellen Laden, a spokesperson for Golden Rule Insurance Co., a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. "Consumers believe that if they get a lower-cost plan they will have to worry about getting quality coverage and that is absolutely not the case. Make sure you find coverage that meets your family's unique health care and budget needs. If the plan doesn't meet both of these needs, it's not going to save you money and it may cost you more in the long run."
Here are ways to get the most for your health insurance dollar.

Health Insurance: Health insurance basics

Unless you're a millionaire and can pay for your health care out of pocket, health insurance is a crucial purchase. The time to buy it is before you have an accident, suffer a serious illness or discover you're pregnant.
Individual health insurance doesn't cover health care for medical problems or conditions that start before the date you were issued a policy, although there are now pre-existing condition insurance plans available from the government. However, due to health care reform legislation, health insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage or refuse to renew coverage to adults with pre-existing conditions beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.
Still, finding adequate and affordable health insurance coverage might seem overwhelming, but knowing the basics can help make your search less daunting.

Health Insurance: Understanding Medicare

Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). According to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare serves about 40 million beneficiaries.

The large majority of Medicare beneficiaries have original Medicare. This is the traditional fee-for-service arrangement, which means you can go to any health care provider who accepts Medicare. You must pay a deductible, and then Medicare pays its share of the costs and you pay your share.

Health Insurance: 6 health insurance myths

Hearsay and incorrect information often fuel people’s misunderstandings of health insurance. When was the last time you snuggled up with a cup of coffee and your health insurance policy?
According to the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, the following myths are alive and well in the minds of most folks.

Health Insurance: The basics of critical illness insurance

People are living longer today. Although survival rates are on the rise for many medical conditions, a debilitating illness and the costs associated with loss of income can lead to medical bankruptcy.
A 2008 study by the American Cancer Society and the Kaiser Family Foundation that found 20 percent of people with health insurance still can't afford cancer therapy. In fact, the survey found that a year of treatment for blood cancers such as leukemia reached $1 million in 2008, which would max out the limits of most health insurance policies.
Even with advanced medicine and a health insurance policy on your side, if you are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, there is a possibility that you would not be able to afford the treatments recommended and needed. Critical illness insurance can help.

What does it cover?

Health Insurance: The basics of short-term health insurance

Short-term health insurance is the ticket for people in transition.
Designed for healthy individuals and families, short-term policies can provide an affordable safety net for those who are transitioning from one life event to another without a basic health plan. Depending on the short-term plan, benefits can be wide-ranging, with some policies providing up to $5 million in individual coverage.

Just as the name implies, these health insurance policies are a temporary solution to a short-term insurance gap.
Most plans last one to six months and can be renewed for a total of 36 months. The application process is simple and policies can be issued the next day. Most insurers take credit card payments.
The most important thing to remember is that a short-term plan is not designed to cover pre-existing conditions.

Health Insurance: Tips for buying individual health insurance

There's strength in numbers, particularly when you're buying health insurance. As part of a group plan at

work, you can generally lower premiums — but sometimes a group health plan may not be an option.
If you leave your job — or start another one that doesn't offer health insurance — you may be surprised at just how expensive the same coverage is when you buy individual health insurance.
An individual plan is one purchased on the private market, not tied to workplace benefits. Although they are called

Health Insurance: Obamacare health plans and prescription drugs

By Jennifer Nelson, Insure.com - Last updated: Sept. 25, 2013

If you're going to select a new health plan under the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare), you'll be glad to know these plans provide prescription drug coverage as an essential health benefit.
Among current individual and family health insurance plans, nearly one out of five health plans don't include prescription drug coverage.
"Some only offer copays for generic drugs, or don't offer brand names or specialized drugs," says Dominic Massi, founder and president of Massi Insurance Consulting in Las Vegas and a certified benefits and wellness adviser. Now under health care reform, all plans sold through the new health insurance marketplaces (formerly called exchanges) must include prescription coverage.
The open enrollment period for 2014 plans purchased through the state health insurance marketplaces is Oct. 1, 2013, through March 31,

Health Insurance: Medicare open enrollment for 2014 is 'business as usual'

By Barbara Marquand, 

While the private health insurance market undergoes massive changes, Medicare open enrollment is running like it has in recent years.
As a Medicare beneficiary you have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2013, to review your coverage and make any changes for 2014.
"As a reminder, it is business as usual when it comes to Medicare benefits," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a press statement. "People with Medicare do not need to enroll in the new health insurance marketplaces."

Health Insurance: Most Americans aware of the Affordable Care Act, but do they care?

Most Americans know that the Affordable Care Act requires them to have health insurance in 2014, but only about half of those who are uninsured plan to have coverage by Jan. 1, according to a survey commissioned by Insure.com.
In the poll of 2,000 adults under age 65, 88 percent said they are aware of the individual mandate, the health care reform provision requiring most Americans to have coverage next year.
About 23 percent said they don't have health insurance now. Of those uninsured, almost one-third (32 percent) said they don't know whether they will have coverage by Jan. 1, and another 16 percent said they do not plan to have health insurance by then. Fifty-one percent said that they will buy health insurance.

Car Insurance: What you have to reveal at an accident scene

By Jennifer Nelson

You've just been involved in a fender bender. Police are on the way. Meanwhile, what information do you have to exchange with the other driver?
That answer varies by state.
In Florida, for instance, state law requires drivers to share name, address, contact details, driver's license number, license plate number and auto insurance information. In New York it's more of the same, plus if the driver's name is different from the name on the insurance card or registration, you're supposed to provide the name of the person who owns the car or who holds the insurance policy.
In California you're supposed to show your driver's license, vehicle registration card, evidence of

Car Insurance: The most and least expensive 2013 vehicles to insure

By Amy Danise

In a remarkable upset this year, minivans are no longer the go-to vehicles for the best car insurance rates. In the past, minivans have dominated our annual rankings of “the least expensive vehicles to insure,” but in the 2013 model year, crossovers and SUVs have taken control of the top 20, including models from Ford, Jeep, Kia and Hyundai.

Car Insurance: Best insurance companies: 2013 customer satisfaction report

By Amy Danise

USAA, American General and Kaiser Permanente earned the highest scores from customers in their respective categories in Insure.com’s annual customer satisfaction study.

See 2013 Customer Satisfaction Ratings

Travelers

Would you renew?

Yes
No

88%
12%

Select insurance type:

Can Insurance: how to save money(12 ways to save money on car insurance)

We're always searching for ways to save money on car insurance. Here are the top ways to reduce your bill.

1. Comparison shop

Car insurance rates vary considerably from company to company. Get car insurance quotes from at least three insurers. But don't shop on price alone: Look at the company's reputation, its customer service and the type of coverage and discounts it offers.

2. Ask for higher deductibles on collision and comprehensive coverage

If you file a claim under collision or comprehensive coverage, the deductible is the amount of money deducted from the insurance check. Higher deductibles mean lower premiums. For example, increasing your deductible from $250 to $500 on collision and comprehensive coverage could save you 15 to 30 percent. Increasing it to $1,000 can you save you up to 40 percent or more, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). Just make sure you can pay it in the event that you need to make a claim.
There is no deductible on liability insurance.

Car Insurance: Minimum car insurance requirements

Most states require you have car insurance and have laws that outline the minimum level of coverage you must buy.

Car Insurance: Ultimate guide to insurance for hitting stuff in the road

Drivers have been colliding with things in the road since 1891, when inventor James William Lambert was involved in what may have been the first auto accident in history. The mishap occurred in Ohio City, Ohio, when Lambert's one-cylinder horseless carriage struck a tree root and veered into a hitching post.   If your car hits something, you’ll want know whether you have the right coverage to make a claim. Here we look at what you’ll need in common situations.

Animals
Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your car that’s not caused by a car accident.
If you hit a deer, moose or other animal, "it's not your fault that something has gotten in the way of your vehicle and is struck,” says Janet Masters, spokesperson for American Family Insurance.
West Virginia is the worst state for deer collisions -- something to consider when you're buying auto insurance. State Farm annually ranks the worst states for deer collisions.

Car Insurance: 6 top car insurance myths

Insurance can be complicated enough. Don’t let a flood of misinformation drown out the facts. Since misunderstandings can be costly, here are the most common car insurance myths debunked.

Myth: Red cars are the most expensive to insure

Fact: Red will not cost you more green. Roughly 25 percent of drivers surveyed by Progressive Insurance believe that the color of their car is a factor in determining their insurance rate — especially if the car is red. But the belief that drivers of red cars pay higher car insurance premiums is a myth. Insurance companies will likely not even ask the color of your car when they’re calculating your car insurance rates.
The notion that car color determines what you’ll pay for insurance is a longstanding myth. It may have come from the idea that people who drive red sports cars are reckless.
Car insurance companies are interested in the year, make, model, body type, engine size and age of your vehicle. The color may be important to you, but it really doesn’t matter to your insurance company.

Car Insurance: What thing I need to know before I take a car Insurance?

Car insurance basics

 Driving without car insurance is illegal in almost all states. Insurance protects you, and others, from financial ruin in the event of an auto accident. In addition, it can come to the rescue if your car is vandalized, damaged by fire or stolen — depending on your policy.
Besides protecting you financially, car insurance is a social responsibility. Driving without insurance or the ability to pay for the damages you cause in an accident puts others at financial risk. That's why all states (except New Hampshire) require drivers to carry liability insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

Car Insurance: Why I need a car Insurance Policy?

Hit the road with the right car insurance policy

 

Auto insurance is a must if you own a car. Most states require you to carry insurance, and without it, you face financial disaster if you cause a serious accident and get sued.
Car insurance can also pay to repair your vehicle if it gets damaged in a crash or natural disaster, like hail or wildfire, or is vandalized or stolen.

Car insurance coverage types

Life Insurance: What things I need to know about life insurance contestability period?

By Barbara Marquand The life insurance contestability period is a short window in which insurance companies can investigate and deny claims.
The period is two years in most states and one year in others, and it begins as soon as a policy goes into effect.
If you die within the contestability period, the life insurance company can investigate whether you gave accurate information on your life insurance application. The company can deny paying the death benefit if you lied -- even if the cause of death has nothing to do with misrepresentation on your application.

Life Insurance: Why I need a life insurance policy?

Using life insurance to fund retirement

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

When people buy life insurance, it's mainly to leave money behind for a spouse, children, other relatives or close friends.
But an increasing number of middle-aged and senior Americans are looking at life insurance for the financial benefit it can provide during their golden years. Some savvy savers and investors are using permanent life insurance to help fund a more secure retirement.
Three varieties of permanent insurance -- also known as cash value insurance -- offer policyholders a chance to supplement their retirement income:

Life Insurance: What you have to do before you buy a life insurance?

How to do a 'needs analysis' before you buy life insurance

By Beth Orenstein

When buying life insurance, don’t choose a policy before you understand the financial needs of your beneficiaries.
Damon Bates, a vice president at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., says most people’s thinking is backwards when it comes to life insurance. They decide on the product they want -- whether it’s basic term life insurance, permanent life insurance or a combination -- before they consider how much protection they need.
"You really need to figure out how much life insurance you want and then think about which product, in that distinct order," Bates says.
The best way to determine how much life insurance -- if any -- you should buy is with a needs analysis. A new study by the international insurance consulting group LIMRA finds that people are 1.5 times more likely to buy life insurance if they first do a needs analysis.

Life Insurance: Which policy you are going to choose?

Life insurance or long-term care: Make the right pick

By Barbara Marquand

As the kids leave the nest and the mortgage gets paid off, the need for life insurance wanes for many people who have reached late middle age.
The focus moves from "How will my family survive without me?" to "Who will take care of me, and how will I pay for it?"
You have a 70 percent chance of needing long-term care sometime after age 65, according to the National Clearinghouse for Long Term Care Information. Health insurance, including Medicare, generally doesn't cover long-term care, which pays for assistance with basic activities, such as eating, getting in and out of bed, and bathing.

Life Insurance: what I have to do after found the lost life insurance policy?

You've found the lost life insurance! Now what?

By Ed Leefeldt

Life insurers have been under increasing pressure to use available databases to identify deceased policyholders and locate beneficiaries. Until recently, beneficiaries have had the burden of tracking down life insurers that owe them money.
But in countless cases, beneficiaries can't find the policies and don't know which companies issued them. In other cases, beneficiaries don't even know a policy exists and that they're due money.
State regulators, including Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and New York State Superintendent of Financial Services Benjamin Lawsky, have ordered life insurance companies to make sure that their policies -- some of which have been gathering dust for decades -- finally pay the beneficiaries.

Life Insurance: How to find lost life insurance Policies

How to find lost life insurance policies

By Free Insurance Advice

It's a problem you don't want to have: A relative dies and you have no idea which company holds his or her life insurance policy. Where do you begin? And if you can't find the life insurance policy right away, can you still collect the death benefit in the future?

Life Insurance: all over the world

The 5 most terrifying life insurance words

By Lucy Lazarony

Certain words signal trouble ahead when they apply to your life insurance policies.
Here are some of the worst words that can be connected to your coverage -- and what you can do about it.

1. Decline

If you apply for life insurance and are declined, it will likely be even tougher to get approved in the future.
"It is a red flag," says Ernie Rongish, an actuary and vice president of life and annuity product performance at Mutual of Omaha. "We would want to know the circumstances around that."

Car Insurance: common lies told to car insurance companies

The 5 biggest lies told to car insurance companies

Fudging on your car insurance application to save on the premium may seem like a harmless white lie, but it can spell trouble for you down the road.
A new report by Quality Planning Corp. in San Francisco says car insurance companies lost $15.9 billion in 2008 from what it calls "premium leakage" — meaning loss of revenue due to the inability of insurers to keep track of changes in customers' situations that affect prices. The number represents almost 10 percent of the total $167 billion in personal auto premium written.

When do I insurance my car?

Car insurance and registration when you move
By Sharon Anne

If you are moving to a state with high auto insurance rates and considering leaving your registration and insurance unchanged to save money, don't go there. Here's why.

For starters, it is unlawful in most states.

Free Insurance Advice: 12 important insurance advice

When you have an insurance claim, the last thing you want to discover is that you didn't buy the right

Sometimes friends and family members offer bad advice, including tenuous, illogical and even illegal strategies, hoping to save you a few bucks. But the eventual losses can be huge.

Why Life Insurance is important?

Life Insurance Facts

Life insurance guarantees payment of a given amount to the insured person’s beneficiaries when the policy owner dies.  While many people, especially younger people, don’t necessarily want to take the time to think about something as abstract as dying, this form of insurance is particularly important for parents or other persons with dependents.

Is Life Insurance peace of my mind

Life Insurance Equals Peace Of Mind

No one likes to think about the consequences of death and how it affects those that we leave behind. It is however an indisputable fact that sooner or later we will all shuffle off our mortal coils, often without warning. When that time comes a life insurance policy will ensure the financial security of our loved ones in their grief, and will ultimately give each of us the peace of mind that our mortgage is paid off and our families taken care of when we die.

Life insurance these days is in fact fairly cheap to

Life insurance explanation

Life Insurance Explained

In the world today money is the most essential necessity of an individual’s life. It is almost impossible to dwell without money. This is why a person tries to earn the maximum possible income during his lifetime to provide a decent living to his or herself and his or her family. But what if the sole earning member in a family dies? Who will provide financial aid to their family and how? Though there are quite a few answers such as implementing a will, leaving a legacy behind etc. But the best and foremost option meant for the high as well as the low is a life insurance policy. A life insurance policy as the name suggests not just insures your life but is also the smartest and the most far-sighted way to secure life of those whom you love.

Which life insurance is best for me?

What Is The Best Life Insurance?

Life insurance pays out a benefit when the person insured dies during the time that the policy is in force. It can provide the cash needed to pay for burial, pay off mortgages and loans and give your family a financial cushion while they get back on their feet. When you’re young or have little discretionary income, it’s easy to tell yourself that life insurance is just for the well-off, but the truth is that life insurance is far more necessary for those who have no monetary cushion against life’s rougher times.

Important of Life Insurance

What Is Life Insurance?

Life Insurance is a contract between you and a life insurance company that the company will pay your beneficiary a certain amount of money at your death. Until that time you will pay the insurance company an amount of money. In fact you end up paying the insurance company pennies on the dollar for a sure thing. As it is a sure thing that at some point you will die.