Compare Health Insurance dengan Tante

The process of buying health insurance Tante coverage begins from the first step when you compare health insurance rates. If you do this properly, you can get the best and cheapest health policy. There are many factors which decide the kind of coverage you require but the foremost thing is to get many quotes for comparison.

Nothing in life is more precious than having a good health Tante. But you can never predict future; there will always be uncertainties, whether good or bad, in our life. You can never know when you will get sick or suffer from some big illness, or get involved in an accident. Whatever the reason is, these unfortunate happenings could use up all your savings. With the ascending cost of treatment, it is now costly. This is where having a health insurance policy could benefit us all.

Before buying, you should always compare rates of different companies. If you want to get a good and affordable health insurance today, you need to take into consideration many factors together. First thing is to get free quotes from different companies to compare rates and then combine that with your requirements. This way, you are sure of finding an affordable plan.

Policy rates can vary radically from one insurance company to another. Also, policy's terms and conditions vary from company to company, so it is always better to compare to make sure that you are getting the best coverage you need. Giving a few minutes of your time to compare rates and policies from different companies can save you thousand of bucks per year.

Few years back, if you needed to compare health insurance rates, you had to call agents of various insurance companies for the quote. This was very time consuming and also cumbersome.

Now, thanks to the web, you can get insurance quotes in a matter of minutes from the very comfort of your own home. There are many health insurance online comparison sites from where you can get quotes from almost all insurance companies. The main benefits of utilizing these online comparison sites are:
* You have to fill only a simple online form for getting quotes
* You instantly get your quotes within minutes of filling your form
* No middleman or agents
* Most of the comparison sites only give you quotes of best companies
* They also have online experts to advice you and clear any query
* All services are free of charge

These are few benefits when you use online comparison. Once you have finalized the insurance company from which you are going to buy your policy, it is to call their customer care and verify all the details of your policy.

Purchasing Insurance Through

The internet is everywhere! You purchase Christmas presents online, this week I purchased my son a Nintendo DS online, yes, you can even purchase health insurance online.
Using the internet to purchase health insurance has some advantages, it might save you some time, you might even be able to compare plans and get estimated premiums.

All of these are advantages of the internet, however, it is not that simple. Usually, the premiums quoted on the internet are preferred pricing, which many people cannot qualify due to medical conditions or height and weight restrictions. They also like to show their lowest priced plans. Some companies will show you their 50%/50% coverage because it will be priced lower than their 80%/20% plan. Others have a higher out-of-pocket maximum, which means you are paying more at the time of claim.

Insurance companies have to file their rates with the state insurance department so it does not cost you any more to work with a broker, that with the internet. There are several reasons to work with a trusted insurance broker, here are just a few...

A good broker will be able to help you pick the right plan for you and your needs, and can also get you with the right carrier. For example, Celtic Insurance based in the Chicago area is often times the lowest priced plan. Their business model is that Celtic as a company has decided in all of their PPO plans to only pay for two doctor visits per person on the policy per year. Now for most people, that is plenty. It is not for everyone. I spoke to a client a week ago who was on my website wanting Celtic because it had the lowest premium. After speaking with her, I found out, she went to visit the doctor over 20 times last year. Celtic was not the carrier for her.

Many carriers will exclude pre-existing conditions for 12 months or more. Aetna will not exclude those conditions if you have had creditable coverage for at least 18 months. They either accept you or they do not. The first question I ask when someone tells me they have a pre-existing condition is "do you want to get them covered?" Dealing with a broker saves you time.

Unfortunately insurance rates go up every year. As a broker I shop for my clients yearly. Sometimes we keep the same carrier. Sometimes we need to change carriers. This process usually begins before the client gets their renewal notice. That gives us plenty of time to find the right carrier for them. Dealing with a broker is more convenient.

A good agent can help an insured in many ways. Policyholders often times do not know how the policy is written so the agent needs to explain at the time of claim. Sometimes claims are denied for an excluded part of the policy or something that there is no coverage for on the policy. Unfortunately sometimes claims are denied for the wrong reason. I have had two cases recently where the clients had major claims within the first 90 days of the new policy. One was investigated for nine months before it was paid. The other one was denied quickly. I had to get involved and tell them why it was a payable claim. They did pay it. The client would have been on her own without a trusted insurance broker. A good broker must provide you with great customer service. If you purchase directly from the internet and have a problem, as far as I know, you can't call the internet!

Most brokers have an underwriting guide for each carrier. If you have a medical condition they can verify if they are going to increase your premium or deny you coverage. This can save you a lot of time filling out an application for a plan you might not qualify for.

To my clients I tell them as far as they are concerned I am an unpaid consultant. That may change as the health reform laws have affected the way brokers and agents are compensated but for now, all fees are paid by the insurance carrier.

Medicare Ever Pay Your Long Term Care Costs

Medicare generally will not pay for the cost of long term care (LTC) because Medicare pays for only medical help - not nonskilled living assistance care which is what LTC refers to. But often a situation of LTC occurs in conjunction with a medical problem. Then Medicare will pay - but only for a short term. Here's the scoop...

The Medicare program that Americans rely on after they turn 65 provides for a variety of medical treatments. These include hospital, physician, skilled nursing costs and some drug prescription costs. It's a complicated program.
Long term care (LTC) generally refers to the nonmedical skilled (called unskilled or custodial) care that older people need when they can't perform - or need help with - some of their activities of daily living (ADLs). This help is not considered medical help - and that's why Medicare doesn't cover it when there's no overriding medical issue. So Medicare doesn't cover typical LTC costs.

*When Medicare covers short term LTC:
Often, a person may suffer a medical problem that then leads him into a circumstance where typical LTC is required - perhaps in a nursing home. In this 'medical care to LTC transition' some Medicare assistance is available. Here's the circumstance.
For Medicare to help you with LTC costs, three criteria must be met:
1. You have a medical necessity,
2. The 72 hour rule, and
3. A Place where care can be given The medical necessity means that your care must result from a condition for which you were hospitalized. It must be medically necessary and given by skilled personnel in a place such as a nursing home.

Your hospitalization must have lasted for a full 72 hours. That means 3 days and 3 nights.
A place where care can be given means that you were taken from your hospitalization directly to a nursing home where you can receive skilled care related to your hospitalization. That's because Medicare pays for medically necessary skilled care in a nursing home setting.
*How long will Medicare Pay for you in a nursing home

If you meet the above criteria, Medicare may perhaps pay up to 100% of your costs in a nursing home for the first 20 days in a benefit period. To go beyond that 20 days, you'll be required to pay a co-insurance amount from day 21 through 100.
Two further exceptions to the Medicare's limited nursing home care exist. Medicare can pay a skilled caregiver to come to your home if it's a medical necessity and you're homebound. Also end-of-life or hospice care can be covered. You'll have to check what your state specifically allows for costs, though.

Five Ways to Save Money on Health Insurance

You are not alone when the health insurance renewal arrives and you are faced with another increase in premiums. Many people don't take the time to look at alternatives or are afraid to make a change in fear of losing benefits or reducing coverages. Unfortunately, they may be paying in the form of higher premiums for not making the effort to explore other options. The following are five suggestions that may save you a sizable amount of money when reviewing your health insurance.
  • Don't Pay for Benefits That You Typically Won't Use - Get involved with your health insurance plan and find out what benefit options are available. Try to match the plan benefits with your most likely needs. If you are healthy and visit the doctor once a year for a physical exam don't look at plans that provide doctor's office co-pays. Most plans cover annual preventive benefits at 100%. If you need to see the doctor for an illness or injury, you are entitled to the contracted rate your insurance carrier has negotiated with the doctor. The contracted rate in many cases is not much higher than a co-payment benefit that you are paying additional premium to have. Don't use prescriptions? Look at plans that offer deductibles before the prescription benefit applies. Also consider higher deductibles and self insure the minor expenses.
  • Explore Individual Coverage for Spouse and Children - The common way that most families are insured is through an employer sponsored group health insurance plan. The employer pays a good portion of the employee cost as a benefit to attract and retain good employees. The dependent cost for spouse and children is paid by the employee through payroll deduction. This coverage for dependents is typically 30%-50% higher than a personal individual plan because of state mandated benefits for group coverage. Comparing premiums and benefits for your dependents with quality individual insurance carriers can make a huge difference in the amount of take home pay.
  • Compare Worst Case Scenario - Let's face it, health insurance was never intended to cover minor scrapes and hang nails. The main purpose should be to avoid the unforeseen major expense that can result in medical bankruptcy. When looking at comparing your current coverage to alternates look at worst case scenario. Start by making a side by side cost comparison of each plan. List the monthly premium first and multiple it by 12 months. Next, assume a catastrophic medical problem and list plan maximum deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. Add this to the annual premiums and compare the two plans. Now you can weigh the premium cost with the maximum exposure to make a more informed decision. Keep in mind that some plans continue to assess co-pays even if the maximum out-of-pocket has been reached. Others cover you at 100% after the maximums have been met. One last point on this topic...make sure to be aware of whether the deductible is a calendar year or policy year deductible. Plans with calendar year deductibles reset the deductible the first of the new year.
  • Use Network Providers - Insurance carriers negotiate fees with the network providers (doctors, labs, hospitals etc.). As an insured member you are entitled to these pre-negotiated rates when using the network providers. If you choose to use a non-network doctor there is no price control and the provider can charge whatever fee they desire. Most major insurance carriers have extensive provider networks in the metropolitan areas that provide reasonable coverage areas. If you select a plan with an out of network benefit you are paying an additional premium for this benefit. If you have the option for an in network only plan it is worth the effort to consider this to save premium dollars. These plans still cover out of network care for emergencies and care when traveling out of the area.
  • Explore HSA's - HSA plans (Health Savings Accounts) are a way to redirect premium payments from the insurance company to your own bank account. If the health insurance plan is an HSA compatible plan you have the option to fund an HSA savings account. These plans are IRS approved plans that allow you to deduct from your taxes the expenses you pay into the savings account. The money in this account can be used to pay for medical expenses tax-free. The medical plan is typically a high deductible plan that results in a considerable premium savings that can be redirected to your HSA bank account.
We have a great health care system in this country. The problem we have is uncontrollable healthcare costs and premiums. There is a disconnect between the provider of care and the end-user...the patient. Many Americans that have health insurance don't know the true cost and don't have many choices in picking their benefits. They are insured through their employer and the decision is made by the HR department. If each consumer shopped for health care like they shop for other goods and services they would be more likely to find a plan that maximized the benefits for the premiums they pay