The Benefits of Low Cost Health Insurance

To protect and preserve one’s health, low cost health insurance is needed. Due to the increasing costs of doctor’s professional fees and hospital charges, there should be low cost health insurance available to everyone. US government statistics show that more than 40 million Americans do not have low cost health insurance. Health care prices are rapidly and continuously going up and many people cannot even afford basic health care insurance.

Low cost health insurance are programs that offers health insurance policies at a much lower price. Students, the unemployed and low-income families are the best candidates for such low cost health insurance. These people can choose from a list of low cost health insurance policies that offer coverage at a minimal price. These low cost health insurances offer low premiums compared to the other health insurance programs out there. In some of these plans, the employer pays part of the premium. It is important that, although not expensive, the plan should fit the individual’s needs. The low cost health insurance plan should also offer protection against major illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.

The disadvantage of low cost health insurance is that, because of the lower premium, there are also less benefits. The low cost health insurance typically offers basic coverage such as paying the cost of hospital, surgical, and physician bills. Operating room, diagnostic procedures, anesthesia, and laboratory expenses are usually covered also. However, individuals with low cost health insurance get very few of the great benefits that are offered by other health insurance programs such as surgical expenses including the assistant surgeon’s professional fee, ambulance service, blood transfusions, oxygen, prescription medications, and even prosthetic devices.

Student health insurance is a type of low cost health insurance, which offers insurance to full time college students between the ages of 17 to 19. The undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least nine credits to quailfy for this type of insurance. Graduate students may also apply for this type of low cost health insurance program. These students should be enrolled in a college or university that is recognized and accredited by the state. Universities and colleges usually offer this type of student low cost health insurance so if college bound, check the coverage being offered because each university’s insurance policy is different. Other low cost health insurance providers can provide student health insurance also.

The most important advantage of this low cost health insurance program is the cost. A low premium is offered. It is also recognized even if the student transfers to another university or college. The standard college student health insurance program is a low cost health insurance policy that costs less but has fewer benefits. Independent individual policies cost more but offer much better coverage.

Health and Medical Insurance – Comparing Managed Care Health Plans

Health insurance plans have been forced to take action to contain costs of quality health care delivery as health care costs have skyrocketed. Health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays have steadily increased, and health insurance companies have implemented certain strategies for reducing health care costs. “Managed care” describes a group of stratgies aimed at reducing the costs of health care for health insurance companies.
There are two basic types of managed care plans; health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, and preferred provider organizations, or PPOs. So which health plan is best? How do you choose what type of health insurance best suits the health care needs of you and your family?
Both HMOs and PPOs contain costs by contracting with health providers for reduced rate on health care services for its’ members, often as much as 60%. One important difference between HMOs and PPOs is that PPOs often will cover the costs of care when the provider is out of their network, but usually at a reduced rate. On the other hand, most HMOs offer no coverage for health care services for out-of-network providers.
Both HMO and PPOs also control health care costs by use of a gateway, or primary care provider (PCP). Health insurance plan members are assigned (or select) a primary care practitioner (physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner). usually a family practitioner or internal medicine doctor for adult members or a pediatrician or family care practitioner for childern. The primary care provider is responsible for coordianting health delivery for plan members. Care by specialist physicians require referral from the primary care provider. This cost containment strategy is intended to avoid duplication of services (for example, the cardiologist ordering tests that have already been done by the PCP, or a sprained ankle being referred to an orthopedic) and avoid unnecessary specialist referrals, tests and/or procedures.
HMO and PPO plans also contain costs by requiring prior approval, prior authorization, or pre-certification for many elective hospital admissions, surgeries, costly tests and imaging procedures, durable medical equipment and prescription drugs. When such services are required, the provider must submit a request to the health insurance plan review department, along with medical records that justify the service. The request is reviewed by the health insurance company to determine whether the services are justified as “medically necessary” according to the health plan policy and guidelines. Review is usually performed by licensed nurses, and, if the reviewer agrees that the service is necessary, approval is given and the service will be covered by the health insurance plan.
As health care costs continue to rise, many indemnity health insurance plans, or “fee for service” plans are being forced to adopt some managed care strategies in order to provide quality health care and keep health insurance premiums affordable. And as long as health care costs continue to rise, the distinctions among PPO, HMO, FFS and other health insurance plans will become blurred. Rest assured, however, that managed health care is here to stay.

Florida Self Employed Health Insurance

Florida residents that are self employed and looking for health insurance have a number of options available to them. Be aware that depending upon your health, your age, and other factors unique to your particular situation there is no hard and fast rule as to which option is best for you. However, there are some general guidelines that will help you make the best Florida self employed health insurance decision.

The first Florida health insurance option available to the self employed is to simply apply for an individual health insurance policy. The benefit to applying for an individual health insurance policy is that individual health insurance rates in Florida are very competitive. You can see that first hand by viewing instant Florida health insurance quotes.

The downside to attempting to purchase an individual health insurance policy in the state of Florida is that you must be healthy. According to FL law, a health insurance company can decline your application for an individual health insurance policy based on prior medical history (pre-existing conditions), height and weight restrictions, and other health related criteria.

That means if you have cancer, diabetes, weight problems, or a host of other physical ailments then you will be denied coverage with a Florida individual health insurance policy. (Any unscrupulous agent that tries to tell you other wise is misrepresenting whatever product he or she is trying to sell you as health insurance when in fact it is probably a discount health plan or a health insurance indemnity plan with very limited coverage).

The second Florida health insurance option available to the self employed is to apply for a Florida group health insurance plan. In Florida, any group of 2 employer/employees or more is considered eligible for a Florida small group health insurance. (If it is just you: 1 self employed person functioning as a sole proprietor in the state of Florida then you have a different option open to you – see option 3 below). The benefit to applying for a Florida small group health insurance policy is that that certain health issues that can signal an automatic decline on the individual health insurance side will not signal an automatic decline on the group health insurance side.

The downside to attempting to purchase a group health insurance policy in the state of Florida is that it can be very expensive. Think of it in terms of: the more potentially unhealthy people that the insurance company has to give health insurance to (group health insurance) the higher the premiums will be as opposed to where the insurance company can pick and choose who they will accept for health insurance (individual health insurance).

The third Florida health insurance option available to the self employed is for those that are functioning as a sole proprietor. Florida self employed sole proprietors can apply for a Florida guaranteed issue small group health plan. The Florida guaranteed issue small group health plans has an open enrollment period only during the month of August.

Florida self employed health insurance can be a somewhat tricky area to navigate without the help of a licensed independent Florida health insurance agent. There are also many different ways to save money in taxes – one of which being the ability to deduct your health insurance premiums paid on Schedule C of your tax return against and up to your Schedule C income (Meaning that even if you don’t itemize [Schedule A] you can still deduct your health insurance premiums paid all the way up to your Schedule C income!).

Request help from the Florida self employed health insurance experts (CPA, Certified Financial Planner, and licensed Florida independent insurance agents) by visiting www.RealtimeHealthQuotes.com.

Anyone Wants Health Insurance?

Health insurance is important to every individual because one never knows when he will need it. Due to the advances in modern medicine, medical diagnostic and treatment procedures are now a lot more expensive than before. Not everyone can afford the full cost of medical treatment which could easily add up to thousands of dollars.

The tremendous increase of health insurance prices in recent years has been attributed to various health-related factors such as lack of regular exercise, unhealthy food choices, exodus of doctors away from poor areas and rural areas, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, the popularity of drug addiction, increased body fat leading to obesity and the sedentary life led by most individuals nowadays.

Health insurance coverage originated in 1694 by Hugh the Elder Chamberlen, who first thought of the concept of health insurance. In the late 19th century, health insurance was called disability insurance because health insurance was limited only to medical costs of such injuries that would potentially lead to disability.

Health insurance is a program in which the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured should the insured become afflicted with sickness due to diseases or accidents covered by the insured’s plan. There are private organizations and government agencies who offer health insurance.

Health insurance is classified into private or non-government coverage or government-sponsored. A private health insurance is purchased from a private health insurance company and it is further classified into employment-based health insurance, which if offered through one’s employment. “Direct-purchase” is plan where the individual purchases the health insurance himself from a private company.

Private health insurance is controversial because the insurance company needs to remain solvent while the insured should remain in good health.

When the health insurance includes plans funded by the government, it is called government health insurance and it may be on a federal, state, or local level. This health insurance includes medicare, medicaid, military health care plans, state plans, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Medicare is a government health insurance which pays health care costs for those 65 years old and above. Medicaid is a government health insurance coverage which helps families with dependent children, those who are disabled, blind people and the others who have disabilities and need health insurance. These two health insurance coverage programs complicate the current United States health insurance crisis because they unintentionally determine the price of medical diagnostic and treatment procedures.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program provide health insurance to children who are part of low-income parents not qualified for Medicaid while military health care is health insurance provided by civilians and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Health insurance provided by some states for low-income constituents who have no insurance is called state-specific plan.

Individuals who wish to buy health insurance should first fill out a comprehensive medical history form that includes the history of smoking, the person’s weight, the individual’s past diseases and hospitalizations. This is used because individuals with pre-existing medical conditions are not eligible to that health insurance. Discounts may be given to applicants who are proven to be healthy, and who have no vices like smoking and drinking alcohol regularly.

Public Health Nursing

Isn’t it good health one of our priorities in the family among other things? With that in mind, wouldn’t it be very comforting to know also if the community where we live in also promotes public health nursing? Even if your eyebrows meet and your forehead carries a large question mark because you don’t know exactly it means and what it can do to your community, but if you read it between the lines, I’m sure you would say yes right away!

But, what really is public health nursing? For some, the words may sound familiar, while others may find the words confusing. Actually, public health nursing is the practice of upholding and protecting the health of the community by using the knowledge learned from nursing, social, and public health sciences. Given the good intention of public health nursing, it is not surprising to know that you can find public health nursing almost anywhere in the country.

Public health nursing is, in fact, developed to describe its specific roles and to provide a guide for public health nursing practice in the ever growing health care system. However, the public health nursing practice can be affected by certain factors, such as environmental, biological, cultural, economic, social and political aspects of a community. Due to the fact that public health nursing is an integral part of the healthcare system, the former is also responsive to these factors by way of working with the community in promoting health and preventing disease, injury and disability.

As public health nurses, their role is to integrate community health involvement and knowledge about the entire community with personal and clinical understandings of the health and illness experiences of individuals and families within the community. Also, they interpret and express the health and illness experiences of different, usually vulnerable individuals and families in the community to health planners and policy makers and assist members of the community to speak up their problems and hopes.

A public health nursing may be carried out even by only one public health nurse or by a group of public health nurses working together for the same purpose. There could be many activities that public health nurses can do in order to promote good health and protect the health of the entire community. One of the best examples is providing health education, care management and primary care to the people and families, especially those who are members of vulnerable community.

Our world could be a better place to live in if only all the community encourage public health nursing in order to have disease-free and health-conscious family. And since family is the smallest unit of a community, the awareness in promoting health should start within it. This is much easier to achieve through the help of public health nurses, knowing that it only takes one public health nurse to operate a public health nursing.

How To Compare Health Insurance Plans And Get Affordable Health Insurance!

Everyone needs an adequate health insurance plan; however, in America, everyone doesn’t have the same health insurance plan. Actually, the health insurance plan that’s available to one person may not be available to another person. One reason this is true is not all health insurance plans are affordable to all people.

There are three practical ways of obtaining a good health insurance plan – you just have to compare the health insurance plans and get the most affordable health insurance for you.

Group Health Insurance

You can obtain an affordable group health insurance plan in a variety of ways. Most employers offer group health insurance plans as benefits to their employees; many of these types of group health insurance plans allow you to add your spouse and your children onto the health insurance policy.

Various organizations and associations offer group health insurance plans as benefits to their members. Some businesses, such as credit card companies, offer group health insurance plans as benefits to their customers.

Find out if your employer offers group health insurance. Or, if you belong to any clubs or are associated with a particular business, ask if they offer group health insurance plans.

Individual Health Insurance

Unfortunately, employers aren’t required to offer group health insurance plans to their employees. When this is the case, consider purchasing an individual health insurance plan. With the broad range of health insurance companies specializing in affordable individual plans, you will be able to find a plan that meets your health needs as well as satisfies your budget.

State-sponsored Health Insurance

If you aren’t employed, or your employer doesn’t offer group health insurance and you can’t afford to purchase health insurance otherwise, contact your state’s department of insurance for information about state-sponsored health insurance plans. Depending on your income, as well as any other factors your state considers, you and your family members may be eligible for very low-cost or free health insurance.

Affordable Health Insurance For People Who Live In New York

If you are not eligible for COBRA, HIPAA, insurance policy conversion, state continuation, Medicaid, Medicare, or any type of state-sponsored health care program, but are in need of affordable health insurance in New York, you may have to purchase an individual health insurance plan.

Most people groan at the thought of purchasing an individual health insurance plan – and for good reason. Individual health insurance plans are usually more expensive than the ideal health care coverage – employer-sponsored group health insurance plans. However, in New York, you can purchase an affordable individual health insurance plan for a couple of reasons.

First, when you set out to purchase an individual health insurance plan in New York, you can not be turned down due to your particular health conditions. This is great news because many people with pre-existing health conditions tend to have a difficult time finding health insurance companies that will sell health insurance to them. Health insurance companies view people with pre-existing or serious health conditions as higher risks to insure. They view them as potentially lost money. Yet, in New York, there are health insurance companies that will not turn you down regardless of any pre-existing health conditions you may have, or the severity of the health condition.

Second, you will not be charged a higher health insurance rate due to your pre-existing health condition, regardless of the severity of your pre-existing health condition. This is more great news, since people with pre-existing health conditions who do manage to purchase individual health insurance policies do so for a high price. They need health insurance, especially because they need care for their pre-existing health conditions; however, because of their pre-existing health conditions, they pay high prices. It’s a vicious cycle that New York is working toward ending.

For more information about the health insurance companies that provide these individual health insurance policies and their contact information, contact the New York Insurance Department.

Affordable Health Insurance In Michigan

If you are having trouble finding affordable health insurance in Michigan, you may want to look into enrolling in a discount health care plan. Discount health care plans are not health insurance plans; health insurance companies do not normally offer discount health care plans. Rather, discount health care plans are offered by businesses specializing in the insurance industry to plan members for a monthly or annual fee. These businesses have contracts with certain health care providers who have agreed to honor the discount health care plan.

Obtaining affordable health insurance in Michigan may seem tough at times. The good news is that you can find discounts for medical, dental, and vision care, as well as discounts on prescriptions with a discount health care plan. The health care providers to whom you have access with the discount health care plan are usually in some form of agreement with the company from which you purchased the discount health care plan. Make sure this is true for you and your discount health care plan before you start signing or paying for anything. If there are no health care providers in your area who participate with the discount health care plan in which you are enrolled, the plan will be practically useless. Unless, of course, you are up to traveling all over the state to see a health care professional who does honor the discount health care plan.

It is very important to remember that a discount health care plan is not a regular health insurance policy. You can not get comprehensive health care coverage from a discount health care plan. If comprehensive health care coverage is a priority, you should look elsewhere for affordable health insurance in Michigan. If comprehensive health care coverage is not a priority, and you have had trouble in the past finding affordable health insurance in Michigan, a discount health care plan may be just the plan for you.