Hello and welcome to this installment of the Weekly Health Insurance News Roundup. In this installment, we’ll look at a few articles that have to do with money and health care or health insurance, usually regarding how to save it, which is something everyone is concerned with these days. Our first article comes to us from the Charlotte Observer and is entitled, “Savings accounts may be future of health care.”
According to the article, local business leaders are noticing that, while still a small percentage, health savings accounts are becoming increasingly more and more popular, and enrollment is growing quickly. According to the article, around eight million people have health savings accounts, up over thirty percent from the previous year and a seven-fold increase from 2005.
People are finding health savings accounts attractive for several reasons. First, the money put into this accounts, whether by themselves or through their companies, is entirely theirs. Secondly, since they have a finite amount of money to spend, since they have a finite amount of money to spend on their health care, which makes them spend both more wisely and more efficiently. This, in turn, helps people save money, due to more finite control and better awareness of their health care spending budget. Overall, as health savings accounts become more popular, it’ll be interesting to see how these fit into any plans for health insurance and health care reform in the future.
Our next article comes from Kiplinger.com, and is entitled, “3 Things to Avoid When Trying to Cut Health Costs.” This article looks at, incidentally, three things one could look at when trying to save money on their health insurance costs. The first of these is premiums, and the article suggests not focusing too much on the price of the plan premium. According to the article, paying a lower premium for a health insurance plan with less coverage can cost you more in the long run due to having to pay more for medical expenses should they occur. This leads to their second point, coverage. The article suggests that buying high-deductible health insurance coverage could save you a lot of money in the long run, even though you might have to pay a higher up-front deductible. Finally, the article suggests being wary of COBRA, since it can get very expensive after subsidies end.
Our final article takes another tack on this issue. It’s from the Miami Health Examiner and is entitled, “Beverage tax considered to fund health insurance.” According to the article, Miami residents are paying the most money for their health insurance out of anyone in the nation. Apparently a family of four there in 2008 paid $20,282 for health care costs. Lawmakers there are therefore considering taxes on alcohol and sweetened beverages — two things alone that can cause their own health care problems — to help pay for skyrocketing health care costs. I honestly think this is a very interesting idea, but whether it takes off is anyone’s guess.
This concludes this issue of the Weekly Health Insurance News Roundup. I hope you have found it informative, and until next time, have a happy and healthy day.
Are you between jobs and are worried about medical insurance? Have your health benefits been lessened? If you answered, “yes” to any of these, you may be in need of short term medical insurance plans. Well, we’re here to help. In this article, we will teach you how to find short term medical insurance plans and quotes online. We’ll teach you everything that you need to know so that you can get insured quickly without breaking your pocket book. After all, medical insurance is extremely important. Let’s get started.
Decide what you need ahead of time. Are you interested more interested in the length of the term or in the price? Do you only need short term medical insurance plan coverage for a short time? Your situation may be different if you are self-employed versus working for an employer. Either way, ask yourself what the most important parts of the plan should be BEFORE you start looking for a suitable company. This way you won’t waste a lot of time when searching.
Take your time researching insurance plans. Finding the best short term medical insurance will take a bit of work but if you’re diligent with your efforts, you can find a great medical insurance plan that meets your individualized needs. The absolute best way to find a plan, is to ask friends and family members for referrals. You can also ask your existing insurance provider for assistance or a referral to a suitable company. Most times, you will find a reputable company by following this route. If you are unsuccessful in your efforts, you can also go online to find great quotes and find a company that is excited about conducting business with you.
Go online. When you’re online, do a search for short term insurance quotes with one of the major search engines. In most instances you will find a plethora of sites that offer free quotes. Visit ones that look promising. Evaluate their overall look and feel of their site, their company profiles, and offers for free quotes. This will give you a general feel for their insurance offerings and professionalism. Complete the short application forms to get a detailed quote and don’t be afraid to inquire about their price structure and coverage benefits. Short list those companies that you are most interested in. Then, check forums and even the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org to make sure that no complaints have been filed against them.
Do a comparison of benefits. Not all insurance plans are alike. Therefore, you’ll need to do a side-by-side comparison of the benefits and terms of the short term medical plan which will inevitably save you a lot of headaches down the road. Be careful not to make your decision solely on price. You may decide to go with the lowest cost option but it may not be the best option for you and your situation.
Contact any proposed companies to see how their customer service responds. Do they have online representatives available ready to assist? Is there a live phone number you can call if you have a problem? Are they responsive, friendly, and ready to help? What hours are they available should you need to reach them online or by phone?
Complete the application process. Once you do this, you’ll be able to choose a suitable company, fill out the formal paperwork and get covered. However, just make sure that you read and understand any agreements before you sign up and submit your first premium. By doing this, you will choose the best company for your individualized needs. Good luck!
