Our Guide to Buying Insurance

When it comes to health care coverage, there are really only two options:  individual and group health care plans.  In this publication, we're going to talk about the group coverage options that might be offered at large companies, and how small businesses can join together to offer group health care to their employees too.

According to a Poll conducted by Zogby International back in August 2004, 17% of Americans feel affordable health insurance was one of President Bush's greatest failures.  The 2000 Census also tells us that 45 million Americans have no health insurance.

Some people would argue there is a national healthcare crisis here in the United States, and low cost health insurance should be available to all citizens. While that last statement is certainly debatable, we're going to address the issue of low cost health insurance in this article.

Short-term health care insurance may be something that you're interested in when you're between jobs, or while waiting for a new healthcare policy to come into effect.  Because it's sold as short-term insurance, the benefits and costs will be different than "standard" insurance policies.  Therefore, the expectations of the policyholder should be different.

Student health insurance is being required by more colleges and universities in an attempt to save uninsured students from unexpected medical bills. Health insurance also helps university medical hospitals from getting stuck with the cost of services when students can't pay their bills.  Recent surveys indicate that between 10 and 30% of the student population does not have any healthcare insurance.

Back in 1998, the Patient's Bill of Rights aimed at establishing an office of the Insurance Ombudsman in each state across America.  The provisions of that Bill were to apply to all health care plans.  The Bill included provisions such as access to care, monitoring the quality of care offered, protection of patient information, and a process for grievances and appeals.

In order to make the right choice when buying life insurance, you need to understand some of the basics.  There are many companies selling insurance, and sometimes making the best choice can be difficult.  To start the process, you need to think about the answer to this question:  Why do I need life insurance?

If you're thinking about buying life insurance, and you're not sure if term insurance, whole life, or universal life is right for you, we have a life insurance selector that can help you make the right decision.

Life insurance is a topic that's not always easy to talk about.  Aggressive insurance agents make this topic even more difficult to discuss in an objective manner.  Even with this pressure, you always need to keep one thing in mind: a life insurance policy is an important part of your family's financial contingency plan.

Term Life Insurance is an affordable way to provide financial security for loved ones.  Many insurance companies will describe term life insurance as protection for those that cannot afford permanent insurance.  That's because, by nature, term life insurance is usually guaranteed for "terms" or intervals such as 10, 20 or 30 years.

With a whole life insurance policy, you're combining the benefits of a term policy with that of an investment.  That means a whole life policy has two components to it: an insurance component, and an investment component.  When you're paying your annual premium on this type of life insurance policy, those payments need to fund both of these components.

Universal life insurance, which is also known as group universal life or group variable life insurance, is a policy that allows you to change the amount of insurance you need as your need for insurance changes.  Keep in mind, however, that as is the case with all life insurance policies, the primary benefit is to protect your loved ones from a financial hardship after you're gone.

Disability Insurance is something that many people don't think about when they are young, single, and healthy. But as the years pass, and your financial responsibilities change, you may begin to think about the affects a sudden disability might have on you or others that depend on your income. That's where Social Security can help.

In January of 2008, the Treasury Department first announced plans to offer prepaid debit cards for recipients of Social Security.  Coamerica Bank was chosen as the debit card issuer, and the Direct Express card provides users with safer and more convenient access to their Social Security benefits when compared to paper checks.

Medicare is an important health insurance program run by the federal government that provides for both hospital care (Medicare Part A), medical care (Medicare Part B), and prescription insurance (Medicare Part D). In this article, we are going to discuss Medicare eligibility rules, and some of the more common terminology you'll find in the Medicare program.

Medicare is a federally sponsored health insurance program for people aged 65 and over, those with certain disabilities, and individuals with permanent kidney failure. In this publication, we are going to focus on Medicare Part A - hospital insurance. We'll talk about the enrollment process; provide you with the most recent premium information, as well as the information on deductibles and coinsurance payments.

Medicare is a federally-sponsored program designed to provide individuals age 65 and older, and those with qualifying disabilities, with health care insurance. The entire program is split into two parts. Medicare Part B is medical insurance that helps these individuals pay for the costs of doctor bills and outpatient medical care. Part B also covers some of the medical services that Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) doesn't cover.

On December 8, 2003, Congress passed a comprehensive Medicare prescription drug program, known as Medicare Part D.  This program was aimed at providing Medicare recipients with prescription drug insurance.

Individuals receiving the health care benefits available through Medicare often search for additional Medicare Supplemental Insurance, also known as Medigap coverage.  A Medigap policy is a health insurance plan sold by a private insurance company to help fill in coverage "gaps" in the Original Medicare Insurance Plan.

If you're eligible to participate in Medicare, then you should consider buying Medicare supplemental insurance.  These are also known as Medigap insurance policies.  Medigap is a health insurance program that picks up costs where Medicare leaves off.  If you've already extended your Medicare policy into an HMO plan, then you really don't need an additional policy such as Medigap.

Major Medical Insurance is a term used to describe a supplemental insurance program that's associated with Medicare.  Generally, the major medical program is designed to provide health care insurance protection against medical expenses that occur after the age of 65.

We are going to finish our series on Medicaid by providing a comprehensive listing of where you can find a Medicaid application. The listing includes the organization's name, street address, telephone numbers, as well as website addresses.

Medicaid is a state and federally funded health care insurance program for low-income individuals and families, as well as those that can demonstrate need.  To be eligible for Medicaid benefits, you need to fall into one of over 25 different eligibility categories.

Medical science has worked wonders over the last several decades.  Americans are living longer and healthier lives.  Still, many people fear that one day they may wind up in a nursing home, which can then be a financial burden.  This is where Medicaid planning becomes important.

Planning for your long-term care, or that of a loved one, is an important decision that many of us will face one day.  In addition, as the quality of health care here in America improves, our lifespan extends and the use of nursing homes becomes more commonplace.  That's just one reason why Medicaid planning strategies are getting so much attention.

Federal law makes it easier for everyone to buy and own long term care insurance.  That's because it's easier for states to start programs that help reduce the worry, and stress, of paying for long term care.

The single best way for homeowners to protect their investment in their home is by owning a homeowners insurance policy.  Since the vast majority of homeowners also have a mortgage on their home, the lending institutions themselves often require mortgage holders to carry insurance on the property.

Whenever you buy insurance, it's always a good idea to shop around.  When it comes to home insurance quotes, there are a few simple guidelines you can follow to help compare policies.  Comparison-shopping can save you hundreds of dollars on your annual premiums, and perhaps even thousands of dollars if you ever need to file an insurance claim.

If you own a home or rent an apartment, then you probably have the home insured.  An often-ignored section of your homeowners insurance policy has to do with personal property insurance.  That's unfortunate, because if you file a claim, then you might be surprised at the response you get from your insurance carrier.

If you are a homeowner or drive a car, then you have probably filled out a form or application asking you how much liability insurance you want to carry.  Most of us just breeze through that section of the application without really giving it much thought.  However, if you're found legally liable via a lawsuit, and there is a monetary judgment against you, then you might find yourself scrambling to see just how much liability insurance you own.

To many families, a pet can bring love, companionship, and security to a home.  With this relationship comes a responsibility on behalf of the pet owner to provide for their pet's proper veterinary care; whether it's a routine check up or emergency care.  That's where pet insurance comes into play.

Flood Insurance is something you might want to look into, even if the community in which you live has never experienced widespread flooding.  Many homeowners mistakenly believe that their homeowners insurance policy provides flood insurance.  Renters often make the same mistake, thinking that they don't need flood insurance, but this is not always true.

While many of us do not like the idea of paying our insurance premiums each year, we are always glad we did when we need to file a claim.  But how many of us even think about buying insurance against disasters?  We might even be lulled into complacency because we are thinking that our existing homeowners policy insures us against natural disasters.  But as we will soon explain, that is not necessarily the case.

If you rent an apartment, condominium, duplex, or house, then you need to consider purchasing renters insurance.  Your landlord's homeowners insurance policy should cover damages to the building, but you need to purchase renters insurance to protect your belongings.  You can also purchase liability and certain medical insurance within the renters policy.

Dental insurance plans today are beginning to look more and more like health insurance plans of the late 1980's and early 1990's.  This is because companies continue to look for the most efficient ways of supplying medical and dental insurance to employees.  For employees that means more dental maintenance organizations (DMO), and paying a greater share of the insurance costs.

Insuring your vehicle is more than just a good way to protect your new car.  It's also a good way to protect people too.  In most states, you are legally required to carry insurance to protect your passengers, people that might be injured by your car, and damages your car might cause to property.

Trip or travel insurance, also referred to as trip cancellation insurance, compensates travelers for nonrefundable expenses.  For example, if the trip needs to be canceled for some unexpected reason, and the expenses such as airline tickets are nonrefundable, then the insurance company will compensate the traveler for their monetary losses.

If you've recently applied for a homeowners insurance policy or car insurance, then you might be familiar with your insurance credit rating.  If you're buying a home or new car, then you should be aware that your credit score can affect the premiums you pay on insurance.