Insurance News, Articles and Opinions

Health Insurance Experts Propose Four Paths to Reform (August 29, 2007) Well known “Think Tank” the Brookings Institute, recently put their collective minds to coming up with practical solutions to solve the demand for affordable health insurance and healthcare reform.

"Cafeteria Plans" Serve Up Affordable Health Insurance Options (August 29, 2007) Hungry for affordable health benefits? Ask your employer about a cafeteria plan. No that is not a health plan that lowers you r doctors bills by watching what you eat. Cafeteria plans are so named because of the flexibility they offer and the "menu" of low cost health insurance options they provide.

Overweight Employees Pay More For Group Health Insurance (August 29, 2007) If you are lucky enough to be one of the shrinking numbers of Americans who have employer based group medical insurance, count your blessings. And if you want to keep those health insurance premiums low cost, count your calories. An increasing number of companies that do provide group health insurance already charge employees who smoke more for their health insurance premiums, and experts agree that charging similar surcharges for overweight employees is not far behind.

Need Private Health Insurance? - Don't Panic (August 28, 2007) Your company has cut health insurance benefits. Maybe you are working for a firm that does not even offer health insurance benefits. You have recently graduated college and are no longer covered by your parent’s health insurance. There are numbers of reasons why you may find yourself suddenly in need to purchase private health insurance. The first thing is: Don’t Panic!

President Threatens Veto To Increase Affordable Health Care Coverage for Kids (August 28, 2007) Congress wants to put forth health insurance legislation that will add 50 billion dollars over the next 5 years to reestablish funding for SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The move is expected to cover at least 6 million of the 9 million kids in the country currently without Affordable health insurance.

Health Insurance and Extended Leave (August 27, 2007) If you have to take a leave of absence from work due to extend illness, you may be concerned about how long your health insurance will remain in effect to cover your treatments. This is a very good question, and one that does not have a simple answer.

Health Insurance Benefits Going To the Dogs (and cats too!) (August 27, 2007) With more and more companies cutting health insurance benefits for their employees, a growing number of companies are adding a surprising perk, health insurance benefits for pets!

Edwards on the Health Insurance Stump (August 24, 2007) Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards was one of the first democratic candidates to put forth an actual plan for healthcare reform. He continues to make health insurance a focus of his campaign. And while other candidates seem to be wrestling on how they will negotiate with foreign leaders, Edwards continues to say he will not negotiate with the insurance companies or Big Pharma when it comes to providing affordable health insurance for all Americans.

Medicare: More Options For Health Insurance for Seniors Mean More Questions (August 24, 2007) It is true that Medicare reform has brought more choices for health insurance to more seniors. The changes however have also brought with them more confusion. Today as people enter retirement and meet the age of eligibility for Medicare there are far more choices in health insurance available to them than there once were.

Mandatory Heath Insurance – Are there enough Primary Care Doctors? (August 23, 2007) Perhaps not entirely unanticipated a downside to Massachusetts’s low cost health insurance for all mandate has come to the surface. Even before the mandate went into effect on July 1st, people with medical coverage had trouble getting to see their primary care physicians. Long waits were not uncommon.

President Adamantly Opposed To Government Run Health Insurance (August 23, 2007) President Bush has gone on record as saying he is adamantly opposed to any legislation that would involve a move toward increased government sponsored healthcare. He is so opposed to anything that he perceives as a move towards so-called universal medical coverage, that he has even threatened to veto congresses requests to increasing funding to expand federal low cost heath insurance programs for children.

Peak Time for Summer Vacations - Do I need Travel Insurance? (August 23, 2007) Studies have shown that August is the most popular month for vacations especially among the 45-65 year old set. So if you are about to head off for that long awaited summer blast, you may be wondering if you need to think about travel insurance.

Parents Urged to Think About Health Insurance as They Think About "Back to School" (August 22, 2007) As the days of summer start to slip into August much to the dismay of children; parents start thinking about "Back to School" needs. And as they do the health experts agree that in addition to new lunch boxes and backpacks, parents need to think about the health insurance needs of their children.

Massachusetts Residents Still Confused About Compliance With Mandatory Health Insurance Laws (August 22, 2007) With much anticipation and watchful eyes across the nation, a Massachusetts law requiring all residents have health insurance went into effect July 1. Residents without access to affordable low cost health insurance that the law was designed to help however, are still confused about what this means to them. Many wonder if they are indeed “breaking the law if they continue to go without health insurance.

Denver Business Panel Concludes Employer Based Health Insurance May be a Thing of the Past (August 21, 2007) At a recent annual summit of business leaders in Denver, the main topic for discussion was what role should businesses continue to play as a provider of healthcare insurance. Traditionally most people have tuned to their employers for no cost or low cost health insurance, but in these times of rising healthcare costs and shrinking benefits, many have been seeking elsewhere for affordable health insurance.

Save Money On Health Insurance Premiums - Don't Pay for Coverage You Don't Need (August 21, 2007) No doubt about it health insurance can be expensive. But there are ways to lower the cost of medical insurance.  The key to a lower cost health insurance premium for many people is to stop paying for insurance coverage or health benefits they do not really need.

New Book Reveals Even Those with Health Insurance Can Face Medical Bankruptcy (August 20, 2007) Author Jonathan Cohn's has a new book out. "Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis — and the People Who Pay the Price." Much like Michael Moore’s recently released film “Sicko” the book explores how even those who thought they had adequate medical coverage found themselves in or close to financial ruin when faced with a medical crisis.

Maybe it's Time to Consider Changing Health Insurance, and Here are Ten Tips to Help (August 20, 2007) There are many reasons to consider changing your health insurance. Not the least of which is to find a lower cost health insurance policy. Sometimes changes in our health insurance needs are driven not by choice, but by a change in life circumstances. Marriage, Divorce, Graduation, a new job or even relocating to a new location can all require changes in your health insurance profile.

Florida Model for Low Cost Health Insurance Faltering (August 17, 2007) Florida has been a State notorious for a lack of low-cost health insurance products. Some four years ago at least one major Florida City made a bold move to change that. Jacksonville started the JaxCare Healthcare System.

High Risk Pools May be Only Health Insurance Option for Some (August 16, 2007) There are over 30 States in the Union that offer so-called High Risk Pools for Medical Insurance. High Risk Pools unfortunately do not represent low cost health insurance, and in fact in most cases are more expensive then other types of health insurance coverage. However in the States that offer them, High Risk Pools may be the only option for individual diagnosed and being treated for certain diseases.

The Downside of Consumer Driven Health Insurance (August 15, 2007) In the ongoing debate about health insurance and healthcare reform in this country and how to get more of the 45 million Americans without health insurance covered, much has been said about so-called Consumer Driven Health Plans. Consumer Driven Health Plans provide choice. 

Survey Finds Texas Ranks #1 in Those Without Affordable Health Insurance Coverage (August 14, 2007) President Bush is threatening to veto congress’ request for a 50 Billion shift in funding to see that all children in the country have access to low cost heath insurance.  In the meantime it may interest him to know that a recent survey found his home state of Texas performing very poorly when it comes to children and adults with access to affordable medical coverage.

Defined Benefits Plans, An Affordable Health Insurance Alternative (August 13, 2007) Health Insurance companies are increasingly coming up with new ideas and new products to meet the growing demand for low cost health insurance. One relatively new such alternative takes so-called limited or mini-med plans to a new level. They are known as Defined Benefits Plans.

You Can Reduce Your Families Health Insurance and Health Care Bills (August 10, 2007) With healthcare and health insurance costs at an all time high nationwide finding more affordable medical insurance isn’t the only way to reduce your family’s healthcare costs. Here are few valuable tips on how to be frugal without skimping on care when it comes to medical spending.

Leading Health Insurance Provider Closes Gap For Low Income Wage Earners (August 9, 2007) A leading provider of low cost health insurance products to employers and retirees, AmWINS Group Benefits, has announced its plans to do something about the growing number of uninsured and underinsured Americans. The company will begin providing a low cost limited medical benefits plan, targeted at low wage earners.

South Dakotans Ready for Health Insurance Reform (August 8, 2007) South Dakota legislators and businesses alike have been looking for solutions to bring low cost medical coverage to residents of the state.  As debate over healthcare and health insurance reform continue across the country, and so called Universal Health Insurance Plans have gone into effect in states such as Massachusetts, South Dakotans have kept a watchful eye on all developments.

Large Majority of Americans say Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform is Needed (August 7, 2007) In survey after survey the majority of Americans report dissatisfaction with their experiences with the healthcare system, and over 40% of Americans continually reports that healthcare and health insurance reform is necessary.

Self Employed In New York State see Some Improvement in Medical Insurance Options (August 6, 2007) Finding affordable health insurance rates for small business and the self employed can be difficult. For small business owners in the State of New York obtaining low cost medical coverage has been particularly challenging. However that pressure may be finally easing a bit.

Wellness Plans: An Alternative to Traditional Medical Insurance (August 3, 2007) Top insurers nationwide are recognizing the value of wellness programs in reducing the cost of medical insurance and providing a path towards more affordable health insurance. Wellness classes and patient education programs and disease management strategies are being incorporated into many employer and even private health insurance plans.

Can I really Get Quality Affordable Life Insurance Without a Medical Exam? (August 2, 2007) Yes, and it is easier than ever. No person with a family should go without life insurance, and with rates for term life insurance at historical lows, there is no reason not to insure your families well being in the event of the unfortunate death of yourself or a loved one.

Consumer Driven Health Plans Not Growing As Quickly As Once Predicted (August 1, 2007) In the ongoing debates about universal health coverage and affordable health insurance reforms, there has been much ballyhoo made about the so-called Consumer Driven High Deductible Health Plans. And while these plans continue to be offered as the entry point for affordable medical coverage by more and more insurance companies and employers, they do not seem to be catching on as quickly as was once predicted.