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Cheap Health Insurance in Phoenix, Arizona

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:50:06 +0000

Phoenix has become a refuge for people in their mature years. More and more people flock to this warm and welcoming city every year to enjoy their retirement. Although this means that a good portion of the population is already eligible for Medicare benefits, many people aren’t. For those not quite ready to retire, they are constantly on the look out for cheap health insurance in Phoenix, Arizona. Although it can seem like a frustrating experience trying to find the best coverage for an affordable price, it’s an important issue that every person should think about.

The most important thing to keep in mind when looking for cheap health insurance isn’t the price. It’s much more prudent to first consider the coverage and then begin to look at prices. The reason behind this logic is fairly simple. Low cost plans may look appealing to a bank account, but they don’t always provide all the coverage a person or family needs. Although it’s great to pay the least amount possible for health insurance premiums, if you find yourself needing a service that isn’t covered, the related costs can be astronomical.

Therefore everyone looking for an individual coverage plan needs to carefully consider their health past and then pick and choose the coverage benefits they need. For instance if someone is on prescription medications for high blood pressure or cholesterol, they obviously need some level of prescription drug coverage. For a family with two or three children all facing the possibility of orthodontic braces, dental coverage is vital.

A good way for anyone to save on health insurance is to consider taking a plan that only provides partial coverage on things like hospital stays or ambulance rides. Thankfully the majority of people living in Phoenix will never need to utilize those services, but if they do, it’s nice to have at least some coverage provided by a health insurance plan.

By: Deborah Mills

Live Without Health Insurance

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:00:53 +0000

People without health insurance are described by health economists as “free riders”. Isn’t that term telling? I mean with the average cost of a family’s health insurance at $12,106 per year, if you don’t go along with the Great American Slavery of paying whatever last dollar you have left after paying for your prescription medications and doctor bills for your health insurance then you are somehow not playing the game according to the rules. Well there is something seriously wrong with this picture. One out of seven Americans are uninsured, our country spends twice as much on health care as other countries where everyone is insured, and yet our health care outcomes (how long you live, how likely your kids are to get to their first birthday) are second to last amongst industrialized countries.

For people without insurance, getting sick can be a disaster. In fact, half of all bankruptcies in America are caused by someone in the family getting sick. That means your house will be foreclosed upon, your children’s education will be threatened, your marriage may be ruined by the financial stress, and you will have to work for the rest of your life because you will never be able to get ahead. What is worse, many Americans are dying because they avoid going to the doctor when they do get sick, thinking that they can’t afford it. Does it have to be this way? I say not. I say that you can take control of your life by planning for your health care needs, changing your life, and educating yourself to become a smart health care consumer. And you can do it, even if you can’t afford insurance. How do you do that?

The first step is by educating yourself. Expensive colonoscopies ($2000+) have not been proven to be more effective at successfully reducing death from colon cancer than a $2 test (guaiac) you can buy at the drug store. Taking your kid to the doctor in the US will likely lead to an antibiotic prescription (not to mention an expensive doctor and pharmacy bill)-that won’t help her significantly and will increase the risk of future infections. The American Medical Association says you should not get a yearly checkup with a doctor if you are not sick. If they say that, why should you pay for it?

And what if you do get sick? If you get cancer or need heart surgery, you can go to a country like Thailand and get state of the art care in modern hospitals with doctors that were trained in America or an equivalent medical education system… for 1/10th what you would pay in the US. Ditto goes for nursing home care. Many Americans are waking up to the fact that they pay 1/10th as much when they go south of the border-and they prefer the climate.

OK, what if I get in a car accident, they won’t be able to send me to Thailand, right? What many people don’t realize is that they can get better trauma care at large urban hospitals, like Grady Hospital in my home city of Atlanta, that use a sliding scale form of payment, than they would get at most private hospitals. But you can’t wait until you have a disaster to make those plans. You have to do your homework and plan ahead.

You can start a medical savings plan that will provide a cushion. Even putting a small amount into the plan every month will help ensure your financial future.

We all know that proper diet and exercise are important. But what most people don’t realize is how much money they can save by taking the right steps. The vast majority of costly health care is for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart diseases that can be prevented by diet and exercise-over 90% of the time! That’s pretty good odds.

So start doing the math and seeing what is right for you. Maybe you can live without insurance.

By: Doug Bremner

Health Insurance For Seniors – The Preferred Choice

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:27:36 +0000

Some Medicare members are unhappy with their health care coverage. They enrolled in Medicare mistakenly believing that it would cover all of their health and medical expenses. They have not only been disappointed when hearing that many products and services are not covered but have also been left in financial trouble because of it. Recently, Medicare benefits have only declined further. Because of this more and more people, seniors especially, have begun to research health insurance plans to cover the costs of the things they need. They are quickly finding out that what was once limited to only supplementing Medicare, is now becoming a policy of its own as health insurance plans begin to offer more to their members.

Many health insurance plans now offer both primary insurance plans (Medicare Advantage plans) as well as continuing to offer supplemental plans; coverage for dental plans is also available. In addition to offering prescription and non-prescription medications at low costs, many health insurance plans are also taking over costs of eye care, including covering up to sixty percent of the cost of prescription glasses and will even bring your much needed medications right to your doorstep!

Another benefit offered by available plans is that a simple application form can be found online, with follow-up by a customer service representative. And spouses of members may also enjoy the benefits in many health insurance plans. Companies offer many different options to suit many different needs. Because of this, it’s important that you read and fully understand the package that you research so that you don’t get caught by surprise when a medical expense comes in. With all of the different plans available online, there is sure to be something for everyone and a plan that may seem tailor made to suit your own personal situation.

Members of health insurance plans frequently also enjoy other services, such as long term care insurance and life insurance. Some even offer membership in health clubs and preventative programs. It’s no wonder that health insurance plans beyond Medicare are becoming the preferred choice!

By: Sharon Elrod

Individual Health Insurance – Indemnity and HMO Health Insurance

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:53:52 +0000

The first thing you need to know about individual health insurance is that there are two types of insurance plans – indemnity insurance plans, and HMO insurance plans.

Indemnity insurance basically means that you (or your employer) will have to pay a set monthly premium to the insurance company. In turn, you will have the freedom to choose any doctor or medical institution to get your treatment. Indemnity insurance gives you a lot of freedom in choosing your medical provider, and can be great if you already have a family doctor, or would like to a doctor not covered under an HMO plan (more on this later). Indemnity insurance plans will usually cover the entire spectrum of your health care, including prescription medications (although this varies with different plans).

In a HMO plan, on the other hand, you basically pay for access to a particular network of doctors and medical providers. You cannot go outside the network, no matter what your illness or requirement may be. This lack of freedom along with the limited number of doctors in the network usually means a lot of bureaucratic hurdles in receiving treatment.

Indemnity plans are typically quite expensive, running into $1000+ for a family of four. HMO plans, on the other hand, are way cheaper. However, despite the lower costs, HMO insurance is not the best option, particularly if you, or someone in your family suffers from a serious illness. Because of the limited network of care providers and doctors, it takes a long time to get approval for a specific medical treatment from your primary doctor in a HMO plan, leading to severe medical lapses.

Indemnity plans, on the other hand, do not suffer from such limitations and redundancies. Since you are free to choose any doctor, you can get the best treatment in the quickest possible time. If you can afford it, indemnity insurance is the way to go when picking up an individual health insurance.

By: John Newcomb

How to Compare Low Cost Health Insurance in Michigan

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:20:45 +0000

Even though the state of Michigan has many programs in place that provide health insurance to those who don’t qualify for traditional coverage, there are many discount health plans available. Many people mistakenly believe that these discount health plans are a part of a state wide initiative. They aren’t. In fact all discount health plans in the state are privately run and they aren’t considered health plans at all. For this reason they are not recognized or regulated by the state. Consumers would do well to steer clear of these plans and instead seek out a government funded health insurance program if they need to.

For individuals who don’t fall into a low income bracket and therefore don’t qualify for a government regulated plan, they will want to compare low cost health insurance plans in Michigan to find the best price. Doing this may sound complicated and time-consuming but it doesn’t need to be. In fact it can be painless as long as the person seeking the insurance is prepared.

Understanding what coverage you absolutely must have is essential to finding the best price possible. If you are dependent on regular prescription medications, you’ll obviously need health insurance that offers prescription drug coverage. For someone at risk of developing cancer because of a family history, they’ll want a plan that provides for cancer screening and chemotherapy and follow-up treatments.

Once you have that information in place, you can then contact various health insurance companies to get quotes. Ensure that each agent you speak with understands exactly the level and scope of coverage you require. At this time also inquire about the claim process and how long claims generally take. You’ll then be in an ideal position to make a decision that is best for the health of you and your family members.

By: Deborah Mills