Recent Article Additions
America's Perfect Financial Storm
Its been reported that outstanding credit card debt is standing at about $696 billion dollars. Thanks largely to industry lenders that have extended their numerous offers to people with less than perfect credit or with questionable abilities to repay the charges.
Many credit cards are coming with penalty rates above 30%, even if the individual is late on just one credit card payment. That payment might not have even been owed to that credit card company to trigger the higher rates.
Several months ago, credit card companies raised their minimum
payment requirements from an aver
Click here to read the full article
Comprehensive Health Insurance Parity Legislation
Many health plans discriminate against millions of Americans with mental disorders by limiting mental health and substance abuse healthcare by imposing lower day and visit limits, higher co-payments and deductibles and lower annual and lifetime spending caps.
From a clinical standpoint insurance is a huge obstacle. In
psychiatry in general there are limits to insurance coverage which
could hinder a patients treatment. An insurance company that would
not limit the number of days a person with diabetes can get treated
in a year asks someone with a mental illness to pay out-of-pocket
for days
Click here to read the full article
Experts Say the Allied Health Work Force Is in Jeopardy
From rising health care costs to an increase in the number of
Americans who lack health insurance coverage, there are many health
care issues that are attracting considerable attention in
Congress.
However, some say there's one key dimension that fails to receive
sufficient notice: the adequacy of the allied health care work
force. Apart from doctors, nurses and pharmacists, these
professionals are the personnel engaged in patient care in
hospitals. They also work in a wide range of other health care
settings.
An increase in demand, retirements, technology advances and other
opportunities for allied healt
Click here to read the full article
Eldercare In An Age of Scarcity:Who Will Care? Who Will Pay?
America is rapidly moving to a two-tiered system of long-term care services. One provides a broad spectrum of services ranging from an optimal amount of high quality home care to elegant and well staffed continuing care retirement communities for those who can afford to pay; while the other offers very limited services ranging from a few hours of home care per week to often dreary, poorly staffed, nursing homes funded by Medicaid.
State and federal officials are about to implement newly legislated budget cuts that will further limit care options for those who rely on
Click here to read the full article
Paying too Much for Medications? Saving Money on Prescriptions Just Got Easier
Americans are paying more and more for their medications, with many seeing double-digit increases or more over the past decade. The changing landscape of brand names, generics and over-the-counter choices is confusing. And health insurance coverage is changing rapidly too. The trend is toward higher co-payments or co-insurance for traditional prescription card programs and consumer-driven health plans with high deductibles, meaning that out-of-pocket expenses are on the rise.
With all of these changes, cost is becoming more of a factor when consumers are ready to fill their prescriptions.
Click here to read the full article
International Travel Insurance Dont Leave Home Without It
Does this sound familiar? Youve saved and saved for that perfect vacation youve always dreamt about. Youre in the travel agents office, youve just purchased your very expensive ticket and shes saying that you should buy some international travel insurance too. You roll your eyes because youre sure all this international travel insurance business is nonsense and shes just trying to get some more of your money. You say no thanks. While on your vacation, you crash your car and get hurt. Guess what? Youve got to foot all the expenses yourself and because you didnt want to get
Click here to read the full article
Health Insurance for the Home Based Business Owner
Most people who dream about having their own home based business put it off for one major reason their health insurance and other benefits. Health insurance is important to any home based busi...
So, what are your options when it comes to health insurance? First, if you are married, you have the option to obtain spousal coverage through your husband or wifes group insurance. If it is an option for your, then use it, as it is often much less expensive that purchasing your own individual policy.
Financial Tips for Trying Times
IHateFinancialPlanning.com offers advice on managing your money
(ARA) - When life gets unpredictable, there's one thing Americans always want to hang onto: their money.
During times of national uncertainty, it's only natural to want to hunker down and hang on to your cash -- or at a minimum, squeeze as much as possible out of every paycheck (that is, if you're still getting one).
Many Americans are feeling less secure about their lives than ever. In fact, 63 percent feel they will have to make changes in their day-to-day
Click here to read the full article
10-step Guide to Financial Stability - Checklist To Being A Money-Wise Widow
Nobody likes to think about losing a loved one, and often when it occurs, we have no idea where to turn.
If you are not prepared, the paperwork will hit you after your spouse's death in an apparently overhwelming deluge. It is tough to get through it even when you are prepared. A to-do list is prepared for you here.
1. Get a grip on your assets. Find out what you have to work with by gathering copies of your joint tax records for the past five years, records of both your husband'
Click here to read the full article
Breast Enhancement without Surgery
Right from a very tender age, women are subjected to ideas regarding the size and shape of their breasts. For many, self esteem and confidence is tied to how good they or people around feel about their breasts.
Having nicely shaped, well rounded breasts can actually, make a woman feel more confident about herself. Modern media - from press to TV - tells us what shape and how big a breast should be. The desire to conform to these 'standards' has made so many women consider, and eventually opt for, breast enhancement surgical procedures.
Undoubtedly, having a
Click here to read the full article
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act
In 1996 "The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act" (HIPAA) was enacted by the U.S. Congress. The act was instated primarily to protect health insurance coverage for workers and their respective families when their is a loss or change of employment. This is outlined in Details in Title I of HIPAA Act. As in Title II of the act, the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for the providers, employers and health insurance plans. Along with that is the addressing the importance on the security and privacy of all health data. These
Click here to read the full article
Travel Health Insurance Coverage
This article provides useful, detailed information about Travel Health Insurance Coverage.
Health insurance while traveling to foreign countries is an often-neglected area. Falling ill or getting injured during international travel on business or pleasure can be an extremely traumatic affair. You are far away from home in an alien land, unsure of the medical facilities available and probably not carrying enough money. You may want to be evacuated and taken home. The potential financial burden could be overwhelming and worrisome. To avoid this dilemma, wise travelers are prepared by carrying health insurance coverage. Check
Click here to read the full article
Catastrophic Health Insurance Coverage
This article provides useful, detailed information about Catastrophic Health Insurance Coverage.
A catastrophic or major medical insurance plan is a deductible and comparatively cheaper form of health insurance with an element of speculation to it. A deductible is the amount you pay out of your pocket for medical expenses before the insurer pays the balance. For instance, if your deductible is $5,000 and the hospital bill is $12,000, the insurance company will pay only $7,000. The general rule is the higher the deductible, the lower the premium. When you opt for this
Click here to read the full article
Cheap Insurance - Ten Tips
Cheap insurance? Auto insurance, life insurance, health insurance, liability insurance - whatever type of insurance you need, you can buy it for less. Try the following:
1. Raise you deductible. Why have a $100 deductible if a $1000 deductible won't break you? It may hurt to pay the first thousand someday, but what if meanwhile you saved several thousand? High deductibles mean lower rates. Of course, get quotes with various deductibles, to be sure you're saving enough for the higher risk.
2. Lower your coverage. Insurance agents secretly admit that people usually get sued
Click here to read the full article
Divorce & Health Insurance
Recently, I had a question from someone who was going through a divorce and was concerned about lost health insurance coverage because she was covered under her husband's insurance. She was concerned not just for herself, but for her children as well. This question comes up a lot. See is this answer helps you better understand what to do. If you have additional questions on this topic, feel free to add to the blog, and I'll answer them.
Medical Insurance and Divorce
To answer your questions specifically, here are some ideas to consider.
Click here to read the full article
Health Insurance Options & Free Clinics
A growing number of people are forced to cope with a life lacking health insurance. For some, its a job that doesnt offer coverage or a lack of employment altogether. For others, its the lack of available funds to pay for private health insurance coverage and, as a result, many people live every day not knowing how they will pay for it when the unexpected inevitably occurs.
When accepting a new employment position, applicants should consider the availability of health insurance. Some employers provide it free of charge, while others charge employees a small fee for enrollment.
Click here to read the full article
The Newbie's Guide To PPO Health Insurance; Part 1
A PPO or Preferred Provider Organization is a segment of health insurance that can be provided by an accredited health insurance company or provider. If youre already familiar with an HMO or Health maintenance Organization then you have a good start in regards to what a Preferred Provider Organization actually is and can provide to a consumer seeking health insurance. The reason for this is because the Preferred Provider Organization is very similar to an HMO based on the fact that they have contractual agreements with many of the health insurance companies. The biggest difference is based on the
Click here to read the full article
How Part-Time Work (Moonlighting) Can Save You Money
Moonlighting or working part-time has long been an option for many full-time workers seeking a little more income. However, what has long been overlooked are the fringe benefits or dividends that working part-time provides. Working this way reduces spending and is more than worthwhile for the minimum numbers of hours required.
The national retail store I work at requires employees to work a
minimum of six hours per month to receive both low cost health
insurance (around $20 per week) and a very generous discount good
on all regular, sale, and clearance
Click here to read the full article
HIPAA Compliance 101
What is HIPAA?
The U.S. Congress ordained the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996. Title I of HIPAA protects
health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they
lose or change their jobs. According to title II of HIPAA, the
Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the
establishment of national standards for electronic health care
transactions and national identifiers for providers, health
insurance plans, and employers. The AS provisions also address the
security and privacy of health data. The purpose of all these
standards is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of th
Click here to read the full article
ERM Not Just For the 'Big Guys' Anymore: Small Business Rights Management A Reality
Small Business Rights Management (SBRM) is a term which reflects the shift ERM (Enterprise Rights Management) technology has taken as awareness of industry compliance issues and protection of original works has evolved and become implicit within businesses of under 50 employees. From published manuscripts to original cookie recipes, protecting original works, customer or patient records isnt just good business, but in many industries a matter of compliance. The question is how can small firm businesses invest in ERM software at its current exorbitant cost?
The realm of protected digital documents, like many business
solution advances has traditionally
Click here to read the full article
Health Insurance for Solo Entrepreneurs
One of the most important benefits employed people enjoy is health insurance coverage. It is also the single most costly expense for self-employed entrepreneurs. So what can you do to reduce ever increasing costs of health care coverage? Here are a few tips.
1. If a medical bill seems excessive, try negotiating
Your doctor or the office manager who handles billing will
probably be flexible, provided you make a valid case. When one
woman in Texas was charged $900 for surgery and consultation, she
explained that she had visited the hospital j
Click here to read the full article
Retirement Health Insurance
Health care is a priority at any given age. After retiring however, health care probably becomes the most important focus as one tries to stay in good health; this means more visits to the doctor for routine checkups and preventative tests. Theres also that chance of ones health declining as they grow older and the increasing need for expensive prescription drugs and medical treatments. This is the main importance of retirement health insurance.
Retirement health insurance allows for those aged sixty-five or older to be lessened with worries when it comes to paying health care when
Click here to read the full article
Insurance Coverage For Home-Based Business Owners
You are owner of a home based business. You think you do not require any insurance but that's not correct. You need to take adequate insurance coverage because unexpected things may happen any time any where.
Try to understand the nature of your business and possible risk and the probability of occurrence of the same. Based on this parameter, you need to take an insurance coverage for your company and people after consultation with your insurance consultant.
Always take adequate group health insurance coverage for yourself and your family and your family and their
Click here to read the full article
Reduce Your Medical Expenses with a Health Savings Account
Health Savings Accounts or HSAs are a new healthcare financing option introduced in 2004 that allows consumers to set up tax-deferred investment accounts tied to their health insurance policy and to use these tax-deferred funds to pay for incurred medical expenses. In essence, after setting up and funding an HSA in accordance with Federal and state regulations, you will be able to pay for many health-related expenses using pre-tax money. For most people, this is equivalent to receiving a 15% to 40% discount on qualified medical expenses! Consumers will realize even further savings by purchasing
Click here to read the full article
How Does the Food You Eat and Drinks You Drink Affect Your Health Insurance?
We Americans love our food and drinks, dont we? It seems like with every turn of your cars steering wheel, theres a McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Hardees, KFC well, the list of fast food restaurants could go on forever. The point is, they keep popping up all over the place because of consumer demand. We want the cheap, fast food and drinks offered by these fast food restaurants, and we want them everywhere. Its all about cheap convenience.
However, the convenience of this cheap, fast food and drinks can actually come with quite a high price poor
Click here to read the full article
If You Have Diabetes, You May Be Entitled To No Cost Diabetic Supplies
This article is intended to inform people with diabetes in regards to their diabetic supplies. When I found out that my sister was diagnosed with the disease I started to research more and came across some useful information that might be helpful to others.
Diabetes is the country*s sixth leading cause of death by disease. As you may know it is the leading cause of blindness, kidney disease, heart disease and amputations. Diabetes claims the lives of more than 193,000 Americans each year. Approximately 18.2 million Americans have diabetes, but one-third of those
Click here to read the full article
What is Gastric Bypass Insurance?
Gastric bypass insurance is any insurance that covers the cost of gastric bypass surgery. Today, most insurance companies will cover the cost of gastric bypass surgery as long as it is deemed medically necessary for the health of the patient. However, it frequently happens that an initial application for gastric bypass insurance will be denied. When that happens, simply reapply for gastric bypass insurance coverage. Frequently, the application is approved on resubmission.
Gastric bypass insurance covers the cost of gastric bypass surgery. Gastric bypass surgery is a permanent method of weight loss wherein the patients stomach is
Click here to read the full article
Lost Your Job? How To Keep Your Insurance Coverage
In this day when companies are facing layoffs, buyouts, and other financial difficulties, it may be difficult to hold on to a good health insurance policy. Thanks to the government, however, there has been a couple of programs that will allow you to keep the same coverage you had before your situation changed - if you act soon enough. Here are some things you need to know about the COBRA program that could enable you to enjoy the same health insurance coverage you had.
COBRA, which stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, enables you to keep
Click here to read the full article
Holidays: Celebrate, Plan Together
For many Americans, the holiday season is a time to celebrate together. Along with good food and good conversation, the holidays can give families the rare opportunity to talk about financial planning with older members of the family.
In fact, it might be easier than you think. Many older Americans welcome the invitation to talk openly about their goals for a secure financial future.
"Often, adult children dread talking with their parents about their financial situation and insurance coverage," said Steve Zaleznick, president of Longevity Alliance. "But, they often walk away from the conversation with
Click here to read the full article
Reality Bites: The Cynical Underpinning of Reality TV
From "Survivor" to "The Amazing Race," from "The Apprentice" to "Runway," the ugly truth is that, far from being a competition in which the best contestant wins, Reality TV shows are rife with infighting, political cliques, backbiting, betrayal, and exclusion. Alliances are formed, individuals are targeted for expulsion, and participants often lie about each other in order to put themselves in a better light than their competitors.
In a recent episode of "The Apprentice," one team discovered that the competing team had arranged to purchase every available megaphone from a store chain for an upcoming promotion. The
Click here to read the full article
Sweating Problems - All You Need To Know
Are you among the millions of people who suffer with sweating problems? It is estimated that between 2-3% of our population deals with this very issue.
Causes of excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, can be tough to pinpoint. It takes a little time and detective work so to speak, but once you find the root cause, treatments are available. Let's look at the causes of excessive sweating and some of the top remedies.
Discovering what is behind hyperhidrosis is your first step. You'll want to find out if it's being
Click here to read the full article
Tags: health insurance coverage
Share and Subscribe:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.