Insurance For Home Car And Health - The Not So Hidden Importance
As we all know, the cost of living is constantly on the rise and with that in mind, it’s no surprise that insurance rates are, too. Given how much you use your car and home health insurance every day, not to mention how much you depend on either for your own safety and security (and everyone else's), this price hike can seem hard to stomach. But don’t worry- there are plenty of ways to offset those costs!
This blog post will outline some of the different types of policies available for both your car insurance and health care coverage as well as some money saving tips that could help you save hundreds each year. While there's no sure-fire way to completely eliminate the cost of insurance altogether, you can certainly make smart choices that will help keep your monthly bills down. For instance, one good tip that could save you a lot of money is: choose a company that offers discounts for policies that bundle multiple types of coverage at the same time. If you do this, not only will your rates likely go down, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of useful services such as discounts offered for qualifying drivers who hold multiple policies with the same company.
Another tip that can really help people save some money is to shop around near the end of the year. This is when companies make their biggest rate increases, so by shopping around in early December you’ll likely feel just as good about your decision to switch car insurance companies as you would in January.
As for health care policies, you can also take advantage of discounts by shopping around for medical coverage that covers a lot of different things, such as doctor visits and prescription drugs. If you have to buy Dental Insurance, consider getting more coverage than you really need, because there are lots of overage fees.
Health Savings Accounts can be extremely helpful if you’re good at saving. Use that money instead of insurance to pay for your medical care expenses and do not use the funds for anything other than what they’re designated for. HSAs are high-deductible health plans that offer a savings bucket to cover out-of-pocket costs. The money in the bucket grows tax free and can be used on health expenses at any time. Plus, withdrawals are not taxed or penalized if used for eligible expenses.
By making sure to take these steps, you can not only save a lot of money on your current insurance policies but also feel confident in the fact that you’re doing everything in your power to keep your family safe.
For help in finding the right home and car insurance policy for your needs, contact us today! We’re here to help you choose the best option for what works best for your family.
For a list of insurance agents in your area, visit this website: http://www.insureme.com/get-insurance-quotes
Source: http://blog.cheapcarinsurance.net/blog/2012/09/26/the-not-so-hidden-importance-of-homecarhealth-insurance/#.V8G_t5k_n26
By What's Inside Me - Mar 4, 2012 12:00 pm
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The Untold Story Of What Consumer "Advocates" Fought For And Who Gets The Profits
By John Boyle
One day during a campaign for health insurance reform, I was engaged in a conversation with a man who described himself as a consumer advocate. He repeated his claim that health insurance reform would not help consumers, and he described how he had provided the benefits of his work for his customers. He then offered to do for me what he had done for his customers. I accepted his offer, on the condition that we could do it on camera. He agreed, and we had a video crew in our meeting. I told him what I wanted to cover for my family — prescription drug coverage and a relatively low deductible for my family of four. We were able to get the insurance with a $250-per-month premium and an annual deductible of $1,500 per person. And we were able to get the benefits that he had described: guaranteed access and coverage of medications — including generic drugs — and elimination of any pre-existing condition exclusion from coverage. I asked him if he thought I should be satisfied with this coverage and price. He said, "Absolutely not." His argument was that I could get a better deal if the federal government were out of the business of insuring health care for Americans. Like many consumer advocates, he felt that private health insurance companies could do a better job…
What would you do? Here's another example. In 2006, I was quoted in a New York Times article about health insurance issues related to the current presidential campaign. The reporter wrote that I "called herself an advocate for patients and consumers," and then noted my claim that "there should be more affordable plans available to people" without mentioning that there were options available among policies offered through NYSOH. She actually wrote the following: "But for Ms. Miller and others, that could mean issues like pre-existing medical conditions and lifetime caps. Ms. Miller called herself an advocate for patients and consumers, who she said would be better served by having more affordable plans available to people." This reporter was misled into believing that NYSOH was advocating for lower costs, better benefits, and a fairer system of health insurance in New York State.
While this is repeated often among reporters (and even some news agencies), it's not true. I decline to accept false claims from reporters regarding coverage or the cost of coverage rather than spending my time arguing with them about what we should do about the current system. I believe, however, that it's important for readers to be aware of the misinformation on these issues.
So what's going wrong in this picture? What are these advocates doing or saying that is misleading people into believing they are advocating for lower costs or better benefits? Well, let's take a closer look. Here are three quotes from NYSOH's public statements:
"Third-Party Administrators Are Not Insurance." NYSOH's Executive Director, Gary Miron , wrote the following in an article about New York State insurers as a "third party administrator": "Third-Party Administrators Are Not Insurers.
Conclusion:
NYSOH is not an insurer, and it's not advocating for a lower-cost or better-benefit system of health insurance in New York State. NYSOH does advocate for the availability of affordable, high-quality health insurance options at a reasonable cost. These are the concerns of all consumers and particularly those with low incomes who are uninsured or underinsured."
"Insurance Companies Are Not Health Care Providers." The Executive Director said this in a speech to the Empire State Junior Chamber of Commerce: "Insurance companies are not health care providers. They don't provide health care benefits; they're third party administrators (TPA).