Kamis, 29 Desember 2011

How Stop Loss Insurance Protects Employees


New innovations in health care industry are creating various new opportunities not only for treatments, but also for specific insurance protection plans. Stop loss insurance is a great and affordable alternative as compared to the traditional indemnity options.

Nowadays companies have the option of 'self-insurance.' Companies take on the liabilities to insure the medical expenses of their employees as well as their families. There is another option available to insure the medical expense as it occurs through business cash flow.

When a company decides to get self-indemnity plan, they are likely to pay a specific intended amount to the insurance company. Subsequently, the indemnity company that the employer has opted to provide the stop expiration insurance agrees to pay the employees' medical bills.

There are several special indemnity policies designed to protect the company to pay all the claims that are made by employees or their family members. As soon as the company agrees to pay the amount to the insurance company, the indemnity company is liable to take care of the subsequent claims against the policy's coverage limit.

Some policies also protect the company when an employee claims an unanticipated huge amount. Although there is a predetermined coverage limit on the policies that apply, the limit and the policies are set by the employer and the indemnity company. Stop expiration insurance offers great financial security.

What kind of stop expiration insurance a company should opt depends mainly on the degree of risk. If the degree of risk is low and most of the employees are healthy and young, company can opt for the options like 'self-insurance-without-stop-expiration insurance' security plan. If the anticipated claims that the company and the insurance firm have calculated to pay the premium to the employees is high, then it is beneficial for the company to opt for group-insurance-plan-with-stop-expiration-insurance that covers the employees as well as their families 
Basically it depends on the company's estimated and expected insurance related requirements. They need to recognize and spend in an insurance firm that makes the stop-expiration insurance accessible along with the specialized products.

There are two types of stop loss insurance available that a company can opt for:

Specific Stop Loss

Specific stop loss provides tragic protection to the self-paid plan. This type of stop loss occurs when the claims reach to the guidelines selected by the company or the employer. Stop expiration policy pays the claims to the lifetime limit on per-employee basis for the self-insurance plan.

Aggregate Stop Loss

Aggregate stop expiration is an insurance policy that offers coverage on all expenses, when another insurance policy is above the projected cost. An aggregate stop loss insurance policy decreases the company's risk to provide employee benefits.


Senin, 12 Desember 2011

How Term Life Insurance Quotes Are The Low-Cost Insurance Option


There is no doubt that insuring oneself against death is one of the biggest concerns that people have. The reason is simply that, for many people, it is a way to ensure some financial security for loved ones. Amongst the most popular options is term life insurance, quotes for which are considered the most cost-effective available.

There are many different types of insurance policies to choose from, but the structure of term policies ensure low cost insurance premiums that can fit practically any budget. Also, the temporary nature of these policies means the insured party is never tied down to a 30-year contract with the insurance company, as is the case with alternative policies.

But as with all financial contracts, there are aspects to this kind of life insurance that should be considered before deciding if it really suits your lifestyle and coverage requirements.

Term Life Insurance Explained

With so many insurance policies to choose from, there can be some confusion over just how low-cost term life insurance quotes are compared to the alternative. In fact, this is the original kind of life insurance policy and is, therefore, quite straightforward.

For a start, payments are made at a fixed rate over what is known as the relevant period of time. What this means is that for an agreed period, the policy will cover the payer, but once that period ends, the coverage ends. And because the risk of a payout within that period is less than with a universal life policy, a low cost insurance premium is charged.

The life insurance term can range from a single year to 10 years to 20 years, and if the insured party dies within that period, the beneficiaries receive payment. At the end of the term, the insured party can opt to extend the coverage. So, the policyholder effectively has maximum control.

Keeping Costs Low

When seeking term life insurance quotes, there is a variety of questions that must be answered that directly affect the premium that the insurance company will set. For the most part, they relate to health and lifestyle, since these are aspects that can directly influence the life expectancy of a person.

For example, smokers and heavy drinkers are considered bigger risks by an insurance company, so the premium is going to be higher for these people. But low cost insurance premiums are available to sports enthusiasts, non-smokers, tea-drinkers, and those who have an active lifestyle.

Other aspects that will affect the size of the premium charged on the life insurance is age, occupation, medical history and even place of residence. Older applicants will be seen as more likely to pass away within the period, while those who have hazardous occupations or who have recently undergone major surgery (like heart surgery), are also seen as high risk.

Disadvantages of Term Insurance Policies

A key attractions term life insurance quotes highlight are that payment and terms can fit into almost any budget, and that the substantial nature of a payout compared to monthly contributions makes it the most rewarding insurance option.

But there are some disadvantages to this kind of insurance policy too. For example, even with low cost insurance premiums, the onus is on the insured party to renew the policy when the term of relevance comes to an end. Should they forget to renew, then they are left with no coverage.

In contrast, a permanent life insurance policy runs through until death, so the coverage is constant. Also, this kind of insurance may end with no payout, meaning the contributions are never returned.



Rabu, 23 November 2011

Take Advantage of the Medicare Open Enrollment Period


If you aged in to Medicare this year, you had some important options available to you. Now, with the Open Enrollment Period, from October 15th to December 7th , if you have Part A and Part B Medicare, you have even more choices.

When you aged into Medicare, you had the option to choose a Medicare Advantage Plan, keep your Original Medicare plan and choose both a Medicare Supplement and a Prescription Part D Plan or keep your Original Medicare plan and choose a Part D Prescription plan. To be clear, Medicare has a Part A, Part B, and Part C. The Prescription Drug Plan is Part D.

During this Open Enrollment Period, you have multiple opportunities until December 7th to make whatever changes you want to make sure you have the Plan that best meet your health care needs.

Here are some areas of consideration when it comes to making the best choice for yourself. Your Original Medicare Plan has several deductibles and co-insurance elements that can hit you hard in the bank account if you experience a serious illness and have to be hospitalized. This is where a Medicare Supplement Plan can save you from this dire economic circumstance. Keep in mind that if you choose a Medicare Supplement Plan, each provider must, by law, offer you the same exact Plan. Don't get hung up on the name of the company, just consider the cost of the plan and both the letter designations (Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, and K) and the coverage associated with the letter.

If you are fine with choosing a doctor from within a Network, and don't want to shop around for a Part D Prescription plan, the Medicare Advantage Plan may be your best bet. The primary negative in a Medicare Advantage Plan for most Medicare recipients is that if you currently have a doctor that you're satisfied with and your doctor is not within the Network, you will have to change. However, if you are concerned by keeping your cost of health care low, than it might be better to choose a doctor from within a Network.

If you choose a Medicare Advantage Plan, depending upon your income and the benefits you choose, you may have a small monthly premium. Nevertheless, it would be small in comparison to the monthly Medicare Supplement Plan's premium. Also you can choose a Medicare Advantage Plan without the Part D Plan if you already have a Part D Plan and just choose a stand-alone Part D Plan. Take the time to consider your options carefully.

Finally, after December 7th you have an opportunity prior to February 15th to go back to Original Medicare and a stand-alone Part D plan.

This Open Enrollment Period is a significant time for you as a Medicare recipient to carefully consider your choices. Remember that except for certain circumstances, once you make a choice you are locked in until the next Open Enrollment Period.



Selasa, 08 November 2011

Why Term Life Insurance Quotes Are Better to Get Online


The is no denying that insurance has become an important part of modern living, helping to protect us in a variety of possible situations. Arguably, the most important to have is protection in the case of accident or death, ensuring loved ones have financial security. But the need for cost effective insurance has seen term life insurance quotes become the most widely sought after.

Not everyone is aware that universal insurance policies are not the only option. For those seeking low cost insurance, online brokers provide some of the best term insurance policies available, which do not require a lifetime of commitment and fits snuggly into practically any budget.

Of course, coverage is the most important factor, and as a life insurance option, term policies offer excellent coverage. However, there are pros and cons to the choice too.

How Term Life Insurance Works

So, what is important to know when seeking term life insurance quotes? Well, what sets this kind of insurance policy apart is that it is offers only temporary coverage. So, after the agreed term is over - be it for one year, five years or 20 years - the coverage ends and the contributions are lost.

Because of the temporary nature of the coverage, brokers market the policy as low cost insurance. Online brokers will charge competitive rates, but are prepared to pay out adequately should the insured party die within the coverage period.

And of course, should the insured party not die, he or she gets nothing. But while the monthly life insurance contributions may be higher in sum, much more is paid to a universal life insurance policy over the 30 or 40 years of its term. So, on balance, there term option is a better one.

How To Find a Quote

The website brings practically every kind of term life insurance quote within reach very quickly and very efficiently. Thankfully, the process involved in finding the best quote is pretty simple too, with comparison sites bringing all the leading offers to the forefront.

To get the right one, however, a little bit of probing is necessary. For example, once making a shortlist of premium options for the low cost insurance online brokers are offering, send a quote request directly to them. Simply fill out their online form detailing your basic information, like age, health status and income, and then click on the submit button.

Responses from brokers can be received in a matter of minutes, so that after only a half an hour, quotes from the top five or six brokers can be examined. Simply read the small print and find out whether the deals are really as good as they seem. But make sure to understand the extent of coverage before choosing the life insurance policy.

Pros and Cons to Consider

There are a lot of positive aspects to consider when seeking term life insurance quotes. One of them is that, with fixed rates set, they are suitable for even the strictest budgets. Another is that the size of a payout versus the monthly contributions, makes it highly cost effective.

But there are some negatives to consider too. When getting low cost insurance online, much of the responsibility is left in the hands of the insured party. It is up to them to renew the policy when it ends. Also, because the chances are the insured party will not die during the term of relevance, the policy can be seen as a waste of money.

Still, the importance of a life insurance policy in today's world cannot be overestimated, and being without coverage for even a few months can prove extremely costly.