Tips When Buying Health Insurance

Getting a personal medical insurance should be considered a priority to save money on Insurance! Why? It is where you can set aside your money to cover minor and moderate accidents.

As we all understand, medical insurance California provides protection to both the consumers and businesses (as well as their possessions)  from the risk of loss. For a very reasonable annual payment,  the insurance company will issue a policy on any asset, item or an individual as is the case in health insurance.

Read your policy.  Just like all legal contracts, it’s imperative that you understand your policy, so you know what is covered and what is not. Be sure to pay in accordance with your policy and if there are any changes, don’t be shy to ask. Make it a habit also to frequently review your policies to be sure you understand them or verify if anything has changed. In addition, understand that insurers are different. Different companies have its models to price out the risk in insuring you.

Buy what you only need. Pretty much,  Insurance agents will be happy to sell you more coverage than your situation calls for. Do some research before you purchase and figure out how much and what kind of insurance you need.

Obtain all of your insurance from one provider.  This saves you the hassle of having to pay more than one company.

Some insurance companies may also use your credit history to determine your rates –  that means a poor score could cost you more.

Knowing your credit score is necessary no matter what financial feat you are planning, and you should be evaluating it at least once a year.

To find better rates, check the power of the internet. From there, you can obtain other information such as the state’s insurance laws and prices of insurance per state. As with any shopping, do your homework to ensure that you find the best deal possible.

Finally,  one of the best ways to protect your plan is proper maintenance. Take care of the things you insure: YOURSELF. If you take care of yourself by exercising and eating right, you’ll get a cheaper California medical insurance. Staying healthy is the best way to lower your health insurance costs.

 

Are you planning to go trekking in the Himalayas? Or maybe take a little cruise down to Maldives? Before you head for the hills, it’s an excellent idea to make sure you have enough insurance coverage and ask if the travel insurance California is right for you.

The insured traveler will have trouble-free trips all throughout. Accidents are out of our control. While having insurance won’t just make the problems go away, it makes it easier to deal with unexpected circumstances.

Before you proceed in your decision, make sure you have some knowledge of what travel insurance is, its benefits and under what circumstance it will make sense for you and your family before your next trip.

Here are some tips that will help you determine the kind of travel insurance that is right for you.

  • Determine the coverage of your travel insurance. It should include an option to cancel your trip, accidental death or injury arrangements, medical and dental care and protection against the bankruptcy of a cruise line or tour operator or even loss of luggage.
  • Find out whether your existing medical or auto insurance is valid in other countries or your life insurance policy covers you and your family while you travel.
  • Ask the right questions. Before you sign up, know what disasters are covered and their restrictions, what type of assistance the company can give on medical emergencies and how long will it take for the company to give you reimbursements.
  •  When traveling with expensive electronic equipment, sporting gear or jewelry, a travel insurance plan is a relatively inexpensive way to insure those items.
  • Your plan coverage should include options of prolonged treatment in the country where the accident occurred, if you so require. It should also include options for you to be airlifted in case your accident happened in a remote area; and also an option for you to be transported home if treatment is best in your own country.

Travel insurance California like those offered by Insuresaver is a product you hope you will never use but will appreciate when you have it. Its importance rests in providing you peace of mind. Getting it or not is a personal decision. Make buying travel insurance a part of your tour planning. Do not leave home without it. Call us at 1(800) 366-2751 and let us help you customize the travel plan suited for your needs.

 

Business owners can’t get away from spending for their employees. That’s the truth. However, offering group health insurance California to your staff can actually benefit your business. While you want to save, you also want to make sure you provide well for your people. Having a group health insurance in California will strike a balance between the two. Here’s how:

  • It attracts skilled employees. It gives you a competitive edge if you offer group health plan as skilled employees don’t have to stress over their medical insurance needs. If you get it from Insuresaver, we will process everything for you at no additional cost.
  • Retention. It has been found that having to replace an employee can cost you at least half of their yearly salary compared to retaining old employees. As small business owners, you can’t afford the inconvenience and expense of a frequent turnover. A survey also showed that:
  •                2.1. employees’ loyalty increased when health insurance is offered according to 78% of the employer respondents

                   2.2. employees are productive because they are healthy according to 64% of the employers

                   2.3. 58% of the business owners say that absenteeism is reduced

                   2.4. 75% of the company owners say that it helps in their recruitment efforts

    1. Savings. Group health insurance California are actually tax deductible because it is considered as a  business expense. Also, your employees are paying their part of the premium based on their taxable payroll, so you get lower payroll taxes too.
    2. Employees salary. Your employees get the most out of their bucks with group health plans as their premiums are deducted on a pre-tax basis, so their taxable income also decreases.
    3. It helps build a community. This is a classic case of kindness getting ripples. Because employers offer it to provide their employees’ happiness and long-term health, the employees are more inclined to do well on their job to make their boss happy too.

Since Insuresaver offers group health insurance in California, everything is centralized, so employees know where to go when they look for help. No need to worry about all the process as we will take all the hassles of the paperwork off of your hands so that you can do what you do best-i.e. to take care of your business. Call us today at 1 (800) 366-2751 to request a quote.

Healthcare is recognized as one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of the American economy.

Initially, claiming a California medical insurance involves you as the insured. Make sure to keep statements and details you get at the office or through the mail for your records in case of disputes. Make time to get to know the people you have spoken with and check back with them to ensure that the proper paperwork has been received to avoid any delays or confusion.

It’s important to know the process of filing a claim to your insurance company as it will reimburse you for all that you’ve paid for “out of your pocket” while you were confined in the hospital. It will also ensure your medical bills are paid as promptly as possible.

Step 1

To file a claim, the first thing to obtain is an itemized invoice from your doctor or medical provider. It should have the list of the services you have taken along with its cost. The insurance will need to call your provider to notify about your insurance filing.

Step 2

The completion of a claim form is very essential. This document will tell you the details about your injury or ailment which your insurer wrote down. It will determine if the expenses that you claim is covered under your insurance plan.

Step 3

The insurer then processes the initial claim. In it, they will confirm your eligibility for the treatment, and they will make sure you filed your claim within the time limit. Insurers also look at the date and place where you sought treatment and whether the appropriate treatment for the condition was provided.

Step 4

Finally, there is nothing more to do but wait. Bear in mind the claim date that the insurance company gave when you called. If you have not collected any payment from your insurer within the said time frame, the best thing to do is contact them immediately.

When you talk to an agent in your insurance company, write down the details like the date as well as the full name of the agent. It is essential for future reference in case problems will arise as this will create a paper trail.

Think what it would be like without insurance. Try to imagine having the need to pay for every doctor and hospital bill just for you to get the treatment your injury or ailment requires.

Insurance is not just buying groceries, or a t-shirt or a pair of shoes. It’s buying a promise that if something untoward happens to you or your business, you have your medical insurance California to lean on financially.

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No one intends to get sick or hurt, yet most people requires medical care – like a doctor visit, a drug prescription, a lab examination, physical therapy, or even counseling – at some point. These services, we have to admit, may be expensive.

Despite the fact that you lead a healthy lifestyle, you are active, you make sure you’re eating the right foods, you don’t take the risk that might affect your health, and no history of family illness, you are still on the firing line for ill-health.

However, people with California medical insurance always have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that they are covered for the best medical treatment they need.

Like other insurances, health insurance is a service you pay for but hope you will never need. It’s there for the unpredictable, unexpected and mostly uncontrollable problems that come up in people’s lives.

Below are just some of the advantages you’ll get in having a health insurance:

Secure Finances

Health problems could cost a significant amount of money. Unfortunately, this lack of money is going to cost even life at times especially when the medical issues which have risen unexpectedly turn for the worst.

Many of us cannot afford hospitalization when we need it. It is very hard to determine when health issues will come up but with the coverage of a health insurance; you will find answers to several issues that can also resolve medical costs.

Aside from that, there are coverage systems which are known to include even regular check-ups and provide you with all the necessary care your health requires.

Ease Of Mind

Illness occurs with or without expectation. If it is not treated due to lack of resources, it is sure to disrupt your peace of mind. Health Insurance will ensure that at least part of the medical expenses will be paid and thus lessen your stress.

Improved Health

With the coverage of your health insurance, any health issues can be checked up. Hence, be assured that it will be resolved and treated in time before it gets worse while you obtain advice from a professional health expert.

Check Ups

Regular health check-ups without health coverage will consume most of your budget and may include special services or hospitalization. With Health Insurance these charges may be covered

Peace of mind may cost a lot less than you think to protect your family and yourself. Call us now at 1(800) 366-2751 and let us help you find the best medical insurance California that fits your budget and needs.

California’s Obamacare premiums are set to rise an average of 13.2% for 2017, according to Covered California, the state’s Obamacare exchange.

That’s up from approximately 4% in each of the last two years.

Peter V. Lee, executive director, Covered California, said in a statement that the increase reflects the cost of medical care for consumers, not excessive profit.

“Under the new rules of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurers face strict limits on the amount of profit they can make selling health insurance,” Lee said. “So, while all plans are experiencing different cost pressures, we can be confident their rate increases are directly linked to healthcare costs, not administration or profit, which averaged 1.5% across our contracted plans.”

Additional reasons for rate increases, according to Covered California, include:

A one-year adjustment due to reinsurance, a funding mechanism in the ACA designed to moderate rate increases during the exchange’s first three years. The American Academy of Actuaries predicts that this will add between 4% and 7% to premiums next year.

Some consumers enroll in health insurance only after they become ill or need care.

The escalating cost of healthcare, especially specialty drugs.

Some consumers using healthcare services who were unable to obtain it before the ACA was passed.

Given what will occur in California, what should executives be aware of? What does the future hold for exchanges nationwide?

Key takeaway #1: Higher rates in California foreshadow higher rates nationwide

JimWhislerCompared to others, California has been viewed as a state with better than average premium increases. “But if premium rates rise 13.2% in California, as indicated, I think we will see a lot of other states’ premiums going up materially more than that,” says Jim Whisler, principal, Deloitte, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He’s heard that California has a healthier risk pool than many other states, which also factors into his opinion.

As the U.S. Department of Justice moves to block two mega-mergers in the healthcare industry, Aetna’s (AET) $37 billion deal with Humana (HUM) and Anthem’s (ANTM) $48 billion bid for Cigna (CI), has left many wondering what happens next to the health insurance industry? While the government and lawyers for the insurance companies battle it out, healthcare experts say the move could spur more innovation in the industry and create more choices for consumers.
“What we need from our health insurance industry is alot of innovation and I think that if we allowed the health insurance market to coalesce around a few mega-insurance companies that would hurt innovation,” says Alain Enthoven, healthcare economist and professor at Stanford University, who helped design the framework for managed competition in the healthcare industry.

Boeing Leads Innovation
Enthoven says by allowing more companies to compete, competition will give birth to new initiatives aimed at improving managed care and lowering costs. He says it is already happening. Boeing (BA), for example, is negotiating directly with some medical service providers to offer healthcare to its employees, bypassing insurance companies. In California, the aerospace giant has teamed up with MemorialCare Health Systems to provide healthcare to its 15,000 employees in the state. If employees choose the plan, they can expect smaller paycheck deductions, full coverage for generic drug prescriptions and zero co-payments for primary care visits. Boeing, meantime, can negotiate better pricing and bring down healthcare expenses.

Total health spending in the U.S. is expected to soar to $3.4 trillion this year a 13% jump from 2014

Boeing isn’t alone in coming up with new cost-saving solutions. Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield, the largest health insurer in Iowa, has also implemented a program to reward certain hospitals and clinics with financial incentives for providing high quality care and keeping patients healthy. The insurer said the move saved the company about $35 million in health care costs last year.

Healthcare Costs Soar
Total health spending in the U.S. is expected to soar to $3.4 trillion this year, up 13 percent from $3 trillion dollars in 2014. One contributing factor is the Affordable Care Act. More people are now insured and many are in need of medical attention, more than anticipated, therefore costs are ballooning. As a consequence, premiums for state healthcare exhanges in California, New Mexico, Maine and other states are expected to climb in 2017 and the increase could be dramatic. In Tennessee, Blue Cross and Blue Shield has asked for an average increase of 62 percent in premiums next year, citing higher than expected medical costs.

Premiums for Medicare plans run by private insurers, known as Medicare Advantage plans, have held steady over the past few years.  Not the case for out-of-pocket spending limits according to Gretchen Jacobson, analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation.  She says out-of-pocket spending limits on these plans have gone from an average of $4,300 in 2013 to $5,300 this year, an increase of more than 23 percent.  “We have seen that the out-of-pocket limits have increased pretty sharply over the past few years.  So the out-of-pocket limits may be indicative that they (insurers) are changing other costs and benefits as well,” she says.

New Solutions Lower Costs

Enthoven says to better manage rising costs expect employers, insurers and medical providers to continue to find new ways to bring expenses down and improve medical care.  He says greater competition and new initiatives like the one Boeing and others are implementing will help give consumers more choices and help drive down costs.  “I am caustiously optimistic that competition for cost conscious and informed consumers could mitigate the growth in spending,” he says. “Competition can work, it’s a good thing for consumers and employers.”

OAKLAND — Alameda County is poised to restart the process of selecting a company to provide health care services for its inmates.

In a letter issued Tuesday, County Auditor-Controller Steve Manning sided with an appeal by Corizon Health and asked the county to reject all bids for the lucrative and hotly contested contract.

Earlier this year, a six-person panel appointed by Alameda County officials recommended California Forensic Medical Group win the job of providing health care service at Santa Rita Jail, replacing Corizon Health.

Currently, Corizon provides health care for approximately 2,800 prisoners at the Dublin jail, but in recent years the company has come under scrutiny for inmate deaths and poor mental health treatment. The company, along with the county, settled a landmark lawsuit last year over an in-custody death, agreeing to pay $8.3 million and have only registered nurses — not licensed vocational nurses — conduct assessment screenings. Corizon also was sharply criticized by nurses working at the jail after it fired 49 licensed vocational nurses in January and 16 more in February.

California Forensic Medical Group, which offers health care for correctional facilities in 27 counties in California, has faced similar accusations. It is facing a class-action lawsuit in Monterey County over medical and mental health care, and has been sued by inmates across California for substandard care.

The three-year contract is estimated to be worth at least $90 million.

Manning’s letter came in response to an appeal of the panel’s recommendation filed in May by Corizon. A review of the bidding process by Manning’s office found flaws in cost proposals and the omission of a preference for hiring local companies.

Though the bidding war process may not have hurt Corizon’s chances, Manning requested that the county reject all the bids for the jail contract.

“In appealing this flawed process, we were simply asking county officials to take their time and get it right,” Corizon Health spokeswoman Martha Harbin said in a statement. “By ruling in our favor, they are showing their commitment to do just that.”

Kip Hallman, CEO of Correctional Medical Group Companies, did not return a call for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

In May, the county refused to name the members of the six-person panel that recommended Hallman’s firm.

David DeBolt covers Oakland. Contact him at 510-208-6453. Follow him atTwitter.com/daviddebolt.