When looking into health insurance of any kind the rules, regulations and stipulations often make it so that every word on the policy seems foreign and a bit sketchy. The policy is never laid on it terms that one without industry knowledge would completely understand. Words such as co-payment, deductible, family allowance, preventative vs. routine care often times add confusion in really understanding what is being offered. Health Insurance in...more
Some people in politics want everything to be black and white. "Big government bad, small government good" and similar slogans have become rallying cries during town hall meetings and elections. Sound bites are convenient ways of getting a message across, but unhelpful when it comes to more complicated issues. On the face of it, we seem on the cusp of slipping back into recession. To try avoid this double dip, the Fed has announced plans to buy...more
The total number of uninsured people in the US grew from 43.0 million in 2005 to 49.9 million in 2010 at a 5 year CAGR of 3.0%. The private insurance coverage is mainly employer sponsored. This negative change in the employment status led to decreased earnings and resulted into a decline in the number of people under the employer insurance coverage.Premium prices have more than doubled over the period. The cost of an employer-based family coverage plan increased from 12% to 22% of family income over the decade. The health insurance premium surged as a percentage of private sector employee compensation from ~% in 1999 to ~% in 2009 thus cutting down the wages of the workers. Small businesses were considerably hit with the proportion of small employers providing health insurance reducing from ~% to ~% between 1999 and 2009.UnitedHealth Group is the leading health insurance provider in the US with a market share of ~% and direct premium written worth USD ~ billion in 2010. The company conducts its operations through two businesses, United Healthcare and Optum. WellPoint is the second largest health insurance provider in the US with total premium written USD ~billion.The report titled...more
Health Insurance is the one policy that everyone needs and yet we have millions of uninsured people in our country. Costs are rising so rapidly that a large portion of our population is unable to afford the premiums, even though they know very well that their families need this insurance.Most people are able to receive a decent insurance policy...more
Is good health important? Most everyone would agree, however you have to wonder why many people don't follow practices that will keep them healthy. These practices include watching their diets and visiting a doctor regularly, especially for the yearly check ups. Perhaps a lack of understanding the health insurance or medical coverage process is the...more
Medical issues can be terrifying, and when it comes to learning that you need an organ transplant, the fear can be all-consuming. Add to this the sheer cost of any surgery (some outpatient surgeries can easily cost over $25,000), and you have a recipe for disaster.Regardless of whether someone that needs a transplant is poor or rich, with or without health insurance, hospitals will require the patient or a legal representative to discuss payment arrangements for a transplant. Even individuals with excellent insurance may still have to pay thousands of dollars for an organ transplant. With recovery time usually rather extensive, and anti-rejection and immunotherapy medication prices through the rough, even individuals with a reasonable income may simply find the procedure unaffordable.Some hospitals are more willing to work with patients than others. Most, if not all, have financial assistance programs specifically for those who need a procedure done but lack the money to pay easily. While most hospitals offer loan repayment options, it is better to request an application for any programs that either reduce or even eliminate the bill(s). These programs require extensive paperwork to...more
With the current state of the economy, businesses are looking for ways to cut costs while still maintaining the bottom line. Unfortunately, one of the results of these measures to survive in a global marketplace is to cease offering health insurance...more
In the year 1974, The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act came into being and was created to safeguard the quality of drinking water. This law is applicable for water used for drinking purposes whether the water comes from surface or from groundwater. It...more
There is no question we regularly take excellent health for granted, and we have good health a lot of our life aside from the occasional minor pain or ailment. Throughout our time of good health we certainly do not give even a passing thought to the...more
Health Insurance is one of the insurance policies whose demand has been increasing, particularly in the urban areas. It has been gaining due importance in the recent years because of the rising cost of healthcare.Rural people cannot afford good...more
The choice between different kinds of health insurance plans can be very tough to make. You want to find the best plan for your family, but a lot of people are not very well informed about this subject. Take a moment to review some of the most...more
As the economy continues to fluctuate and many people find that affording even basic things such as health insurance becomes more difficult to do, more people are tightening up their budgets in order to survive. It is important to budget...more