Children’s Health Insurance

Written by Stefanie Marty

A recent study showed that children with health insurance coverage in families where parents are uninsured are at greater risk of missing necessary health-care services than children in families where both children and parents are insured. The study incorporated children between the age of 2 and 17 and included more than 43,000 children over five years. The necessary services which these children are more likely to miss include seeing a doctor, getting dental care and accessing prescription medications. Further they also receive less counseling on healthy eating, routine exercise, use of a safety or booster seat, and use of seatbelts or bike helmets.

These findings show the necessity of not only extending health insurance to children, but parents as well. Dr. Jennifer E. DeVoe, the lead author of the study, said, that the children’s health insurance program is going in the right direction and more and more kids are getting insurance coverage, but the importance is not to stop now. It is crucial that families, kids as well as parents, are covered.

This necessity is also shown by the Commonwealth Fund Commission, which released its second state scorecard report. The report revealed that since 2007 health insurance coverage across states for adults has declined while the coverage for children increased.

One way health insurance for uninsured children is offered is by states that have in place federally approved programs. The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides health insurance coverage to uninsured children up to age 19. SCHIP is a state administered program and the guidelines on eligibility and services are set by the participating states. It is possible that families who do not qualify for Medicaid, because they earn too much, qualify for SCHIP. The insurance provided by the SCHIP pays for doctor visits, immunizations, hospitalization and emergency room visits.

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New Trend: Seniors are cashing out their life insurances

by Michael Rivezzo


Senior citizens are raising cash by selling their life-insurance policies to investors that will profit from them when they die. Policies worth $10 billion face value were sold last year alone with a $8 billion increase from 2002.Federal lawmakers are starting to get worried about this ever increasing trend because it is unregulated with no one watching out for individuals who sell their policies or the investor buying them. Seniors who need cash are starting to sell their policies to third-party investors for a substantial lump sum, then soon transferring ownership of their policy to the investor. This investor will continue to pay the insurance premium and becomes the beneficiary.

Some advisors are telling clients to also be cautious because there is not a real indicator to determine how much a policy should actually be worth and also the market for life settlements isn't very efficient. Advisors suggest that the only people that should be selling their polices are people in dire need of money who don't have no where to go and also people whose policy has outlived their use. Many seniors that have sold their policies already have children that are independent and they have no need for the money so they are cashing them out early.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/30/business/moneywatch/main5353961.shtml

http://www.newschief.com/article/20091002/NEWS/910025031/1053?Title=Some-seniors-cashing-out-life-insurance-policies

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574447350852232082.html

Children's health insurance: How much aid is enough?

By Richard Wolf

Posted by Michael Rivezzo

The view of Midtown Manhattan rising majestically above the Hudson River doesn't get much better than from here. And the cost of living doesn't get much higher.
It's little wonder, then, that Anna Velazquez says she and her husband, José, can't afford private health insurance for their two children on a $57,000 family income.

Lucky for them, they live in New Jersey. The state has the nation's highest income eligibility level for the Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal-state partnership created in 1997 to help families who earn too much to get Medicaid. Under CHIP, which will expire Oct. 1 unless President Bush and Congress agree to renew it, families of four can get coverage with incomes up to $72,275 — 350% of the federal poverty level. The Velazquezes pay $18.50 a month per child; taxpayers cover the rest.

"What would I do without health insurance?" says Velazquez, 39, who works at a health center. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, worrying about my kids."


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Mars funebru

Considerat initial un poet simbolist, George Bacovia [al carui pseudonim provine din limba latina Bachus via, unde insemna Calea lui Bachus], si-a depasit epoca, poezia sa fiind afiliata curentelor de gandire noi, pusa în paralel cu teatrul absurdului, cu anumite curente ale modernismului poetic, cu suprarealismul, dicteul automat, imagismul sau chiar expresionismul dar si cu scoli filozofice cum ar fi existenţialismul etc. Astfel, Bacovia poate fi considerat unul dintre cei mai importanti poeti romani, fiind totodata si autorul care a reusit sa execute un urias salt canonic de la statutul de poet minor la cel de autor clasic al literaturii romane.

Ce m-a determinat sa scriu randurile de mai sus? Ecoul versurilor acestui poet ascuns in spatele unui om incomplet, fara baza corporala, ros pana in strafunduri de contradictii. Versuri pe care le-am recitit de curand:

Ningea bogat, si trist ningea, era tarziu,
Cand m-a oprit, in drum, la geam, clavirul;
Si-am plans la geam, si m-a cuprins delirul

Amar, prin noapte vantul fluiera pustiu.

Car Insurance could provide a roadmap for health insurance reform

By: Christina Dove

As the debate over healthcare reform continues, there have been a few proposals to make our health insurance similar to the policies of our car insurance. It is required for everyone to have car insurance in order to be able to drive. The equivalent for health insurance is that everyone would need to have health insurance in order to live. This causes a lot of controversy because people do not feel that the government has that kind of control over them and it violates our free liberty established in the constitution.

Although, there are still many facets of the health care reform that need to be finalized, we can adapt many of the same principles to health care that we already use for car insurance. For instance, the portability of car insurance is definitely an advantage in that it can be carried across states with different jobs, etc. In addition, the price that people pay for car insurance is directly related to their driving habits (accidents, tickets, etc) as well as their grades for their children. The equivalent could be for those who maintain a healthy lifestyle and remain in good health. This would provide an incentive for people to make better lifestyle choices, since the price they are paying for health insurance would be affected.

It will still be a significant amount of time before this issue is resolved, there are so many proposed solutions and ideas to improve our current system and to make it as affordable as possible for everyone. The Democrats and Republicans are going to have to work together and come up with a compromise on the best solution for America at this time and perhaps use car insurance as a base model.

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/10/one-argument-that-has-been.php

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703298004574457352744634762.html

http://blogs.ajc.com/kyle-wingfield/2009/10/06/health-care-which-is-the-real-party-of-no/?cxntfid=blogs_kyle_wingfield

Health Insurance Reform Must Include Public Option

Posted by: Andrew Pia Written by: Sen. Sherrod Brown

A majority of Americans support a public option. An overwhelming majority of Democrats in Congress support a public option. Doctors support a public option. Why then is the public option seen by some as the third rail of health insurance reform?

We know the disturbing facts by heart: Millions of Americans are one illness -- or one pink slip -- away from bankruptcy because of high health care costs and lack of access to affordable insurance. 30 million Americans are without health insurance. Nearly 400 Ohioans lose their insurance every day.

Middle class families pay $1,000 annually in hidden taxes to recoup the cost of care for our nation's uninsured.

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Why Buy Insurance

By: Scott Graulich

The Insurance industry is all based on one factor- managing risk. Insurance companies use statistical analyses to determine the chances of accidents, hurricanes, floods, fires, etc. By studying these statistics they can determine how much to charge customers in order to make a profit. When there are a lot of natural disasters in any particular year, insurance company profits go down and may even show a loss.

Basically Insurance Companies hope that life is boring for it's customers-- which means that no one has any natural disasters or accidents to worry about. Generally this type of situation makes the customer and company very happy. However, human nature being what it is, this happy customer starts to wonder why they are paying all that money for nothing. Actually, what we pay for Insurance is a good nights sleep.

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Let Congress Go Without Insurance

Posted by: Scott Graulich

Let me offer a modest proposal: If Congress fails to pass comprehensive health reform this year, its members should surrender health insurance in proportion with the American population that is uninsured.

It may be that the lulling effect of having very fine health insurance leaves members of Congress insensitive to the dysfunction of our existing insurance system. So what better way to attune our leaders to the needs of their constituents than to put them in the same position?

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SuperBlog 2009

Competitia SuperBlog revine si este la a doua editie… cu mai multe premii pentru bloggeri si, în premiera, si pentru cititorii acestora. Gazduit de http://www.pcnews.ro/ în perioada 15 octombrie – 14 decembrie, SuperBlog 2009 are ca sponsori companii cu renume, pregatite sa recompenseze creativitatea bloggerilor cu premii în valoare totala de peste 12.000 USD. Pentru ca anul trecut n-am participat, m-am gandit sa incerc anul acesta. Din dorinta egoista de a sufla unul dintre premii. Nu pentru experienta: dintr-asta mai am!

Editia din 2008 a concursului a starnit patimi si controverse în blogosfera, datorate in principal marelui premiu de 10.000 USD. Anul acesta, organizatorii si sponsorii competitiei isi propun sa creasca sansele prin echilibrarea castigurilor. Astfel, cei mai inspirati si prolifici participanti la SuperBlog 2009 vor putea castiga, in urma jurizarii realizate de sponsori:
- 1.500 USD pentru locul I;
- 1.000 USD pentru locul II;
- 500 USD pentru locul III.

In plus, se vor acorda premii zilnice de 100 USD pentru bloggerul zilei si de 50 USD pentru cititorii acestuia.

Congress Debates Health Insurance

Posted By Pete Hill

A big challenge facing the White House and Congress is the debate on reforming health insurance. New bills are being addressed in Congress to try to resolve these problems and cover more Americans. The complication is that keeping costs low and improving coverage is just one of many challenges facing Congress in the effort to pass health care legislation.

Under the committee’s bill, there would be four levels of benefits, bronze, silver, gold and platinum, and all insurers would be required to offer, at a minimum, silver and gold. “We have more than 46 million people who are uninsured,” Mr. Bingaman said. “We also have a substantial number who are underinsured. Although they have coverage, it is so bad or so inadequate that if they really get sick, they find they cannot afford the health care they need.”

But policy experts say few lawmakers have yet paid enough attention to what that new marketplace should look like and whether it would actually work as promised. It is an ongoing compromise that the Democrats and Republicans are currently trying to agree on.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/policy/06health.html?_r=1&ref=health
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/06exchange.html?ref=health
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/policy/06cong.html?ref=health

How to give the FDIC some clout

By: Robert Cyran

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation needs to add prevention to its stock of cures.

Its bank deposit insurance fund is running low, so it has asked its charges to prepay three years of premiums. Yet 90% of banks paid no assessments from 1996 to 2006 when their profits were healthy. Such pro-cyclival policies punished the prudent and rewarded risky lenders.

The laws governing the fund require the FDIC to keep its kitty at no less that 1.15% of insured deposits, which it does by assessing banks based on their deposits and their regulators' rating of riskiness.

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Posted by: Christina Dove

Pet Insurance On The Rise

Written By: Lisa Matthys

While news continues about health insurance reform for humans, health insurance for pets has seen an increase in America due to rising costs of veterinary bills and increased consumer spending on pets. Although the market is small, investors see it as a profitable niche that is expected to grow. Revenues from gross written premiums of pet insurance increased 21% from 2006 to 2007 and are expected to grow 25% to 35% over the next five years, placing sales at $1.1 billion in 2012.

On October 1st, the Central States Indemnity of Omaha, a Berkshire Hathaway company, partnered with Nestle to market pet-centric insurance options. Previously in June 2008, Purina, a unit of Nestle, launched a pet insurance division to consumers. Purina’s premiums range from $35 to $50 per month depending on the coverage, the breed, whether a dog or cat, age, as well as location of the pet owners home.

While pet insurance in the United States has seen a slight increase over the past year, approximately half of all pet owners in Sweden insure their pets and about 20% in the United Kingdom. The market for pet insurance is expected to increase based on statistics from the American Veterinary Medical Association, which predicts that the amount of pet-related expenditures in 2009 will increase from $25 billion to $45 billion.

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New Insurance Website for Ohio Insurance Companies

Posted By: Lisa Matthys

Written By: Sarah Jane Tribble

For any patient who has ever spent hours on the phone with a hospital or doctor's office arguing about insurance coverage, help is on the way.

Eight of Ohio's major health insurance companies, which provide coverage to 91 percent of the state's residents, announced Monday that they have created a Web site that gives doctors one place to find patients' benefit information. The program, they say, will reduce paperwork between physicians' offices and health plans and, eventually, cut down on billing errors.

"This is analogous to the ATM technology that banks took on," said Karen Ignagni, president and chief executive officer of America's Health Insurance Plans, stressing the new technology's ease of use. "It's a step that will ultimately transform our health system."

While doctors will benefit from reduced billing hassles, thus saving time, patients will benefit by seeing an increase in the amount of time their physician can spend with them, and a decrease in their own billing headaches, according to Ignagni. The Web site will enable doctor's offices to type in a patient's health plan and member identification number.

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The Health Insurance Trap

Posted by Ka Lee Angel Lee

At the center of the health care debate is a belief among many Americans that our private health insurance system isn't working. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that the government shouldn't intervene in health insurance. Fast forward to today, after a cancer diagnosis and four months of chemotherapy, and I have a very different opinion on private health care. This is my story.
I was diagnosed with Seminoma in August of 2008 at the age of 29. Seminoma is a type of testicular cancer that affects one percent of all men, and it is the most common type of cancer among men aged 20 to 35. It is often cured by surgery alone, but advanced disease requires either radiation therapy or chemotherapy in addition. I was unfortunate. By the time I was diagnosed, the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, so I had to undergo chemotherapy.

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What Vice/s Do You Still Want To Eradicate In Your Life?

What vice/s do you still want to eradicate in your life? Please explain your reason/s for your choice.

Tags: Vices, Gambling, Drinking, Womanizing, Promiscuity, Flirting, Gluttony, Sloth, Smoking, Compulsive Eating, Compulsive Shopping, Gossiping, Idleness, Apostasy, Self Pride, Self Centeredness, Cruelty, Self Righteousness, Judgmental, Critical, Idolatry, Greed, Apathy, Bigotry

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Philippines

Viewpoint/Opinion

Senator Baucus Weighing Changes to Make Insurance More Affordable

Posted by Rico K. Setyo

By David M. Herszenhorn

In a push to lock down votes, Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is pulling together a last-minute package of changes to his health care legislation aimed at addressing the chief concern among his fellow Democrats: that health insurance be made as affordable as possible for moderate-income Americans.

“There’s an effort to solve people’s problems,” said Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia, who has been a critic of the bill. “How far that’ll go, we’ll see.”

Among the proposals under consideration is an amendment by Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington, that would create a “basic health plan” for Americans earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $44,100 for a family of four. The proposal would let states develop or expand various existing insurance programs that now typically cover people who qualify for Medicaid. Small states could develop plans jointly.

The Baucus bill would already expand Medicaid to Americans earning up to 133 percent of poverty, and Ms. Cantwell’s proposal would effectively expand it further. But because her plan is expected to be cheaper than providing subsidies to those low-income people to buy their own insurance, it could save money that could be used to make other provisions of the bill more generous.

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Fall is upon us. Do you have auto-insurance that cover deer-related accidents?

By Michael Rivezzo

Fall is notorious for being deer-season, due to mating and deer migration, drivers should be aware if there auto insurance covers accidents that involve animals. The Insurance Information Institute estimates around 1.6 million deer-vehicle accidents happen every year which amount to $4.6 billion worth of vehicle repairs and medical expenses. A deer can also make drivers swerve out of control to avoid them while causing other accidents.

Most of these accidents peak around October and November with a average of $3000 claimed for each collision. There is a increase in deer traffic around these times because they will start to migrate to different areas to settle for the winter and also food becomes scarce due to the climate change and foraging for food becomes a daily habit . Also a adult deer weighs around 200lbs and can cause severe damage to your car and also cause damage to the passengers and drivers in the vehicle.

Now is the time to call your auto insurance company to check your policy to make sure your covered in case of an emergency. Especially in north-east areas that have a high population of white-tail deer.

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Obama: Health Insurance Reform Would Help Small Business

By Scott Wilson

Posted by Michael Rivezzo

President Obama used his weekly radio address Saturday to appeal to small business owners, arguing that his health-care reform plans would push down the cost of insurance coverage they provide to employees.

As Congressional Republicans warn that Obama's health-care reform goals would raise taxes on the middle class, the president said the state-run insurance exchanges contained in legislation now moving through the Senate would save small businesses money.

Obama said that, because they have less bargaining power, small businesses spend 18 percent more on average than large companies for the same insurance plans.

He said the proposed insurance exchanges would provide small businesses with "a marketplace where they can compare the price, quality and services of a wide variety of plans, many of which will provide better coverage at lower costs than the plans they have now."

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Japan's Post Office Starts Selling Life Insurance

Posted By Adam Lindheim
Written by Rita Raagas De Ramos

The Japan Post Group has started distributing ING Life Japan's life insurance products, the latest service that it has been allowed to do following its privatisation last year.

Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Network are selling ING Life Japan's single premium variable annuity products. Japan Post Insurance sells the firm's corporate-owned life insurance products.

The partnership will allow ING to increase top line growth in the hard-to-penetrate Japanese market, which is one of the world's largest life insurance markets. It will extend ING's existing distribution network of 50 banks and securities houses for SPVA products and nearly 6,000 independent agents for COLI products.

Hans van der Noordaa, chairman of ING Insurance Asia-Pacific, says this partnership is in line with ING's growth strategy of expanding its distribution reach in Asia, as well as its commitment to the Japanese market.

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Lack of Dental Insurance Drives Tourism

by Adam Lindheim

According to the American government close to 100 million Americans currently do not have dental insurance which is about half the U.S. population. Medicare does not cover dental procedures, even though your teeth are just as important as many other organs in your body. Even those who do have dental insurance are not covered very well. The majority of dental policies have a $1,500 dollar annual cap, which can be capped out after a complicated procedure such a root canal or a crown. Many U.S. citizens can not afford these very expensive procedures especially, those families and individuals who have lower fixed incomes. People have been, and more frequently as of late have sought dental coverage over seas.

For years dental tourism has been a thriving field for medical tourism, as many Americans and Europeans try to find affordable dental care. Areas that are popular for dental tourism are Budapest, Prague, Tijuana, and Bangkok. In a 2008 survey conducted by the non profit Healthcare Tourism International Foundation found that dental services were the most common procedures sought out by medical travelers. The price differentiation is staggering. Teeth caps cost $750-$1000 dollars in the U.S. while they cost $150 dollars In Mexico. Last February Fox News radio reporter Lori Lundina blogged about her husbands experience of recieving dental work in El Salvador. He needed "full mouth reconstruction", and was told it would cost him $60,000 dollars in the U.S. He then searched for a second opinion and was found that he could recieve the same procedure for $19,000 dollars in El Salvador. After he recieved the operation Lundin said her and her husband were "more than pleased" with how the operation turned out. Lundin even said that the level of care was superior to the care given in the U.S. The U.S. government with its new healthcare reforms are trying to adress this issue.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus a democrat from Montana recently unveiled his much anticipated plan to change the country's healthcare system. He told reporters that it incorparated mant of the same ideas as President Obama's plan. All avaiable healthcare plans would include dental care, and no limit on the amount of benefits a policy holder can recieve.

Many critics would argue that the dentist overseas would not be as well trained as those avaible in the U.S. According to Dr. Stewart Hirsch New York University Associate Dean of Collefe Dentisry said "there is no reason to assume the quality care is any lower overseas. The only issue with reciving dental care overseas is there is little protection to patients if something is to go wrong. The best advice Dr. Hirsch can give is if you are to find a dentist overseas, then find your dentist like you would in the U.S., find them through referals.

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Time to find better auto insurance

By Minjune Kim

Automotive Insurance is a vital part of our lives and we are required to have it to drive a car in the United States. Knowing how your rates are calculated is an important thing to know about so that you.

AUSTIN – Drivers in the Dallas area have seen their insurance rates jump by double digits from a year ago, while homeowners have seen a more modest increase of around 5 percent, according to new rate figures compiled by the Texas Department of Insurance. The figures, based on mandatory rate filings by the top 25 insurer groups in Texas, showed that the cost of liability coverage for drivers jumped more than 10 percent in most parts of Dallas County and surrounding areas. Liability coverage makes up about half the premium for a typical auto policy.

Finding the cheapest insurance will take a bit of effort on your part though, but will be well worth it in the end. When you are searching for affordable automotive insurance available in your area, you will have to check around and do a comparison of many companies against one another. Before agreeing to any one policy, always utilize the internet to compare even further.Requesting quotes from each agency will give you more details on who is the best for your situation. You will want to decide on the company that will give you the best premium rate and that has the best coverage for that price. Comparing auto insurance quotes side by side can give you the information you need as you can see them right there next to each other in black and white.
Keeping your vehicle in excellent shape and performing all maintenance in a timely manner will help to ensure that you keep your insurance rates more affordable. Keeping your car in tip-top shape will help you to avoid unnecessary accidents. The insurance companies assume that a well taken care of vehicle will result in fewer claims made against the insurance, which can help your premium to be reduced.
Speaking with your insurance agent about available discounts can also help to reduce your premium amount. There could be things you could do easily that would lower your insurance rates. Asking them is the best way of finding out for sure.

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Obama Insists Insurance Will Be Affordable

Posted by Pete Hill

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Sunday pushed back against the argument from liberal Democrats that the leading health care bill in the Senate would place a new financial burden on the middle class, saying in a series of television appearances that insurance would be made affordable through a competitive exchange and subsidies.

As the Senate Finance Committee prepares to take up the legislation this week, the White House is trying to hold together fractious Democrats, particularly those who believe that the plan is not generous enough for people required to buy insurance. Mr. Obama argued that the proposal was not a bad deal for the middle class and that it could not be called a tax hike.
“Right now, everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance,” Mr. Obama said on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on ABC. “Nobody considers that a tax increase.”

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Virgin Money to sell car insurance

Written by Patrick Stafford
Posted by Minjune Kim



Virgin Money's car insurance products are expected to be underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company, one of the largest South African insurers that is looking to expand Australian operations.
While Virgin Money entered Australia five years ago when it broke a deal with Westpac for a discount credit card, the contract ended 12 months ago with the bank taking on 750,000 customers after paying a $39 million fee.
But now Virgin is set to re-enter the market with the new Citibank deal, with the first credit card due for introduction next July along with online retail savings and deposit accounts due over the coming months.
It is expected that Virgin will provide the majority of the branding and marketing while Citibank will deal with the complex banking infrastructure, a similar structure to Branson's other endeavours.
Matt Baxby, managing director of Virgin Money Australia, said in a statement: "This agreement, with its comprehensive range of banking product, is a first for the market. The partnership with global banking leader Citibank represents a new focus and direction for the Virgin Money brand in Australia, and will provide Australian consumers with increased choice."
Virgin Money's new products come after his opinion piece in a British newspaper that stated the banking sector must see new competition in order to avoid another financial crisis.
"We must ensure that we prevent such a crisis again - but we must also bring back competition if we want the consumer and small businesses to be protected," he said. The announcement comes as Branson told reporters in Brisbane that he might have delayed V Australia's launch if he knew the global financial crisis would occur.
"If we knew the world would have plunged into recession when it did, would we have done it at that time? I don't know - we might have done. We may have delayed it a year."Branson was in Brisbane to celebrate Virgin Blue's ninth birthday, despite the company recording a net loss of $160 million for the 12 months ending 30 June, from a net profit of $90 million in 2008.

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Benefits to Having Whole Life Insurance

Posted by Lindsey Connell

There are many benefits of having and keeping whole life insurance. If a family member passes away and had life insurance, then they wouldn’t have to worry about providing money to their family because they were insured. Also, there is a disability waiver that can pay insurance premiums in case of total disability. Next, some whole life insurance policies give access to death benefit values in the case of living with a chronic or terminal illness. The benefits and values of whole life insurance are also protected in many states from creditors and lawsuits which allows for the owner of the insurance to have peace of mind in knowing that there will be no legal complications. Additionally, the insurance allows other forms of capital and has the potential for tax beneficial income later in life. It may also provide an income tax-free death benefit far in excess of the premiums paid. It appears that whole life insurance really benefits those with disabilities, those who are sick, and an older class of people because it covers them for the worst case situations such as terminal problems or death, but emergencies can happen to anyone at anytime so having whole life insurance at any age is a good idea.

http://www.lifeinsure.com/lifeinsurance/wholelifebenefits.asp

http://www.pacificlife.com/Channel/Educational+Information/Life+Insurance+Concepts/Maximizing+Life+Insurance+Benefits.htm

http://www.life-insurance-premium-finance.com/insurance-finance-benefits.htm

Maximizing Life Insurance Benefits

Posted by Lindsey Connell

Life insurance has long been a staple in basic estate planning. Life insurance may provide an income tax-free death benefit1 far in excess of the premiums paid. However, much of the life insurance proceeds may be wasted if the ownership and beneficiary designations are not properly structured.

Because of federal and/or state estate taxes, a tax may be imposed on all the property that you own at your death. This tax must be paid from your estate. This tax does not attach if, as a general rule, your property is valued at less than your estate tax exemption amount. If you own a life insurance policy, or you or your estate are named as beneficiary, the policy death benefit will increase your estate. If, after including your life insurance death benefit proceeds, your estate is still valued at less than your estate tax exemption amount, no federal estate tax will be assessed. Therefore, your policy's death benefit proceeds can be directed to any of your heirs, and need not be used to pay your estate tax liability.

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Insurance Let's Us Sleep at Night

Posted by: Scott Graulich

Human beings are wired to worry about things. Virtually everything we do has risk involved and naturally can cause worry. Whoever came up with the idea of insurance, whether it be for automobiles, houses, or on your life, invented a pill to reduce human stress. By purchasing insurance, we absolve ourselves with a potentially catastrophic payment. We should all be grateful that this product is available.

References:
Article 1
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Healthcare Insurance Causing Pain for Doctors and Patients

By: Christina Dove

Recently, America has been struggling with health care insurance coverage and Congress is working hard to reform the way things are right now. One problem with our current method is that doctors and insurance companies have an awkward relationship as to what is covered by doctor visits. The current health insurance system promotes doctors to operate less effciently than they normally would and encourage more follow-up visits to make sure that they get reimbursed for their services. This puts an added pressure on the patient as well, who has to make more copays and does not get treated as quickly as they could for certain conditions.

Many people are getting denied certain options by doctors since they are not covered by their insurance or are being expected to pay outrageous costs for certain services that the insurance companies are not able to cover. In a blog on CNN.com, a patient who underwent hand surgery said, "To be fair, the insurer should pay the bill according to the network charges since the doctor and facility used for the surgery was in the provider's network." He was scammed into having to pay for a large portion of his surgery since he was not told ahead of time that his insurance would not cover certain parts of it.

The current system clearly has some fundamental flaws in it that need to be addressed by the government. Underway right now, many Democrat senators are proposing a bill to make health insurance much more affordable for those who are not as wealthy and have significant healthcare needs. Everyone is entitled to a basic healthcare plan and the insurance companies should be more cooperative with both the patients and doctors to improve our current system.

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/baucus-weighing-changes-to-make-insurance-more-affordable/

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/news/0909/gallery.consumer_health_insurance_complaints/2.html

http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/24/news/economy/healthcare_insurer_doctor/index.htm?postversion=2009093014

Baucus Weighing Changes to Make Insurance More Affordable

Posted by: Scott Graulich

In a push to lock down votes, Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is pulling together a last-minute package of changes to his health care legislation aimed at addressing the chief concern among his fellow Democrats: that health insurance be made as affordable as possible for moderate-income Americans.

“There’s an effort to solve people’s problems,” said Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia, who has been a critic of the bill. “How far that’ll go, we’ll see.”

Click here to read more

New York Life: Insuring Business Success

By: Andrew Pia

While many of the top life insurance companies are struggling, New York Life has not only kept their head above water in these times, but has been more profitable in the last several years than they ever have been. They have built an 'IT Powerhouse' that is helping the business thrive at a point where many institutions are struggling. Every NYL agent has been connected to a CRM data storage system that provides every detail on their clients, and other useful information when in the field.

New York Life has also increased their advertising over the past 6 months, using a method that in tough times, a company should advertise more to continue to bring in clients. Their tag line of a self-less gift has been very successful in connecting with struggling parents who are worried for their children's futures.

Maybe other financial institutions who are struggling should take a look at New York Life and their business plan and structure, which has continued to improve since their founding in 1845.

Sources:

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Still Confused? A Refresher on the Basics of the Health Debate

Written by David M. Herszenhorn

Posted by Stefanie Marty

It may feel endless, but the health care debate in many ways is just getting started – the various bills are nearly ready, and full debate in the House and Senate lies just ahead. And yet, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll, 6 out of 10 people in the United States are confused about the plans to overhaul the health system.

Nearly half say they don’t know enough about the plans to have an opinion. And one-third can’t fathom a guess as to whether, if the proposed changes are adopted, the system would be better or worse in the years ahead.

So here’s a quick refresher of some of the basic parameters in the health care debate. Please pay attention, there will be a quiz – another poll – and if 59 percent of you are still confused, somebody ought to get fired. Maybe me.

Let’s start with two overarching issues: About 46 million people in the United States do not have health insurance. And health care costs – doctor visits, medicine, hospital care, lab tests, etc. – are rising way too fast. The proposals by President Obama and Congress try to tackle both problems.

First: The Insurance

To cover the uninsured, the government would do two main things:

• Increase the number of people on Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for the lowest-income Americans.
• Give subsidies to help moderate-income people buy insurance.

To make sure insurance is obtainable, there would be new rules, such as barring insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions.

With a few exceptions, the majority of Americans who already have insurance through an employer — about 160 million people — would have to stay with that coverage.

And starting in 2013, nearly everybody would be required to obtain health coverage, or pay a penalty for not doing so. The logic is the same as in requiring auto insurance: anyone without coverage poses a risk of high costs for everyone else. But the proposed “mandate” is also a political flashpoint: Americans tend not to like being told what to do by their government, and Republicans are attacking the penalty as a “tax.”

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The Baucus Plan

Written by Stefanie Marty

With the discussion of a health insurance reform going on, on September 8^th the Congress released a new proposal which would fine Americans without health insurance plan. This new concept, called the “Baucus Plan”, was put forth by Democratic Senator Max Baucus from Montana.

The Baucus plan which would cost $856 billion over 10 years would make health insurance mandatory for everyone by beginning of 2013. It would not include a public insurance imposed by the government, but it would include non-profit cooperatives which would create a competitive insurance market and thus cut costs. The plan further incorporates tax credits, higher premiums for smokers and for people over the age of 60 and fees which have to be paid by insurers and drug companies. Also, the proposal exempts those people who cannot afford coverage.

With these and many other characteristics the Baucus plan would guarantee health coverage for the majority of Americans. People who do not sign up for a health insurance would have to pay big fines equal of at least $750 for individuals and $1,500 for families. The maximum amount a family could get fined of would be $3,800.

If the plan has any chances is controversial, Baucus hopes to get support from both the parties.

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Health Care for All? Not Just Yet...

Posted by Kenny Hernandez

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday rejected two amendments to include a government-run public health insurance option in the only compromise health care bill so far.

The amendments by Democratic Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Charles Schumer of New York were opposed by all 10 Republicans on the committee and a few Democrats, including committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.

Baucus explained that he liked much about the idea of a public option but that he knew a health care bill containing the provision would fail to win enough support in the full Senate to overcome a Republican filibuster.

"I fear if this provision is in the bill, it will hold back meaningful reform this year," Baucus said.

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Insurance Company Plays God

By Ka Lee Angel Lee
After reading articles about the relationship between health insurance and personal bankruptcy, that is 75% of the victims who went bankrupt for medical fees actually owned health insurance. While you are thinking health insurance is burden then, you should think twice. Because there is another study showing that one American dies every minute on average annually and most of them lack health insurance. It is also said that American adults age 64 and under who do not have health insurance endure a 40% higher risk of death than those who have coverage comparing to the 25% in 1993. The increased percentage was contributed by the growing absence of health insurance for many Americans and also places for the uninsured to get medical care are decreasing.
Health insurance is a must to buy because there is nothing more important than our lives. There are countless sugar-coated insurance plans in the market. We should be very careful which plan to choose and beware of the loopholes. We should consult more experts when choose the insurance and keep ourselves informed of the policy changes of the insurance company chosen in order to keep ourselves safe from losing coverage as well as life ultimately.

Sources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=105691

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Study+links+deaths+lack+insurance/2007830/story.html

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/healthwellness/142762/health_insurance_companies_are_the_real_death_panels:_my_best_friend_is_proof/

How Will You React If A Flashflood Hit You And Your Family?

How will you react if a flashflood hit you and your family? Please explain your answer.

Tags: Flashflood, Typhoon, Rainwater, Surging Water, Victim, Help, Inundation, Relief, Marooned, Devastation, Debris, Volunteers, Donations, Courage, Hope

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Philippines

Viewpoint/Opinion

Jobless Benefits Extended

Posted by Pete Hill

With no end in sight regarding the job market struggles, the House decided to give the unemployed another thirteen weeks of unemployment insurance. This bill included twenty seven states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Although the benefits have already been extended to record lengths, it appears that the job market is the last thing to recover from the recession. "Providing these Americans with a modest economic lifeline is not only the humane thing to do but it's in the economic interest of the country," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash. This extension is due to the fact that there are six people looking for every job available. The unemployment rate now is 9.7% and economists see it topping 10% in 2010.

The number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million last year as people began losing jobs and coverage in the current recession. This means more people will qualify, putting a burden on states already struggling to balance budgets due to the recession.
Even without formal insurance, most people already have some version of a safety net: friends, family and in truly catastrophic situations, the government. "The challenge for insurance is to beat those other mechanisms, not to beat nothing," says Morduch.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1925600,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1921647,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1921590,00.html

Obama's ex-doctor: Insurers 'screwing it up'

Obama's ex-doctor: Insurers 'screwing it up'

Posted by: Christina Dove

Chicago physician says companies are telling doctors how to do their job.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President Obama's former personal physician of 22 years, Dr. David Scheiner, has been very vocal on the issue of health insurance, particularly with his criticism of commercial insurers and how he feels they are meddling with the doctor-patient relationship.
Scheiner has publicly stated his support for a government-run "single payer" system.
CNNMoney.com spoke with Scheiner, with Advocate Medical Group in Chicago's Hyde Park, earlier this week about his experiences and frustrations:
You've said in interviews that insurers are making it increasingly difficult for doctors to do their jobs. Can you give some examples?

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Malpractice tort reforms needed now

Posted by: Andrew Pia

Written by: Tom Sears

In my last column, I listed many ways for Congress to move slowly, cautiously and responsibly in trying to implement some kind of health care reform. I'll try to use the next one or two columns to expand on those possibilities.

First, nothing gets off the ground unless Congress and Obama make a serious attempt at medical malpractice tort reform. We are talking about billions of dollars saved annually and it's very easy to implement.

However, nothing happens until Obama and the radical leftist leadership in Congress decide to stop playing politics and start leading. Please do what is best for the country, rather than what is best for your party, special interests, trial attorneys who are presently pulling your strings.

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In Some States, A Push To Ban Mandate On Insurance

Posted By Pete Hill

ST. PAUL — In more than a dozen statehouses across the country, a small but growing group of lawmakers is pressing for state constitutional amendments that would outlaw a crucial element of the health care plans under discussion in Washington: the requirement that everyone buy insurance or pay a penalty.

Approval of the measures, the lawmakers suggest, would set off a legal battle over the rights of states versus the reach of federal power — an issue that is, for some, central to the current health care debate but also one that has tentacles stretching into a broad range of other matters, including education and drug policy.
Opponents of the measures and some constitutional scholars say the proposals are mostly symbolic, intended to send a message of political protest, and have little chance of succeeding in court over the long run. But they acknowledge the measures could create legal collisions that would be both costly and cause delays to health care changes, and could be a rallying point for opponents in the increasingly tense debate.

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Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance

By Susan Heavey, Reuters

Postedby Ka Lee Angel Lee

WASHINGTON - Nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year — one every 12 minutes — in large part because they lack health insurance and can not get good care, Harvard Medical School researchers found in an analysis released Thursday.

"We're losing more Americans every day because of inaction . . . than drunk driving and homicide combined," Dr. David Himmelstein, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard, said in an interview with Reuters.

Overall, researchers said American adults age 64 and younger who lack health insurance have a 40 per cent higher risk of death than those who have coverage.

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Why Do Some Travellers Skip Buying Insurance?

Posted by: Lindsey Connell

We all know we need travel insurance, so why do an estimated 30% of travellers still travel overseas with either no cover or too little.Online travel insurance company, iTrek.com.au, say they suspect it’s largely out of the belief that bad things happen to other people, and the mistaken belief that travel insurance is too expensive. Rather, iTrek say, this is a growing market and most companies have put together highly competitive packages sometimes targeting areas of travel such as Europe and the UK or Asia and sometimes targeting specific financial markets such as backpackers, meaning you can purchase from budget travel insurance upward. But, iTrek advise to definitely purchase direct from the insurer to avoid paying middleman commissions and to buy insurance online to pick up the best low cost travel insurance deals.

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Why you should invest in travel insurance

Posted by: Lindsey Connell

Travel insurance is extremely important to have and there are five types: medical evacuation insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage insurance, car rental travel insurance, and flight accident insurance. There are many reasons why you should get travel insurance and the first reason is because domestic insurance plans usually don’t cover you if you go abroad. If you went abroad and didn’t have insurance, you wouldn’t have that sense of security and could ultimately end up in a very dangerous and costly situation. Also, domestic health plans usually have limited or no ability to deal with international claims, so your security with your current insurance will be completely gone once you go abroad. Another reason is because medical treatment abroad can be very expensive. In fact, you may be abroad and have medical care that you think you can afford before you realize the price differences between countries, and by that time, you are financially in over your head. Besides this, travel insurance covers you if your bags are lost for up to $1,000 and although lost bags are rare, they do happen and can completely ruin a trip whether it is for work or vacation.

http://www.healthplans.com/articledetails.php?menuid=10&articleid=8063

http://www.globaltravelinsurance.cosm/Why_Get_Travel_Insurance.ppt

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=274

Delta Dunarii: rezervatie naturala unica in Europa

Delta Dunarii, cea mai mare rezervatie de tinuturi umede din Europa, reprezinta pe langa intinderile vaste de ape, padurile seculare si vegetatia bogata, in general, si un tinut exotic cu o bogata fauna ornitologica [mai mult de 300 de specii, printre care colonii unice de pelicani] si ihtiologica [reprezentata de aproximativ 100 de specii]. Datorita frumusetii peisajelor sale, Delta a devenit si o importanta zona de interes turistic. Declarata de UNESCO, in anul 1990, rezervatie naturala de interes, te intampina mereu cu imagini de vis. Frumusetea pasarilor in zbor sau a pestilor sarind printre nuferi, iti va bucura, cu siguranta, privirea, la fiecare vizita.

Si daca vrei sa imbini luxul contemporan cu salbaticia naturii nepatrunse de om, poti alege Complexul Delta Nature Resort amplasat la 20 de kilometri de Tulcea, pe marginea lacului Somova. Compus din 30 de vile care fac din aceasta destinatie locul ideal pentru o vacanta de vis, complexul ofera servicii variate: de la relaxarea intr-un centru SPA, la preparate culinare dintre cele mai alese.

Si-n concluzie, de ce nu trebuie ratata Delta Dunarii? Pentru ca orice om fascinat de natura, ramane impresionat profund dupa ce-i trece pragul…

How Safeway Is Cutting Health-Care Costs

By STEVEN A. BURD

Posted By Ahmed Al-Salem

Effective health-care reform must meet two objectives: 1) It must secure coverage for all Americans, and 2) it must dramatically lower the cost of health care. Health-care spending has outpaced the rise in all other consumer spending by nearly a factor of three since 1980, increasing to 18% of GDP in 2009 from 9% of GDP. This disturbing trend will not change regardless of who pays these costs -- government or the private sector -- unless we can find a way to improve the health of our citizens. Failure to do so will make American companies less competitive in the global marketplace, increase taxes, and undermine our economy.

At Safeway we believe that well-designed health-care reform, utilizing market-based solutions, can ultimately reduce our nation's health-care bill by 40%. The key to achieving these savings is health-care plans that reward healthy behavior. As a self-insured employer, Safeway designed just such a plan in 2005 and has made continuous improvements each year. The results have been remarkable. During this four-year period, we have kept our per capita health-care costs flat (that includes both the employee and the employer portion), while most American companies' costs have increased 38% over the same four years.

Continue...

The Baucus Plan

By Shawn Chandok
On Monday September 20th President Obama gave a speech on how healthcare bills will place a new burden on the middle class American family. One of the controversial issues republicans are criticizing the president for is the fact or not whether providing auto insurance throughout the United States is worth the additional tax increase. Although the president has yet to declare or pass any law increasing taxes, the government’s strategy is to “provide subsidies — in the form of tax credits — to help people buy coverage through new insurance exchanges.” These subsidies are still being questioned about what is considered affordable to the middle classed American due to their large expense. “The subsidies are the biggest single cost in the health care proposals. In the Baucus bill, it is $463 billion over 10 years; the cost is $773 billion in the House bill.” The plan intends to families on the poverty line no more than 3% of their gross income on health insurance, however “this percentage would rise linearly to 13 percent up to 300 of the federal poverty level, and stay at that level up to 400 percent of the poverty level.” Lastly, one of the other issues combating this plan is whether or not illegal immigrants and their children would be covered in health insurance? The President stated that illegal immigrants should not be covered; however the children of the immigrants who were born within the United States should and will be. He also mentioned once the plan is implemented and successful, families who refuse to buy insurance or simply don’t have it will be charged a fine up to $3,800.

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Skyrocketing Auto Insurance

Post by David Held

Many parents are frustrated in regards to why automobile insurance for their children is so expensive. It is a fact that young drivers are inexperienced and more likely, than an adult, to get into a fender bender or even something worse. However, not all insurance companies have the same rates for the same insurance coverage; one must get competing quotes before buying. Questions that parents are asked include; what is the driver’s gender, age, address, purpose of driving, and type of vehicle. The answers impact the quoted rate you receive. For example, statistically males have a greater tendency to speed and a higher accident rate than females, thus warranting the insurer to give you a higher quote. In order to find the cheapest rate you must be online comparing each and every company’s rates and coverage limits.

One way to reduce rates for young drivers is to have them take their states driver’s education course. Showing a driver’s education completion certificate to your insurer helps reduce your rate! Also, defensive driving can deduct up to 10% off your annual auto insurance bill. Even if you do not have points on your license, from “run ins” with the police, defensive driving shows insurance companies you are taking a step in the right direction in trying to become a safe driver.

All in all, there are definitely ways to keep your auto insurance bills to a minimum. You just have to be willing to take the time and to do the research!

Sources #1, #2, #3

How Do You Describe Your Mother?

How do you describe your mother? What lasting influences did she bring to your life? Could you please share them with us?

Tags: Mother, Bearer of Life, Source of Strength, Jewels of Inspiration, Intimate Love, Caring, Joy, Warm Embrace, Soothing Words of Wisdom, Ever Faithful, Selfless, Sacrifice, Encompassing, Wonderful Memories, Mentor, First Teacher, Molder of Character, Imitated, Honored, Source of Pride, Unconditional Love, Mirror of Life, Missed So Much, Great Influence

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Philippines

Viewpoint/Opinion

Harvard Medical Study Links Lack of Insurance to 45,000 U.S. Deaths a Year

Post by Shawn Chandok

Article by Reed Abelson

As the White House and Congress continue debating how best to provide coverage to tens of millions of Americans currently without health insurance, a new study (PDF) is meant to offer a stark reminder of why lawmakers should continue to try. Researchers from Harvard Medical School say the lack of coverage can be tied to about 45,000 deaths a year in the United States — a toll that is greater than the number of people who die each year from kidney disease.

“If you extend coverage, you can save lives,” said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a professor of medicine at Harvard who is one of the study’s authors. The research is being published in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health and was posted online Thursday.

The Harvard study found that people without health insurance had a 40 percent higher risk of death than those with private health insurance — as a result of being unable to obtain necessary medical care. The risk appears to have increased since 1993, when a similar study found the risk of death was 25 percent greater for the uninsured.
The increase in risk, according to the study, is likely to be a result of at least two factors. One is the greater difficulty the uninsured have today in finding care, as public hospitals have closed or cut back on services. The other is improvements in medical care for insured people with treatable chronic conditions like high blood pressure.

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AIG Recovered?

Post by David Held

Congressional Report Says A.I.G. Has Stabilized

MARY WILLIAMS WALSH
Published: September 21, 2009

The research arm of Congress reported on Monday that the American International Group’s financial condition had stabilized but said it was not clear whether the giant insurance group would ever be able to restructure and repay its federal rescue package.

The Government Accountability Office’s new report on the bailout of A.I.G. coincided with word that a senior House Democrat was planning to push for an easing of A.I.G.’s terms on its government debt.

Representative Edolphus Towns of New York, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was said to be considering debt relief after meeting last week with Maurice R. Greenberg, A.I.G.’s former chief executive, who was forced out during an accounting scandal in 2005.

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