by: Kay Lowe
In light of today's health care costs, a better question would be, "Can I afford NOT to have health insurance?".
Indeed, medical expenses are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the US.
A health insurance plan should be an essential part of any responsible financial plan, whether married or single.
Even young, healthy adults should bear in mind that a single emergency room visit can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars, and intensive care can cost thousands per day.
And that's not even counting the costs of prescription drugs.
There are steps to take to minimize the expense of health insurance.
Many employers offer health insurance as a benefit for employees.
Rates for group health insurance such as this are usually lower than private insurance rates; employers can negotiate better rates as a group.
Labor and trade unions also may offer group health insurance for their members.
Spouses and children can often be added to most employee health plan, though the rate will be higher.
Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance can be deducted from the employees' paycheck, often with pre-tax dollars, increasing the savings.
Many employers offer multiple health plans.
The employee may be able to select from PPO, HMO, and traditional plans.
Compare the options, check the policy to determine what medical expenses are covered, and select the plan that most suits the needs of you and/or your family.
If a group plan is not available, private health insurance coverage is available.
Private health insurance is usually more expensive than group health insurance, but there are ways to minimize the rate.
Shop around and compare rates offerd by various health insurance companies.
Health insurance companies usually offer lower rates for younger persons, for nonsmokers, and those with normal weight.
Rates will be higher, or coverage denied for pre-existing health conditions, for those working in high-risk occupations, and those who engage in high-risk activities such as race car driving.
A relative newcomer to health insurance plans is the health savings account, or HSA.
An HSA allows the individual to save money to pay routine health care expenses, deductibles and co-pays.
The IRS allows this money to be set aside pre-tax as well.
HSAs are paired with a health insurance plan with low premiums and high deductible to cover major health expenses.
In a sense, the individual is "self-insured" for routine health care, with a major medical plan for bigger expenses.
Many experts predict that HSAs will become more popular in time as an alternative to traditional health insurance plans.
Whatever health plan that you choose,
health care coverage is essential.
A major surgery and/or extended critcal care stay could easily bankrupt any individual or family.
Consider the options available.
Be certain of what is and is not covered, and consider how appropriate that coverage is for your situation.
About The Author
Kay Lowe holds a Master's degree in health care and has 30+ years experience in the health care field.
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Finding Cheap Auto Parts
Finding Cheap Auto Parts
by: John Rivers
Running a car can be an expensive business these days, especially with the continually rising cost of petrol/gas. The last thing that most car owners need is the added expense of replacing worn out parts. The majority of people rely on their local auto shop to find the parts, and then fit them. There is a far cheaper way, and that is to source your own parts from an auto salvage yard.
Auto salvage yards, as their name suggests, specialise in salvaging autos, or more specifically auto parts. The way that they work is simple; they take junk cars and strip them down, keeping any parts that are still in working order. These parts are then sold to anyone who wants to buy them at a much lower price than a new part would be. You could find the part that you are looking for, and save yourself a lot of money. Of course, it would be ideal if you could fit the part on your car yourself, but just buying the part...
Finding Cheap Auto Parts
Auto insurance > Finding Cheap Auto Parts
Greatest Insurance Saving Tips For The United States?
Greatest Insurance Saving Tips For The United States?
by: Insurance Discount rus.com
Auto Insurance
Multiple quotes- Insurance companies rate your auto insurance by zip codes.
The number of clams an insurance company has had in your zip code will
determine how much you will be charged. That is why it's so important for you to
get multiple insurance quotes.
Age and value of car- A good rule of thumb to use is if your car is ten years or
older or worth less then $10,000, and your insurance quote is $1000 or more per
every six months, you may want to consider removing collision and comprehensive
coverage to lower your auto insurance expenditures. If you take collision and
comprehensive off your auto insurance policy you should save big.
Low mileage-Did you know that if you work at home or car pool to work - both of
which limit the number of miles you put on your vehicle - you may be eligible...
Greatest Insurance Saving Tips For The United States?
Auto insurance > Greatest Insurance Saving Tips For The United States?
How to Save on Car Insurance
How to Save on Car Insurance
by: Robert Rogers
Are You Still Paying Too Much for Car Insurance?
Everyone who owns a car needs auto insurance. This article will give you some tips on lowering your auto insurance costs. You will find a checklist of items to ask your insurance agent that may qualify for discounts. Keep in mind that not all discounts can be applied with all insurance companies in all states.
1. Shop Around
Go to your favorite search engine and type in "free car insurance quotes online". You'll see a long list of insurance companies that you may even be familiar with. Visit at least five car insurance websites and look for a link to free quotes. You will then be asked basic information about yourself, your driving history, and your car's make, model, and year. It just takes a couple of minutes, and shortly thereafter, they will email you a no obligation quote. Write down their website address, their toll free number...
How to Save on Car Insurance
Auto insurance > How to Save on Car Insurance
Why Video & Web Conferencing Are Heading Towards Mass Acceptance
Why Video & Web Conferencing Are Heading Towards Mass Acceptance
by: Dan Richmond
The time is right for video and web conferencing to take off. While online conferencing is still seen as a technological novelty by some people, more and more businesses of all sizes are finding it be the solution to doing business and communicating with prospects, clients, employees and branch offices in an era of rising transport costs. Let?s take a look at some of the factors...
Auto insurance
Auto insurance > Why Video & Web Conferencing Are Heading Towards Mass Acceptance
Can You Hear Me Now?
Can You Hear Me Now?
by: Peter Lopez
I'm sure you've seen the cellular phone commercial, two customers are on cell phones and one says, “Can you hear me now?” takes a step back and repeats, “Can you hear me now?” While commercials like that make us laugh, the truth is that as telecommunications expand and include many different options, we must make sure that we are not exchanging flexibility for sound quality.
Today's telecommunication...
speakers Auto insurance Can I Afford Health Insurance? Can You Hear Me Now?
Auto insurance > Can You Hear Me Now?
Pioneer Plasma 43 HDE PureVision TV
Pioneer Plasma 43 HDE PureVision TV
by: John Lloyd
The PureVision Pioneer plasma 43 hde television has a wonderful 43 inch flat screen plasma display. It has a display resolution of 1024 x 728 pixels, plus hdtv technology. This Pioneer plasma 43 hde tv is equipped with new technology that lengthens the life of this particular model.
I have researched owners opinions that view the Pioneer plasma 43 hde. Everyone scored it with 100 percent, in reference to...
Auto insurance Can I Afford Health Insurance? plasma
Auto insurance > Pioneer Plasma 43 HDE PureVision TV
Gift Ideas for Christmas
Gift Ideas for Christmas
by: Kate Dee
Finding the perfect gift has to be one of the most anxiety-filled, frustrating,time consuming things we do. How about taking a look at some ideas for Christmas gifts that I have compiled. If you are like me, you probably have to buy for all age groups and both sexes. It's not that hard, and sometimes it's as easy as just asking!
Ideas for Women
The over 18 crowd. What do women want? First of all, what women DO...
Auto insurance Can I Afford Health Insurance? trucks Gift Ideas for Christmas
Auto insurance > Gift Ideas for Christmas