Realizing the Importance of Medical Insurance

Realizing the Importance of Medical Insurance
By Arlene Schneider

Health insurance is something that many of us take for granted until we need it. But if you do not have it and you need it the consequences of this action can be quite severe. All it takes is one hospital stay or surgery and you could be looking at medical bills of thousands of dollars. This could lead to years of payments or in many cases bankruptcy.

Getting a medical insurance plan is a necessity. In many cases, insurance may be available through an employer. They will pay part of the premium and the balance of the payment will usually be a deduction from your paycheck.

If this option is available to you, this will probably be the option that is going to be the most economical. But if you feel that you are paying a lot you may want to research other alternatives.

The internet offers the ability to be able to comparison shop for insurance plans. Individual, family, student, temporary and small business plans can be found online. It is as simple as filling out the form and submitting it and a number of quotes will be returned fitting the criteria that you submitted.

You will be given options. You choose a plan that has a high deductible and a low premium or a plan that has a high premium and offers you low deductibles and more services.

There are plans that will pay for almost anything and others that will cover only hospital stays and surgeries. You should be able to easily find a plan that meets your needs.

Once you have made your plan selection, you can apply online and even make your payment online. Shopping for insurance is a relatively simple process and can be done from the convenience of your home.

Health insurance is something you should not be without. Having a major medical event can change your financial situation quickly, but having health insurance can insure that you remain financially stable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arlene_Schneider

Realizing the Importance of Medical Insurance

Essentials of Choosing a Medical Insurance Plan

Essentials of Choosing a Medical Insurance Plan
By Tom Carolan

In your quest for the right medical insurance plan for your family you will find that there is a lot of information out there. It is important to know what you are looking for in order to be able to efficiently sift through the information and choose the best plan possible for you.

Every health insurance company offers something a little different from the others, therefore you need to have the answers to certain questions in order to make your decision.

While you will want to consider every aspect of a policy, there are three most important factors to look at: affordability of the medical plan, services offered and the quality of the care customers receive.

If you know the answer to the following questions concerning each of these factors, you can feel confident that you have all the information necessary to choose a medical plan that is right for you.

Affordability

- How much are the monthly premiums?
- How much are the deductibles I will have to pay each year before the policy kicks in?
- After deductibles, what percentage is covered by the plan?
- How costly is it to use out-of-network healthcare providers?
- How frequently do I go to the doctor? How much will I pay out of pocket each time?
- Should I opt for a plan that covers practically all medical expenses or should I save money and get major medical expense coverage only?
- Can I get a policy for my children only in order to cut costs?
- Are there out of pocket maximums to limit my liability in case of a serious illness or injury?

Services Offered

- Which hospitals, doctors and other providers are covered by the plan?
- Is there a good selection of the types of doctors I am likely to use?
- Are the locations of preferred providers geographically close to me?
- Are referrals or pre-approval needed prior to seeing specialists?
- Are prescriptions included in the plan?
- Are maternity benefits included?

Quality Of Care

- What do people I know and trust say about their experiences with the medical plan I am considering?
- What does my doctor think of this health plan?
- What kinds of ratings does the medical plan receive from independent government groups who do such ratings?

You should also look at accreditations of the doctors and hospitals you are likely to use under the health plan, as well as consumer ratings and other indicators of quality.

By taking the time to learn about what makes up a good health plan and making sure you know the answers to the questions about the medical insurance plans you are looking at using, you will be best equipped to choose the right plan for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Carolan

Essentials of Choosing a Medical Insurance Plan

France Has the Best Healthcare System in the World

France Has the Best Healthcare System in the World
By Sheila Guilloton

As the United States struggles toward a system of universal health care, many have looked at the Canadian health care system as a model. Only a few have looked toward France. That's a mistake for at least 2 reasons.

First, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), France has the best health care system in the world . It has been widely reported that the WHO found the French system to be number 1 while the Canadian system is number 30 and the U.S. number 37.

It should be noted here that the WHO rankings actually contain multiple rankings and the numbers generally quoted are the ranking based on the measure that the WHO calls the OP ranking. OP is said to measure "overall performance" adjusted to reflect a country's performance based on how well it theoretically could have performed. When reporting the rankings of 1 for France, 30 for Canada and 37 for the United States, it is the OP ranking being used.

Why did the French system do so well in the WHO rankings? The French system excels in 4 areas:

• It provides universal coverage
• It has responsive health care providers
• Patients have freedom of choice
• The health and longevity of the population

Second, we should be looking more closely at the French system because it has more similarities with the U.S. system than either the Canadian or British system. Many Americans assume that the French system is like the system in Britain. Nothing could be further from the truth or more insulting to the French.

Exactly like the United States, the French system relies on both private insurance and government insurance. Also, just like in America, people generally get their insurance through their employer. What is different is that everyone in France has health insurance. Every legal resident of France has access to health care under the law of universal coverage called la Couverture maladie universelle.

Under the French system, health insurance is a branch of Social Security or the Sécurité Sociale. The system is funded primarily by taxing the salaries of workers. An employee in France will pay about 20% of their salary to fund the Sécurité Sociale. These taxes represent about 60% of the cost of the health insurance plan.

The balance of the funding comes from the self employed, who pay more than salaried workers, and by indirect taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Finally, additional taxes are levied against other income, both direct and indirect.

The French share the same distaste for restrictions on patient choice as American do. The French system relies on autonomous private practitioners rather than a British-style national health service. The French are very dismissive of the British system which they call "socialized medicine." Virtually all physicians in France participate in the nation's public health insurance, Sécurité Sociale.

Perhaps it's time for us to take a closer look at French ideas about health care reform.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheila_Guilloton

France Has the Best Healthcare System in the World

Who Qualifies For Medicare? A Look at Medicare Eligibility Requirements

Who Qualifies For Medicare? A Look at Medicare Eligibility Requirements
By Jackie Jones

A majority of persons over the age of 65 and are citizens or have established permanent residency in the United States will most likely be an eligible candidate for free Medicare hospital insurance. You will be eligible at or beyond age 65 if you fall under the following categories:

• You either are a recipient or are eligible to be a recipient for Social Security benefits.
• You either are a recipient or are eligible to be a recipient for railroad retirement benefits.
• Either your spouse (living, deceased or otherwise) or you paid Medicare taxes while you were working in a government job.
• You are a dependent parent of a person who paid Medicare taxes while working in a government job.

If, for any reason, you do not fall under the categories above, you may still have the ability to receive Medicare hospital insurance by choosing to pay a preset monthly premium. However, you must sign up for the hospital insurance during the designated periods of enrollment. Please note that to receive full benefits when you need them, you should enroll yourself in Medicare several months before you turn 65 officially.

If you are under the age 65, you may still be eligible for free Medicare hospital insurance if you fall under one of the following categories:

• You have either received or been eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months.
• You have received a disability pension under the railroad retirement board and/or you have met certain conditions.
• You are effected by Lou Gehrig's disease.
• You have been employed in a government job where you paid Medicare taxes and/or you have met the conditions of the Social Security disability program.
• You are either the child or the widow(er) and you are age 50 or older of a person that has been employed in a government job where Medicare taxes were paid and/or the person had met the conditions of the Social Security disability program.
• You suffer from permanent kidney failure and are a recipient of maintenance dialysis and/or a kidney transplant.
• You either are a recipient or are eligible to be a recipient for railroad retirement benefits.
• You have been employed for a certain period of time in a government job that is covered by Medicare.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Jones
Who Qualifies For Medicare? A Look at Medicare Eligibility Requirements