tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32546242252987474502024-02-07T09:18:15.027-08:00short term medical insuranceShort term medical insurance issues with a fresh perspective.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-45791053947518017772014-03-08T01:04:00.005-08:002014-03-08T01:04:50.827-08:00Smart Short Term Medical Insurance update at FreedomBenefits.netI'm working on an update of<a href="https://quote.sasid.com/insurancemarketplace/launch.aspx?refnumber=000000161-117-161"> Smart Short Term Medical Insurance</a> online. I expect this will be the most popular product in its class for most of the U.S. going forward for the users of www.freedombenefits.net.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://quote.sasid.com/insurancemarketplace/launch.aspx?refnumber=000000161-117-161"><img height="90" src="file:///C:\Users\TONYNO~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\02\clip_image001.gif" width="177" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Smart Short Term
Medical is designed to be an affordable way to protect you and your family from
the high cost of unexpected illnesses and accidents.</div>
<br />
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="color: #384e73; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;">Temporary
Medical Insurance - up to 6 months</span></li>
<li style="color: #384e73; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;">For those in
between jobs as an alternative to COBRA</span></li>
<li style="color: #384e73; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt;">For those
waiting for underwriting approval of another plan</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-1421711439492160462011-01-07T05:05:00.000-08:002011-01-07T05:05:32.663-08:00Less expensive short term medical insuranceWe believe that many consumers are still unfamiliar with a new type of short term health insurance that is priced significantly less than other national brands. The new product is called "<a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Lite-short-term-medical-insurance.html">Secure Lite STM</a>", calling attention to its unique cost-saving features. Premiums are about 1/3 of regular major medical insurance and about 25% less than other short term medical insurance. Coverage is issued by Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York. Applications are made online for immediate processing and evidence of insurance can be printed immediately.<br />
<br />
Cost savings are achieved by using higher comprehensive policy deductibles and placing limits on maximum benefits of $750,000. The new policy has a maximum coverage period of six months but allows consecutive policies for periods of coverage.<br />
<br />
<br />
For information is available at <a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Lite-short-term-medical-insurance.html">http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Lite-short-term-medical-insurance.html</a>Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-9577911962295744262010-12-08T03:03:00.000-08:002010-12-08T03:03:08.970-08:00Growing need for short term medical insurance in Washington stateWashington state residents faced a higher than usual risk of employement layoffs over this past year and this trend will continue into 2011, particularly among its younger workers. Exel already announced 146 permanent layoffs in Auburn for next month (January 2011) and International Paper will lay off another 78 in Bellevue. <br />
Layoffs at commercial employers follow layoffs and other work reductions for state government employees. In April 2010 the state Legislature passed and Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6503 that was designed to reduce state government spending for employees, the law requires that state agencies close on the 10 days specified in the bill or submit an alternate compensation reduction plan for approval by the Office of Financial Management.<br />
Last week Governor Chris Gregoire proposed deep budget cuts, including the elimination of the state's health insurance program for the poor in response to the state’s budget crisis. Marty Brown, director of the Office of Financial Management, says the state needs to cut $901 million in spending. Legislators likely will face a special session to deal with the state’s budget gap prior to the regular session in January.<br />
These are typically candidates for low cost short term medical insurance during their position of transition as a more cost-effective alternative to COBRA. While most U.S. residents have a choice of several short term medical insurance plans, Washington residents have only one. Markel Insurance Company apparently is apparently the only commercial insurance provider who has applied and received consent from the state insurance department to offer these policies. <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance-articles/short-term-medical-insurance-in-Washington-state.html">Freedom Benefits Insurance Exchange</a> recently reviewed this coverage. We have no concerns about this single payor system, since Markel has a longstanding reputation as a stable and reliable provider of specialty insurance.<br />
Short term medical insurance can be issued immediately with an online application and coverage can extend to as long as 12 months. While short term medical insurance is typically hassle-free, it does not cover the cost of treating pre-existing medical conditions and so is not appropriate for a person who has large ongoing medical costs. COBRA and other continuation plans, although more expensive, are a better option for high medical risk individuals.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-35732072265690616122009-12-22T02:28:00.000-08:002009-12-22T02:28:37.789-08:00Ford workers consider short term medical insuranceFord Motor Company announced that it will offer short term medical insurance as part of a buyout retirement offer for almost all of its 41,000 hourly workers. The offer is intended to reduce the firm's factory work force. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/business/22ford.html?_r=1">The New York Times</a> reports that in the past Ford kept laid-off workers in a job bank rather than remove them from the payroll. This year, however, Ford is actively reducing its work force in anticipation of lower demand for cars in the future.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.short-term-medical-insurance.com/">short term medical insurance</a> plan is a six month basic health insurance policy but the details of the coverage are not provided. Ford has not announced how many workers are expected to elect the buyout offer.<br />
<br />
Considering the larger regional trend of employers hiring temporary workers and the shift toward individual health insurance (as opposed to employer-sponsored group insurance), some of these workers in the Detroit area are likely to consider alternate <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/">affordable health insurance options</a> for the long term before deciding whether to accept the buyout package. Those who do not qualify for lower cost options could face higher health insurance costs through their state's high risk Blue Cross insurance pool.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-37368129388348522262009-10-31T15:09:00.000-07:002009-10-31T15:09:22.132-07:00HCC announces affiliation with Travel Insured InternationalIn a press release dated 10/30/09, <a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/health-insurance-profiles/HCC-Life-Insurance-Company.html">HCC Medical Insurance Services, LLC</a> announced its new alliance with Travel Insured International. HCC Medical Insurance Services LLC is a leader in online health insurance products for international travelers and expatriates. Travel Insured International is a provider of travel insurance services such as trip cancellation, trip interruption and travel assistance services.<br />
<br />
<br />
HCC Medical Insurance Services President Mark Carney is quoted saying “We are very excited to announce our affiliation with Travel Insured International. In spite of the economic downturn, the international traveler and expatriate’s need for health insurance products continue to grow”.<br />
Travel Insured International’s product portfolio will now include eight additional health insurance products that are already also available online at Freedom Benefits: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Atlas-medical.html">Atlas Travel Series</a> – a short-term health policy for individuals traveling outside their home country<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Citizen-Secure.html">CitizenSecure(SM)</a> – annually renewable major medical insurance with a term-life insurance option for individuals and families<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Student-Secure-Insurance.html">StudentSecure(SM)</a> – health coverage for international students and scholars studying abroad<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/International-term-life-insurance.html">IC+ International Term Life</a> – term life insurance policy for individuals living outside the U.S. for up to 10 years<br />
<br />
Other products offered by HCC Medical Insurance Services include: <a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Atlas-medical-professional.html">Atlas Group, Atlas Professional</a>, <a href="http://www.freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Citizen-Secure-Economy.html">CitizenSecureSM Economy</a>, GroupSecureSM. <br />
<br />
About Travel Insured International<br />
<br />
Travel Insured International, based in East Hartford, CT, was founded in 1993 by the foresight of insurance industry executive Peter Gehris when he acquired the travel protection division of the Travelers Insurance Company. Travel Insured International delivers strong, affordable benefits in the customer’s choice of a broad range of travel plans, as well as group and customized protection programs. Travel Insured International has established and driven higher standards for policy quality and customer care. <br />
<br />
About HCC Medical Insurance Services <br />
<br />
The international products are administered by Indianapolis-based HCC Medical Insurance Services, LLC (HCCMIS), a recognized leader in international life and health insurance offering coverage to consumers in more than 130 countries. Through its staff and a worldwide network of distributors, HCCMIS provides quality and value to clients. The company is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to serve its clients worldwide. HCCMIS is a subsidiary of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCC), a leading international specialty insurance group headquartered in Houston, Texas. HCC has assets of $8.9 billion, shareholders’ equity of $2.8 billion and is rated AA (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor’s and AA (Very Strong) by Fitch Ratings. In addition, HCC’s major domestic insurance companies are rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-62054830135231339902009-10-19T07:56:00.000-07:002009-10-19T08:05:35.895-07:00A closer look at Secure Short Term Medical InsuranceThe brand name "Secure Short Term Medical" is one of the best-known and most highly regarded low cost health insurance plans in the U.S. The brand actually consists of four products that each target a specific group of consumers. The four products are: 1) <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Short-Term-Medical-Insurance.html">Secure STM</a>, 2) <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Lite-short-term-medical-insurance.html">Secure Lite STM</a>, 3) <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-12x3-Short-Term-Medical-Insurance.html">Secure 12x3 STM</a> and 4) <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Saver-short-term-medical-insurance.html">Secure Saver STM</a>.<br />
<br />
What makes this product lineup work so well? Probably not any one thing in particular but rather a combination of factors. We could make an analogy to an "all star lineup" in a sports team. First, the plan is administered by Health Plan Administrators, Inc., arguably one of the best service organizations in health care today. Second, <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/health-insurance-profiles/Standard-Security-Life-Insurance.html">The Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York</a> enjoys a strong reputation among insurance professionals and consumers.<br />
<br />
Next is the length of coverage. This is the only insurance product that can adequately span a gap from just one month to 36 months of continuous coverage. With a growing number of consumers looking forward to post-reform insurance within a few years, the <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-12x3-Short-Term-Medical-Insurance.html">Secure 12x3</a> offers the flexible length of coverage they need del with the uncertainty of the health care reform timetable.<br />
<br />
Eligibility for the four insurance plans is liberal so most applicants will qualify for coverage. In fact, in many cases this is one of the few options available to applicants who have been previously declined for health insurance with another company. The exceptions are listed in the "medical eligibility" section of the online product descriptions. It is important to realize that all short term medical insurance plans exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. This is what makes them so affordable and easy to access.<br />
<br />
Only one of the four products screens for weight or previous declines in determining eligibility. That is the <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Saver-short-term-medical-insurance.html">Secure Saver</a>, as we might expect, since it it the lowest cost plan with the least predictable out-of-pocket expenses.<br />
<br />
Finally, we cannot ignore price. Despite all the talk about the quality of insurance the fact is that many consumers buy based primarily on price. The <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Lite-short-term-medical-insurance.html">Secure Lite</a> and <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance/Secure-Saver-short-term-medical-insurance.html">Secure Saver</a> rank among the least expensive major medical insurance choices in many parts of the country.<br />
<br />
A comparison of the four Secure STM products is published at <a href="http://freedombenefits.net/affordable-health-insurance-articles/Secure-short-term-medical-comparison.html">FreedomBenefits.net</a> and a description of coverage and exclusions is available for each product. Although all of these policies come with a standard "10 day free look", generic sample policy certificates are also available online for all four products for those who want to take a closer look at these insurance options.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-11891851094154256202009-10-07T03:05:00.000-07:002009-10-17T15:21:00.532-07:00Celtic Insurance gains customers with low pricesPricing of short term medical insurance tends to be more stable than managed care plans or other types of health insurance. As a result, pricing trends tend to develop more slowly and it may take longer for advisers and consumers to identify those companies with cost advantages. One such example is <a href="http://www.celticenrollment.com/">Celtic Insurance</a> that has slowly and quietly winning over customers with its low rates and strong customer service. The coverage is priced and issued completely online at the company's secure enrollment site managed by ehealthinsurance.<br /><br /><A href="https://celtic.inshealth.com/ehi/Alliance?allid=Cel26959&agentid=116221"><IMG border=0 src="https://celtic.inshealth.com/eHSystems/Images/BannerCelticWebLinks.jpg"></a>Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-72711880838791446542008-12-09T20:22:00.000-08:002009-07-15T21:40:24.555-07:00Unemployment Health Insurance<p>One of the most painful parts of losing a job is having to deal with replacing your health insurance. Most people feel unprepared to select and enrolling in this type of health insurance even though most of us will have a handful of interruptions in employer-provided health insurance over our full working career. Employer-provided health insurance expires on the last day of the month of termination of employment. Enrollment in an unemployment health insurance is never automatic and must be addressed within a short time after termination of employment. </p><br /><b>Types of coverage</b><br /><p>While unemployment compensation is provided through the government, unemployment health insurance is provided through commercial health insurance companies. The term "unemployment health insurance" is generic and therefore may refer to one of several available insurance programs. Some people who work for larger companies have the option of continuing their same health insurance for up to 18 months by paying the full cost of this coverage plus an administrative fee. This is commonly known as <strong>COBRA coverage</strong>. In some cases a similar program called "individual conversion coverage" is available. In either case the burden of enrollment and full payment of premiums is solely the responsibility of the terminated employee. Despite the obvious advantages in simplicity and continuity of coverage, few people can afford this option.</p><br /><p>The most popular type of unemployment health insurance is <strong>short term major medical insurance</strong>. Despite the name, this insurance can span several years or longer and eligibility requirements are minimal<sup>1</sup>. This insurance offers flexibility with high coverage limits. Policies can be renewed month-to-month from one month to six or twelve months. The two most important features of this coverage are that it is valid with all doctors and hospitals in the U.S. (no network required) and it provides a Certificate of Creditable Coverage<sup>2</sup> to be used with your next employer's health insurance policy. This is important because it ensures that the new coverage immediately takes over the cost of treating pre-existing medical conditions.</p><br /><p><strong>Specialty insurance</strong> can be used in specific situations and regular <strong>individual major medical insurance</strong> is suitable when it is unlikely that there will be other employment in the future and the applicant is financially stable.</p><br /><b>Shopping Tips</b><br /><p>Plan to enroll in a bare-bones coverage rather than a fully loaded policy. Most people avoid incurring voluntary medical expenses while they are not employed so this insurance is primarily designed to cover large unexpected medical expenses. Also, because of the uncertainty of unemployment, it is smart to select an insurance that is less expensive than you think you can afford.</p><br /><p>Short term medical insurance is priced at about 1/3 of the cost of your former insurance or COBRA option. For a typical employee, this means that the total cost of the unemployment health insurance will be approximately the same as the amount you were contributing to the employer's health plan through salary-deductions<sup>3</sup>. Using his guideline, it may be psychologically comforting and aid in your personal financial planning to know that the total out-of-pocket cost of health insurance remains relatively constant from the period of employment to the period of unemployment. </p><br /><p>All of the following insurance products provide strong protection against catastrophic losses and provide a Certificate of Creditable Coverage to ensure payment for pre-existing medical conditions on your next employer-provided health insurance plan. The price of the coverage varies and some products are better suited for specific situations. We suggest narrowing the list to two or three choices and then get online quotes for each product.</p><br /><p>Use the online enrollment options available. This is faster and safer than a paper application and offers immediate confirmation of coverage.</p><br /><strong>Insurance Choices</strong><br /><p>All of the following choices are available a MedSave.com. They are grouped according to price range although price varies from one person to another based on location of residence, age, and sex.</p><br /><p><strong>Lowest cost unemployment policies</strong> - <a href="http://www.celticenrollment.com/">Celtic Insurance STM</a> and <a href="http://www.medsave.com/" 20href=" Default.aspx?BrokerID=">UnitedHealthOne Golden Rule Insurance STM</a> are often the least expensive insurance plans to cover a gap in group health insurance. Some of these plans keep cost down by using a "per cause" deductible rather than a single policy deductible.</p><br /><p><strong>Mid-range unemployment policies</strong> - <a href="http://www.medsave.com/Review-of-Secure-12x3-STM.htm">Secure 3x12</a> (36 month) short term medical insurance, and <a href="http://www.medsave.com/health-savings-account-step1.htm">Health Savings Account</a> qualified health insurance for long term coverage.</p><br /><p><strong>Higher priced unemployment policies</strong> - <a href="http://www.insureme.com/health-insurance-quotes.html?Refby=687217">Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna</a>, <a href="http://www.celticenrollment.com/">CelticCare</a></p><br /><strong>Special Situations</strong><br /><p>When specific medical conditions or circumstances exist then additional sources should be checked to determine the best coverage options. The special situations are: 1) when significant medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol exists, 2) applicant is a resident of MA, NJ, NY or VT, 3)non-US citizens, 4) residing in the U.S. les than a year, 5) previously declined for health insurance coverage, 6) applicant is overweight or 7) coverage is needed outside of the U.S. In all of these cases, see the article titles "<a href="http://www.medsave.com/Short-term-medical-insurance-for-special-situations.htm">Short Term Medical Insurance for Special Situations</a>". </p><br /><p>Individual help in selecting the best value insurance is available through OnlineAdviser at <a href="mailto:onlineadviser@short-term-medical-insurance.com">onlineadviser@short-term-medical-insurance.com</a>. </p><br /><p class="style1"><strong>Footnotes</strong></p><p><sup>1</sup> See the article "<a href="http://www.medsave.com/Eligibility-for-Short-Term-Health-Insurance.htm">Am I Eligible for Short Term Medical Insurance</a>" and "<a href="http://www.medsave.com/How-long-can-I-be-covered-by-short-term-health-insurance.htm">How Long Can I Be Covered by Short Term Medical Insurance</a>" for details. </p><p><sup>2</sup> See the article "<a href="http://www.medsave.com/Understanding-a-certificate-of-creditable-coverage.htm">Understanding a Certificate of Creditable Coverage</a>" for more information.</p><p><sup>3 </sup>This assumes that the average employee contribution for employer-provided coverage is about 40% of the total cost.</p>Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-44749897523418598522008-11-13T19:50:00.001-08:002008-11-13T20:26:13.715-08:00Recession impacts health insuranceAn artice in <a href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1858563,00.html">Time</a> (November 13, 2008) predicts that the number of uninsured Americans will rise sharply to above 50 million within the next few months. This pessimistic prediction assumes that many employers will drop their group health plans to combat the recession by the end of the 2008 calendar year and that many of these individuals will not obtain alternate health insurance on their own. The prediction also assumes that employers would drop health coverage altogether rather than switch to one of the low cost limited beneft plans now available. We see no reason to support these assumptions.<br /><br />The number of uninsureds has actually decreased slightly over the past two years as more affordable insurance plans have been introduced to the market according to our <a href="http://medsave.com/articles/Covering-the-uninsured-2008-Update.htm">"Covering the Unisured: 2008 Update"</a> report. The cost of employer provided health insurance coverage for an employee without dependents is about $6,000 per year and COBRA coverage cost slightly more. But the cost of individually purchased <a href="http://medsave.com/short-term-medical-insurance.html">short term medical insurance </a>averages only about $1,800 per year. About 72% of Americans currently qualify for this type of low cost short term medical insurance. (Short term medical insurance is not available to the residents of four states or individuals with serious pre-existing medical conditions).<br /><br />Given this viable and affordable alternate coverage possibility, it seems unlikely that more than an additional four million people would choose to go without any health insurance in 2009.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-29744164430065073502008-10-19T16:46:00.000-07:002008-10-19T16:53:44.327-07:00Golden Rule Web site temporarily closed for maintenance<a href="https://www.goldenrulehealth.com/Customer/CustomerLogon/BrokerLinkEntry.aspx?SID=04b1ccea-d221-4bb9-a57b-c8210dca9e55">Golden Rule Insurance Company</a>, a national leader in innovative low cost health insurance, announced that its "E-store" will be closed for system maintenance over the weekend of Friday October 17, 2008 and will reopen at 8:00AM eastern time on Monday October 20. While direct self-serve online quoting, enrollment and some other functions may still be available during this weekend, MedSave.com will postpone customer service requests until Monday when all online functions are available to provide full enrollment support.<br /><br />Golden Rule Insurance provides low cost short term medical insurance as well as a line of affordable long term renewable insurance policies for individuals and families in most states. See <a href="http://www.medsave.com/goldenrule">www.MedSave.com/goldenrule</a> for more information.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-82526219931089137742008-06-25T17:04:00.000-07:002008-06-25T17:20:27.037-07:00Why are short term insurance rates falling?With health care costs rising sharply, why are so many short term medical insurance plans lowering rates? The latest rate reduction was announced at <a href="http://www.medsave.com/">MedSave.com </a>by HPA Inc., the administraors for Secure STM, including the "3x12" 36 month short term medical plan and the new "Secure Lite" lower cost short term medical insurance.<br /><br />In an inflaionary environment, rate decreases are usually triggered by a drop in medical care utilization. Evaluating utilization trends in health plans is a complicated topic even for those who have access to the best data. We don't; we are just speculating. Just for the sake of discussion, let's assume that utilization has declined in short term medical insurance in recent years. Why would that be?<br /><br />The easiest explanation is the increase in policy deductible. The median policy deductible selected by buyers increased from $500 a few years ago to $1000 today. The largest increase in policy deductibles chosen is in the $2500 deductible option.<br /><br />A person who is healthy enough to meet underwriting standards is unlikely to incur substantial medical expenses in excess of $1000 within the 3-4 month average lifespan of a short term medical insurance policy. Of course some do, and they are the reason that insurance is important. But a larger number of people simply do not incur a claim on the policy that exceeds a $1000 deductible.<br /><br />Another explanation is that people are actually waiting for group insurance to kick in after the STM before going to the doctor. That makes sense and is the behavior we would expect. Perhaps we will eventually find that fewer people are using STM as a substitute for regular health insurance. Those people might have gravitated to limited benefit and other types of low cost health insurance.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-36542580696349851312008-05-07T08:20:00.000-07:002008-05-21T05:41:37.291-07:00CT will offer coverage to high risk small businessesConnecticut’s latest health insurance bill has now passed the state Senate and is expected to be signed by the Governor. The approval vote came late last night and today’s news is filled with praise for the “outstanding accomplishments” of the legislators. The new bill presents an entirely different approach to health insurance reform. <br /><br />The law allows local municipal government employees and small businesses to join the state employee’s health insurance pool. Premiums are already about $2,000 per month for family coverage, (vs. a national average of about $1,200 for comparable coverage in large firms). Certainly this is not what we consider “affordable” but this is apparently far less than some CT municipalities are now paying for health insurance! Few small businesses could afford this coverage. Those that could foot the bill will cover only the owners or key employees. There is no economic reason to suggest that small businesses would use the plan to cover rank and file employees. Small businesses tend to pay far less for employee health benefits than larger firms and municipal governments.<br /><br />The problem is that those who understand insurance principles realize that adverse selection under the new law will now drive the premium rates up in a spiral effect. That is ALWAYS the economic effect of opening up a guaranteed issue health plan to additional applicants on a voluntary basis. The state will now be effectively subsidizing the health care costs of local municipalities and the rlativley few affluent small business owners who have significant medical costs. The first may be commendable – but who would have expected the second result? Eventually the cost of coverage under this Connecticut insurance plan will be HIGHER than any other state's employee cost but LOWER than any other high risk insurance pool. It will be a highly effective method to distribute health care costs of a few among all the state's taxpayers. <br /><br />Open enrollment health insurance pools are certainly not a new concept. This is the approach used in most states to cover high risk individuals despite the clear indications that those who need the insurance most can not afford it. Most states use open enrollment health insurance pools as a "last resort" coverage under federal HIPAA law for those who cannot find more afordable coverage. Connecticut's plan to combine the open enrollment plan with the taxpayer-funded state employees' health coverage is an interesting new approach.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-80942110461181241882008-05-06T08:10:00.000-07:002008-05-06T08:15:29.707-07:00Is the single payer issue dead?The tide of public opinion about our nation’s health care woes has taken a sharp turn over the past two months. The movement to blame commercial health insurance – as exemplified in Michael Moore’s “Sicko” movie - has lost wind. While the health care problems remain exactly the same as before, fewer people are willing to blame health insurance companies. We still pay way too much for health care for less than ideal care. The prognosis remains that the problem will get worse before it gets better. But apparently we are beginning to realize that commercial health insurance system is more likely to be part of the solution rather than the root cause of the problem.<br /><br />Support for an open market commercial competition in the health care business has increased. Most of the current legislative proposals for health care reform on a national and state level now incorporate the use of private health insurance companies. <br /><br />Those who endorse a government controlled single payer health care system are outraged. Socialist-minded reformers have noticed the change and express frustration in many online publications this week. Some Americans hope for a single payer government-controlled health care system. One blogger titled his column “What’s Going On?” and expressed disgust with the sudden trend toward his state politician’s recent endorsement of commercial health insurance solutions. Another lawmaker in Oklahoma defended himself from attacks by health care reformers by taking a hard stance that proposed measures to expand coverage would simply be too expensive to justify the support of his constituents. On a national level, McCain’s health care proposals, previously regarded are tired and boring, are applauded by mainstream media this week. <br /><br />So why are we seeing this sudden change in direction? Much of the change in attitude is attributable to the explosion of myths surrounding commercial health insurance. Three of the most popular myths about commercial health insurance companies are:<br />1 - The profits of health insurance companies boost our overall health care costs.<br />2 - Private insurance is more expensive than public insurance.<br />3- Commercial insurance practices are not in the public interest.<br /><br />See http://www.slate.com/id/2190273/ We will likely see much more on this topic.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-19109085894764426282008-04-25T03:06:00.000-07:002008-04-25T03:07:58.097-07:00Insurance for college graduatesNew data gathered by insurers shows that parents continue to be the driving force in a college graduate’s decision to buy short term medical insurance following graduation. Parents pay the premium in more than half of the short term medical insurance policies issues to those in the 21-24 age group. Without this parental financial support, a college graduate is four times more likely to go without medical insurance for a period of two months or more following gradation. <br /><br />College graduates and their families are often surprised to learn how affordable health plans can be. MedSave.com, a leading provider of low cost medical insurance for college graduates, reports that the average cost of the six most popular health plans to young adults has dropped this year to for the first time in recent history. The price drop is due to the expansion of limited benefit plans rather than a reduction in overall health care costs. <br /><br />But more health plan choices also means that there is more potential for selecting the wrong coverage. Not surprisingly, the least expensive health plans tend to be the most popular among young adults. This can lead to less than adequate protection. These health plans tend to provide up-front benefits for smaller medical expenses like doctors office visits but offer the least protection for catastrophic risks. It is important that college graduates choose the right plan for their own health situation. It appears that parents may be less likely to be involved in the selection of the insurance than in helping with the cost. Many college graduates are purchasing insurance for the first time and purchase trends indicate that some are making uninformed choices based solely on the cost of coverage or misperceptions of the risk/benefit aspects of insurance choices.<br /><br />In most cases a high deductible short term medical insurance policy provides a young adult with the best protection at the lowest cost. Most college graduates and other young adults do not benefit financially by purchasing health insurance that covers routine health care like doctors office visits, lab tests and prescription drug costs.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-38539121167654266122008-04-21T19:04:00.000-07:002008-04-21T19:09:53.467-07:00Detriot business owners mirror national trendsA newly released survey of Detroit area businesses showed that while they are highly concerned with the effect of uninsured on their health costs, few support proposed legislation to require health insurance. <br /><br />The results of this survey mirror those of other groups around the county. We want everyone to have health insurance, but we draw the line at requiring it by law.<br /><br />The <a href="http://crainsdetroit.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080421/SUB/804210319/-1">survey</a> was conducted by John Bailey & Associates Inc. in preparation for the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Mackinac Policy Conference. Surveyors found that 46% of members would vote “no” on the proposed constitutional amendment to require health insurance; 27% would vote “yes,” and 27% had no opinion or were undecided. <br /><br />In Michigan, as in most other states, there are more low cost health insurance options available this year than at any time in the past. Yet without a requirement to carry insurance, about 16% of the population is uninsured and those with insurance wind up paying for the cost of health care for the uninsured.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-70426912825238553082008-04-18T07:09:00.000-07:002008-05-21T05:35:17.474-07:00Short term medical insurance in New YorkNew York residents face a triple threat when it comes to short term health insurance. First, the insurance products used in most states that are specifically designed for this purpose are not available in New York. Second, the coverage that is available is slow; often taking at least a month just to get through the manual application process. Third, the coverage is expensive. No pricing discount is recognized for the likelihood that this insurance will not be in force long enough to accrue catastrophic claims.<br /><br />The easiest solution is to buy temporary insurance while staying in another state. Insurance issued in another state is valid in New York and allows treatment with any doctor or hospital in the U.S. There is no requirement that the address on temporary health insurance be your permanent residential address. Some New Yorkers residents purchase health insurance while staying at their out-of-state colleges, while at their second home in another state or while on vacation or visiting relatives. The insurance covers treatment while they are away from home as well as with the doctors and hospitals at home in New York. Almost all short term medical insurance is purchased online and most offer immediate download of the policy and insurance ID cards. Most insurance companies allow you to have the policy mailed back to a New York address if you will be returning from your trip soon.<br /><br />The only other possible alternatives we can offer are:<br />1. <a href="http://www.corehealthinsurance.com/launch.aspx?refnumber=000000161-051-161">Core Health Insurance </a>– a limited benefit policy that does a fairly good job at mimicking the benefits of major medical insurance<br />2. <a href="http://medsave.com/international-health-insurance.htm">International Medical Insurance </a>- for individuals who are not permanent residents of U.S.<br />3. <a href="https://www.sevencorners.com/insurance/HWDYZWN">Inbound Immigrant Insurance </a>– for individuals who have recently moved to the U.S.<br /><br />If none of these options will work then it is especially important to explore all options to keep, extend or convert prior health insurance regardless of the higher cost.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-88143474316585356732008-04-15T05:25:00.000-07:002008-04-15T05:31:52.839-07:00Masschussets learns that "insurance is not health care"A flood of articles in recent weeks discuss the difficulties triggered by Massachusetts' experiment in mandadted health insurance. <br /><br />The Kaiser Founation published an excellent summry report at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=51517 .<br /><br />Several other states including California have declined similar proposals. Pols show that the majority of Americans do not wnt mandated health insuance, yet this provision remains a key provision in Hillary Clinton's campaign platform.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-69604777395761323432008-04-14T12:06:00.001-07:002008-04-14T12:08:15.616-07:00Health insurance in a recessionA new article titled "<a href="http://www.medsave.com/articles/How-to-manage-your-health-insurance-in-a-recession.htm">Health Insurance in a Recession</a>" points out some general strategies that may prevent costly mistakes when making desicions about health insurance in financially difficult times.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-89505675053858382682008-04-13T19:55:00.000-07:002008-04-13T19:56:52.633-07:00great quote on nationalized health careNationalized health care will have: the compassion of the IRS, the efficiency of the postal service, the failure rate of government schools, the enforcement tactics of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and all at Pentagon prices!<br />-- Albert V. BurnsTony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-58568631082025352602008-04-12T10:31:00.000-07:002008-04-12T10:42:30.955-07:00Bloggers condemn Families USA ReportFamilies USA, a liberal lobbying group launched a nationwide media campaign this month to push its agenda of universal health insurance. The campaign is based on propaganda that the lack of health insurance is contributing to an increase in pre-mature deaths. The press releases titled “Dying for Coverage…” are prepared separately for each state in order to peak local interest manipulating statistics on the number of uninsured people on state by-state basis as the basis for calculating a number of deaths for maximum media impact. The problem is that the re is no factual basis for the mortality calculations or for jumping to the conclusion that health insurance is the controlling factor in cases of inadequate health care. The majority of information published on this topic would directly contradict the Families USA opinions.<br /><br />Surprisingly, a large number of mainstream media reporters picked up on the press releases and published stories that present the opinions without checking the background. These are a few headlines that appeared around the country:<br /><br /><i>“Lack of health insurance can be lethal for Alaskans”</i>, 4/12/08, Anchorage Daily News<br /><br /><i>““Report: 460 Hoosiers die each year due to lack of health coverage”</i>, 4/5/08, Lafayette Journal & Courier<br /><br /><i>““Deaths tied to lack of insurer: 1,000 in N.C. died for want of health plan, study says”</i>, 4/5/08, Winston-Salem Journal<br /><br /><i>““Report: Thousands die from lack of insurance; Several Missourians of working age with no coverage die each week, study shows”</i>, Springfield News-Leader<br /><br />Normally the mainstream media would recognize this type of press release as a political spin and ignore it. We do not know whether reporters simply took the easy route of writing their story by reproducing the press release without gathering additional information or whether perhaps the writers personally support the efforts of Families USA. Some of the reporters indicate that they are covering only the published report, and are not implying that their article is a balanced news report on the topic. In either case, it is clear that the newspapers readers were not been as easily fooled. <br /><br />Public comments on Web sites are sharply critical of the campaign. These are a few comments (without citations) posted by boggers on the newspaper articles:<br /><br /><i>“Lack of insurance doesn't kill people. Lack of treatment, lack of living a healthy lifestyle, lack of exercise, lack of a healthy diet.....those things are much more likely to kill someone. It might take some effort to find insurance or health care, but it's available”.<br /><br />“Uninsured who live a healthy lifestyle will lead longer, healthier lives without the side effects from the pharmaceuticals that modern medicine uses as a band-aid. Modern medicine does not attempt to find the cause of a medical condition, but only treats the symptoms”.<br /><br />“merely having health insurance is no guarantee that you will be able to seek out treatment”.<br /><br />“the affordability of health care is not directly related or controlled by employment status, income or insurance”.<br /><br />"5 out of 6 people who die prematurely do have health insurance! What does that say about the importance of health insurance in causing deaths?"</i><br /><br />We did not reproduce any of the more crudely worded criticisms but a strong majority of bloggers found the report objectionable. Other comments pointed out that we have long known that 80% of our nation's health care costs are directly tied to five behavioral factors – smoking, over-eating, lack of exercise, lack of stress management, and poor nutrition. There is no indication that there is any connection between health insurance and these five key behavioral issues. Other writers pointed out that no one in America who actively seeks treatment is denied basic health care – regardless of their ability to pay. Every state has adequate welfare type health care for those who are willing to spend their own money before requesting public assistance for medical expenses. Free basic medical treatment clinics and hospitals that provide free care based on demonstrated financial need operate in most geographical areas.<br /><br />The consistency of the theme of the strong majority of these public responses indicates that Americans are increasingly aware that additional regulation of health insurance without addressing the underlying health care affordability issues is pointless and will only cause further harm. The most comprehensive public opinion studies including a massive survey by the AFL-CIO covered in U.S. News and World Report in March 2008 indicates that the majority do not support mandated health insurance or additional government intervention in health insurance. <br /><br />At MedSave.com, we consider ourselves to be activists in the health care reform movement and we support the lobbying efforts of many reputable organizations like America’s Health Insurance Plans, Kaiser Foundation and Covertheuninsured.org and we would financially benefit from national health insurance reforms, but we feel that it is ethically necessary to distance ourselves from the intentionally deceitful strategies of Families USA. This type of propaganda will not help promote a solution to the national health care affordability crisis.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-26668889265764407522008-04-08T12:16:00.001-07:002008-04-08T12:29:04.685-07:00Health insurance scams in Maine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkILUuccmd77C2asfusVlB4c3osR0DRvZve-tqN5VkIICbDW3jqFwaDgsG1S4QJzOO6SOV0aBe0RCsAT7h6beGInXWEo9C2vymYPm1NVms_aQenR4eF2T1oG0lInChv2saqZenjjo5mhNi/s1600-h/Maine.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkILUuccmd77C2asfusVlB4c3osR0DRvZve-tqN5VkIICbDW3jqFwaDgsG1S4QJzOO6SOV0aBe0RCsAT7h6beGInXWEo9C2vymYPm1NVms_aQenR4eF2T1oG0lInChv2saqZenjjo5mhNi/s320/Maine.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186958202750006178" /></a><br /><br><br /><br />Maine Department of Insurance warns that consumer insurance scams increase during economic downturns. The logo above is designed to help inusrance buyers focus on verifying the legitimacy of dels that seem too good to be true. Consumers are also welcome to use the free independent OnlineAdviser service simply by emailing onlineadviser@medsave.com to verify the legitimacy of any suspected insurance plan. All of the low cost health insurance plans listed at <a href="http://medsave.com/low-cost-health-insurance-listing/me.htm">MedSave.com </a>at http://medsave.com/low-cost-health-insurance-listing/me.htm have been verified as legitimate legal plans in Maine.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-87846884943931483412008-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:002008-04-06T17:55:37.778-07:001 in 9 people know "HSA"The same study cited in the previous post indicates that only one out of nine people recognize that "HSA" stands for "Health Savings Account".Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-16722909699302071462008-04-06T17:43:00.000-07:002008-04-06T17:50:29.869-07:00Insurance survey reveals consumers' lack of understandingA survey by Fleishman-Hillard Research indicates that almost twice as many people know the co-payment on their health insurance policy as the maximum out-of-pocket costs. The co-payment has little economic importance compared with the total out-of-pocket expense. The variance between different policies in their maximum out-of-pocket expenses is much more significant than the difference in co-payments. For example, policy co-payments range from $5 to $50, a difference of only $45. Maximum out-of-pocket range from $1,250 to more than $15,000. Obviously the out-of-pocket expense has more impact on the policyholder’s overall financial well-being. Yet only one in three people know the maximum out-of-pocket of their policy. Buyers who are aware only of the co-payment are more likely to make wrong policy selection decisions.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-12021027862710702442008-04-06T11:58:00.000-07:002008-04-06T12:00:54.567-07:00Racial differences in U.S. health carePointing out racial differences is always a touchy are, and health insurance should be no different. Two publications this past week pointed out sharp differences in medical insurance issues between African-Americans and white Americans.<br /><br />An article in <a href="http://live.psu.edu/story/29837">Penn State Live </a>said that African-Americans under age 65 are three times more likely to be covered by Medicare than whites.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.healthaffairs.org/">Health Affairs Policies Institute </a>reported that “Minorities have, in general, equal or better mental health than white Americans, yet they suffer from disparities in mental health care.”<br /><br />The differences are likely to be at least partly attributable to income differences between blacks and whites. But what really caught our attention and caused us to reference these publications is that they underscore and confirm the implication of numerous other reports from various source that seem to be saying that the typical uninsured person in America is a young adult middle-class working white person.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254624225298747450.post-46504013327909945842008-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:002008-04-06T11:42:28.917-07:00South Africa Supreme Court Approves Short Term Medical InsuranceThe <a href="http://business.iafrica.com/transcripts/515226.htm">Supreme Court in South Africa </a>ruled that short term insurers are allowed to sell medical insurance. The ruling has little bearing on citizens of the United States and other countires, however it appears possible that a similar legal contest could occur in the U.S. where state legislators show willingness to disallow this popular type of healh insurance within its borders. Some people question the authority of individual states to disallow an insurance that is considered a blessing by many people in most other states because of it affordability, liberal coverage and ease of use. <br /><br />But because short term medical insurance buyers tend to be younger and healthier than those who pay much more for other types of medical insurance, some lawmakers want to level the playing field an have the younger healthier people pay the same insurance rate as the older less healthy people.Tony Novakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437172429578924782noreply@blogger.com0