Thursday, July 8, 2010

Why Medical Insurance?

The fact that health is the most precious factor in a human being's life needs no debate. The saying 'health is wealth' is very true, and this has been proven time and again over centuries. A healthy life, free of all kinds of illnesses and diseases, is unanimously desired by all humans, even more than wealth. Even money is considered secondary when compared to a physical and mental health of a person. But, any person can be inflicted with some kind of medical crisis at any point of time in life. It is to face this challenge and fulfill the desire to live healthy that medical insurance is extremely necessary.

Medical insurance not only provides cover in case of an individual's health problems, but also proves to be of assistance in case of health issues faced by his family. While life insurance is a kind of security that provides support to an individual's family after his death, a medical insurance policy provides much-needed assistance in times of sudden or recurring illnesses.

It is all the more necessary considering the fast-paced lifestyle of the present generation. The high demands of professional as well as personal life in the present day scenario inadvertently tend to take a toll on the individual's health. Everyday, one gets to hear about new found lifestyle diseases that has inflicted the entire world. Problems like heart diseases, diabetes, asthma, blood pressure have started affecting even young executives in their late 20s and early 30s.

But individuals as well as organisations are waking up to the health concerns of the society and are constantly endeavouring towards creating a healthy workforce. A medical insurance policy helps an individual avail the best medical facilities for himself and his family without having to worry about the expenses. Nothing is more precious than life itself, and a good life can be attained only if a person is physically and mentally healthy. In this regard, a medical policy aims at providing people a good life through a healthy body and mind.

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Medical Insurance - One of Your Most Essential Needs

It is a irony that so many things that are an absolute necessity in life could also be among the ones so expensive that we at times may be tempted to give them a let-go. However, such a thing as medical insurance is so important that despite all talks of it being expensive, one has to find means to avail to it such that it is cost-effective. Good news here. With some amount of judiciousness, you can find yourself coming to terms with the insurance ins-and-outs and avail to attractive schemes.

Research the market for the policies you find most suitable for yourself, knowing exactly the areas you would like to focus on to cover. You can be as specific as seeking coverage of certain parts of your anatomy, such as the heart or the kidney.

You can take out an insurance, not only for yourself but for your entire family as well and avail to suitable discounts with this wise step. With medical insurance, you or your family members can avail to the free services of a doctor, which may include consultation fees and costs of treatment. And in case, your condition requires hospitalisation, an insurance policy in place can prevent holes in your pockets. This is because medical costs can be the most gruelling of all when they come. It is at such precarious times that an insurance policy justifies all the premium it has cost you and it would feel like a boon.

A medical insurance policy should be clear in its quotes so that you have no confusion or unwanted hassles when making that claim which could save your life. Since your health is your most precious possession, and needs to be protected at all costs, medical insurance is one of the ways to show that you care for yourself and are ready for this responsibility of protecting yourself against contingencies that could affect your health. So go and get one that is perfect for yourself as well as your family.

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Monday, July 5, 2010

Income Protection - A Reliable Way To Protect Your Finance

For working people, situation may be there in life when they get sick and have to stay back at home, and getting their disease treated. Most of the people absent from their work suffer from lacking finance. It doesn't only cause the entire dependant family to suffer, but also they lack money to get their ill health treated. In this way, availing an income protection insurance helps very positively to get all the financial stress over. This insurance lets them enjoy a reliable method of financial protection. Also known as PHI or Permanent Health Insurance, this insurance pays a compensation to the insurer unable to work and go to his/her office.

For people who are unable to go to their office due to some sort of sickness, accident or any other inability, income protection appears to be a boon. Under this insurance policy, the provision is to pay you at least 60% of the salary you are drawing currently. Though in some cases, the amount may escalate up to 75% of your salary. The waiting period for which you will have to wait range between 7 days and 12 months. Usually, the minimum period of getting the benefits paid goes up to 4 weeks. Longer waiting period is useful for those who are able to go to office. But too much waiting period can be of huge disadvantage for those in need of urgent medical as well as financial assistance.

To save oneself from such difficulties, the dire need is to buy the insurance policy only from a company which are reputed for their services. Buying income protection insurance needs a lot of consideration, as even little wrong information could let you fall into severe financial problems. Before you end up signing an agreement, decide how much your income you want to protect. And when you are choosing an insurance company, the best way to select one is to do some online research, and compare the features and price of different insurance policies.

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Sunday, July 4, 2010

International Medical Cover - Avail at the Earliest

One of the problems faced by the modern times is the continuously rising prices of essential commodities. So much so that a stage today has come when one cannot think of purchasing any item without giving it a fair deal of thought. Imagine in this scenario what happens to families who are forced to cough up money they are not prepared for. And if the expense is such, which cannot be overlooked, then the situation really goes out of hand. Serious illnesses are one reason, which can serve the case of a classic example of expenses that fall under this category. The rises of such a reason is bad enough, but imagine a situation when a family does not have enough money to get one of its members treated.

It is here that sickness insurance comes for one's rescue and ensures that family is not short of finances to get its member treated, and that too without any contribution from them. The popularity of such a service, therefore, can easily be understood. It after all is a service that comes to ones rescue at times when one needs it the most. What, however should not be forgotten is the fact that one requires such a service at a time when one is abroad. This is the time when one is away from one's near and dear ones so the need of help is most needed then.

It is with the intention of helping out such people that the idea of international medical cover was conceived. It ensures that people who are living in foreign country can get the benefit of medical insurance, thereby solving there problem of not being able to arrange for finance at the time most needed.

Needless to say that such a service as international medical cover is a boon for expatriates and goes a long way in helping them at times when they need help the most.

Rise of such a reason is bad enough, but imagine. The rises of such a reason is bad enough, but imagine a situation when a family does not have.

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Saturday, July 3, 2010

Life Insurance - Regular Vs Accident Insurance

It can get pretty confusing when you're choosing a life insurance policy. There are so many options and extras and if you don't understand which to choose, it can be very confusing to select a policy. One of the most common questions that people come up with is simply to do with the differences between regular and accident life insurance, particularly because they seem to be the same at first glance. However, there are some differences that you should know about before you choose a life insurance policy.

Regular Life Insurance
What exactly is covered by regular life insurance varies by policy, so you will want to really check this out when you are talking to the insurance company. There are two main types of policies here, permanent and term. Term insurance will only cover you for a specific time period, usually a year to five years, after which time you will need to renew your insurance. Permanent gives you life-long coverage.

Both types usually cover both death and some medical costs if you are injured or ill. Again, it's important to read the fine print on this. You will need to choose someone to receive the payout should you die while your life insurance is active. Regular life insurance covers a variety of ways that you could pass, including sickness. However, there will be certain options that are ruled out. For example, most life insurance companies will not pay out if a death was ruled a suicide. Most regular policies will exclude certain accidental deaths, as well, which is why you will probably want to look into adding an accidental life insurance policy to your regular one.

Accidental Life Insurance
A lot of accidents happen in our lives and on occasion they can cost you a lot of money. Accident insurance usually covers things like medical costs, hospital stays and will reimburse you for lost limbs, eyesight, etc. depending on the policy. Also, if you were to die due to an accident, this type of policy would give your beneficiary a payout. Not all regular insurance does this for accidents.

In cases where an accident leads to death at a later date, such as a car accident where the victim is in a coma for several weeks or months before dying, the policy will have a specific time limit. Many give you 3 months, so if the victim dies four months after the accident, due to related injuries, no payout will be given.

Why Choose Accident Insurance
For most people, adding accident insurance to their regular policy just makes sense. It means you are covered no matter what happens and since a large number of deaths and major injuries are caused by accident and not necessarily disease, it makes sense to insure yourself. Having that safety net can be invaluable should something happen and you lose your sight due to an accident, something that regular life insurance wouldn't touch, but accident insurance would offer a payout for.

Insurance is a big deal. You want to be sure you get the right coverage and that you aren't going to regret not opting for the extras later on. Do your research, read the contracts completely before signing and talk to the insurance broker about your options. Make sure you understand everything that is covered and what is not by your specific policy. Sometimes you can customize your policy to create the best possible insurance for you personally, so talk to your agent about this possibility. Life insurance is important and needs to be taken seriously.

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Friday, July 2, 2010

Steps in Car Accident Insurance Claims

Car accident is one of the leading causes of personal injury. A few suffer minor injury but almost half of that involved severe injuries, permanent disability and death.

A recent study shows that car accident results thousands of deaths each year. In fact, it is the leading cause of death of people between the age of 6 and 27.

Having been involved in a car accident is a traumatic experience. Aside from the physical pain and suffering, there is emotional distress, loss of income and property damage. All of these constitute financial compensation, which one can recover from the party at fault or from his insurer.

How to determine damages after a car accident

After a car accident, the next thing to do is to ask for compensation for the injury and other damages suffered. With this, the help of a capable car accident insurance lawyer is certainly needed.

The following are the steps to consider in filling your claim.


Secure a copy of the police report.
Know what protection your insurance policy will provide.
Sign a medical release so that a copy of the medical record will be presented to the insurance company.
Make a claim for physical injuries under medical pay coverage.
If the other party is at fault, make a claim under the uninsured motorist coverage.
Secure at least two car repair estimates if your car is totaled.
Present estimates and allow your car to be photographed.
Present bills for storage and towing cause.
Ask your agent to help arrange a temporary substitute vehicle if you have rental reimbursement coverage.
Notify your agent for any damages discover during the repair.

After filling your claims against the party at fault, you can also file a claim against your insurer. Filling a claim against the latter requires patience and hard work. The following are essential dos and don'ts that will guide you to facilitate your claim.

Do's


Do contact your insurance company immediately after the accident.
Do take time to read your insurance policy. This will guide you on what kind of claim you are covered.
Do your best to get details of the accident. You can also take pictures of the damaged vehicle or get the number of the witnesses.
Do make a note of the insurance detail of other persons involved in the accident.
Do keep a written account of your conversation with the insurance agent and other people involved in the accident.
Do keep receipts and bills of all expenses incurred in the accident to be presented to your insurer.
Do be frank and honest to your insurance collector so that your claim will not be denied.
Do check if you have other insurance policy that provides coverage for the same accident or injury.
Do consult a car accident insurance lawyer.

Don'ts


Do not admit any liability. Just stick on the facts without giving any opinion.
Do not give anything in writing to your insurance officer especially if you do not understand some part of our claim.
Do not let any time limit of your insurance claim runs out. Most of insurance company provides a period for filling claim after an injury. Do not disregard the period or else your claim will not be considered valid.
Do not take everything that your insurance agent tells you especially with regard to your claim. Most insurance companies like to settle claims in an amount smaller than that actually suffered.
Do not sign anything that is a release or a waiver of anything. If you are ask to sign and you are not sure of it call an attorney.
Do not take a check as a full and final payment unless you are certain that it is a fair compensation of your claim.

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Disability Insurance For Young Professionals - How to Design Your Policy

First of all, if you are reading this article because you are a young professional in the market for Disability insurance, Congratulations! You are taking a step that many people do not take until it is already too late. Disability insurance protects the most valuable financial asset we have - the ability to earn an income.

Purchasing a quality Disability insurance policy while you are young is one of the hardest yet smartest financial decisions you will ever make. Think about all of the goals, hopes and dreams you have. Aside from finding a life partner and perhaps starting a family, they will all most likely rely on one very important thing - money. We all know that money does not grow on trees and so the only way to have it, is to work hard and earn it. Being able to work and earn an income is our greatest financial asset. It allows us to accomplish all of the goals, hopes and dreams we have. But what happens when an unexpected injury or sickness prevents you from earning an income. A total disability is equivalent to an economic death, but even a partial disability can cause a severe financial struggle. Disability insurance is a product created to solve this exact uncertainty. If due to an injury or sickness you are unable to perform your occupation and earn an income, this coverage can supplement up to 60% of your income on a tax-free basis while you are disabled. As a young professional it is important to obtain a quality policy that protects the life style you have today but also the life style you will have tomorrow.

One of the initial things you should consider is how much coverage to begin with. As a young professional, you are probably earning less money now than you will ever earn again. Additionally, the life style you maintain is probably fairly simple and less expensive than it will be in the future. Aside from outstanding loans, debts and regular living expenses, you hopefully do not have very many financial responsibilities at this time. Nonetheless, it is important not to spend all of your money on insurance premiums either. In order to help keep the premiums on your policy reasonably priced, you should obtain a little over the minimum amount of money you need to satisfy your current monthly expenses. This will allow you to sustain your current lifestyle, in the case of a disability, without being a financial burden to someone else.

There are a few contractual features I suggest you seriously consider when designing your policy. For starters, you want your coverage to be non-cancelable, which means that regardless of all circumstances, as long as you pay premiums on time the insurance company cannot cancel your policy, change its premiums, or modify any provisions until you reach age 65. Most likely you will have this insurance policy for the next 30 or 40 years of your life, and although it is unlikely for an insurance company to actually change anything, a guarantee is much more preferable. Having a Disability policy that is cancelable is equivalent to accepting a promise from someone who maintains the rights to change the promise - your income is far too important to take that risk.

Next, you want to be sure the policy you purchase has a definition of disability that truly protects your occupation or specialty. More than likely you have worked very hard to get to where you are and should protect your future with equal interest. Each insurance company you look at will use a slightly different description of what constitutes a total disability. Some definitions require that you are unable to perform a specific occupation and others will require that you are unable to perform any occupation. There is even a version known as a True Own-Occupation definition, which allows you to receive benefits while gainfully employed in a new occupation, as long as you remain unable to perform the original occupation. The more specialized your profession, the more important it is that you protect it. As a brain surgeon, a hand tremor can prevent you from being able to perform surgery, but perhaps not from practicing a different form of medicine. For specialized professions such as a brain surgeon, it makes sense to focus on obtaining a policy that has a True Own-Occupation definition of disability. For many other professions, it can be considered a bonus but not so much a necessity. Regardless, you want to be sure that the definition states it will pay a benefit when you are unable to perform "your occupation" and not "any occupation".

In addition to having a quality definition of total disability, you need to be sure that your policy will protect you from a partial disability as well - this is known as a Residual Disability. Similar to the definition of total disability, every insurance company will have its own version of a residual or partial disability benefit as well. Traditionally, residual benefits will be paid when you have experience a 15-20% loss of income, due to an injury or sickness. Benefits are normally paid proportionately to the loss of income experienced, so if your income reduces by 50%, you may be eligible for 50% of your monthly benefit. Because most disabilities are caused by sickness, and most sicknesses do not appear overnight, you are more likely to suffer a partial disability than a total disability. Some companies will provide residual disability benefits in a standard policy and others will require that you select it as an optional rider. Regardless of the setup, residual disability benefits are an essential part of a quality disability contract so be sure to include them in your policy.

At this point you have created a solid contract and the only thing left to decide will be which optional riders you need. First and foremost, you should be reminded that Disability insurance is a product used to protect your income. Throughout your career, you should expect your income to increase and thus must have the ability to increase your disability coverage as well. You can achieve this with two of the optional riders available with most major Disability carriers.

The first is with an Automatic Increase Option rider which will automatically increase your disability benefits by 3-5% each year, for the first 5 years of the contract. There is no cost associated with this benefit and you are not required to accept the increase if you do not want to. Automatic increases do not require medical information or financial documentation to occur. Quite simply, unless you request not to have an increase, both the benefit and premium will increase at each of the first five policy anniversaries.

The second and most important way to protect your future earnings is by purchasing the FIO (Future Increase Option) rider, which allows you to increase your monthly benefit on each policy anniversary. A policy owner can exercise these increases regardless of any changes in health by simply providing financial documentation (tax returns) that warrants an increase in benefits. Although there is an extra cost associated with this benefit, as a young professional it is pertinent for you to have an FIO rider included in your policy.

If you decide to go with a "to age 65" benefit period, you may want to consider one other rider - the COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustment) rider. The COLA rider is designed to hedge the risk of inflation on a long-term disability claim. This rider will adjust your monthly benefits by 3-6% each year that you remain disabled, beginning after year one. Similar to the FIO, this is an optional rider and there is a cost associated with this benefit. The average long-term disability claim lasts 2.5 years - clearly a 2.5 year claim does not warrant a need for the COLA rider since it will not be worth the cost, unless you become disabled within the first few years of owning the policy. For someone who experiences a 20-year claim though, the COLA rider may just be a lifesaver. This rider cannot be described as necessary or unnecessary. It is simply a question of whether the protection it offers is of value to you.

The top Disability carriers will also offer other optional riders that I have not discussed, such as: Catastrophic disability benefits, Return of premium, Spousal disability benefits, etc. Aside from Catastrophic benefits, these riders are not commonly used and usually do not make financial sense to obtain, even if you are willing to spend the extra money. If you would like to add catastrophic benefits because of how inexpensive they are, great! Do not waste your time with the others though.

The final and most important part of obtaining a Disability insurance policy is for you to work with a Disability specialist. A lot of insurance agents out there are licensed to sell Disability insurance, but probably should not be. There are a lot of details involved with purchasing Disability insurance and the person you work with may very well end up serving as your advocate. Please make sure you work with an agent that is experienced in this specific type of coverage.

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