International Health Insurance - Securing Your Future

International health insurance is incredibly important and the demand for it has never been higher. As social health insurance services are struggling to keep up with the ever increasing costs of medical treatment, the need to make other arrangements has become very crucial, particularly to the expatriate. For those who live and work abroad, the need to access the right sort of cover can turn out to be an unpleasant experience with the cost of medical treatment often being very expensive and difficult to arrange especially during times of emergency. There are many providers that offer a wide range of benefits that allow for peace of mind for you, your family and your personnel.

If you are studying abroad then the benefits of getting a good international health insurance plan are invaluable. Any unexpected medical emergency can deplete your financial resources, leaving you with no money to pay for school. Many students who experience unfortunate events like this find their only option is to return to their countries as they cannot afford the study or living costs after paying for their medical needs. If you are in any semi long-term situation overseas a good international health care insurance plan is absolutely essential. There are two options as a student if you are staying overseas, you can acquire coverage in your home country before you leave or obtain student coverage once you get to your destination.

In any situation where you need to obtain international health insurance for either study or work, you need to be sure you clearly understand the terms of the agreement you sign with the insurance company. There are often several limitations and restrictions with the policy and making sure you understand them up front will reduce the number of misunderstandings that could occur.

For many people who spend extended time overseas, the question of medical coverage does not cross their mind until it is too late when they find themselves hospitalized and needing to pay expensive medical bills. This can be quite stressful financially and rather unhelpful. In these situations an insurance broker may pop up and you will find yourself with a policy that is rather expensive and the restrictions and limitations are either not examined or simply don't arise until it is too late again. It is absolutely vital that you take care of your medical needs before you travel overseas by obtaining overseas coverage so you can rest in the knowledge that should an emergency arise, you will be covered.

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Is COBRA My Best Option for Unemployment Health Insurance?

COBRA is a health insurance option that is mandated by the Federal Government. It was created in an addendum to a budget bill. COBRA allows employees who are receiving employer sponsored health care to continue their coverage after their employment is terminated for a certain amount of time if they pay for it out of their own pocket. While COBRA is the best option for some individuals, this is definitely not the case for everyone. It is important that you look closely at all your options before making your decision.

The main reason why someone would want COBRA benefits is the existence of a pre-existing condition. Pre-existing medical conditions can drastically drive up the cost of health insurance. Some conditions are so severe that no private insurance provider will take the risk of insuring an individual at any cost. At the very least, most insurance companies will not cover any expenses arising from a pre-existing condition, meaning that those expenses will have to be paid out-of-pocket. If an individual or a member of his or her family has a condition that is covered by their COBRA benefits but would be a pre-existing condition under a new policy, COBRA is likely that individual's best, and possibly only available option.

For most individuals, COBRA is probably not the best option. The reason for this is cost. Most employers get their plans at a discounted rate because they purchase so many plans. Many of these plans would be prohibitively expensive for an individual to purchase on their own. Additionally, COBRA makes it legal for insurance providers to charge an extra fee to continue a plan for COBRA. This means that you will be overpaying for an already expensive plan. There are thousands of available health insurance plans and providers in the United States. The chances are very high that there are multiple plans that can be found for less money and more tailored coverage than any COBRA benefits that can be purchased.

If you are relatively healthy and have few health care needs, you can get a high deductible or catastrophic plan that can tide you over until you find a new job. These plans tend to be very affordable but do leave you vulnerable to paying a large deductible should anything happen. You can purchase policies with lower deductible amounts, however as the out of pocket expenses get lower, the premium prices will rise.

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Small Business and Health Care Reform

First, a word of caution: wait. Wait and see what transpires in health care reform. Whatever I write today will probably change this year, next year, or the year after. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, is being challenged by most states. The latest kerfuffle was initiated by the Thomas More Law Center. It filed suit because the law stipulates that people who choose not to participate can be taxed under the Internal Revenue Code.

Did you get that? If you do not want to engage in commerce, in this case the purchase of a product of insurance, the government has the power to tax and punish you. Not exactly freedom of choice, is it? One of the dissenting judges in the Sixth Circuit said, "If the exercise of power is allowed and the mandate upheld, it is difficult to see what the limits on Congress's Commerce Clause authority would be." (Italics mine.)

Indeed.

In January 2011 federal judge Roger Vinson quoted President Obama declaring in 2008, "It a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house." Clearly the President uses flexible thinking when it's pet project. Nevertheless, 27 states have sued over the Act. At heart lies the right of states to determine for themselves what their citizens can do. Never before has anyone suggested that the federal government can force people to purchase something against their will.

The egregious behavior only begins there. How would you like to be the enforcer of this twisted law? As a business owner, you would be. Here is the mechanism, as outlined by the Congressional Budget Office that estimates revenues of $36 billion, yes billion, in a decade. You would have deduct the penalty payments from your employees' paychecks.

Massachusetts uses a similar program now and the state discovered there are people who are more willing to pay the fine than to be forced to purchase insurance they do not want.

Those of us who sell insurance and tell our potential customers that we will never try to sell them something they neither need nor want will find this impossible to swallow. Those of us who are business owners definitely do not want to become collectors of fines for the feds. No matter how you dice it, this is not what most of us signed on to. If you're bothered by this, for any reason, make your opinion known. In the mean time, attorneys general in the states are filing suit. Health insurance is one thing; forcing people to engage in purchasing products against their will is something else. Today the issue is insurance. What will tomorrow bring?

Patricia Woods

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Health Premiums Can Be Affordable

Are you one of the millions of Americans without insurance and worried each day that something will go wrong with your health? Premiums continue to rise and so many policies are very limited in what they cover. It can be tempting to go without insurance, especially if you are still relatively youthful and enjoy good health. Be aware, however, that one devastating illness or serious accident can leave you in financial ruin and can have very serious consequences for your life in the future.

An alternative that some choose is to only insure for catastrophic health; premiums for these plans generally cost much less as the deductibles for them are quite high. A few will pay for preventative and routine care but others do not offer such coverage. These plans will put a cap on what you will wind up owing if you do suffer a severe accident or major illness, but there is still the issue of how you will pay for your deductible and you could find yourself in a position where you can't pay for less expensive, relatively minor medical procedures and checkups that would make a large difference in your future well-being.

Discount medical plans are not technically an equal alternative to health insurance however they could provide a way to reduce your expenses for minor or routine medical care. These plans basically sell a membership that qualifies you for a discount on services from a variety of health-care providers. Do your homework before signing up with such a plan, as unfortunately there are also many bogus plans offered by scam artist which collect your dues and offer nothing in return. Research any company before you sign up for their program, however know that even with legitimate companies they might not be able to offer a discount for your preferred physician and/or the reduced price might not justify the cost of premiums.

A part time job with a corporation that offers benefits to their part time workers is a path that others find viable. This option works especially well for freelancers or the stay at home partners of workers whose jobs lack benefits. Barnes and Noble, Whole Foods and Starbucks are a few of the companies well known for offering their part time employees health insurance. As a bonus, many of these companies will also provide a 401(k) plan, dental plans, disability and a discount on purchases making this a very attractive option.

Your financial health depends on taking the time to insure that you have a workable plan to make sure you aren't ruined by major costs incurred by an accident or illness. Obtaining the proper insurance can be crucial to your continued financial health. Premiums can be expensive, but with some creative thought and research, you can find a solution that will work for you.

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Leading 3 Ideas For Getting Individual Health Insurance

In our twenties, thirties and forties, we would perhaps question why we need any kind of medical health insurance, we're fit, healthy and in all likelihood think it is a complete waste of our precious money. The truth is health issues can hit any time and your age is no barrier to a lot of long term ailments that require costly treatment plans. One more reason why why many would question why they might consider individual health insurance would be that we've got the best health service in the world at our disposal. Sadly the National health service is someplace between a rock and a hard place currently and the service is undergoing a huge reform, with substantial waiting lists and questionable hospital care and treatments.

Exactly what kind of items might you expect to have from a individual health insurance members of your family? The most popular explanation people choose to go for private medical insurance is to overcome any NHS hospital waiting lists. Even the most basic protection would get you speedy hospital admission if you needed it with access to a consultant and any treatment very quickly, plus a private en-suite hospital room. This private medical insurance won't be able to actually substitute all the NHS services, it should be used in addition to them for best result, the more individuals who have this insurance coverage, the smaller the National health service waiting lists will likely be.

Basic individual health insurance would include certainly the fee for a stay in hospital as well as the costs for any assessments, fees, drug treatments, dressings and any other sundries. Even a cheaper individual health insurance policy would include for fees for things typically done on an out-patient basis such as physiotherapy, treatment options and tests. Most will likely include minor surgical procedures, and some cancer treatment options like chemotherapy, along with any connected fees for tests as well as other medicines. Needless to say like every insurance coverage there are basic and comprehensive policies and your personal needs and situation would probably dictate which you decide on.

The more comprehensive individual health insurance could have things like hospital intensive care, theatre use and private comfortable en-suite hospital rooms. You can also find things such as prosthetics, radiotherapy and psychiatric care included. Out-patient care would come with a more in depth policy and that includes most of the in hospital treatments mentioned above. Comprehensive cover does mean more expensive cover so you have to bear that in mind when examining these policies. If you want you can even have a private ambulance journey for you suddenly getting unwell and being required to go to hospital added onto the policy.

There is no doubting this individual health insurance is undoubtedly a rapidly expanding market with many looking at it as a substitute for National health service treatment. The basis of these kind of policies is that you simply are purchasing yourself the assurance that you will get excellent quick treatment if you fall ill, and there's no cost you can place on that assurance. Some insurance firms have specialised with this kind of cover but there are some that offer it as well as other products so you should find a lot of companies battling for your business. The sum of twelve pounds does not appear a lot per month but that is the type of costs you would probably locate for a simple policy, which isn't a great deal for peace of mind.

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How The Healthcare Bill Will Affect Small Businesses

Debate about the new Health Care Bill once dominated the airwaves and Internet. However, discussion has gone dormant. Better known as "Obamacare," the legislation has been tweaked since its passage.

Those changes had no impact on most cost increases. So, a question remains unanswered. How much is the Health Care Bill really going to cost you? Small business owners face a variety of mandates.

Employers will be required to report the value of an employee's medical insurance on his or her 2011 W-2 forms. The U.S. Internal Service delayed this edict. It's letting employers decide whether to comply this year.

If not for Congressional action, small businesses would have mandated to file Form 1099s.

People remaining uninsured after 2013 could face penalties. This mandate remains law, despite numerous states' constitutional challenges. With that said, the IRS has yet to figure who'd owe the penalties.

Businesses with more than 50 or more full-time equivalent employees, which have no health plan, face an excise tax beginning in 2014. In theory, companies with part-time employees could be required to provide coverage.

High-income earners could face a nearly 4 percent Medicare surtax on passive income, starting in 2013. They are married couples, filing jointly, earning $250,000 or individuals earning $200,000.

Unearned income like interest, royalties, dividends (or K-1 income from an S-Corporation), capital gains, annuities and rental income is subject to the tax. IRS rules exclude business income.

No change is on the horizon, before these requirements are enacted. If changes are made, they'd be the U.S. Supreme Court's responsibility. With that said, more guidance from the IRS is needed.

Former Office of Management and Budget official James Capretta, now a Heritage Foundation fellow, claims the 10-year cost of "Obamacare" could meet or exceed $2.5 trillion, according to Investors.com.

Investors.com also reports subsidies to individuals and businesses would soar. For instance, subsidies for a family of four earning $60,000, covered by an employer's health plan, would fall by $4,500 in 2016.

That's as opposed to a family buying insurance from a government exchange. Mandating people purchase health insurance would increase premiums by 10 percent or more.

Rising health care costs have already affected businesses, according to finance.yahoo.com. It noted that the Wall Street Journal reported Caterpillar will take $100 million hit in the first year.

Medical device Medtronic warned new taxes could translate into significant layoffs. Verizon announced it would likely cut benefits in response to higher costs.

Florida Health Insurance Bids Goodbye To COBRA   Health Savings Account Plans Shift Money From Premiums To Savings   Will Tennessee Health Insurance Rate Hikes Be A Thing Of The Past?   What To Look For In The Right Medicare And Medicaid Attorney   Comparing Healthcare Plans