5 Ways To Choose The Best Travel Insurance For Your Holiday

Travel insurance is one of those areas that mean nothing to you until you
decide to hit the road - or the air - then suddenly every ad is for travel
insurance and everywhere you look another company is touting for your
business. So how do you choose the best insurance company and the best
travel insurance for your unique travelling needs?

5 Points To Consider

1.The cost of the policy could be more than what you pay

When reviewing the policy options never start with the price first. As with
most things in life you get what you pay for and while you want to be sure
to get the best value for your money, this does not necessarily mean the
cheapest price.
Comprehensive cover that delivers and supports in time of need is what you
should be looking for.

2.What back up do you receive in an emergency?

Are you being sent on your world tour with a 9 to 5 Monday to Friday contact
number or are you provided with fully comprehensive numbers providing 24/7
contact and support, reverse charge options and 0800 numbers.

3.What is included as standard in your policy

Some companies come in with a low rate and then charge extra for every
doorknob eventually leading to over inflated cover.
Go through the company's policy offerings to be sure exactly what you are
covered for. The range should be extensive as the company should know and
have addressed a range of pitfalls you may not have thought of.

4.Who underwrites and supports the company

Establish who your support company will be should you face a medical
emergency or the need for evacuation. Most companies do not handle these
highly specialised areas themselves but have aligned themselves with skilled
and experienced worldwide organisations to ensure the best possible
protection and support for their customers.

5.Does the company cater for varying needs?

Does the company provide a one size fits all policy? Beware, you may be
paying for cover you don't need or be under insured in some critical areas.
Look for a company which provides a range of covers including NZ only travel
policies, backpacker, group or duo options, long stay, one way or gap
insurance and more.

About The Author: Eddie Feltham is Marketing Director for 1Cover, and has 10
plus years experience in the travel industry. For all-inclusive travel
insurance - Australia, New Zealand or worldwide - and the best travel
insurance rates, visit http://www.1cover.co.nz

Home Owner And Car Insurance Quote

Are you looking for both a home owner and car insurance quote?
There's good news! Many insurance companies specialize in offering both
homeowner insurance policies and car insurance policies.

Below are three reasons why you should get a quote your home owner insurance
policy and car insurance policy from the same insurance company.

You won't have to deal with as many people as you would if you used two
different insurance companies. This may sound antisocial, but it's actually
not. If you have one insurance agent who can take care of both your home
owner and car insurance policies, you'll be less likely to get confused;
and, if you do get confused about one or both of your policies, you'll only
have to contact one insurance agent to straighten things out for you.

You'll have less paperwork to deal with. This goes right along with the
above reason. If you do all of your business with one insurance company,
you're obviously going to have less forms to read through and sign. This
also reduces the risk of signing papers dealing with your home owner
insurance policy when you mean to sign papers dealing with your car
insurance policy.
Plus, your single insurance agent will keep you organized!

Discounts, discounts, discounts! Most insurance companies that offer
multiple kinds of insurance policies, such as home owner insurance policies
and car insurance policies, offer discounts to those policyholders who
purchase more than one kind of insurance policy. Aside from getting
insurance policies that offer the exact coverage you and your family needs,
what can beat getting a few discounts along the way?

When you set out to look for an insurance company that offers both home
owner and car insurance quotes, don't settle on the first one you find. Do
some research: check out their ratings, talk to friends, family members, and
co-workers who use the insurance company. Shop smart and begin saving!

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/health/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car/

Combined Motor Trade Insurance - Why It Works And How It Can Save You Money

If you work in the Motor Trade, you more than most will know that customers
nowadays are demanding more, for less. And if you're a Motor Trade who also
demands this from your suppliers and service providers, here are some ways
you can get it from your Insurance Broker.

Depending on which part on the Motor Trade you work in you will no doubt
have your own individual needs, concerns and worries.

For car manufacturers these could be falling sales, competition from abroad
or Government policy changes over CO2 emmissions.

If you are an MOT Station you may still be coming to terms to
computerisation.

And for body repairers, bodyshops and garage servicing units your focus
maybe on gaining accreditation to the BSI Kitemark scheme or making sure
your staff are trained to a certain standard.

The bottom line is you are a Motor Trader you have numerous issues to deal
with on a daily basis before you even start to think about your customers
and suppliers.

And yet despite this apparant need for people in the Motor Industry to make
their lives easier it is suprising to see many traders still choosing to
have their Motor Trade Insurance policies with many different insurance
brokers and companies rather than under a single Motor Trade Combined
Insurance policy.

The result of this is that many Motor Traders pay too much for their
insurance and they spend time (that they simply cannot afford to waste) on
looking after them.

Here a just a couple of reasons why Motor Traders should seriously consider
a Combined Motor Trade Insurance policy when their insurance is next due for
renewal:

1. All your risks together. By opting for a Combined policy your vehicles,
your staff, your premises and your profits can all be protected under one
policy. No longer do you need your buildings insured with one Broker, your
Business Interruption and Liabilities with another and your Road Risks with
yet another. Just all your risks under a Combined Motor Trade Insurance
policy.

2. Time Savings. Gone are the days of many different types of cover with
different renewal dates and provided by different companies. Just your
Combined Insurance policy with a single renewal date. If you need to make a
change you just need to ring one broker rather than hunt around your
paperwork to find out who it is insured with. And if you chose the right
broker they should ring around all the main Motor Trade Insurance companies
to find you the best deal.

3. Money Savings. By putting all your risks under a Combined Motor Trade
Insurance policy you can very often benefit from savings on your premiums as
many providers offer discounts. At a time when getting value for money from
your service providers then making savings by getting a policy that is
easier to administer could be just what you need.

Combined Motor Trade Insurance can save you time and save you money and that
is why it works.

About The Author: Save Money on Your Combined Motor Trade Insurance was
written by Mark Burdett of Northern Counties Insurance Brokers. To see how
much you can save on Motor Trade Insurance visit
http://www.northerncounties.com or
http://www.northerncounties.com/motor-trade-insurance.php

Cheap Car Insurance In NC

The premium you pay for your car insurance in NC is dependent upon several
factors, including your age, gender, driving record, traffic ticket and
violation history, your living location, the kind of car you are insuring,
and the insurance company from which you purchase your car insurance in NC.

A few of these factors can't be changed; some can be altered in time.
However, despite all of these factors, the amount of car insurance in NC you
purchase is always going to have an effect on the cost of your car insurance
premiums. Therefore, if you're looking for cheap car insurance in NC, it
would make sense to purchase NC's minimum car insurance requirements,
wouldn't it?

The minimum car insurance requirements for NC are as follows:

$25,000 for coverage of property damage $30,000 for coverage of the bodily
injury of one person $60,000 for coverage of the bodily injury of two or
more persons

Purchasing merely the minimum car insurance requirements in NC isn't
recommended, and not always allowed if your vehicle isn't fully paid for.

Yet, if your car is completely paid for, and you're in a situation in which
you've just graduated and entered the workforce or you've just left the
workforce and gone back to school, money may be tight. You must have at
least the minimum car insurance requirements in NC, so you'll want your car
insurance to be as cheap as possible. In these cases, getting cheap car
insurance in NC may be dependent upon purchasing just the minimum car
insurance requirements. Seriously consider purchasing more car insurance
once you're financially able.

For more discounts to get cheap car insurance in NC, check out NC's
insurance department, or talk with the car insurance agency from which you
plan to purchase your car insurance policy. Many insurance agencies offer
discounts for purchasing multiple policies, good driving records, and even
adding addition cars to the insurance policy.

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/ http://ezquoteguide.com/

Cheap Car Insurance In New Jersey

Thanks to the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act, New Jersey drivers
are able to buy a basic car insurance policy in New Jersey - and what's
cheaper than purchasing the most basic car insurance policy available?

The Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act makes it possible for drivers to
get cheap car insurance in New Jersey by offering them a policy even cheaper
than the standard car insurance policy. The basic car insurance policy
includes personal injury protection of $15,000 per person, per accident, and
$250,000 per significant or permanent injury. However, the latter depends on
the policy definitions. It also includes property damage liability of $5,000
per accident.

Bodily injury liability isn't included in the basic insurance policy, but
it's an option. If a policyholder chooses to add bodily injury liability,
the policyholder will have $10,000 for everyone, per accident.

Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage aren't available with
the basic car insurance policy, nor is collision coverage or comprehensive
coverage. However, collision coverage and comprehensive coverage can be
added on, depending upon how the basic car insurance policy was issued.

As you can see, the basic car insurance policy in New Jersey, although it's
the cheapest car insurance in New Jersey, offers very minimal coverage;
however, it does offer important coverage, as well as additional features.
Those drivers with the basic car insurance policy in New Jersey have the
right to take legal action in the event of a motor vehicle-related accident,
whereas those drivers without any insurance don't have that right.

The basic car insurance policy isn't for everyone. Those drivers who choose
to obtain cheap car insurance in New Jersey by purchasing the basic car
insurance policy should do so only if they don't have much family
responsibility, they are just starting out in the work force, it is the
first car insurance policy they've ever purchase, or they can't afford any
other car insurance for whatever reason.

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/ http://www.ezquoteguide.com/

The Truth About Mexican Auto Insurance

The truth is; most Mexican auto insurance brokers will NOT tell you that
auto insurance, when driving in Mexico is not enough.

The fact of the matter is that if you get into an accident, there is a VERY
high likelihood that you will need emergency assistance. particularly in
Mexico where the severity of accidents can be much worse than in the United
States.

Additionally, most people consider health insurance a MUST . but your health
insurance policy here in the United States usually does not cover an injury
or medical evacuation in Mexico.

This means that if you get Mexican auto insurance for your trip, and you end
up NEEDING it, your United States health insurance will not cover any
injuries.

Of course while it is true that Mexico does have a health system that gives
free medical coverage to its citizens, those facilities are not available to
foreigners. If you're from the U.S. you will need to use a more expensive
private clinic.

Then, it's no secret that legal officials in Mexico may attempt to take
advantage of visitors from north of their border. If you're in an accident,
you may certainly need legal help, which means you'll want your auto
insurance to cover those matters as well.

The truth of the matter is that most Mexican auto insurance brokers do not
sell auto insurance that adequately covers emergency medical assistance or
legal assistance. Emergency medical assistance services are so restricted
among most auto insurance carriers that the Red Cross and a whole host of
other international relief agencies use ONLY ONE company for their travel to
Mexico and throughout the entire world.

On top of that, most of these service contracts are written with such low
limits and so many exclusions as to render them potentially worthless.

To make matters worse, many brokers sell "Emergency Medical Evacuation
Services" that end up being subcontracted to a third party vendor in Mexico
who often uses additional subcontractors.
In other words, the services provided are not being performed by the company
you're giving the money to.

You can get an excellent comparison of these plans by going to Assist
America Comparison Chart. Once there you will quickly see why the American
Medical Association, The American Cancer Society, the Red Cross, and on and
on all rely on this one company to ensure emergencies are properly and
appropriately handled.

To learn more about Mexican auto insurance, how to get the coverage you want
at a price you can afford (without getting ripped off by some fly-by-night
scam artist), see "Is Your Mexican Vacation Covered"
http://tinyurl.com/y5hz5q.

It was written by Linden Gray, an international insurance veteran with over
29 years of wholesale, retail, and direct insurance experience. He
represents the only company deemed to adequately and inexpensively cover the
various international relief agencies for their trips to Mexico (and as
such, people that work for those agencies tend to use this company for their
vacations to Mexico). Further, as the Director of MexicanInsuranceStore.com
he runs the only "direct to consumer"
insurance agency that I'm aware of that represents the company used by those
agencies.

About The Author: Arnold Ulloa is a frequent Mexico travele & author. Email
him at arl98@dslextreme.com about your Mexico travels. You can also visit
http://www.mexicaninsurancestore.com or
http://www.tinyurl.com/y6xvq8

Cheap Car Insurance For The Young Female

Car insurance companies are notorious for offering cheap car insurance
policies to females. This doesn't mean the car insurance companies are
sexist, but it does mean the car insurance companies take into account the
statistics that show that female drivers are usually safer drivers. Female
drivers make fewer claims, drive safer vehicles, and get fewer traffic
tickets than male drivers - statistically speaking, of course.
Therefore, car insurance companies see female drivers as a lesser risk than
male drivers.

Yet, despite the gender of the driver, car insurance companies always look
at the age of the driver, too. Older drivers are viewed as less of a risk
because they are thought to have more driving experience. Younger drivers
are viewed as more of a risk because they are thought to have less driving
experience.

So, how can you find cheap car insurance for the young females?

Use all resources. This means, your good driving record, any driving classes
you've successfully completed, your safe car, and your safe neighborhood.
Point these facts out to the car insurance agent, and you may get a cheaper
car insurance quote.
You may even discover discounts you weren't aware of.

Stay on, or "spin off" of, your parents' car insurance policy.
If you stay on your parents' insurance policy, they will most likely get a
discount for having multiple cars on their policy.
You can "spin off" of their car insurance policy if you have already been on
their insurance policy, and have now decided to get your own car insurance
policy from the same car insurance company. By "spinning off" of their car
insurance policy, you will get a cheaper car insurance policy than if you
purchased your own from another company, or without ever having been on
their policy.

By taking either, or both, of these steps you'll find cheap car insurance
for the young female; at least, until you get a bit older!

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/health/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/

Is Affordable Health Care A Myth?

The one thing that everyone in the country wants is affordable health care.
In the past few decades, the cost of health care has sky rocketed. Many
people used to rely on their employers to provide good, affordable heath
care now businesses are cutting benefits to cut costs. This doesn't mean
that it's impossible to be sufficiently covered in case of a medical
emergency.

As many of us are painfully aware, employers are cutting costs where
affordable health care is concerned. Often employers are expecting employees
to pay a greater share of the total of the monthly, yearly or quarterly
premiums. Many people think they can't allow for affordable health care on
their budget. They simply opt not to sign on to the company health care
plan.

At the same time these same people will always find a way to afford vice
like cable television, cigarettes, junk food, and alcohol. Perhaps if you
cut down or gave up some of these luxuries, you'd find the money to pay for
an affordable health care premium.

If you're married and both of you work, you may want to look carefully at
the health care plans provided at both places ofwork. Many people have found
that if one spouse's health care plan seems to be a little sparse in
coverage or non-existent, the other spouse's may be a little more of what
they had in mind.

Sometimes your employer's health care plan is not the best option or is
simply unavailable. If there aren't enough people in the company you work
for to qualify for a group coverage plan, which is usually always cheaper,
perhaps you'll want to discuss your options with your local insurance agent.
The same agent that provides coverage for your house, and car may also
provide affordable health care insurance.

Just as everyone should have a family doctor, mechanic, and lawyer they
trust, they should also have a local insurance agent that's faithful. If you
don't have a family insurance agent, ask friends and relatives whom they go
to for their insurance needs. A recommended, reliable, insurance agent is
sure to be able to provide you with affordable health care coverage or at
least will be able to direct you to someone who can assist you in this goal.

Some insurance companies provide a cafeteria plan for those that rely on
their coverage. A cafeteria plan allows you to pick and choose what options
you want to be covered for. This makes affordable health care possible by
making sure you won't have to pay for anything you don't need or want.

The most important thing you need to do for affordable health care is make
sure you have some sort of coverage for medical emergencies. Medical
emergencies are not something that happens only to other people. A health
care disaster could hit your family just when you least expect it.

About The Author: John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date
commentaries, articles, and reviews for http://www.allhealthmagazine.com,
http://www.body-and-mind-magazine.com as well as other related information.

Cheap Car Insurance For Convicted Drivers

There are many different reasons a driver mat lose his or her driver's
license. He or she may:

. Be convicted for a crime involving a motor vehicle resulting in his or her
driving privileges being revoked or suspended.
(An example of such a crime is driving under the influence
(DUI) or driving while intoxicated.)

. Fail to meet the requirements of his or her probation and/or be found in
violation of the court system, including failure to satisfy traffic tickets
and/or violations.

. Have accumulated more points that allowable by their State on their
driving records.

All of these reasons can make it difficult for drivers convicted of these
offenses to obtain cheap car insurance once they're ready to fire up the ol'
T-Bird and head back out on the road. Granted, finding cheap car insurance
for convicted drivers is a lengthy process - you must be patient and
persistent - but it can be done. The first step is to correct the offenses
that made you a convicted driver, and your car insurance company may even be
able to help you along the way.

. Drivers convicted of DUI/DWI offenses can usually attend special classes
focuses on the dangers of driving drunk. This doesn't mean their licenses
will be returned to them any sooner, but it does mean they may be able to
knock a few points of their records and even make their insurance companies
smile.

. Meet the requirements of your probation and anything else required of you
by the court system. Period.

. Ask your insurance company about special defensive driving courses in your
area that will help reduce the points on your driver's license.

Remember, sometimes these solutions are available, and sometimes they're
not. Talk with your current car insurance company, or even a new car
insurance company with which you're considering doing business, and inquire
about ways to get cheap car insurance for convicted drivers.

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/ http://www.ezquoteguide.com/health/

Cheap Car Insurance Broker

Are you looking for a cheap car insurance broker? You are probably asking
yourself, "Who isn't?" Below are some tips for what discounts to look for,
and ask about, when searching for a cheap car insurance broker.

Look for low mileage discounts. If you are an occasional driver, you may be
eligible for a low mileage discount. A cheap car insurance broker will see
you as less of a risk if your car is not actually out on the road very much.

Stick with third-party insurance. Third-party insurance is much cheaper than
full coverage insurance, and depending on the worth of your car, you may
want to choose sticking with third-party insurance when seeking a cheap car
insurance broker.

Keep drivers to a minimum. When looking for a cheap car insurance broker,
keeping the drivers you add to your car insurance policy to a minimum helps.
Unless the drivers frequently drive the car(s) on the car insurance policy,
leave them off of the car insurance policy and save yourself some money.

Keep your car safe. Another way to impress a cheap car insurance broker is
by keeping your car safe. If you live in an area that is considered
dangerous - especially one that has a lot of car-related crime - an
insurance broker is going to see you as less of a risk if you take the steps
to safely store your car at night or anytime it isn't being driven.

Young drivers - do not give up hope! Young drivers should take advantage of
starter policies. These policies, which usually last anywhere from six to
eight months, are perfect for young drivers still starting out in the world
of driving and car insurance. Starter policies are cheaper than non-starter
policies, and they allow the young drivers to build up no claims bonuses.
Young drivers should also ask about any driving courses they can take to
help them get car insurance discounts.

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/ http://www.ezquoteguide.com/health/

Healthy Travel During Pregnancy

With proper planning and advice, travel during pregnancy is not a problem.
To ensure that you and your baby remain healthy during travel, you need to
consider the stage of your pregnancy, your current physical condition, and
any restrictions or problems you and your doctor have discussed.

Also, talk to your doctor about visits or tests you need to schedule, so
that you are not away during the time these are to take place. Prenatal
visits, scheduled ultrasound tests, glucose screening tests or Rh
immunoglobulin injections (for those whose blood type is Rh negative).

Assuming your doctor says it is OK for you to travel, be sure you prepare a
complete list of contact names and phone numbers to take with you. If you
have problems during your trip and need care or attention, health care
professionals or other travelers can ensure that you get appropriate care.

This information should include:

Your name, age and blood type, and any medications you are taking, as well
as your health care insurance information. Also include your due date, the
date of your most recent doctor appointment, any allergies you may have to
medication or foods, and any immunizations you may have had before travel.

Your doctor's name and contact information

Any doctor's name and phone number you may be using while you are away from
home

Emergency contact information for your family (include more than one
contact)

Be sure you have ample supply of prescription and over the counter
medications, and prenatal vitamins.

Make certain that your health insurance polity covers pregnancy, delivery
and other complications during travel and be sure to double check any
restrictions that may apply to travel in foreign countries.

Check the availability of travel insurance on your airline, or other
carrier, to be sure that you are covered if you have to miss part of, or
your entire, trip because of pregnancy related health problems or if you
incur emergency expenses during your trip. Ask if this insurance covers
complications from pregnancy and emergency transport.

Carry a cell phone, especially if you're traveling alone, and be sure that
your cell phone will function in any foreign country to which you may be
traveling.

You can plan normal activities while you are traveling, but understand that
you are likely to get tired m ore quickly when you are pregnancy, so plan
for extra rest during each travel day. Take a relaxing bath, use room
service, sit on the beach or watch an in-room movie.

Eating healthy is important, and your schedule is likely to be different on
the road, so take nuts, dry fruit, and cheese and crackers with you. Drink
plenty of water and avoid dehydration, especially if you are flying to your
destination.

Take your bathroom schedule into consideration. As an expectant mother, you
are likely to need to use the bathroom often. Don't plan vacation or travel
activities that require you to be out in the middle of nowhere, away from
facilities. And plan extra time for 'pit stops' if you are traveling by car.

Remember that your feet and legs are likely to swell during pregnancy if you
are sitting for long periods of time. Wear comfortable, expandable shoes and
socks and elevate your feet whenever possible. Get up and walk around
whenever you can on a plane, train or bus and if you are traveling by car,
be sure to walk around a bit when you stop to use the bathroom.

If you are traveling to a foreign country, you and your doctor will have to
consider any vaccines you will require to determine whether they are safe to
administer during pregnancy.
Avoid live vaccines like varicella for chicken pox, measles, mumps, and
rubella. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report no fetal damage from
live vaccines, but they admit that their information is limited, so these
vaccines should still be considered risky. Vaccines for Hepatitis B,
Hepatitis A, and tetanus, are safe and recommended for pregnant women at
risk of getting these diseases.

In many developing countries local healthcare and the quality of available
food and water are questionable. It is best to avoid travel to these
countries while you are pregnant.

If you are traveling to a hot, humid destination, avoid yeast infections by
wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, and cotton underwear. Change out
of wet bathing suits as soon as you can, and talk to your doctor about
carrying a tube of anti-fungal cream, just in case you need it.

Avoid risky activities, especially late in pregnancy: snow skiing, water
skiing, surfing, horseback riding, parasailing, scuba diving, water slides
and some more extreme amusement park rides. You may also wish to avoid very
hot saunas and hot tubs, as they elevate your temperate beyond what is
normal in a regular bath.

You can walk and hike at low altitudes, swim in calm waters (not in heavy
surf or rapids), ride a stationary or regular bike, exercise in the hotel
gym (if you have been used to exercising before and during your pregnancy)
and jog if you jogged before pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about your
planned activities before you leave for travel or vacation.

Be smart! If you start to feel tired, overheated, dizzy or uncomfortable,
slow down, rest, take a break or stop what you are doing.

Travel, especially to other time zones, can throw your eating schedule off
and cause more problems with bloating, and indigestion. Try eating several
small meals during the day.
Don't eat close to bedtime (allow 2-3 hours to digest your food). Sleep with
your upper body propped on pillows. Avoid alcohol, carbonated beverages,
caffeine, chocolate, acidic foods (citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vinegar),
and spicy foods.
Try to eat high-fiber foods to avoid constipation and bloat, and stay active
to keep your digestive tract moving.

Avoid motion sickness by sitting in the front seat of the car and keeping
the window open to get plenty of fresh air. In an airplane, sit over the
wing, and on a boat, try to stay on the deck and focus on the horizon.

You can try wearing a specially designed wristband to deliver mild
electrical current to a nerve at an acupuncture point on the underside of
your wrist. Studies show that this device helps some pregnant women with
morning sickness and motion sickness.

If you follow these suggestions, you should have a pleasant and healthy
trip.

And, remember, that if your doctor advises against travel, you are wise to
follow her/his suggestion. It is best to put off the trip for another time
after the baby is born, rather than to risk your health and the health of
your unborn child!

About The Author: Janet Hart is the owner of http://www.freefamilyhelp.com A
free family resource site offering free tips, books, and more. Sign up today
for a free newsletter to receive even more parenting tips!
http://www.freefamilyhelp.com

Having A Baby? Check Your Health Insurance Coverage. Repeatedly

Congratulations, you're pregnant! Now go check your health insurance
coverage. Great, the baby's nursery is painted, decorated, and ready! Now go
check your health insurance coverage. Wow, you've just received a ton of
baby gifts for your baby shower! Now go check your health insurance
coverage.
Oh boy, your hospital bags are packed and it's almost delivery time! Now go
check your health insurance coverage.

Well, maybe it's not quite to that extreme, but health insurance problems
can creep up at any time. Unfortunately some people learn that the hard way
when they receive a hospital or doctor's bill that's many times higher than
what it should be.
The problem is that with most of today's healthcare networks, there are
in-network and out-of-network providers. Choose a provider that's in-network
and your bills will be substantially lower. Choose an out-of-network
provider and you'll likely pay three times as much or more.

At this point, you're probably thinking, "No problem. I checked my network
directory and chose an in-network OBGYN and hospital.
I'm covered." While that was probably true when you first checked the
directory, that may not be true today. Unknown to many patients is that
doctors and hospitals often fail to renew contracts or drop insurance
companies for some reason. That's why each and every time you visit your
OBGYN or check in to a hospital, you're asked to fill out the same insurance
forms and sign the same payment guarantees you've signed countless times
before. At that time, they should inform you if your insurance is no longer
accepted, but that's not always the case. Doctor's offices and billing
departments are not always up-to-date and aware of insurance contract
changes. The only time you may find out a problem exists is when you get the
bill. Even if they are aware of the insurance change and you are informed,
you certainly don't want to get that information when you're checking in to
deliver your baby.

Your best bet is to call both your insurance company and your chosen
delivery hospital well before your big day and again as your due date gets
nearer. Make sure they accept your insurance and are an in-network provider.
If possible, find out when their contract expires and if it is being
renewed. Just because they accept your insurance today doesn't mean the same
will be true tomorrow or next week or on your day of delivery.

If you do find a problem with your insurance, your options may be limited to
paying the higher rates, switching insurances, or switching doctors and/or
hospitals. Before you go to any of those extremes however, contact your
insurance company to see if they will grant you an exception where you can
continue with your out-of-network provider at an in-network rate. Also, call
your hospital or doctor to see if they can come to some kind of compromise
with your insurance company. While neither of those are likely to happen, it
is worth a try. If you end up needing to switch insurances, make sure you
check their rules regarding pre-existing conditions.

So, go on celebrating your pregnancy, decorating your baby's nursery,
unwrapping your baby shower gifts, and getting ready for your baby's
entrance into the world. Then, GO CHECK YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.

About The Author: Kenneth Taylor is an editor for the Binky Links Online
Baby Store and Information Directory. Visit the directory at
http://www.binkylinks.com/

What To Do And Not Do In The Event Of An Accident

The worst thing has just happened to you. You have had an accident. There's
never a good time to have an accident but it always seems to happen at the
worst possible time. So what do you do? First off you need to stay calm.
It's a totally natural reaction to lose your head or panic right when you
need to be rational. Just after the accident is the time you should be
taking note of all the information you will need to ensure that you are
fully compensated and covered for any damage done to your property or to
you. Talk to witnesses, get their contact details, make notes and take
pictures if possible at the time of the accident. You'll be glad you did as
it will be difficult to accurately recall all of the details as time passes.
Finally remeber not to admit that you caused the accident, even if you did.

Right after the accident this will all be the last thing you think of so
make a checklist and keep it in the car.

While you are at the Accident Scene, note the following details

You will need:

Driver Details of everyone involved in the accident. Don't forgrt to add
yours too. These details should cover the Drivers Name, driving license
details and driver insurance details including the insurance company name,
policy number and contact details. Finally remember to get the car license
plate number.

If you are carrying a camera take pictures of the accident scene, the
damaged vehicles and any injuries that were caused by the accident.

Note the contact details of any witnesses such as name, address, phone
number and email address so that you can follow up with them later.

Post Accident Follow Up

Complete your own fully detailed description of the accident as soon as
possible after it occurred. You can fill this in with the details and any
pictures that you took at the scene of the accident.
If you were injured then take pictures of your injuries.

Follow up with the witnesses to the accident and get their written details
of the accident.
If the Police attended the scene of the accident ask for their report.

After the Accident

If you were injured you will need to keep track of the following medical
expenses and visits:

Any hospital visits and treatments at hospitals such as MRI, x-ray,
physiotherapy and laboratory services.

Over the counter and prescription medications.

You should keep track of the dates, times and reasons you had to visit a
doctor or the hospital and keep a note of the time off of work due to the
accident. If the time off caused a loss of income you should get a letter
detailing all of the lost income from your employer. Similarly if you are
still in school you should keep track of all of the hours of missed
schooling due to the accident.

While you are undertaking medical treatment you should take pictures of your
injuries to show their progress over time.
Keep a log of the date and time of the picture and add details of any pain
that you are experiencing, how you are feeling, and any distress or
discomfort that you experience as a result of the accident.

Keep track of all other expenses related to the accident. These will incluse
some of the following: Property damages such as car repairs, damage to
barriers, fences and signs.

Some other indirect expenses may also occur such as a cancelled vacation due
to injuries sustained in the accident or the cost of a rental car while
yours is repaired.Finally there are other miscellaneous costs, such as
ointments,lotions to treat your injuries and bandages.

Finally

Never reply to any questions or queries from any other party involved in or
related to the accident, such as insurance companies or attournies without
first consulting your attourny.
Do not settle any bills or sign any documents until you are sure of the
extent of current and future medical expenses related to the accident, and
have agreed it with your attourney.

We sincerely hope you never need this advice, but if you are involved in an
accident it's comforting to know that we are here!

About The Author: Steve Dolan has been involved in several accidents and
learned 'The Hard Way'. Find out what to do and not do at
http://www.accidentsweb.com

When Shopping For A New Car Make Sure To Shop For The Best Insurance Rates As Well.

Most people spend more time shopping for their car than they do shopping for
the best auto insurance rates. This is a mistake.
As a smart consumer, you need to allot time for getting the best rate for
your insurance. Your three goals are getting the best insurance rates,
getting the best financing and getting the best price.

If you don't shop around for the best rate your insurance premium can be
more than your car payment. I've seen it happen and it's not pretty. You are
all happy and excited about your new car up until you find out how much the
insurance is going to cost you. Then you struggle just to make the insurance
payments. Or worse, you cut coverages to keep within your budget. For
example, having the highest deductible, $1,000-$2,000.

It's not hard to shop around for the best rate either. There are several
comparison sites that will give you several quotes from multiple insurance
companies to make sure you get the best rate. Use them. It only takes 10-15
minutes and it can save you from plenty of financial headaches. Just like
the Geico commerical says, "15 minutes could save you 15% or more," 15
minutes on a insurance comparison site will guarantee you get the best car
insurance rates available.

When you do shop around, always be sure to have a copy of your current
policy available for comparison. This will make getting the quote as
painless as possible. That way you compare all the coverages and make sure
you are getting the same discounts with the new company as the old one.

One thing that can surprise you is monthly payment fees so be on the lookout
for these. Some companies charge you a monthly fee when you make monthly
payments, maybe $3-$4 a month. That's an extra $36-$48 a year you need to
factor into your comparisons.

There's nothing like thinking you're getting a great deal only to find out
it's a good deal once all the dust is settled and you get your new policy.
If you're only going to save a few dollars a month after you switch to the
new company maybe it's best to stay put. Sometimes you will lose loyalty
discounts with your current company that you won't get with the new company.
Or the customer service or claims service is great at the current company.
These days that is worth more than a few dollars a month to me so keep these
small things factored into the equation.

Shopping for car insurance is quick and easy and you may even save hundreds
of dollars per year. All it takes is about 15 minutes. Make sure you put
'shop for car insurance' on your car wishlist when you go car shopping.

About The Author: Raul Tejeras runs Best Cost Car Insurance, a site helping
smart consumers get the best insurance rates. Get your special reports on
getting the best car insurance rates online from a ex-insurance rep. Visit
http://www.best-cost-car-insurance.com

Family Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is something that concerns every single family. Children's
teeth are very delicate and must be looked after more frequently than an
adult's. This makes good dental coverage very important so that you don't
end up spending hundreds of dollars with every visit.

Each and every dental insurance company provides plans for families. This
does not mean that every company has a good plan; this is why you should
always do research when you are looking to purchase dental insurance of any
kind, especially for your family.

Family dental insurance plans include great benefits and coverage that
include everyone in your family. It is important when you are searching for
a dental plan that you find coverage that works with emergency care,
fillings, and treatments that are preventative. These are benefits that a
lot of dental insurance companies do not cover. It is imperative that you
check the details of the plan before you join it.

These plans do not have to be expensive; there are many discounted dental
insurance plans that offer coverage for families. Affordable dental coverage
is something that is possible to find -- you just have to look for it. A
little research is all that needs to be done to find great companies that
can cover all of the dental needs of your entire family.

One of the leading dental insurance companies is Delta. This company is not
a discounted insurance company, but it is not expensive either. Saving money
is important to everyone, and you do not want to spend money that does not
need to be spent.
Delta is one of the many companies that offers ideal family dental coverage
that's affordable.

Do not think that finding a great dental insurance company is
difficult--they're everywhere! The internet is a great way to find the
discounted insurance plans that you are looking for.

About The Author: Linda Brown contributes articles to several web sites,
including http://lutok.com and http://web-healthy.com

3 Warnings Before Switching Auto Insurance Companies

We've all been bombarded with ads, emails, commercials, and billboards
saying how much we can save on our auto insurance by switching to another
company. It's a competitive industry. Just because another company is
offering a better rate doesn't mean you should rush to call and cancel your
insurance and switch.
There are a few things you need to make sure of before you do.

Here are a few things to watch out for before you switch your auto insurance
to another company.

If you've been with one company for many years and they offer a credit that
waives the first accident you have, you may want to stay or see if the other
company can match it. Sometimes this is referred to as good driver discount
or a longevity discount or accident forgiveness. The company rewards you for
your loyalty by waiving the first accident you have.

This discount can be pretty significant. Since most accidents can raise your
rate by 40% for 3 years the potential savings could be several hundreds of
dollars over that 3 year period.
But when you switch companies, you lose this credit you've built up. If you
have an accident with that new company how much are you going to regret not
having that accident forgiveness by seeing your rates jacked up by 40%?

Another thing to be mindful of is to make sure the company you are switching
to is not offering you just a teaser rate for the first 6 months to get your
business and then bump you up 6 months later once they've got you on their
books. Since auto insurance is a profitable industry, companies may offer
you a low ball rate to get you to switch and then once they've got you
increase your rates at the renewal. If the rate the new company quotes seems
too goo to be true do more research. Check out insurance forums or search
Google for "XYZ insurance + Reviews."

Watch out for hidden fees. This is one that can surprise you.
Some companies charge you for making monthly payments - usually
$3-$5 a month. Over the course of a year that comes out to $36-$60. That one
fee can take a big bite out of your potential savings so make sure you
factor that into the rates you are comparing. Make sure you are really
saving money when you switch.

Two other things to keep in mind when shopping around for auto insurance are
the new company's website and hours of operation.
Make sure their hours work with your hours. If they are only open from 8-5
and you work 8-5, when are you going to be able to call them if you have a
question or need to make a claim? If you do all your business online you
want to make sure the company you are looking at has a capable website that
can help you 24 hours a day.

You can save money by shopping your auto insurance around. Just be sure to
keep in mind the things I've mentioned to make sure the deal you're looking
at is really a great deal.

About The Author: Raul Tejeras runs Best Cost Car Insurance, a site helping
smart consumers get the best insurance rates. Get your special reports on
getting the best car insurance rates online from a ex-insurance rep. Goto
http://www.best-cost-car-insurance.com

Life Insurance - Make Your Life Easy And Simple!

Ever wondered why one would need life insurance especially as it is seen as
an additional expenditure that one might not need. Well, we can surely find
somewhere else for that money to go, and the real truth is, we may not
really give it much thought until we have a family and begin accruing
assets. Life insurance is an insurance policy, just like our auto or
homeowner's insurance, which offers us with added assurance that in any
eventuality we will be covered financially. In the case of death, life
insurance allows our family to ensure of our end of life needs, that
includes burial or cremation at the least, and more depending on how much
coverage we purchase.

As we live in the age of credit purchases, we bear a considerable amount of
debt through our working years. This includes mortgage and car payments, as
well as personal loans, credit cards, and student loans, just to name a few.
A majority of companies offer their employees some type of life insurance
coverage that can be purchased at a reduced group rate. This can either be a
minimal amount or it can be twice your salary, it just depends on your
personal situation and which options are available to you. A lot of people
prefer to buy life insurance with their personal insurance agent for
additional insurance that can be bought for varying amounts of coverage.
This enables either the surviving spouse of family members to cover up
burial expenses and any other outstanding debts of the decedent. Amounts of
coverage vary and chosen based on what the individual would like to provide
his or her survivors.

Premiums are based on what type of policy is selected and the age of the
person seeking coverage. We are constantly getting mailers in our mailbox
for a reduced rate policy if we act now, and frankly speaking, all those
terms can be rather confusing.
So what is the difference between a whole life policy and a term policy? A
term policy is just that; when you are purchasing a definite amount of life
insurance for a specified term, generally twenty years. The premium remains
the same during this time period and does not build any type of cash value.
On the other hand whole life insurance policies, do build cash value, and
can be either borrowed against, or cashed in at various stages all through
the policyholder's whole life.
Some policies require a physical exam and medical history questionnaire to
be completed before coverage can be instated.
Usually smokers pay higher premiums as well as people with chronic illnesses
that include high blood pressure or diabetes.

Life insurance is a good idea, in particular if you don't want to leave your
family in a helpless situation facing bankruptcy because they can't make
ends meet without you. A number of companies specialize only in life
insurance, and local insurance agents that can assist you clarify exactly
what you need. Remember the older you get, the more it costs, so if you're
considering a term policy, make sure to buy it when you are young!

About The Author: John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date
commentaries, articles, and reviews for
http://www.completehealthdirectory.com,
http://www.body-and-mind-magazine.com as well as other related information.

Cheap Car Insurance For Teens - Some Tips And Advice

One of the most important tips anyone can offer a teen driver about
obtaining, and keeping, cheap car insurance, is the tip of driving safely
and responsibly. This advice does not mean just buckling up and driving the
speed limit. Driving safely and responsibly goes beyond those basics -
especially for teen drivers.

Below are some tips and advice for teens to drive safely and responsibly.

Obey the law. Obeying the law means buckling your safety belt (wearing a
safety belt is a legal requirement in most states); driving the speed limit
(speed limits change in different parts of town, especially in school and
work zones); knowing, and respecting, what the colors of traffic lights
mean; not driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or any other
controlled substance; placing at least the length of one vehicle between you
and the car in front of you; always signaling your next move to the vehicles
surrounding you; and driving only during the times drivers your age are
legally allowed to drive.

Respect your surroundings. Respecting your surroundings means driving in
accordance with everything around you. Drive slower than the speed limit
when weather elements such as rain and snow require it. Keep watch of
pedestrians, especially children who may be playing close to the road. Pay
attention to all vehicles around you, especially in high traffic areas.

Avoid unnecessary distractions. Unnecessary distractions include things such
as putting on make up, eating, chatting on your cell phone, blasting the
radio, and cramming too many friends into your vehicle. Many states have
laws regulating how many passengers teen drivers are allowed to have. Know,
and follow, those laws. When in doubt, never allow more passengers than your
vehicle has safety belts.

Car insurance companies already view teen drivers as high risk.
By driving safely and responsibly, teen drivers can keep traffic violations
and accidents to a minimum, thus helping them maintain cheap car insurance.

About The Author: http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car/
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/ http://www.ezquoteguide.com/health/

Pet Insurance - A Good Idea!

Ever thought about taking out insurance to guard against pet theft? It is
probably something you think most people have never needed to worried about.
But that is quickly starting to change.

Statistics reveal that pet theft has overtaken mobile phone and ipod
robberies to become the most rapidly growing crime in the UK. Each year,
there are 50,000 dogs which are snatched from their owners. Of those
victims, 40,000 had pet insurance. This sort of insurance can offer help in
various ways.

First of all, the insurance pays for the costs of advertising.
It also pays for the costs of offering a reward. Then, when you find your
dog, it will provide the financial assistance to get the animal back home.
You can claim anything from £200 to £1000 depending on your insurance
policy.

Then, in the unfortunate instance that your pet is never recovered, the
insurance company will pay anything from £500 to £1500 for the value of your
dog, provided that the animal has been missing anything from 30 to 90 days.

You can take out claims with insurance companies like PetPlan, E&L, Marks &
Spencer and the Kennel Club is another. In fact, many mainstream insurers
also offer cover as well and you can find out about quotes for different
companies through the internet. If you do pay for your policy online, it can
be the case that you can claim an online payment discount.

Some of the problems that cause pet theft in the case of dogs is that the
owners don't take enough care with respect to their dog's security. Owners
leave their dogs tied up loosely outside shops and the advice from experts
is that by doing this you are making your pet easy prey for a criminal.

Pedigree pets in particular are targets. So are dogs owned by celebrities. A
criminal might not steal the pet because it is high quality, but so they can
make a ransom demand for the animal to be returned.

Along with taking out insurance, there's also other things you can do to
guard against your dog's safety. This includes making sure that your dog
wears a collar and identification tag with your contact details displayed on
it. Dogs can also be micro-chipped or tattooed so they can always be
identified. The Kennel Club Pet Reunification Service offers this service.

Keep all of your dog's documentation in a safe place. Also keep a photo of
your dog from the side so it can be easily identified. But more importantly,
don't let your dog out of your site by not tying it up and leaving it. Keep
the animal secure in your back garden where it can be seen. Don't walk your
dog without a leash, leave it inside or lock it in a car all alone.

If in the unlucky instance your dog does get stolen, report it to the
police. Then contact the local dog warden. If your dog is micro-chipped,
contact petlog or visit the organisation's lost and found data base –
http://www.doglost.co.uk

About The Author: Michael has worked in financial services for over 15
years. He now writes for a number of UK based financial web sites. Insurance
bazar provides articles based around insurance for uk residents. New and up
to date articles from insurance bazar http://www.insurance-bazar.co.uk

Disability Insurance Why Do People Buy It?

Each person who buys disability insurance has his or her own particular
reason to get income protection with their own disability insurance policy.

And these reasons differ widely. They all buy it to protect their future
income, but the reason that triggers the purchase varies widely.

Over the years, people in all walks of life have bought disability insurance
but, looking at some records, I was struck by how much the reasons differ.
Here's a small sample.

Disability Insurance: Reasons To Purchase

A heart specialist, age 38
Reason: The hospital provides none at the moment, but I need disability
insurance before I commence doing surgeries.

Writer, age 46
Reason: I am self employed and must buy all my own life and health coverage.

Lawyer age 33
Reason: We only have one income and if I become disabled, the only income we
will have will be from disability insurance.

Veterinarian, age 29
Reason: To protect my income in event of injury, which is not unknown in
this profession.

Professional, age 36
Reason: Peace of mind. What if I wait that one day too long; I'll think
about disability insurance for the rest of my life.

Consultant, age 46
Reason: Planning for the future. How can I do a financial plan, when I don't
know whether I can carry it out?

Salesman, age 33
Reason: Protect family in the event I am unable to work; I have no
investments to produce income.

Sales Manger, age 40
Reason: It is simply part and parcel of what I need to protect myself and my
family.

Computer Programmer, age 36
Reason: To replace lost income in case I don't die in the accident I always
think is going to happen to me.

Neurosurgeon, age 58
Reason: Protection to the maximum please; disability insurance and critical
illness insurance are both necessary.

Chartered Accountant, age 39
Reason: I deal with small business people and have seen clients, lose homes
and businesses as there is no income from a disability insurance policy.

Manager, age 32
Reason: Just makes sense; disability insurance is the only way to protect
your income.

Web Programmer, age 34
Reason: In case I'm disabled for a long time, disability insurance is the
only income I'll have.

Dentist, age 42
Reason: I am in an occupation that is prone to injury; I have no choice.

Electrician, age 40
Reason: I have no group disability insurance so I must provide my own.

Plumber, age 36
Reason: Disability insurance, life and health insurance are just part of the
protection I need.

Jeweller, age 46
Reason: I am self employed and must protect my life with life insurance and
my income with disability insurance.

Conclusion On Reasons To Buy Disability Insurance You can see the triggers
to buy disability insurance differ greatly.

Please let us know what is your reason to have disability insurance and
we'll send you a Free Disability Ebook. Send your reasons to
info@hughestrustco.com.

About The Author: Ivon T. Hughes of The Hughes Trustco Group is the author
of the Life Insurance Handbook: How To Get The Best & Cheapest Life
Insurance available FREE to all new subscribers at
http://www.hughestrustco.com.

Dangerous Careers May Call For More Life Insurance

Not many people like to think about death; actually, most people probably
prefer to avoid the topic altogether. Sometimes death comes with old age.
Grandparents are usually quite old when they pass on, and because of their
age, it's no real shock when they do. Sometimes death comes with shocking
tragic accidents, such as automobile crashes, home-related disasters, and
crime. And, sometimes death accompanies illness and disease.

So, we urge our elders to take care of themselves. We remind our spouses to
drive carefully. We warn our children to stay away from strangers. And we
try to make sure we, and everyone in our lives, avoid contracting illnesses
and diseases. But how many of us worry about the safety of ourselves, our
family members, and our friends at our careers? Beyond just the safety of
the commute back and forth from our careers?

Some of us - but not all.

Despite how safe we feel at work, and how safe we believe our loved ones are
at work, there are several careers that are considered quite dangerous and
can be fatal. Employees of these dangerous careers should consider
purchasing much more life insurance than the average person.

Some of the most dangerous careers include law enforcement, firefighters,
construction workers, truck drivers, aircraft pilots, and farmers. These
careers put workers at risk for dying in the line of duty or dying because
of an equipment malfunction. These careers involve weapons, fire, extremely
large vehicle both on land and in the air, and powerful machinery. Even the
most skilled professional at any one of these careers is at risk for a fatal
accident.

Dangerous careers put you, and your family members, at risk for disasters.
If you work in one of these careers, you should seriously consider
purchasing a greater life insurance policy; that is, if your life insurance
company hasn't already recommended or required you to purchase a larger life
insurance policy.

About The Author:
http://www.myquoteguide.com/High-Risk-Home.shtml
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/home/ North Carolina Car Insurance

Why Mortgage Insurance Can Actually Save You Money

Mortgage insurance provides lenders a form of financial guarantee which
covers the lender in cases in which the borrower defaults on a loan. For
those looking to buy a home, agreeing to loan terms which include mortgage
insurance, increases the purchasing power of the buyer a great deal.

Agreeing to buy mortgage insurance allows individuals the opportunity to buy
a home with a down payment of only 5%-10%, as opposed to the 20% that is
often required when the lender does not have the guarantee of mortgage
insurance.

Buyers typically purchase and pay for mortgage insurance in three different
ways. These ways include paying in annuals, monthly premiums, or singles. We
are going to take a closer look at the available mortgage insurance payment
options below:

1.) Annuals: The annuals payment option allows the lender to collect the
first year's premium at closing and then all subsequent payments are made on
a monthly basis.

2.) Monthly Premiums: This payment option requires the buyer to only pay for
one month at closing and all remaining payments are then made on a monthly
basis.

3.) Singles: The singles payment option requires the buyer to make a
one-time single payment that is typically financed as part of the mortgage
amount.

Mortgage insurance ensures the lender is covered in cases in which the
borrower can no longer pay the loan and defaults on it. It is also a
powerful bargaining tool for potential borrowers who are unable to come up
with a large down payment.
Offering to pay mortgage insurance can decrease the amount of ones' down
payment by 10% to 15%.

But it is important to note that mortgage insurance does not have to be paid
forever. After a certain period of time and when certain conditions are met,
mortgage insurance is no longer required to be carried on the mortgage.

About The Author: For more information on getting better Mortgage Rates and
great money-saving Mortgage Broker tips, and resources, visit
http://www.lenoxnationalmortgage.com

Life And Health Insurance - Find Out Everything You Need To Know And Why You Should Care.

Have you ever considered investing in life and health insurance? It truly is
very important that everyone understands what this means. We all need health
insurance just in case something should arise. For example, have you ever
broken your arm, gotten severely sick, or even had a stomach ulcer? Well,
chances are you may never suffer from any of these suffering, but how can
you know for sure? This is where life and health insurance come in helpful.
The fact is, the future is rather changeable and we simply have to prepare
ourselves for the worst.

Recently my wife and I invested in quality life and health insurance plans.
We both want to be prepared just in case something should occur. Life
insurance is essential if you have a family. If something were to happen to
me, I would know that my wife and children would be taken care of. It's
truly that simple. Imagine you were in a car accident. We all know that this
can and does happen every day.

Well what would your partner or family do to get by without your income?
Would they be in debt up to their eyeballs? This is something to take
seriously. We all want our families to be safe from damage. I took out a
life and health insurance policy that covers this problem. Now, if I
suddenly get sick and have to be hospitalized, I don't have to worry about
the enormous bills and how to pay them. In addition, if I met my end at a
early date, my wife would be taken care of.

With life and health insurance you basically erase that uneasy feeling of,
what if. Sure, it's not extremely likely that you will be unable to ever
work again starting tomorrow, but what if it happened? Do you have a decent
life and health insurance policy to kick in if it does? After exploring the
many life and health insurance policies available today, my wife and I were
able to find one that suited our needs and income.

With our current life and health insurance policy we can easily afford the
monthly payments. The truth is that life and health insurance are a
essential part of life these days. While none of us care to imagine the
worst, it is always careful to be prepared in the best possible way. Hop
online today and check out some of the quality and affordable life and
health insurance policies at your fingertips. You can never be too safe.

About The Author: John Wellington provides readers with up-to-date
commentaries, articles, and reviews for
http://www.body-and-mind-magazine.com,
http://www.completehealthdirectory.com as well as other related information.

National Health Insurance In America, Part 2

So why don't we have National Health Insurance In America

The political will has not gained momentum on this issue due to AMA
propaganda that continues to cast doubt in the public mind concerning the
success of such a plan. The first misgiving usually offered is that our
country cannot afford to pay for comprehensive care for everyone.

Every other industrialized nation provides comprehensive care to all at a
much lower cost than our system which leaves so many people out. Other
nations spend 6-10 percent of their Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, whereas
we, the wealthiest nation on earth, spend 14 % of our GDP.

Our country already has enough funds dedicated to health care to provide the
highest quality of care for everyone.
Studies conducted by the Congressional Budget Office, the General Accounting
Office, the Lewin Group and Boston University School of Public Health have
shown that under a single payer system, comprehensive care can be provided
for everyone without spending any more funds than are now being spent.

There has been considerable publicity about the delays in receiving elective
services that are characteristic of other nations, especially the United
Kingdom and Canada. At 6% and 9% of their GDP, respectively, they are
spending much less than we are as a nation.

Not only do we have more than sufficient funds, we are also a nation that is
infamous for our excess health care capacity. Typical of these excesses is
the fact that there are more MRI scanners in Orange County, CA than in all
of Canada.

With our generous funding and the tremendous capacity of our health care
delivery system, the delays would not be a significant limiting factor in
the U.S.

"Americans do not want socialized medicine," is a phrase that is frequently
used glibly to dismiss the single payer concept. Socialized medicine is a
system in which the government owns the facilities, and the providers of
care are government employees.

In sharp contrast, a single payer system uses the existing private and
public sector health care delivery systems, preserving private ownership and
employment. The unique feature of a single payer system is that all health
care risks are placed in a universal risk pool, covering everyone. The pool
is funded in a fair and equitable manner so that everyone pays their fair
share in taxes, unlike our current defective system in which some pay far
too much while others are not paying their share. The funds are allocated
through a publically administered program resulting in optimum use of our
health care dollars.

A single payer system has no more in common with socialized medicine than
our current Medicare program.

Many contend that government bureaucracies are very wasteful compared with
the efficiencies of the private market place. In the health care arena, this
has not been true. Our Medicare program, a publicly administered program,
operates on an administrative cost of less than 2%. The managed care
intermediaries consume 9 to 30% of the health care dollar.

This difference is due to large corporate administrations, costs involved
with competition between companies and marketing expenses that would be
nonexistent in a public program. A single payer system has as its mission
the optimization of resources for better patient care. Funds are not wasted
on corporate administrative excesses.

Another argument is that a single payer system, by being universal, would
lower the standard of care to a level of mediocrity for everyone, preventing
the affluent from exercising her/his option to obtain the highest level of
care.

However, our current system is characterized by essentially two
alternatives: either no insurance with severely impaired access to even a
mediocre level of care, or being insured by a managed care industry that has
whittled down what is available until mediocrity has become the standard of
care. Only the relatively affluent have access to unlimited care.

The generous level of funds that we have already dedicated
to health care, adding to this a more efficient
administration with an exclusive mission of optimum patient care well above
the mediocrity that we now have, lays the foundation for a universal health
care system in America.

A single payer system does not preclude the affluent from paying, outside
the system, for a penthouse suite in the hospital, or for cosmetic surgery
or for any other service that should not be part of a publicly funded
program.

Other than the assurance that everyone would have coverage for health, there
is even a greater good that a single payer system would bring to our nation:
Making preventative and public health services available to everyone would
improve the level of health of this country. Reduction of communicable
diseases and reducing the higher costs of untreated chronic diseases helps
us all.

Healthy people, for instance, make for a healthier work force with less lost
work time, greater productivity and a more positive healthy environment.

Socialism is a dirty word in this country. Universal health care for all has
been equated with socialism, and much propaganda has been communicated by
the press, by right wing politicians, by medical groups such as the AMA or
anyone else who has an agenda to keep the 1500 plus health insurance
companies a thriving market with profits that undoubtedly help to pay for
their agendas.

But if Americans knew the truth, and would turn off their TVs and use that
time instead to change this country, using the power of grassroots politics,
to make a single payer universal system a reality for all, then we would
finally have the best health care system in the world. The Green Party in
this country has as one of its missions to bring a universal system of
health care to all Americans.

Any group with the passion to change the world, one issue at a time, with a
loving intent, can do it.

----------------------------------------------------
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-
Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the
e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and
Destiny." Click here to find out how to order the e-book:
http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com
Check Out Kate's Blog: http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=-=-=-

National Health Insurance In America Part 1

President Clinton did not and now President Bush will not address health
care reform in a way that deviates even slightly from the HMO and Managed
Care Industries that have given large sums of money to both campaigns to
keep them quiet. Thus these special interests maintain the status quo of the
for profit health insurance corporations that have taken over the health
care system in America.

Every day, approximately 100,000 people lose health insurance coverage in
the United States. Over forty-four million Americans do not have health
insurance at all. The people who have HMO's as their only choice of
insurance routinely face rejection of payment when serious health problems
arise. The doctors employed by HMO's make decisions about a person's health
without laying hands on the patient. They do not examine, listen to or have
any contact with the patient about whom life and death decisions are made
regarding their health.

This is a human rights abuse in a civil society such as ours, or any other
society, for that matter.

There are over 1500 insurance companies in America with different rules of
what services will or will not be funded. Our facility has hired two people
just to handle the health insurance questions that arise every day. They
often have a frustrated and perplexed look in their eyes as they undertake
to find solutions to problems, and then have to contact a faceless
bureaucratic entity about whether or not a service will be paid for.

Health care providers must also take the time to speak to these people, to
convince them to pay for proposed services. Letters must be written to
convince the HMO/Managed Care bureaucrats to take a second look at what
needs to be done for patients, to ensure good quality medical care.

Health care workers have accepted the unacceptable and do not seem to know
the way out of the quagmire.

I once helped to raise $3,000.00 for a seven year old patient who was in an
automobile accident, and suffered a lower spinal cord injury. He is
paralyzed from the waist down. The proposed goal for the fund raiser was to
buy a handicapped accessible van. Since these vans cost anywhere from
$15-30,000.00 dollars, the family bought a computer,
instead, enrolled the boy in a study offered online by
the Shreiner's Hospital in Philadelphia for spinal cord injured patients.

At the fund raising dinner, I sat with the patient's grandmother. She told
me she wanted the money to be put in a trust fund to pay for the child's
catheter supplies, diapers and medicine that the Managed Care Insurance
company would not pay for.

"Wait a minute," I said. "You mean you are paying for all of the supplies
out of pocket without insurance reimbursement?"

"Yes," she said.

Back in the office the following week, one of the women whose job it is to
deal with insurance questions, solved the dilemma and the supplies are now
paid for. The child's mother had receipts, and the HMO reimbursed her from
the time of the car accident.

I wondered why the insurance company did not automatically pay for these
services? If I had not helped stage an elaborate fund raising event and had
dinner with the boy's grandmother, this revelation may not have surfaced. A
Universal Single Payer health care plan would make it possible for all
people to get the services they need and free up doctors and nurses to give
the care that people deserve, plus fulfill all of the reasons doctors and
nurses entered their respective professions to begin with: to be of service,
to help other people and to bring healing to patients and their families.

Physicians for a National Health Program in America have devised the
following plan for implementation. For more information, please access
www.pnhp.org.

National Health Insurance, if implemented, would minimize any disruption to
the current health system because health care delivery mechanisms would
remain in place while only the financing mechanism changed. Single Payer
National Health Insurance would resolve virtually all of the major problems
facing America's health care system, today.

Single Payer Insurance is defined as a single government fund with each
state which pays hospitals, physicians and other health care providers, thus
replacing the current multi-payer system of private insurance companies and
other plans.

It would provide coverage for the forty-four million people who are
uninsured.

It would eliminate the financial threat and impaired access to care for tens
of millions who do not have coverage and are unable to afford the
out-of-pocket expenses because of deficiencies in their insurance plans.

It would return to the patient free choice of health care provider and
hospitals, not the choice that only the restrictive health plans allow.

It would relieve businesses of the administrative hassle and expense of
maintaining a health benefits program.

It would remove from the health care equation the middleman-the managed care
industry-that has broken the traditional doctor-patient relationship, while
diverting outrageous amounts of patient care dollars to their own coffers.

It would control health care inflation through constructive mechanisms of
cost containment that improve allocation of our health care resources,
rather than controlling costs through an impersonal business ethic that robs
patients of care so as to increase profits for the privileged few.Single
Payer Universal Health Care would provide access to high quality care for
everyone at affordable prices.
This would be beneficial for individual business as well as the government.

So why don't we have a National Single Payer Plan?

----------------------------------------------------
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-
Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the
e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and
Destiny." Click here to find out how to order the e-book:
http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com
Check Out Kate's Blog: http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=-=-=-

Disability Social Security - Where To Look For

For individuals who have a disability and satisfy the prescribed medical
criteria, there are Federal Programs available to provide assistance to
these people. The Social Security Administration implements two programs for
the welfare of such disabled people.

Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income

Social Security Disability Insurance
Disability can affect any person though one may feel it affects only others.
But there are very high chances of one becoming disabled. Studies have shown
that a 20-year-old worker has a 3-in-10 chance of becoming disabled before
he reaches retirement age.

This Insurance provides a safety net to fall back on should we become
disabled. This disability planner will explain the benefits provided, how
can one qualify and who can receive benefits on your earnings record. It
will also explain procedures to apply for the benefits and what happens when
your application is approved.

Supplemental Security Income
This is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues
but not under Social Security taxes.It is mainly formulated to help aged,
blind and disabled people, who have little or absolutely no income and as
such it provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.
This is applicable to for those who are aged more than 65 years and are
either blind or disabled. Not only they have a limited income, they must
also be a US Citizen. He must be a resident in one of the 50 States and is
not outside the country for more than 30 consecutive days. Individuals under
18 years age are considered "disabled" if he has a medically determinable
physical or mental impairment, which results in marked and severe functional
limitations andcan be expected to result in death or the disability can be
expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. If the
individual is older than 18 years, then an additional definition of
disability applies, in which case the individual is unable to engage in any
substantial gainful activity. It is also applicable to qualified aliens. The
SSI limits resources at $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples.

Remember, when you apply for either program, they will collect medical
reports and other information from you and make a decision about whether or
not you are eligible and meet Social Security's definition of disability.

More information can be had from there Social Security Online Government
website: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/

About The Author: Jeff Van Persie is a regular article contributor on many
topics. Be sure to visit his websites
http://www.disability-security-social.info/narcolepsy-social-security-disabi
lity.html
and
http://www.disability-security-social-foryou.info/sitemap.htm

Your Will Is The Core Of Estate Planning

An estate plan is a legal system for the disposal of your property upon your
death. It recognizes your wishes, such as those regarding the care of
minors, and it legally minimizes taxes. It can take into account your views
regarding future medical care; for example, it may state you have no wish to
have your life sustained by a life support machine. Estate planning may or
may not involve tax planning. The single most important document associated
with estate planning is a will.

If you own property, there are basic questions which need to be answered
upon your death. If these answers are not set out in the form of a will,
then the courts have the right to decide what happens to your assets. The
end result may well coincide with your wishes, but often it will not. If you
have children, then you will need to make clear your wishes about their
guardianship in the event of your untimely death. Who should inherit your
personal belongings? Do you have any special bequests? Do you have anyone
you wish to exclude from your will that would automatically inherit as a
result of the law of succession?

If you die without a will you are said to die "intestate," and others have
the right to say what happens to your assets. The value of your estate will
be substantially reduced, as professionals such as accountants and lawyers
will argue as to what the law of succession means.

Many people feel that they need to be old or wealthy to have a will.
However, this is a misconception. How does anyone know when he or she will
die? You may have wealth that you are not considering. Have you correctly
evaluated the insurance and assurance policies that you hold? Perhaps you
have intellectual property, for instance, copyrights. Or you may have latent
wealth bequeathed to you in another person's will. You need to consider all
your assets whether you are young or old, wealthy or not.

The earlier in life that you make a will, the easier it is for you to review
and change your plans. As your life evolves, the expectations change for the
different stages of your life.
Death for the survivors is a traumatic, emotional experience, but a will
makes it easier to cope. Wills are a valid legal document, but they are not
written in stone. Circumstances change during the course of your life, and a
codicil can be added to a will to reflect your changes.

Once you have your will, it is possible to make decisions regarding other
matters, in particular, trust funds, taxes, and the costs of probate.
Probate oversees the transfer of your assets. Probate is the legal process
of proving a will, appointing an executor, and settling you estate according
to your wishes; but by custom, it has come to be understood as the legal
process whereby a dead person's estate is administered and distributed.
Probate costs and taxes can diminish the assets passed on to your
beneficiaries. You may want to consider setting up trusts to minimize your
probate costs and tax liabilities in order to maximize your bequeathed
assets. Trusts can avoid probate, but they also can be used as an instrument
to transfer assets while you are still alive.

Whether you want just a simple will or a will, codicils, and trusts, the
time to plan the disposal of your estate is now. It is a mistake to delay
your estate planning in this uncertain world. Take care of your planning now
to assert and safeguard your own decisions about your assets.

About The Author: Catherine Ford is a freelance writer for ASeniorHaven.com,
a site with information on senior finances
http://www.aseniorhaven.com/finances.php and other interests of seniors.
Visit http://www.aseniorhaven.com

Technology Insurance - Liability Coverage In The Digital Age

Any young occupant of a corporate workplace who has had their PC crash knows
the feeling of dread when the IT expert emerges from the basement, rambles
into the cubicle and says "Alright.
What did you do?" It seems, however, that has IT has absorbed the science of
networking and has also grown increasingly complex, liability for software
firms, IT firms and internet businesses has become an issue that transcends
the cubicle occupant.

Technology insurance is in essence liability insurance. It is designed to
protect software and IT companies whose programming errors result in
business setbacks for corporations using their products and services.
Further, technology insurance refers to policies that protect internet
businesses from unauthorized release of private information held on their
servers. There are some principal categories of technology insurance that
mirror, to some degree, the general categories of business liability.

* Technology errors and omissions insurance provides protection if your
software or programming fails to perform as promised, or if errors in
programming or product structure result in major client problems. "Cyber
liability" in general addresses first- and third-party risks associated with
e-business, the Internet, networks and informational assets

* Directors and Officers liability insurance is now available to those
functioning in the startup and IPO arena. This insurance covers the
principal players not in established firms so much as in those that fail to
deliver the commercial success that early investors anticipated.

More specific forms of technology insurance include specific policies
relating to:

* Network management
* Computer consulting
* Online transactional business
* Disaster recovery
* Data processing/programming services
* Intellectual property insurance

With any liability insurance policy, the question of how much you need is
directly related to how much you are protecting in the way of assets. One of
the important components of liability insurance in any of these fields is
coverage for legal expenses.
Businesses attempting to quantify damage to their functionality and put a
price to their losses as a result of digital malfunction are going to be
faced with a complicated burden of proof. Obscure issues generally mean
longer periods of deliberation and higher legal bills.

In the case of protection from online theft from hackers, the liability
parameters for those sorts of incidents remain largely undefined. There have
been no major cases where awards were made in class actions due to the
release of thousands of individual's private records.

Websites that provide a platform for online business transactions usually
have a policy agreement that users must read and check off before they can
utilize the site. That probably cuts down on frivolous lawsuits over sour
transactions, but it does not provide anything like complete protection for
the site operator.

This is "first person and third person" coverage that is somewhat different
from standard product liability insurance because the only product the site
provides is the transaction platform itself. Nevertheless, insurance covers
the inevitable legal activity that any business involved in any fashion with
a high volume of transactions is going to encounter.

The answer to "how much should I have?" is "consult your broker." Liability
insurance hasn't changed; only the tools for mismanagement and the types of
errors have changed. A good insurance broker can assess what coverage is
necessary and clauses are "window dressing" provided by the underwriter.

About The Author: Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for
http://www.apollohosting.com. She helps clients understand how a website may
benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides
website hosting, ecommerce hosting, & VPS hosting to a wide range of
customers.

The Insurance Market Online

Think of how to be recognized by the majority of consumers in the fastest
way possible. If you answered the Internet then you are close to using the
internet in creating a steady stream of leads.

The Internet has a wide market for billions of consumers. In order for you
to increase your site's traffic you would need to have organization and
strategy within the niche of business you have. If you are selling
insurance, you want to focus each site on one type of insurance you are
selling. Or on one type of insurance. You don't want to be all things to all
people.

With all the insurance hype available in the internet, an insurance website
exposure online versus all other insurance companies makes it tough. In this
case, you will also need keywords to help identify your site and specify
your potential customers' needs.

There is a tool online called Overture which works effectively in generating
traffic. Overture is a search engine, only which uses pay per click to
generate traffic for your site. So for your insurance site, you can come up
with a keyword that you will need to buy from them. Choose keywords that are
very specific. Search for a more specific keyword most related to your line
of business. You don't want to choose keywords that are general like "health
insurance". They cost too much.
Include a city or town in the keyword.

Remember that you can build and manage your own insurance website
inexpensively. All it will take for you is the determination to continue
with what you want to happen for your website. Don't be intimidated with the
technicalities, there are recommended sites you can use that can help you
build a website according to your standards.

About The Author: Shareen Aguilar is a writer for
http://www.insuranceleadsgeneration.com which has Insurance Leads Generation
and other free Marketing Books.

Tracing Lost Life Insurance

You know what it is sometimes like trying to find your financial documents.
You file them away in a safe place, thinking you will know where they are.
But the one day that you need them you cannot remember where they have been
hidden.

It can often be the case that they actually become permanently lost.

It is understandable how this can happen with the very nature of something
like life insurance. But here is an interesting fact about life insurance
policies. There are in fact about £2 billion pounds worth of them that
remain unclaimed.

The reasons for this are wide and varied, but here are some.

People forget or do not know that their loved ones took out one of these
policies in the first place.

Or if someone has not left a will, the relatives have no evidence to show
there was a life insurance policy paid for.

Another reason is that when one in 16 people move house, they forget to tell
the financial companies they have moved. So they basically just fall out of
communication.

In fact, in the second half of the 20th century, many of the life assurance
policies that were sold doubled as savings vehicles and as a result were
very popular.

Many of the companies offering these policies have since been bought by
those larger than themselves. The company that someone took the policy out
with might no longer exist, but there is still money there waiting to be
claimed in some account somewhere.

So if you have a life policy and the company does not exist anymore, you
need to track it down because the money is, after all, yours.

Start by looking on the internet. A suggestion is that you can put the
company's name into 'google' and see what comes up.
Your search might lead you to a website which will reveal the company that
took over the firm with which you took out your insurance policy.

Next call the Association of Friendly Societies on 02072167436 or look on
its website, which is http://www.afs.org.uk.

Basically, this organisation is a trade body which keeps old records
relating to friendlies and mutuals from the past.

Another place to call the Mutual Societies Registration (ph
0207066 4916), now part of the Financial Services Authority.
This organisation will also tell you what has happened to the company with
whom you had your life insurance policy. Ask for the best person at that
company to contact.

Just because you cannot remember the name of the company which you had that
policy with it is still no reason to panic.
Something called the Unclaimed Assets Regsiter (http://www.uar.co.uk ph
08702411713) holds information about all of the unclaimed investments from
dividends to life policies. You have to pay £18.50 to find this information,
but if you can provide certain details, like your date of birth etc, the
organisation could be hugely helpful. Those asking for the information must
be either the policy holder or have power of attorney of another's finances.

The financial experts suggest to policy holders or powers of attorney to
collect as much information as possible before embarking on the search for
the company that holds your funds.
And stick with it - even it costs a small sum of money to find your fund. It
is out there somewhere.

About The Author: Get great articles on life insurance from life insurance
quotations http://www.life-insurance-quotations.co.uk