Annual Health Insurance "Check Up"

If you find yourself paying high insurance premiums for a plan with benefits you don't use, or if your insurance plan doesn't cover the benefits you do need, it may be time to review your policy with an insurance professional.  A health insurance plan “check-up” can help you determine whether there may be other plan options to better meet your needs.

With the variety of health insurance plans offered, it is no longer necessary to settle for a one-size-fits-all medical.  By shopping online, you can choose the plan that most closely matches your needs, including providing benefits for the medical care you need at an affordable price. Tailoring your coverage to your age, gender, and health care needs allows you to avoid paying for benefits you don't need while assuring coverage for the benefits and services you choose to include in your plan.

Take 5 minutes and receive a free instant health insurance proposal. All major companies represented and you can easily sort plans by company, price or benefit features.

Anthem Blue Cross One Year Rate Guarantees Going Away

Anthem Blue Cross of California is following the actions of several other health insurance companies by implementing a six month rate guarantee on all individual and family policies sold after 1/1/12.

The good news is that you can still apply online and request a 12/30/11 effective date and lock your premiums in for another 12 months.If you are healthy or have minor pre-existing conditions you will find individual and family plan plan prices cost MUCH less than association plan product offerings. Shop online and compare all available health insurance companies in minutes. Easily sort and compare plans by company, benefits or price.

Are you over age 50? If so, there is a AARP AETNA plan available for your consideration.

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QuoteBroker Insurance Services Receives Top Industry Award

QUOTEBROKER INSURANCE SERVICES
Qualifies for Golden Eagle Award

   (Arlington, VA) – The Leading Producers Round Table (LPRT) of the National Association of Health Underwriters is proud to announce that insert name of insert company has qualified to receive the association’s prestigious Golden Eagle Award. The Golden Eagle Award is the highest recognition bestowed upon an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence in the sale of health and disability income insurance.
   The National Association of Health Underwriters represents 20,000 professional health insurance agents and brokers who provide insurance for millions of Americans. NAHU is headquartered in Arlington.

Understanding Health Insurance Rx Drug Benefits

It is becoming increasingly popular to have Health Insurance providers allow members to select the type of Prescription Drugs he/she would like to fill at the pharmacist. Different co-payments or deductibles may apply to these selections, so it is important that you understand the difference between a name brand, generic or formulary Rx Drug. Here are some common questions and answers that may help you.

Q. What is a brand name drug?
A. A brand name drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is supplied by one company (the pharmaceutical manufacturer). The drug is protected by a patent and is marketed under the manufacturer's brand name.

Q. What is a Generic drug?

A. When a drug patent expires other companies may produce a generic version of the brand name drug. A generic medication, also approved by the FDA, is basically a copy of the brand name drug and is marketed under its chemical name. A generic drug may have a different color or shape than its brand name counterpart, but it must have the same active ingredients, strength, and dosage form (i.e., pill, liquid, or injection), and provide the same effectiveness and safety as its brand name counterpart.

Q. What are examples of each?
A. Valium is a brand name drug whose generic counterpart is Diazepam. On the other hand, Amoxicillin is a generic drug of the brand drug Trimox.

Q. Do all brand name drugs have generic equivalents?
A. No. Approximately half of all drugs on the market have generic versions.

Q. Are generics as safe as brand name drugs?
A. Yes. The FDA requires that all drugs be safe and effective and that their benefits outweigh their risks. Since generics use the same active ingredients and are shown to work the same way in the body, they have the same risks and benefits as their brand name counterparts.

Q. What is a formulary?
A. A formulary is a list of both generic and brand name drugs that are preferred by your health plan. Often, many drugs on the market produce the same results equally well. Health plans will choose formulary drugs that are just as safe and effective as the alternatives but cost less. A team of pharmacists and physicians meet to review the formulary and make changes as necessary.

Q. How does the formulary work?
A. The formulary for your health plan provides a list of medications that a team of health care specialists have approved. Your doctor will write a prescription based on your medical needs, but the formulary provides him with recommendations from the pharmacist and physician team.
An effective formulary system provides a medication safety feature. When drugs and administration methods are systematically included (or deleted) in a controlled drug formulary, there are a number of benefits. For instance, each new drug added undergoes a peer review process that uncovers any safety concerns with the drug. Also, when drugs are systematically added to the formulary, there is adequate time to educate the staff before the drug is used. An organized formulary also ensures that the number and variety of drugs is kept to an effective minimum. There are approximately 13,000 prescription drugs on the market today and several drugs can often be used to treat the same condition. A formulary, based on safety and cost considerations, helps to limit the drugs recommended by your plan's health care professionals.

Q. Is there a price difference between formulary and non-formulary drugs?
A. You will usually pay more for a non-formulary drug when a formulary version is available.

QuoteBroker.com is an online insurance brokerage firm that offers a free health insurance quoting system. Within minutes you can quote and compare all health insurance plans offered in your state. When comparing plans and features, note the Rx benefit with each plan. You will instantly see the cost savings of using a formulary or generic drug benefit.

Employee Benefits - New benefits you can implement for free

An adequate employee benefit program is essential in business today, no matter what size company you own. Affordable health insurance and other group insurance programs are a necessary tool for attracting new employees and retaining current ones. In fact, when it comes to employee retention, benefits can make or break their company spirit. Certainly new employees consider benefits to be a decisive factor when it comes to evaluating new job opportunities.

Employee benefits like health insurance, life insurance and retirement plans can be costly, which is why almost all small employers share the costs with their employees. Another option for keeping costs in check is to offer a more modest benefits package. Basic health insurance and dental, don't have to be expensive.

Voluntary benefits have never been more popular than they are today. Employers are "sponsoring" - not "paying for" additional benefits for their employees. For example; you may have several employees that would like to purchase life insurance, but they could not normally qualify for a plan with reasonable premiums, due to their health status. You could offer a small group life insurance or disability plan that employees can buy without having to qualify medically. (check around for participation requirements, as many companies require a percentage of all eligible employees to participate). If you have not looked at Group Life insurance rates - do. If you have a small company, you will most likely decide to pay for the group premium. Dental, Long Term Care and Disability insurance are other types of voluntary benefit programs. These programs are "feel good" benefits that don't have to cost you a dime. For greater participation, implement a Cafeteria 125 plan that allows employees to pay for their benefits before tax and through automatic payroll deduction.

In these economic hard times, many employers are looking to cut benefits. Instead, shop around for better benefits and premiums. Insurance providers are also fighting to retain their book of business. They don't want to loose you. QuoteBroker allows small businesses to shop for insurance online, or work directly with an employee benefit specialist that can often negotiate better premium rates and plan features. Start today by calling (800) 783-0802 x 711

Employer Sponsored Health Insurance is no free ride to employees.

A Seattle actuarial firm studied the costs for a family of 4 participating in an employer sponsored preferred provider plan and the results were an annual family expenditure of $15,609. This was up 7.6% from the preceding year.

These figures were based on a typical family that will pay this amount in out of pocket health care costs for Rx drugs, Dr. Visits, Annual Deductibles and Co-payments. After studying 14 major U.S. Regions, the study concluded that the most expensive market was Miami, FL and the least expensive market was Phoenix, AZ.

It is my opinion that these figures will increase as more employer's attempt to reduce their employee benefit costs by selecting new lower priced health insurance plans that shift many of the health care costs to the employee. New health insurance plans are now being offered that limit doctor visits to 2 or 3 visits a year, plus free or low cost annual screenings for physicals and well women's check ups. Additional office visit charges will be incurred by the employee.

To locate an affordable health insurance plan for your family or business, visit QuoteBroker, where you will receive free instant quotes, plan comparisons and advice.

Buying Health Insurance - You must know these terms

There are many factors to consider when you purchase Health Insurance. Instead of first asking about the policy benefits, you must first understand some basic policy terminology. A good broker will know how to build a health insurance policy with the benefits and features that are important to you. An inexperienced broker will try to sell you a particular plan, without regard to your needs. If it's in the policy "it's covered", but what if you do not need maternity coverage? Why pay for that feature?

The following terms are the foundation of every health insurance policy.

#1) Deductible. The deductible is the amount you must pay for medical services each year before your insurance begins paying.
#2) Co-payment. This is the portion of charges you pay to your provider for covered health care services in addition to any deductible. For example, $20 for an office visit or $15 for a prescription drug. It is similar to coinsurance, but it is a dollar amount instead of a percentage of the charges.

#3) Coinsurance. Once you have met your deductible, you pay coinsurance for additional medical care. It is a percentage of the billed charge. For example, your insurance company might pay 80%, and then you would pay 20%. It is similar to a co-pay, but is a percentage instead of a dollar amount.

#4) Probably the most important definition. Out-of-Pocket Maximum. The most you will have to pay in a year for deductibles and coinsurance for covered benefits.

An ideal policy would have a low deductible, a low office co-payment charge, a high insurance company coinsurance percentage and a low maximum out of pocket.

Consider the worst case scenario. If you suffered from a "brain tumor" and your hospital bills totaled $300,000, how much would you have to pay? With a good insurance plan, your maximum out of pocket is your liability limit or stop loss. Read your proposal carefully as some policies maximum out of pocket limits includes the deductible, while others may be in addition to the deductible.

Don't get fooled with the variety of new "No Deductible" plans available. You are paying for the deductible, whether you know it or not. Many zero deductible plans have a patient 40% or 50% coinsurance and a higher maximum out of pocket.

Understand your health insurance terms before buying any insurance policy. Shop online and compare plan features that are most important to you. A properly designed plan will reduce your premium payments and your total patient liability. For online quotes and plan comparisons, visit QuoteBroker

What you need to know before buying a Health Insurance plan

Insurance plans vary, so before you choose a plan, decide which benefits are most important to you and your family. To compare health plans, make sure to ask for and examine a benefits summary or outline of coverage for each plan you're considering. Think about your personal situation. For instance, if you're no longer planning to have children, you won't mind that certain pregnancy-related services aren't covered. But you might be concerned if there's no mental health benefit to help pay for your therapy sessions. Are you concerned with preventive care and checkups? Would you be comfortable in a managed care setting that might restrict your choice somewhat but give you broad coverage and convenience? These are questions that only you can answer.

Here are some of the things to look at when choosing and comparing health insurance plans. Check to see which of these items are "covered" medical services:

· Inpatient hospital services
· Outpatient surgery
· Physician's visits (in the hospital)
· Office visits
· Skilled nursing care
· Medical tests and X-rays
· Prescription drugs
· Mental healthcare
· Dental services
· Drug and alcohol abuse treatment
· Home healthcare visits
· Physical therapy
· Speech therapy
· Hospice care
· Maternity care
· Chiropractic treatment
· Alternative healthcare, such as acupuncture
· Experimental treatments
· Preventive care, such as shots for children and "well visits"
· Well-baby care
· Health screenings, such as breast exams and Pap smears for women

The best way to shop the insurance marketplace is to use an online insurance shopping service. A more popular online quoting service is QuoteBroker.com. Within moments Quotebroker shops policies from multiple insurance providers, all competing for your business.

Whether you apply online for coverage or work with an agent, arm yourself with these quotes for comparison purposes. It is also important to determine what type of policy you are looking for - HMO, PPO or POS. A Google search of "insurance terms" will give you a simple product description.

Universal Healthcare - A political promise without legs

This evening I was watching TV and almost every prime time commercial in California was a political ad positioning candidates for Super Tuesday. Hillary's commercial screamed " Everyone should be talking Universal Healthcare ".

We all agree that affordable Healthcare is important, however the government is not an entity with a proven track record of success in the fiscal or administrative systems for running another agency. Look at Social Security, Medicare, Medi-cal, Welfare, the IRS, Immigration or the local DMV. All of these government programs would be considered a financial mess, highly abused and dis-functional. Unfortunately the government is not an agency that can run a Universal Healthcare system, nor is a Universal system the answer.

Look at your local association health plans. Although they are marketed as a "Group Plan", they are often over-priced. This is due to the fact that unhealthy people flock to these plans to secure health insurance coverage. Healthy individuals join because they are under the impression that "Group is Cheaper". An association plan usually has very poor participation, with the healthy subsidizing the sick, or uninsureable. Once the rates exceed the cost of private health insurance plans on the open market - the healthy leave, the sick remain and the plan becomes unprofitable for the insurance carrier.This is called a polluted pool.

There are already systems in place for the poor that need to be improved. The focus should be to provide tax incentives for all Americans and Business owners that purchase private health insurance plans. The increase in plan participants will spread the risk, improve plan profitability and increase competition in the marketplace. If you belong to an Association Health insurance plan - take 5 minutes and compare your plan against the marketplace. Instantly compare all major insurance carriers providing coverage in your area. Click Here

What you need to know about COBRA

COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986) provides certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates. This coverage, however, is only available when coverage is lost due to certain specific events, the most common being voluntary or involuntary termination of employment for reasons other than gross misconduct.

Be careful. Not everyone is eligible for COBRA -

· You were not previously enrolled in your employers health insurance plan.
· You fail to complete all necessary paperwork in a timely manner. Plan participants and beneficiaries generally must be sent an election notice not later than 14 days after the plan administrator receives notice that a qualifying event has occurred. The individual then has 60 days to decide whether to elect COBRA continuation coverage.
· The employer goes out of business or ceases to maintain any group health plan.
· If you work with an employer with fewer than 20 employees. The law generally covers health plans maintained by private-sector employers with 20 or more employees, employee organizations, or state or local governments.

COBRA is a great option for individuals, or family members with serious pre-existing medical conditions, however coverage is very expensive and only lasts for up to 36 months** Explore all options before electing COBRA coverage including looking at Individual Health Insurance policies. You can notify your employer of COBRA participation (within 14 days of a qualifying event) and apply for Individual Health Insurance coverage. Most insurance companies will underwrite your case in 7 – 30 days, which allows plenty of time to elect or reject COBRA participation. It’s always a good idea to explore all available options.

Working with an Insurance Specialists will provide you guidance through these troubling times. For more information contact QuoteBroker or

** Visit the US Department of Labor for more details at www.dol.gov

California Healthcare Reform Shot Down

Healthcare reform goes down 7-1. Citing concerns that the plan could worsen the state's $14.5 billion budget deficit and unpredictable long term costs, the California Senate Health Committee voted 7-1 against the health care reform bill negotiated by Gov. Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez. Schwarzenegger vowed to continue his efforts to overhaul California's health care system.

Individuals & businesses in the Pacific and Southwestern states can review all state health insurance policy comparisons online at QuoteBroker

Shopping for Insurance Online

Today more people are shopping online. Clothes, electronics and other consumer goods. But what about insurance? You bet. The number of online insurance shopping websites increase each month. Some sites are merely bait sites. These sites take your information and sell them to one or more insurance agents. Insurance agents purchase this information from these companies for $10 - $30 each. It's a numbers game for the salesman and a guaranteed revenue source for the online lead brokerage. Before you know it - multiple agents are calling you and requesting appointments to sit in your living room or across your kitchen table.

True online insurance brokerage firms usually are operated by professionals. You can easily check their credentials through the state department of insurance. Most have an insurance active insurance practice in his/her community. Others sell online, offering competitive product information. A good online insurance brokerage firm uses complex quoting engines that will shop the insurance marketplace and arm the shopper with competitive rates, plan descriptions and online comparisons from numerous insurance companies. Many times you can even download an application, or apply online. In California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas, you can shop, compare and apply online for affordable health, life and disability insurance coverage from the original QuoteBroker.

Why is my Association Health Insurance so expensive?

A frequent question that I receive is "Why is my Association Group Plan so expensive?"

Whether you work for a local or national association, trade union or other affiliated professional organization, you need to read your insurance policy carefully. Many plans are not true group plans, but rather supplemental coverages or endorsed products that may or may not offer a discount.

Insurance companies require "true group" cases to have a minimum participation percentage. Although it varies by company, most plans require at least 70% of their eligible employees to be included in the companies health plan. Ineligible employees may be part time, seasonal, newly hired or employees that have elected to be covered under another plan, which is often their spouses coverage. Insurance companies also usually require the employer to pay for a large percentage of the employees medical costs.

These facts are not true with an association. Members are not employees. Many individuals are self employed or independent contractors. The insurance company and association can not require these members to enroll in the plan offering, therefore the actual participation rate may be poor. With the uncertainty of the actual number of participants, the insurance company must actuarially charge a higher premium rate or cushion in the plan design.

An association group plan does not mean that the premium will be lower or cheaper for member. It merely means that a member can join the plan, usually without medical underwriting to qualify for coverage. This creates a new problem for the sponsoring insurance company. Sick people enroll in a group with an already low percentage rate among eligible participants. This factor also contributes to higher rates. Many older associations are eventually dropped from the insurance carrier for poor claims experience and lack of plan profit. Others experience large annual premium increases. Healthy people find alternative less expensive coverage, creating a large "polluted pool" of more sick people, without the benefit of receiving the premiums from the healthy population. Often healthy or younger people are overcharged to pay for the high claims experience.

Before you join an association sponsored plan, don't jump in without first checking the premium rates against the open marketplace. You may be able to purchase a small group plan or individual coverage for less money, better benefits and more plan variety. In California and several other states, small groups with (2 -50) employees can often qualify for Guaranteed Issue coverage. Incorporated spouses that are both officers of that company may even qualify as a 2 person group. This is a popular option in the Real Estate community. Be an informed shopper and compare the pro's and con's before buying insurance. For more information about association, group and individual plan options, visit QuoteBroker. This site easily compares plans on-line in minutes.

Now is a good time to shop for insurance , especially if you are looking for an HSA plan, (Health Savings Account) or to begin a new year with a new plan annual deductible requirement. Proper planning can save your business or family thousand of dollars each year.

Health Savings Accounts - New Limits for 2008

An Insurance Policy and a Special Savings Account.

A Health Savings Account is really a combination of a health insurance policy meeting minimum US Treasury policy design requirements called a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and a separate custodial savings account for future medical expenses called a Health Savings Account (HSA). Congress created the HSA as a way to cover your future medical expenses, and it is subject to IRS regulations and guidelines. A health insurance company or an insurance plan usually provides the qualified health insurance policy. A licensed HSA administrator and financial services company, such as a bank, usually acts as the custodian and administers the savings account portion of the HSA.

You can save up to the maximum contribution limit of $2,900 for an individual HSA and $5,800 for a family HSA regardless of the HDHP deductible for 2008. These limits are also subject to annual cost-of-living adjustments. Amounts are no longer pro-rated if you start the plan mid-year. You can now make the full year's contribution even if you start as late as December. Individuals age 55 to age 65 can contribute an additional $900 over the above limits in 2008.

Consult your tax advisor for additional information concerning plan deductibility. To learn more about Health Savings Accounts, click here.