Most U.S. citizens get health insurance through an employer-sponsored plan. But if you are self-employed or your employer does not offer health insurance, you'll need to turn to the private market. Individual health insurance p...
If you do not have health and dental insurance, you understand how costly it can be if you need medical or dental care. Many people are offered insurance through their employer -- in some cases this can be expensive, especially...
It is important to have health insurance available for your child no matter what his age or health condition. Insurance allows him to have easy access to quality health care while providing financial peace of mind to you. If yo...
Unfortunately, accidents happen and illness strikes even if you are on vacation. According to the U.S Department of State, before you travel abroad, find out if your medical coverage is effective in other countries and if you h...
Joining the Army is an attractive option for many Americans, whether because of desire to serve the country or because it provides job opportunities that may be scarce during a tight economy. Being married to a soldier brings w...
Finding affordable health insurance can be a challenge, but is certainly attainable. No insurance and being underinsured can make pregnancy costs alarming. Americanpregnancy.org claims that 13 percent of women who become preg...
No matter what your marital status, health insurance is important -- and expensive. If you are the lone wage earner, those premiums may stretch your budget to the breaking point. There are options to consider that can provide s...
Affordable health insurance seems far-fetched to consumers who are faced with constantly increasing insurance premiums. Since going without health insurance isn't an option for most people, finding ways to save money on insuran...
Families who do not have health insurance provided by their employer may find private health insurance rates unaffordable--which results in their children being uninsured. The federal government addresses the problem of uninsur...
Affordable health insurance can be elusive if you are looking to the private health insurance market for coverage. Being unemployed typically means being uninsured as well. The best source for help finding affordable health ins...
Health insurance is a necessary expense, but one that is often extremely high. Health insurance protects your financial interests in the long run if you become seriously ill or injured. Finding ways to save on your health insur...
According to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the leading cause of death among adults in America. Perhaps ironically, this expensive and life threatening illness can make it difficult...
Health care costs for children can add up quickly and health insurance is an important tool to help reduce these costs. A parent in the state of Florida who does not receive medical benefits through his place of employment has ...
There is little doubt that it is important to have health insurance. A report published in November 2007 from the Urban Institute called, "Why Health Insurance is Important," found that people without health insurance receive l...
Although many countries offer free or low-cost health coverage to all pregnant women, in the United States, expectant mothers are frequently uninsured or underinsured. As of 2010, private health plans paid for only half of U.S....
The purpose of a managed health care plan is to provide affordable high-quality health care for its members. Health insurance options and benefits are similar for both a POS and an HMO, but there are some differences that disti...
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the United States spends more on health care than any other country, $7,129 for every American, and yet more than 46 million citizens have no health insurance coverage or ...
Determining what health insurance coverage makes sense for you can prove to be a complicated and even frustrating process. For example, you may wonder whether you need any type of supplemental health insurance coverage. In addi...
As of 2010, prior to any sweeping changes created by President Obama's health care reform package, Georgia offers a sliding scale of health options for children for families of low and modest incomes. How much a parent pays in ...
Your priorities and lifestyle change, and you have many new practical concerns in coping with the addition of a new member to your family. However, in the midst of changing diapers and 2 a.m. feedings, don't forget to ensure th...
Access to health care has become a concern for many people. The biggest barrier to gaining access to medical care is affordability of insurance premiums. If you are a unskilled laborer or professional, paying insurance premiums...
Going to the doctor for a checkup or a sprained ankle is taken for granted as rights by many. Medical health insurance is the type of insurance that pays benefits when a person is sick or injured and normally covers office visi...
Many individuals are poorly informed about health insurance. At least five different types of health care plans exist in the United States, with many variations within those categories. Educating yourself about conventional typ...
Yet, 80 percent of people who did not receive needed treatment for mental health issues listed cost as a reason in the 2005 and 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Mental health benefits in private insurance plans lag ...
As the cost of medical care increases, it has become increasingly important for people to obtain health insurance to maintain access to preventative and emergency health care and afford treatment. Without health insurance, a pe...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that in 2004, average medical expenditures totaled slightly less than $7,000 per person. This makes health insurance a necessity for most families. But what happens if you o...
Health insurance can save you and your family from having to file for bankruptcy if you suffer a catastrophic illness or accident. However, sometimes your regular health insurance plan won't cover all of your bills. To make sur...
Health insurance is an important part of life in the United States. Life can be unpredictable, and knowing that you are covered no matter what may happen gives a sense of security and peace. According to a study conducted by th...
Insurance has become the method by which most Americans have their health-care costs paid. By paying a regular monthly bill for health insurance, the cost of expected health care events is spread out into even payments and the ...
Although HMOs (health maintenance organizations) are defined by law as a subtype of health insurance, they represent a very different approach compared with the other major kinds of health coverage. According to financial advic...
It is very important for the baby to experience healthy growth starting at conception. Being a healthy mother helps to make this possible. With the price of medical care being expensive, it is imperative that anyone who is preg...
If you suffer from a chronic medical condition, including diabetes, you may have trouble getting health insurance. Even if you can get approved for a policy, its premiums, co-payments and exclusions of coverage may mean the pol...
HMOs have grown in popularity since their introduction in the 1970s, according to an article in financial journal "Kiplinger."
These figures are on top of the prenatal care costs paid to your obstetrician or midwife. The high price tag of having a baby causes uninsured mothers a great deal of stress. Consider the ways to reduce the costs to alleviate t...
Rising health care costs make it necessary to have some form of protection for serious illnesses and injuries. Health insurance plans provide this protection in the form of coverage for hospital stays, emergency room visits, me...
Health insurance arose as a way of shielding people from catastrophic financial loss due to medical expenses and to ensure that people had access to care. By distributing costs equally throughout a community, each member is pro...
Approximately 6 million women in the United States get pregnant each year, with roughly 13 percent of them lacking health insurance, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Whether you're already expecting or plan to c...
Living without health insurance leaves individuals and families at risk for health and financial difficulties. High insurance premiums and loss of jobs are two major reasons that many people go without health insurance. Uninsur...
If you have been turned down by all of the providers in your area, your state might have a program to help you. As of May 2010, 35 states run high-risk insurance pools for people who cannot otherwise find health insurance. Gett...
Health insurance laws are mandated by individual states. The state's Department of Insurance creates its own laws and regulations regarding requirements for selling health insurance. Once you are approved by the state to become...
A positive pregnancy test causes a range of emotions from excitement to worry about the costs involved. With rising health insurance costs, many families choose to go without or choose lesser coverages to reduce the costs. Heal...
The study found that obesity was responsible for more than 9 percent of all medical costs and that an obese person's health care costs are about 40 percent higher than a non-obese person's. It's no surprise, then, that obesity ...
High health insurance costs make some families question the value of insurance. A healthy family might feel they don't really need the insurance. However, this leaves children who are still growing and developing in a vulnerabl...
With the cost of health insurance rising annually, you may reach a point where you must decide if the premiums are worth the cost. Health insurance offers access to medical care that may be unaffordable without it. An unexpecte...
To help reduce these expenses and be prepared for unexpected health issues, many Americans turn to health insurance. When looking at health insurance, there are several basics that need to be understood before making a final pu...
According a report prepared by the Institute of Medicine, if you don't have health insurance, you won't live as long as someone who does. You will also be less healthy overall, and when you do receive medical care, it will be l...
government came forth with news in the early 1960s that cigarette smoking was injurious to health, it touched off a nearly 40-year-long debate. Today there is little doubt that smoking causes a variety of illnesses and diseases...
You need to take diabetes medication or insulin shots every day in order to help maintain a healthy blood glucose level, but you don't have health insurance. The medications, insulin, syringes and test strips are all expensive,...
Medline Plus defines health insurance as a type of protection from the high costs of medical care. In the United States, some employers offer health insurance policies to their employees. These employers usually pay for part of...
As of May 2010, the health insurance industry provides many different types of service to its customers. PPO and POC are two of the many variation of managed health care that involves a network of physicians and providers to lo...
Chemotherapy is one of those expenses normally associated with cancer treatment options. Although health insurance can offset this expense, not everyone who suffers from cancer has health insurance benefits. This may be due to ...
Secondary health insurance coverage is often the case when both spouses work and are provided with group health insurance as part of their employee benefits package. For families who may who have high medical bills, being cover...
The addition of a stepchild to your family brings a variety of rewards and challenges. The task of adding your stepchild to your health insurance should be a relatively easy process. The addition of the stepchild might have occ...
Life and health insurance are important components of an individual's or family's financial plan. Your employer may offer health insurance, life insurance or both, or you may purchase either product through a stand-alone compan...
Adding a spouse to your existing health insurance policy can become necessary after marriage, job loss, or change of employment. Typically, changes to a policy may be made only once a year during a period typically known as "op...
Events like the birth or adoption of a child, change in a child's custody arrangements, or marriage or remarriage of the custodial parent, can create the need to add a child to health insurance. These events may not occur durin...
Social health insurance is a type of national health insurance that may be administered by the public or private sector, or a combination of the two. Funds may be provided by taxes, government subsidies, private contributions, ...
Employers offer many types of medical plans. These can include preferred-provider organizations, point-of-service plans, health-maintenance organizations or indemnity plans. During an open enrollment period, employees have the ...
With the rising costs of medical care and skyrocketing health insurance premiums, some are turning to limited insurance plans that only cover unforseen medical costs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) defines catastrophic a...
About 86 percent of U.S. citizens get health insurance through an employer or government plan, according to the Health Insurance Resource Center. The remainder who seek insurance through an individual policy may be surprised t...
The 18th birthday is the gateway of adulthood. It means a person is eligible to vote, serve in the military and is considered an independent individual by the courts. It is also a trigger for health insurance agencies. Family c...
When you pay for health insurance, you expect that your medical problems will be covered. Infertility patients often discover that fertility diagnosis and treatment are excluded from their medical insurance policy. Because infe...
The concept of universal health care in Australia was born in 1973 when the country passed the Health Insurance Commission Act. Australia's current national health care system known as Medicare Australia was launched in 1984. ...
The cost of health insurance in the United States continues to rise. Not having health insurance is often linked to bankruptcy and poorer health outcomes, including death. Even brief periods of no coverage can have significant ...
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) health insurance is a plan that contracts with specific providers to give care to a designated group of patients. It has strict guidelines for participants and providers.
Surgical/hospital health insurance plans fill in as basic insurance plans for people who have to keep cost in mind. The plans also serve as supplemental health coverage for those who desire the additional protection of these pl...
Although health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) represent the majority of insurance plans currently available, some employers and insurance companies still offer indemnity plans. The...
In 2003, federal legislation provided for tax-free accounts where individuals can contribute funds to be used for medical costs. Eligibility requirements for these accounts include enrollment in a health plan with a deductible ...
Health care costs more than doubled in the years between 1990 and 2007, according to AARP, chewing up ever-larger portions of the average family's income. Fewer people today have health insurance, meaning that fewer people have...
However the cost of prescription drugs continues to rise. The foundation reported double-digit increases in the cost of prescription drugs during the 1990s and 6 percent in 2004-05. Many health insurance companies offer prescri...
National health insurance is health insurance that is provided to all members of a nation. Varied examples abound around the globe. In every instance government legislation has been required to establish national health insuran...
Health insurance pays for your medical expenses and is especially important to have in the event of unexpected medical crises. Yet the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) reports that more than 1.5 million college-age American...
There are two main types of health insurance, PPOs (preferred provider organizations) and HMOs (health maintenance organizations). There are benefits and disadvantages toward each type of coverage and people considering health ...
Health insurance pays for your medical expenses. If you are uninsured and become severely ill and/or require surgery, your savings could be swiftly depleted. However, health insurance can be prohibitively expensive. Many indivi...
The health insurance system works, until you find out that you can't afford it or you've been denied coverage. Insurance companies can pick and choose who they cover, leaving 46.3 million Americans as of 2009, as reported by th...
If you find yourself without health insurance, you and your family are at risk of hitting tremendous financial trouble in the case of a medical emergency or major illness. Maintaining good coverage also helps to ensure you have...
A fully insured health insurance plan is what people may think of when they hear the word "insurance." The employer pays premiums to an insurance company that, in turn, assumes the risk of paying medical claims generated by wor...
If you are unemployed, self-employed or working for a company that does not offer health insurance, you may find yourself navigating the market for a health plan of your own. About 10 percent of people in the United States cove...
A key to proper financial and contingency planning for any family--or single person--is ensuring adequate health care coverage. If you are young and healthy, you may think you do not need health insurance. If you are older, dir...
Living without health insurance is a scary idea. Medical bills can quickly add up and you might end in serious financial trouble if you don't have insurance to help you cover the expenses. If you applied for health insurance co...
Though the concept of single-payer healthcare causes a lot of controversy politically, it is actually fairly straightforward and simple. Single-pay health insurance is akin to universal coverage. Though some find this to be a p...
Health insurance has become a hot topic in the 21st century. Many can't afford coverage, and many others can only afford minimal coverage. Those with a limited budget may chose "basic health coverage."
Medical expenses can add up and create enormous financial difficulties if you don't have health insurance. The best way to get health insurance is through an employer as part of a benefits package. Group health plans are more a...
Infant health insurance is a valuable tool for preventing illness and keeping immunizations up to date. Pregnancy insurance does not normally switch over once the baby is born, leaving parents to wonder what their options are. ...
Health insurance coverage falls within the two categories of traditional and managed care. The cost of coverage is determined by plan type, deductible, copay and add-ins, such as maternity, dental and prescription plans. Quickq...
Some, like heart disease and diabetes, are severe and expensive to treat, which is why many insurance companies are denying policies to overweight people. For those who need medical coverage, but are over their ideal weight, th...
Some employers offer health insurance plans as a means of attracting and retaining good employees. This employee benefit comes in many different forms, with several plan options to suit companies of any size. Before selecting a...
Deciding on the right health insurance plan can be a daunting task for anyone. Coming to a decision to choose a PPO network or an HMO network is very important when building a health insurance policy that will optimally fit you...
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which Congress passed in 1996, provides a variety of protections for individuals both in getting healthcare coverage and in keeping medical information private. F...
Although health insurance is a blessing for most people that suffer from illness, it does have certain disadvantages that some have to carefully consider.
Catastrophic health insurance is designed to protect an individual in the case of a severe or life-threatening event, such as a car accident. This type of health insurance plan, while protecting a consumer from potentially hund...
Both employer-sponsored plans and private insurance offer a variety of health insurance types with different features and costs. There is a trade-off between your up-front cost in premiums, the amount of coverage you get, and t...
Primary health insurance coverage is provided through the plan of which an individual is a member (such as an employer offered health insurance plan) or the plan under which the member has been for the greatest length of time. ...
If you do not have health insurance through an employer, you will want to find the most affordable options available. Buying health insurance privately can be very expensive, especially if you need a comprehensive package. Purc...
Many types of health insurance coverage are available, including HMO and PPO plans and HSA-eligible high-deductible plans. While these plans differ in the benefits they offer and the costs to the insured, they have similar feat...
Health Savings Accounts (HSA) came about in 2003 as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act as a means to allow individuals to manage their health care independently, control the costs and prov...
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a federal law passed in 1996 to protect consumers of health insurance policies. HIPAA laws also require health care providers to protect consumers' privacy and allow ad...
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 255 million people in the U.S. had health insurance in 2008. Health care coverage is insurance that pays for medical expenses due to accidents or illness, regardless of fault. It p...
Secondary health insurance is a type of policy that is used to cover medical expenses that have not been covered by your primary insurance plan. Typically, a person will have secondary medical insurance by being covered as a de...
Health insurance is designed to help people cover the cost of part or all of their medical expenses. Though the specifics of coverage vary from plan to plan--and you should always check with your insurance provider if you're no...
The American health care system has been the subject of much debate, especially the role of health insurance in the health care system. As you're considering the question of how proposed health care changes might impact your li...
Health insurance can be a deal breaker when it comes to freelancing. In fact, according to Freelance Switch, access to health insurance is the number one reason employees stay with their companies rather than make the plunge in...
Health insurance is vital to ensuring you can cover your medical expenses in case of illness or emergency. However, there are a few buzzwords associated with insurance that could confuse even the most insurance-savvy person. On...
As the cost for health care is a concern for many people, shopping for a health care plan should take into account services provided, availability of care and your required financial contribution. Types of health plans availabl...
The COBRA Health Insurance Law is formally known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. This federal law was passed in 1985 and enacted in 1986 to afford employees and their family members the right to elect to ...
Health insurance can be a wonderful thing for someone who is not ill, working and is financially stable. However, when people become chronically ill or disabled due to a disease or illness, having health insurance can work aga...
The average cost of hospital delivery ranges from $6,000 to $8,000 according to the American Pregnancy Association, not including costs for prenatal care or high-risk pregnancies. Because pregnancy can be considered a pre-exist...
PPO is an acronym for Preferred Provider Organization. A PPO is a health insurance product that allows members to visit any doctor, specialist or hospital. PPOs do not require a primary care physician (PCP) to coordinate care ...
According to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, in 2006, 66.4 percent of people who had insurance through their employer were responsible for paying a deductible for some medical coverage under the terms of their plan.
Even if you are currently in good health, it's important to have a decent and affordable health insurance plan. While most full-time jobs have some sort of health insurance plan, freelancers and part-timers are often uninsured...
Health insurance is one of the most common and popular benefits provided by employers to their employees. But not all companies can afford to provide health insurance to their workers, and if you have to pay for it on your own,...
Having access to quality health care is important, and self-insured health plans enable employers to tailor health plans to their market. Knowing if your health plan is self-insured or fully-insured is important, as it determin...
HMO---short for health maintenance organization---is a type of group health insurance plan that's overseen by a managed system of doctors, facilities and medical personnel who work directly for the HMO. Selecting this type of p...
If you do not have private health insurance, you may qualify for programs that offer free or low cost prenatal care and delivery services.
Where can I find out more about health insurance?
For more information about health insurance, including suggestions for taking action and a list of resources, visit the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Why is knowing about hea...
Health insurance is such a basic need for people in the United States, so many families must work several jobs, one to pay the bills and one to provide the family with health care benefits. As the economy changes however, not ...
