State Health Insurance -- According to Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau splits all insurance coverage into two groups. It is either private coverage or coverage through the government. These two groups have divisions within each group. There are three divisions in the private coverage group; and likewise, three divisions in the governmental group.

The government insurance coverage is classified as Federal Health Care Plans, State Health Care Plans and Local Health Care Plans. Each plan is funded by the government at that level. In addition to these three classifications, there are six categories of government insurance coverage. They are Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, Military Health Care, State-specific plans and Indian Health Service.

Most people know that Medicare is for people sixty-five and over and for some people with disabilities who are under sixty-five.

Many people have heard of Medicaid, and know that it is Health Care for low income but are not really sure what the coverage area includes. Medicaid is one of the State Health Care Plans which is administered by the state and was developed for low or no-income families. This insurance is not for individuals or people who are married with no children, unless they are blind, disabled or aged and are in financial need. Depending on the state, Medicaid may be called by a different name.

SCHIP or the State Children's Health Insurance Program is one of the State Health Care Plans that is given matching funds from the federal government so that health insurance may be provided to families with children. SCHIP was created to give health insurance to families with children who have income that is high enough they do not qualify for low income programs such as Medicaid and have no other source of insurance for their children.

Every state has one of the approved State Health Care Plans for SCHIP coverage. Each state can develop their own SCHIP eligibility requirements and policies, but they must stay within the wide-ranging federal guidelines. In some states, the SCHIP funds can be used to cover pregnant women, the parents of children who are also receiving benefits from Medicaid, and other adults.

However, even with this coverage in place the number of uninsured children in the United States continues to rise. The Vimo Research Group conducted a study in October of 2007 that concluded 68.7 percent of these children were in families whose incomes were two hundred percent of the federal poverty level or higher. Several states had deficits in their SCHIP funding in fiscal year 2008.

Individual Health Insurance

Individual health insurance is usually taken out when health coverage is not available through the employer. Usually this insurance is expensive and less consumer-friendly compared to a job-based insurance. But it is better than having no health insurance at all.

The best way to start looking for individual health insurance is by trying to find an independent agent. An independent insurance agent has to register with the Department of Insurance in the state. Therefore, you can check with the department for a list of registered insurance agents who are licensed to sell health insurance in you state.

Or else, you can check out the National Association of Health Underwriter website to find an independent agent. Another option that is very popular these days is the Internet, which gives you the freedom to search for health insurance companies online.

It does not matter where you purchase the policy, as long as you compare different policies and select one that is best suited for your medical needs. Here are some things that you should look for when purchasing your individual health insurance policy.

1. Make sure the policy cannot be cancelled and offers you guaranteed renewable coverage. In other words, as long as you pay the premiums and do not attempt to cheat the insurance company, the policy cannot be cancelled. Sometimes, insurance companies cancel policies when the insured fall ill and this is legal in many states. By having a non-cancellable clause, you can be assured that your policy will be valid even if you fall ill. Another option is go for conditionally renewable policy where the insurance company can cancel all policies similar to yours, but cannot just cancel your policy alone.
2. The policy should have clear terms where it lists what is covered, what is not covered and when the coverage actually begins.
3. Your policy should have a 10-day rescission period during which you can carefully study the relevant documents to see whether the policy is right for you. If you decide it is not and you do not like the terms of the policy, you can cancel the coverage within 10 days and get back the premium you paid.

There are many different levels of coverage available under individual health insurance and if you do not understand anything, make sure you ask the agent or insurance company to explain it to you. Do not wait to fall ill to figure out that the policy does not cover the health care service you need.

Affordable Senior Health Insurance Coverage - Part 2

Basic supplemental benefits are covered by each of the 12 Medigap policies while additional benefits are determined according to the plan you choose. For example supplemental Plan A is the most basic. Everything in Plan A is offered in Plans B thru L, with these plans offering even more coverage. You will find cost sharing, depending on the level is different for Plans A to J and Plans K to L but that the services offered are similar.

In the event of serious illness or accident, especially for persons who did not sock away a substantial retirement fund during their working years, having to pay the amount that is left after Medicare and Medicaid have paid their share could be catastrophic. For senior citizens a policy that can take care of most of what government insurance plans for seniors do not has many benefits and deserves a look.

Supplemental health insurance for seniors is not too expensive and generally affordable. Just remember it is very important that you compare the policies offered by different insurance companies. Whether you do it locally or easily on line this task should not be skipped, compare. After doing some research you may find that not only is it affordable, senior health insurance is something you can not afford not to have.

Article from AARP.org

Affordable Senior Health Insurance Coverage - Part 1

Recently affordable senior health insurance coverage has been a big topic as a saving grace for those who can least afford high medical cost. With the skyrocketing cost of health care senior citizens have a way to help pay some of their the costs of health care that are not covered by the original medicare health plan with supplemental insurance officially called "Medigap Policies". The reasons these policies may prove beneficial are that they assist senior citizens who can least afford it from incurring bills they can't pay or from being denied care when needed.

A Medigap policy is health insurance that's sold by private insurance companies, each insurance company decides which Medigap policies it chooses to sell. The good thing is that these health plans for seniors are the same from one supplemental health insurance company to the other. You can choose from up to 12 different standardized Medigap policies, letters for Plans A to L are used to identify each policy.

The supplemental benefits in any Medigap Plan are the same for any insurance company. These letters A-L also denote basic and extra supplemental benefit levels. Once you decide on a affordable level of insurance that meets your needs the only difference will be the costs not the plan. Also these senior citizen policies must follow Federal and State laws that are mandated to protect you.

This standard was set specifically to prevent confusion and most importantly to make comparison easy. A Medigap policy must be clearly identified on the cover as "Medicare Supplement Insurance." You can effectively do a search online and compare the costs of providers you may consider knowing that the health plans offered by all potential companies are the same and that they offer identical supplemental benefits. This is why to get the most affordable senior citizen supplemental health insurance rates it is critical to compare Medigap insurance policies as rates widely vary.

Article from APPR.org

State Health Insurance

State health insurance helps many people who are denied health insurance because of a medical condition or they are required to pay exorbitant insurance premiums. Insurance companies categorize these people as high risk and many states now offer risk pools to people who cannot afford health insurance due to their medical condition or those who just cannot afford them high premiums.

Although health insurance is not cheap but there are ways to get short term state health insurance through state risk pools. These risk pools are funded by the state through different means like taxes on hospital revenues. However, the main source of funding comes from grouping people together so that the group as a whole gets a competitive rate for the health insurance policy. This works similar to an employer's health insurance policy. And, the balance cost is are paid by the state.

This type of state health insurance has limited funding and is not cheap; but it offers people health insurance for short term until they can qualify for something more affordable and reasonably priced.

In order to qualify for a state risk pool, you should be a resident of the state you are applying in. Also, you should fulfill at least one of the following criteria:

· You have to show proof that health insurance was denied to you
· Your current health insurance premium should be more than the risk pool premium
· You should have a health insurance but your carrier denies payment for certain medical services or pre-existing health condition.

When you have state high risk pool health insurance policy, you cannot have Medicaid or Medicare, but some states have programs that allow people to be part of high risk pool plans while still being eligible for Medicare.

Health Insurance - Your Best Plan to Buy

This may seem obvious the list below when looking to buy your best insurance for you and/or your family. These 5 things you should focus on to get your best health insurance policy

1.) Do research on the insurance companies. Each one will have a rating. AAA rating will be the ones that will have a better track record.

2.) There are many different types of policies to chose from. Determine what you really need for health care coverage given your financial situation and individual or family needs.

3.) Check on your doctor visits and other medical services on how your are covered and what kind of reimbursements you will have.

4.) Make sure you have a good insurance agent. Make sure they have a good track record. Like anything else a good agent will make all the difference in the world. The good ones will always look out for your best interest which will give you the best coverage at the best price

5.) This one will be helped by having a good agent, but make sure you know what your policy covers and what it doesn't cover. Not all policies cover all things. Not by a long shot.

Taking time to do some research and to find your best options will pay big dividends in the long run. This all may seen like basic and obvious to you, but many people cannot answer these basic things that we all need to know when we are buying the best insurance plans and the best coverage.

Health Insurance Plans -- Which 2 Plans are Best for You

A good health insurance plan is one of the most important things someone needs to have for good health coverage. But what should a good health insurance plan consist of?

It can be a bit of a challenge today to find the right insurance plan for someone and there family because of the diverse options available. However when choosing a good health insurance plan, don't simply base decision on the cost of the monthly premium.

Know the details of the health insurance plan – what is the health coverage and what doesn't it cover. Also find out the health insurance plan's in-network as opposed to out-of-network health coverage and expenses. What are its co-payment amounts, deductible amount per family member if applicable, and the coverage caps?

The next step is to find out the health needs of the people included in the health insurance plans. This step can be quite complicated. Is everyone in good health overall? Does anyone have any pre-existing conditions? Would someone at any time feel the need to approach certain medical specialists or institutions? Once they answer these questions, a person will be ready to start choosing a good health insurance plan.

People must gather all possible health coverage options available for there needs. If an employer is offering group insurance, options may be limited. If someone is self-employed, they will have to choose from the different private health insurance plans. Whatever the case is,understand the difference between the two basic types of health insurance plans offered today: the Indemnity Plan and the Managed Care Plan.

With an Indemnity Plan, a person is free to choose when and where they want to get medical assistance. This type of health insurance plan has a higher out-of-pocket cost, but for many people, the added price is fair when they consider the freedom they are getting.

With a Managed Care Plan, the person is required to only use the services of medical professionals and institutions that are part of the plan's “network”. In general, someone would need pre-approval for medical services beyond basic preventive care. In terms of costs, the costs of Managed Care Plan are lower.A Managed Care Plan is a good choice if the person (or there dependents) don't have major health problems, are not concerned about who provides them medical services, or have to keep tabs on there medical costs.

Of course, this was just a very basic overview of the two types of health insurance plans. Research these two plans and study them more deeply

The Major Benefits of Travel Insurance - Part 2

Also if plans have been made prior to the incident, for example the hurricane damaged the hotel that the traveler had planned to stay in, this would also be reimbursed. Also, if a trip has been planned and paid for and it has to be canceled due the severe weather this will also be reimbursed.

Another benefit of having travel insurance is it also covers a traveler if going on a cruise. A lot could happen on a cruise that would require travel insurance. For example if the luggage was lost and is not returned within 12-24 hours, they will reimburse the traveler for any items that were lost. The same applies if flying and bad weather occurs and a trip is canceled or delayed they reimburse the costs incurred.

By purchasing the travel insurance it assures the traveler that no matter what happens they are covered.Whether it be an illness, unforeseen bad weather, having an accident, having to cancel trip due to an emergency in the family, even if luggage is lost. Everything is reimbursed or accommodations will be made.

If an emergency happens and the traveler has to return to their country it's included. It's cost effective. Without this travel insurance it could cost the traveler more money and cause more stress than one could imagine. Travel insurance is the best insurance to get when traveling within the country or out of the country.

The Major Benefits of Travel Insurance - Part 1

The benefit of having travel insurance is so important. This insurance offers health benefits, weather benefits and accident benefits. It offers everything that is needed when traveling. Whether it be in your country or traveling abroad.

One benefit of purchasing travel insurance is the health benefit. This would cover everything from a broken ankle to a serious illness. This is important if traveling out of the US. Most US health care insurance companies do not cover when out of the country.

When choosing a package include the 24 hour hot line for emergency in case the doctor or hospital does not speak the language. The travel insurance will also cover emergency evacuation. This means if something happens to the traveler and they must return to their country this insurance covers that as well.

Another benefit is the weather benefit. This also is an important travel insurance. There might be a time that unforeseen bad weather approaches. Such as a hurricane. This travel insurance will cover the traveler if they need to evacuate the state or country immediately. It will reimburse if the trip was delay due to bad weather. It will also cover accommodation that is within reason.

More in Part 2

Family Health Insurance

Purchasing Family Health insurance, there is a lot to consider in purchasing Family Health insurance. There are many plans that are available that you can buy that can add or reduce the cost.

We have all heard of the following: HMOs - Health Maintenance Organization; PPOs - Preferred Provider Organization; POS - Point of Service Plan. There is a new one that has come into the mix and it is called the Health Savings Account. With HMOs the doctors and associates work directly through the HMO. PPOs and POS are organized by the health insurance.

The POS is the most flexible of the three. The Health Savings Account is a supplemental service used for retirement and is meant to replace the high costs with low deductible health insurance policies. So, there has been a change when it comes to health insurance coverage.

When purchasing Family Health insurance make sure to investigate the "Child Health Insurance Options." There are state and federal plans available. There is health insurance coverage for low income families but most parents choose to add their children to their own policies to save money.
If your insurance doesn't offer a family or group plan there are always the PPOs and the HMOs that do. In researching a quote for Family Health Insurance you need to fill out the information to receive a quote.

The company needs the following information:

Gender

Height

Weight;

Smoker - yes or no

Birth date and your zip code.

After you have filled out all of the information for your family you can submit for information for the health insurance coverage and the quote.

Health Insurance Options- It Pays to Investigate

Health insurance, in this modern world of cancer, heart disease, AIDS, diabetes, asthma, ageing and other diseases and afflictions, it is a good idea to have some sort of health insurance. There are many types of health insurance coverage available; unfortunately, like most things in life, you get what you pay for, and good coverage can be very expensive.

The two most common terms in referring to health insurance are premium, which is the amount paid for the insurance, and deductible, which is your out-of-pocket expense before the insurance pays your provider.

For instance, you might pay $300 premium per month for family coverage, and your deductible might be $250 per person, which means if you fell and broke your ankle and went to the hospital emergency room, you would be required to pay the first $250 of the bill.

You can purchase very basic catastrophic coverage, which would carry a very high deductible and the premium would be less than comprehensive coverage which would have a higher premium and lower deductible.

It pays to invest the time to investigate various insurance options, taking into consideration your age, your general health and the health of your family members. Your employer may offer group health insurance, which is most likely the least expensive option for you, and usually the premium is deducted from your paycheck.

Health insurance is a calculated risk; can you afford the premiums or are you willing to risk that you would pay less out of pocket for medical expenses in a year than the premiums would cost? Consider carefully.

Medical Insurance - Research Your Options

With all the different medical insurance that is available, you might ask your self what company should I choose and what coverage would be the right fit for me. Of course if you have a family to consider you will have to explore a wider range insurance coverage of any health care plan.

Medical insurance in a nutshell is a person who agrees to pay a monthly amount of money to a health care provider in return for financial protection against any foreseen accident that would require major medical care.

So what kind of health care plan should I consider when doing some research. The main ones would be:

1.) Personal Coverage

2.) Coverage for you and your family

3. ) Small business coverage

4.) Travel Insurance

5.) International Travel

6.) Major medical

It is defiantly worth your time to do your research on what would be the best health care plan your you and your family. It much easier today to do that will all the various medical insurance coverage that you can apply for on the internet.

In most case you will be able to type in your zip code and see what health care providers would best meet your health insurance needs. In many case you will have over 150 companies to care a quote. What is nice is these quote are free with no obligation to buy.

So now is the time to get your Free Quote today as there are over 50 million people uninsured in the United States alone. Do not let this happen to you

Overseas Travel Health Insurance for India

Health Insurance policy valid within India is issued with difficulty for those above 60 years in age. In the case of Overseas Travel Health Insurance for India, the policy can be issued even for the age of 84 years but subject to following documents being attached with proposal form for all those whose age is above 70.


Health Insurance policy issued to you is valid in India only. When you travel out of India then you need Overseas Travel Health insurance policy because of following reasons :

i. If Hospitalization is required while you are in a foreign country then treatment may not start in a hospital; unless you make the payment in cash or by credit card or produce health insurance policy reference / card.

ii. Some embassies of foreign countries need it as part of documents for issue of visa itself. An example is the Germany Embassy or Spain Embassy.

Even though this policy in the beginning was for taking care of hospitalization/medical treatment only but at present this product is available with certain additional features.
You will notice that while in the case of Health Insurance policy valid with in India is having the limit of Rs 5,00,000 but in case of Overseas Health Insurance policy sum can be as high as US$ 5,00,000, which is nearly equal to Rs. 235 lakhs. (Rs 2.35 crores)

Health Insurance policy valid within India is issued with difficulty for those above 60 years in age. In the case of Overseas Travel Health Insurance for India, the policy can be issued even for the age of 84 years but subject to following documents being attached with proposal form for all those whose age is above 70:

• ECG test
• Blood test
• Urine test

Medical assessment in specified format duly filled/signed/rubber stamped along with license no. of the postgraduate (M.D. or a above) doctor who has filled the report. It is to be understood that report by MBBS qualified doctor is not valid.

The medical specialists of the Insurance Companies generally based in Zonal office or Head office review the documents and decide:

1. Whether to accept the proposal and underwrite the risk
2. If to underwrite the risk should there be loading on premium rates and what should be the maximum amount of Hospitalization covered.

This approval cycle can take 2 to 5 days. Normally for a person of 70+ age the limits imposed with respect to hospitalization / medication in the policy are between US $ 10000 and US $ 50000. You will notice that this is much less in comparison to limit of US $ 5,00,000, which is available to those who are in age group of 70 years or less.

The good thing about this policy is that it is even issued to those who have preexisting disease. Hospitalization in foreign country even with the disease (preexisting) is covered.
On the concept of loading factor starting on a specified data it has been seen that for a person aged 84 traveling to USA, a specific PSU loaded the premium by 150%. Private Insurance Companies are generally not issuing policy to those, who are 80+in age.

In these recent months we notice that PSU's have started discouraging the issue of such policies
These policies can be divided in to :

1. Single trip policy
2. Annual Multi trip policy

As the name indicates single trip covers a single trip, which is starting on a specific date and ending on a specific date. It is possible to extend the date on payment of additional premium subject to condition that no claim has been made. Extension of policy is at the discretion of the Insurance Company.

Annual Multi trip policy is having validity of 1 year. As many trips as you wish are possible but it is subject to the condition: "Single trip not being more than 30 days." Some Insurance Companies now offer option of single trip not being more than 45 days.

Small Business Health Insurance

If you are a business owner with more than 2 employees and up to 50, then you fall under the small business category. This means you will need small business health insurance to cover your employees and it is a must. Although it is not a federal rule, it make sense to have it because you can get sued by one of your of employees over work-related health problems.

Reports show that more than 80,000 cases are filed every year in the United States against employers for injuries and illnesses caused due to work and work conditions. And, the employer is not even aware until they are hit with court charges and nevertheless he or she ends up paying a fine or penalty. So it is better to give your employees the small benefit of insurance than rather pay exorbitant penalties in court charges.

Workmen’s compensation prepares you and your business to plan better and also safeguards your small business from unnecessary expenditure and overheads. Budgeting for employee insurance plans on a yearly basis is the wisest thing to do for any small business owner. A small business health insurance will cover various aspects like work related injuries and the hospitalization costs for an employee who is sick; also it takes care of the monthly salary and compensation during the recovery period.

This monthly compensation can vary for the time period the employee can be covered based on the seriousness of the injury or illness. Based on your business needs you can get a comprehensive small business health insurance plan. All you need to do is look for the correct plan with the right insurance company.

Getting Quotes for Your Health Insurance

If you are investing in a personal health insurance plan then it is always better to shop for health care quotes. The process of shopping has become very easy with the use of Internet these days. There are several resources available online where you just need to fill forms with some basic information about yourself, and you can easily get a quote free of cost.

There are hundreds of companies that offer health insurance plans and there are hundred of plans available to suit practically any budget. If you do not know what kind of plan you need and how to go about it, then the whole process can be a daunting task. Before shopping for health insurance, first itemize your needs and what kind of coverage you are looking for.

For example, if you are looking for complete coverage that will pay for dental, optical, out patient and hospitalization, then you need to shop accordingly for the health care quotes. It is always better to request a quote from 2 or 3 companies at the least so that you can compare the prices and the benefits that you are getting for the amount that you will be paying. Also, give importance to the coverage plan and the doctors' network the insurance company offers.

There are several websites that can make our shopping easy by giving you health care quotes from different companies. You can easily shop, compare and decide the plan you need. You do not have to depend on guesswork or phony companies that keep irking you about various insurance plans, which do not give the benefits that you are actually looking for.

Health Insurance - A General Overview

Health care is a very expensive affair in the United States and people without health care insurance pay huge amounts for basic health check up. We all need insurance for ourselves and our families for various things like dental, medical, injuries and hospitalization. We live in a world full of uncertainties and never know when we need what type of health care.

People fall sick all the time and it is something we cannot avoid even by being careful. A doctor’s visit when you do not have an insurance plan could cost you $120 and the medicines not being included in this price. A health care insurance plan directly saves you from these kinds of unexpected expenditure.

For most people the companies that they work for cover them through basic group insurance plans. However, additional coverage like dental and optical plan is not provided by them. It makes a lot of sense to invest in a good insurance plan that takes care of your family and your needs without you having to pay large amounts as a deductible.

It is quite important to understand how the insurance plans work in order to choose the right one. What is health care insurance? It is basically an amount that you pay yearly as a premium so that it covers your medical needs. The amount is broken into various parts which are identified with different terminologies. An insurance plan will consist of the following components:

Premium: An amount that is payable on a monthly or a quarterly basis in order to cover health coverage.

Deductible: A deductible is an amount that is not included in the premium but is payable when you actually seek health care. The deductible depends on the total amount incurred for treatment and the amount the insurance company would have to pay to cover your hospital bills.

Health Insurance Savings Accounts - Shelter Your Income

There are times when you start thinking about your health insurance plan and whether or not should I make any changes or should I stay with my current policy.

If you are considering changing your health insurance policy, you should be aware of the alternative of a Health Savings Account (HCA). Health Savings Accounts started to become available (and legal) in 2004, allowing people with high-deductible insurance policies to set aside
tax-free money to fund medical expenses up to the maximum deductible amount. This is a tax-favored savings account combined with a qualifying high-deductible health insurance plan.

If you don’t have to use the funds, it rolls over every year. Once you reach age 65, you no longer are required to use it for medical expenses, although you certainly can; you can withdraw funds under the same conditions as a regular IRA.

Although you will be penalized if you use the funds for non-medical expenses prior to age 65, you can use the money for vision care, alternative medicine or treatment and dental care. For 2008, an individual may fund up to $2,900 tax free. The maximum deductible would be $1100 and the
maximum out-of-pocket cost would be $5,600.

For a family, the maximum tax-free contribution is $5,800 with the maximum deductible of $2,200 and the maximum out-of-pocket cost would be $11,200. Health Savings Accounts are certainly a viable way to shelter income while providing catastrophic insurance coverage in light of the high cost of low-deductible health insurance plans.

Once your insurance policy has become effective, you may begin to fund your Health Savings Account. For healthy people, it deserves some research. Consult with your insurance agent for all of the details involving this approach to managing your insurance needs.

Getting Texas Health Insurance Is Easier than You May Think

Most people don't realize that a full-service Texas-based health insurance agency can help everyone understand the options that are available to them to obtain insurance.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas leads the nation in the number of people without health insurance. Although almost one in five Americans is uninsured, it is estimated that one in three Texans are uninsured. The Texas Medical Association reports, "More than 5.5 million Texans - including 1.4 million children - lack health insurance."

In a report issued by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, "The uninsured are a diverse group that includes people who cannot afford private health insurance; who work in small businesses that do not offer insurance; who simply choose not to purchase health insurance, even though they can afford it; who are eligible - but not enrolled - in government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP); and recent immigrants." The Comptroller also noted that Texans are less likely than other Americans to receive health insurance benefits from their employers.

The most notable omission from these reports is that it's often difficult for people to navigate the choices involved in obtaining Texas medical insurance. There are a myriad of choices and decisions to be made. Should I get individual or family coverage? Should I go with a health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO), or another type of plan? What kind of deductible should I choose?

The task of finding Texas health insurance is even more daunting because, as you go from one health insurance company to another, you find that each offers a different set of options. As a result, it's difficult to compare the proverbial apples to apples.

Most people don't realize that a full-service Texas-based health insurance agency can help everyone from individuals and families to small business owners and Medicare recipients understand the options that are available to them to obtain insurance. Even better, such agencies offer their services and support free of charge. This is because they are compensated by the insurance companies rather than by the insured. Therefore, you can reap the benefits of their unbiased expertise at no charge.

Best of all, some of these agencies have implemented easy-to-use online systems that allow you to obtain quotes, compare Texas health insurance plans, and even apply online - all from the comfort of your own home. In fact, you can peruse health insurance plans, life insurance plans, dental plans, and Medicare supplemental insurance plans all in one place.

In order to obtain quotes for health insurance, for example, you simply need to enter your contact information into an online form, and then provide some basic information about you and any other family members you wish to insure. The system will then generate quotes from a variety of companies, which you can compare side-by-side. You can sort the results by a number of factors, including the health insurance company, the plan type, the deductible, the co-pay, and the estimated premium.

Once you decide which plan you prefer, you can apply online. Everyday, health insurance agencies are providing a growing number of people with affordable Texas medical insurance. In turn, those who obtain health insurance rest easier knowing that they and their families are protected.

Health Insurance - Do I Qualify ?

Health insurance like life insurance is something that many people feel that they can’t afford or they put off because they are in good health and don’t see the need of any kind of individual or family health insurance. Of course the cost of health insurance is also one factor that keeps people from getting it.

You want to take some time to look ahead and consider, what would happened if some unforeseen event happened that would require medical care without having any coverage.
Very few people have the means to pay for medical expenses and a hospital stay without medical insurance. The first place to start looking to see if you qualify for a health insurance plan would be Medicaid.

Every state has a Medicaid program and more people can qualify for this health plan where sometimes people think that they would not be able to. You can get family health insurance through Medicaid that would include doctor visits, dental work, eye care, prescriptions and many other options. You will want to apply at your local Family Services Office.

The three main groups of people that qualify for Medicaid are families with small children. Women any age who are pregnant and for children under 18 and sometimes 21 depending on the state and individual situation.

Health Care

If there is one subject that affects every one of us that is our health. What is the best way of taking care of our health? Let’s take a brief look at some of our options for taking care of our health. Some people believe in preventative measures for taking care of their health. What exactly does this mean? Basically, it means eating a healthy diet, exercising properly, and living a healthy lifestyle. A yearly check-up is also a good way to know what shape you are in and to catch any developing illness.

An unpleasant factor in modern life is stress. It is a fact of life. Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with stress. Conventional medicine is one method - relaxation medication. Meditation is another method. In between there are such options as daily rest (even if for ten to twenty minutes), spending part of every day in a soothing physical environment, taking a break, a change of scenery, a vacation. A good laugh, whether at a funny joke or at a comical situation is highly recommended for keeping your mind and body in good shape.

None of us is infallible. We are all prone to illness. What are our options when we do become ill? Again there is conventional medicine. Medication for practically every illness under the sun is available. Personally, when something out of the norm is detected on my blood test, I make a bee line to the dietician’s office. By eating those foods, those vitamins, required by the body, balance can be regained.

There is more than one way of doing things. You decide what makes you feel good and how you want to stay healthy. After all, health is wealth.

What Happens If I Retire ?

Health insurance considerations weigh heavily on the minds of people wanting to retire before Medicare coverage kicks in at age 65. Many people put off retirement simply because the cost of an individual health insurance policy is too great on a limited income.

What options for health insurance do you have if you choose to retire before age 65? Although they are not required to, you may be able to get COBRA-like coverage from your employer. As an added retirement benefit, your employer may allow you to pick up the premium on your policy; although paying 100% of your premium may initially appear to be an expensive option, purchasing an individual policy apart from a group may be even more costly and not provide you with the level of coverage you previously had.

Some companies are offering basic high-deductible insurance reasonably in the hopes that they will be able to enroll you in Medicare Part C (supplemental insurance) when you retire.
Another option is to budget and save money to cover your anticipated medical costs for the time period between retirement and age 65. If you are in very good health, this may be a viable alternative for you.

Pre-planning for retirement is an important issue; the earlier you start planning, the better. Realizing the Medicare does not pay all of your medical expenses,you should budget money for medical expenses even after retirement.

Personal Health Care Examination for Early Years

In a man’s life, there will come a time when he has to take a trip down check-up lane for his annual medical examination. Although not everyone is taking part, it is quite important to have your doctor see how your health is doing. Personal health care examination can decrease a person’s chances of getting sick or acquiring a disease because of early diagnosis. There would be other reasons why people would be advised or would want to go to the physician:

1. Assessment of any risk that can contribute to future medical problems. Sometimes people can be so hard headed and would not go to the doctor because they would argue about not feeling anything. Bad news is,the moment an illness strike, it may be because it’s getting serious. Earlier diagnosis equates earlier treatment.

2. Screen for present diseases. If you are already experiencing something painful or odd going in your body, it is a must to let the doctor see it immediately no matter how little the pain is or how small the inconvenience is contributing to your body. Visiting your doctor will give you more chances of asking the how’s and why’s of your present condition and appropriate intervention to prevent further damage to your system.


3. Encourage the practice of healthy lifestyles. With a very busy world, it will be too much for the working population to give a certain piece of their time to practice healthy living. Most of the time, the working community indulge themselves on work which produces allot of stress. Having a routine check to their doctor can prescribe natural ways to have a lifestyle that’s healthy.

For ages which belong to the early years, ages 18-40,it is of dire importance to build a professional relationship with their physician. These early years are the time where people are very active in any kind of activity. Sadly, these are also the years that people tend to give into a lot of temptations and abuse their healthy body mainly because they’re young and strong.

Unfortunately, even if people feel like there’s nothing wrong with their body, there are certain diseases that needs time to become dangerous to the body. Potential problems may arise over time that is why, an early check-up is better than taking up tons of medication because it’s too late and the disease has already worsen. Prevention is better than cure.

For ages 18 ranging to 40, there are the examinations involving your personal health.

a. Blood Pressure – this determines the pressure of the blood that goes through the vessels of a human body. The ideal checking of blood pressure is every two years. This is intended for the normal, healthy body. But if you have already been diagnosed with a disease especially regarding heart problems, then it is ideal to let your blood pressure checked at least twice a week.


b. Breast Examination for Women – since breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, breast examination is required once females reach the age of18. Breast examination can be done alone provided with proper instructions. This can effectively detect any signs of mass that lies beneath a woman’s breast.

c. Cholesterol screening – this is very much intended for those who love eating fatty foods. Increased cholesterol can be the cause of many diseases and one of which is heart attack.
Personal health care should be done religiously in order to live a healthy life.

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Picking The Right Health Isurance Policy - 5 Main Things To Do

It is very difficult to make a right and wise decision on which Health Insurance Policy to buy. This is truly a confusing task. Here is a guideline. Here are the five most important things you have to pay attention to. These items are also your keys to picking a policy that's right for you

1.) The insurance company's record of complaints:

Every large company will have some complaints. You can obtain all this information at your State Board of Insurance. Avoid companies that have a high number of unresolved complaints. Ask your agent for the phone number for your State Board of Insurance. If he will not give it to you, this is a warning signal! You can also look up the number in any directory of your state's agencies.

No matter what your agent says, CALL your State Board of Insurance and ask them for the record on any company you are considering.

2.) The limits shown on your health insurance quote:

Check your quote to see if you are comfortable with the benefit levels. You can usually change several levels to fit your needs and budget. For example, a higher deductible will cost less each month. Also, many plans give you a choice to split your medical bills with the Insurance Company either 50/50 or 80/20 (with them paying 80%). Then they will have an amount (your stop loss) where they will take over at paying 100% of your covered bills for the remainder of the year. These deductibles and other levels start over every year in most plans. Some plans, though, have a "per cause" deductible. Such a deductible means that you will be responsible for bills up to that deductible for each accident or illness. Make sure you are aware of this distinction, so you can choose a plan that's right for YOU!

3.) The insurance company’s rating:

Ask your agent for the company's best rating. If the company is highly rated at this national rating registry, then the company will have literature showing their rating with an explanation of what it means. Choose only companies that have an A or A+ rating.

4.) The limits revealed within the policy:

Ask your agent for a sample policy, and then check two sections: The Benefits and The Limitations and Exclusions. Many of your benefits are actually limited in the Benefits section. For example, diagnostic testing or outpatient treatment may be severely limited. These days, you could have a serious disease such as cancer, and never go into the hospital for it. You could rack up thousands of dollars in medical bills for the diagnostic and follow-up lab tests and MRIs, and then have surgery, chemo, or radiation therapy all on an outpatient basis.

Your hospital room rate and intensive care can be limited. Your hospital room rate should be at least average semi-private and your intensive care benefit should not be tied to your room rate, but should, instead, be covered as whatever is an average ICU rate for the area of the hospital, also. Some policies limit the ICU benefit to 3 times the regular room rate, when ICU can cost you 10 or 20 times the room rate each day.

A short hospital stay with a limit like this in your policy can cost you literally thousands of dollars. A long hospital stay with a limit like this in your policy could drive you into bankruptcy. Even if your policy says it takes over at 100% after $5,000 of covered medical bills, the important term here is "covered" medical bills. If the policy only pays three times the room rate for ICU, then the rest of the ICU bill is considered an "uncovered" charge!

5.) Pay the Insurance Company, Not the Agent, & Follow Up!:

And lastly, make your check payable to the Insurance Company, and then follow up to make sure it was received. When you get your policy, check the Schedule of Benefits to verify you got the coverage you ordered, and then check to see if any special Amendments were added to your policy to exclude any of your conditions. If an Amendment exists, these conditions will always be excluded from this policy, even after the

Pre-Existing Conditions Limitation expires.
With all these 5 items, they will help you which will protect you from catastrophic medical bills. Be sure to take the time to choose wisely when it comes to your health insurance!

Health Insurance for College Students

The tuition arrangements are set up; the dorm room is assigned and your son or daughter is headed off to college in the fall. In all of the confusion of the paperwork, deadlines and financial arrangements did you remember to check on their health insurance?

Many, but not all, insurance companies provide for health insurance for college students under a family policy; do you know for sure that yours does? With some insurance companies, coverage depends on whether or not the student is a full time student. Review your policy or ask your insurance administrator; if you have an HMO plan, will your student be covered if they go to the student health care facility away from home?

Check the age limit as well; you may find that once your son or daughter reaches a certain age they are dropped from the policy no matter what. Ask your insurance company to provide an extra insurance card for your son or daughter to carry with them; if there is an additional card for prescription medications; make sure they have that too.

This preventative step will help eliminate confusion when they suddenly have to see a doctor.
There are student health care plans that are available through most colleges that are a reasonably priced alternative if your policy excludes your child.

Isn’t college confusing enough without having to worry about whether your child is covered should he or she need to seek medical attention? Take the time to look into health insurance before they head off to college in the fall.

Travel Health Insurance

Travel health insurance is a temporary policy that provides coverage while you're on vacation or in transit. It either works in conjunction with, or independent of, your regular major medical coverage. Travel health insurance is commonly offered if you use a travel agent, book a cruise or go on a package tour.

Here are three reasons to buy travel health insurance even if you already have a major medical plan:

1.) Price

Most travel insurance is cheap compared to the cost of your trip. Although we'd all rather spend our vacation money having fun, if something does happen it will be worth every penny in most cases. Typically, coverage costs no more than a dinner out on a trip. Out of network coverage

While most major medical plans will offer some protection anywhere in the world, under many circumstance, they won't offer coverage at their full amounts. For example, if you get sick on a cruise ship you might find your basic co-pay plan will only cover 50 percent of a doctor's visit on board the ship or-- perhaps even none. The travel health insurance policy, however, will cover this and a whole lot more. Out of country travelers, too, find this coverage very beneficial for covering them when nothing else will.

2.) Availability

In most cases, some form of travel insurance is available to people without medical examination required. It may not cover preexisting conditions, but it can make dealing with a crisis away from home a whole lot easier.

3.) Peace of mind

Just having this low-cost coverage while away from home can give you a certain peace of mind. Since vacation is about relaxation, ensuring this can really help make a trip.
While travel insurance can be a huge perk for those who need it, not everyone does. If your major medical coverage will remain in full force during your trip, there's probably no reason to go to this extra expense. Check with your regular health insurance to find out for sure, before you turn down coverage.

Although this type of coverage is usually offered through a booking agent, you can buy it on your own. Just Googling "travel insurance" will turn up many competing vendors for this type of policy.

Vacationing is about having fun, relaxing and doing new things. Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to travelers. When they do, travel insurance can provide an extra level of comfort and peace of mind.

Health insurance while traveling to foreign countries is an often-neglected area. Falling ill or getting injured during international travel on business or pleasure can be an extremely traumatic affair. You are far away from home in an alien land, unsure of the medical facilities available and probably not carrying enough money. You may want to be evacuated and taken home. The potential financial burden could be overwhelming and worrisome.

To avoid this dilemma, wise travelers are prepared by carrying health insurance coverage. Check to see whether your regular health insurance takes care of medical costs in other countries. If it does, what is the extent of your coverage?

You can purchase travel insurance with global coverage or coverage for specific countries for a period of five days to three years. There are no age restrictions, and single trip or multiple trips can be covered. Multi-trip coverage includes all of your travel plans. For a nominal increase in the fee, your coverage can include hazardous sports activities. Coverage for children may be free in some plans.

Decide what type of coverage you require. If you are traveling alone, there is no point in taking out a family policy. If you are not intending to participate in hazardous sports you will not need that coverage. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, it is essential to check that it is covered.

Carry your medical records with you if possible. Hospitalization, ambulance services and prescription drugs should be included in the package. If you have a serious pre-existing medical condition, the evacuation policy may be advisable. For travel to Canada, insuring with a Canadian company has advantages. Also, remember that international travel health insurance does not cover health insurance in your country

What Happens If I lose My Job

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act(COBRA), a law created in 1986, gives workers (and members of their family) who lose their health insurance benefits the right continue their group health insurance for a limited period of time under circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary jobloss, reduction in hours, transition between jobs, divorce, adoption and death.

Generally, the employee pays up to 102% of the premium cost for the same policy; this is still usually less expensive than buying an individual insurance policy. There are three basic aspects for qualifying for COBRA: the qualifying event, the insurance plan coverage and the qualified person.

Each aspect is taken into consideration when applying for COBRA and you must elect to either apply for COBRA or waive your rights to COBRA within 14 days after aqualifying event.
You must also have been in the group insurance plan during your employment to be eligible. Although there are exceptions, generally you may continue to pay your own premiums to keep COBRA coverage intact for up to 18 months.

Companies who have fewer than 20 employees, State or Federal employers or employee organizations may not offer COBRA coverage. Check with your health insurance administrator to see if you may qualify. You may also have this informationreadily available in your group health insurance policy or in your company handbook.

Although it may be expensive, the cost of being able to keep your group insurance coverage rate may be well worth it.

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Getting the Most Benefit From Your Health Insurance Policy

The key to getting the most benefit from your health insurance policy is knowing your policy coverage. Many people don’t actually read the policy from the policy plan book; they may not be aware that the policy may pay 100% of certain procedures, like annual physicals, mammograms, flu shots or certain lab tests.

The policy plan book will outline for you what procedures are not subject to the deductible or co-pay(your out-of-pocket expense). Some insurance companies have shifted their emphasis from health insurance to health improvement and maintenance and will pay for the cost of gym membership, nutritional counseling or plans to stop smoking.

If you were trying to lose weight and knew that you could get these services at no cost, wouldn’t you take advantage of them? If you wanted to quit smoking, wouldn’t it be beneficial to know that you could get the patch for free? It is very wise to know what services are available to you through your insurance company, and you will only know if you take the time to read through your policy.

Health insurance is an expensive item; take advantage of every aspect of it that you can, not only foryourself but for the members of your family. By taking full advantage of the free benefits of your health insurance policy, you will be healthier and possibly require fewer visits to your doctor.

Personal Health Care Info

The health info of every individual is necessary sothat in case medical problems occur in the future, it will be easier to determine the appropriate medication that should be administered. At present, the personal health info can be stored digitally. The records are in tact and up to date. These digital records can provide support for the continuity of medical care. Since the records are kept digitally, all the health info is confidential as well.

Quality health care can now be given to every individual all throughout his lifetime because of the digital health records. If you really care about your personal health, you should have a portable device that can facilitate the storage and retrieval of personal health records rapidly and in a secured manner. The device should be user friendly so that problems can be avoided or minimized.

Most people are not very open to their medical records or in any issue regarding their health because it often connotes something bad. When people are healthy, they are not interested in talking about their health. You see, individuals equate health to sickness and it is depressing.

But did you know that personal health info care is very important? As a responsible individual, you should not disregard your personal health info. Besides, you’ll never know when a medical emergency might come up. Having the necessary health info immediately will come in handy and you will be given instant medical attention. Your medical history plays an important role in giving the appropriate treatment. Health professionals can help you and give you their best service through the aid of your digital health records.

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Personal Health Care Quotes

The cost of medical products is continuously rising and not everyone can afford to purchase such product seven if needed badly. Is there still a miracle that the ordinary people can hold on to in order to afford these medical products? Well, here’s good news foryou. Try to get personal health care quotes to get the appropriate insurance.

There are lots of insurance plans exclusively for personal health care. Many individuals can’t take advantage of health benefits because their employer didn’t provide it or because they are self-employed. In order to be insured, they should personally purchase an insurance plan for personal health care. Before you make an insurance policy purchase, you should be equipped with the right knowledge.

The premiums are affected by several things and it will determine the cost of your policy. You have to check the deductibles so that at least you can make a rough estimate of the cost of the policy. The lower the deductible, the higher the premium; a high deductible will also mean a lower premium. If you want to pay lower premiums, you can also have co-payments.

What is a co-payment? It is the fee being paid to the hospital or doctors with every visit of the patient. So where can you get the personal health care quotes? The best way to obtain these insurance quotes is online. Find a website that provides various insurance quotes. If you can find a good website that provides insurance quotes, you can compare up to five insurance providers. You must know that there are different types of insurance policies.

For your medical products and expenses, you will need to get a personal health care policy. There are several reputable insurance companies that can provide you with a reasonably priced policy.

You have to choose a reputable insurance provider so that you will not be dismayed when you’re already filing for a claim. Comparison of the insurance companies is a very important task. The quotes can help you decide. You can also look into the basic policies of each insurance provider. After careful consideration of the various factors involved in choosing an insurance provider, you can now decide the best insurance provider for you. Visit the official site of the insurance provider and gather all the important details about obtaining a policy on personal health care.

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Prescription Insurance Policies

Some health insurance policies do not provide for prescription coverage and a separate policy must be purchased for prescription medications. This is an area where it pays to do some homework and research and find the best policy for you. Prescription coverage insurance is not a necessity; like health insurance coverage, it is a calculated risk, although the risk is not as high.

Usually you can buy prescription insurance at anytime, so if the doctor determines that you need an expensive maintenance drug, you may opt in at that time. It is important to know that if you presently have prescription insurance you can usually only change it at a specific time of the year, although you can add new prescriptions, you can’t change plans.

The person who seldom takes prescription medications probably does not need prescription insurance; however, a person who takes maintenance drugs for highblood pressure, diabetes, depression, heart disease orimmune disorders most likely needs insurance against the high costs of drugs.

Prescription insurance policies usually have "tiers",which usually means that a generic drug is at a low or no co-pay, a tier 2 level may be the brand name genuine, and a tier 3 may be a brand new expensive drug that the co-pay could be a set high-percentage of the cost.

In choosing prescription insurance, you should first list the prescriptions that you take and the retail amount of them. If you chose not to purchase insurance, this would be your monthly cost. Find out from the provider what the monthly premium for you would be, then what the prescription co-payamount would be and add these two figures together. Which is the less expensive alternative?

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Medicare

Medicare is a governmental program which provides medical insurance coverage for retired persons overage 65 or for others who meet certain medicalconditions, such as having a disability. Medicare was signed into legislation in 1965 as anamendment to the Social Security program and is administered by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Department of Human Services.

Medicare provides medical insurance coverage for over43 million Americans, many of whom would have nomedical insurance. While not perfect, the Medicare program offers these millions of people relatively lowcost basic insurance, but not much in the way ofpreventative care. For instance, Medicare does not payfor an annual physical, vision care or dental care.
Medicare is paid for through payroll tax deductions(FICA) equal to 2.9% of wages; the employee pays half and the employer pays half.

There are four "parts" to Medicare:

Part A -- hospitalcoverage,
Part B -- medical insurance,
Part C -- supplemental coverage
Part D -- prescriptioninsurance.

Parts C and D are at an added cost and arenot required. Neither Part A nor B pays 100% of medical costs; there is usually a premium, co-pay anda deductible. Some low-income people quality for Medicaid, which assists in paying part of or all ofthe out-of-pocket costs.

Because more people are retiring and become eligible for Medicare at a faster rate than people are paying into the system, it has been predicted that the systemwill run out of money by 2018. Health care costs have risen dramatically, which adds to the financial woesof Medicare and the system has bee plagued by fraud over the years. No one seems to have a viable solution to save this system that saves many people throughout the country.

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Disability Coverage

Disability insurance policies are designed to pay part of your wages should you be injured in an accident or are unable to work because of illness. Here are two types of policies available: long-term disability and short-term disability.

Short term disability pays a portion of your wages should you be out of work due to injury for up to one year. Some employers pay for this benefit for their employees, some offer it for employees to purchase.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, the time to enroll is during the initial enrollment period when a medical exam is not required.

Replacement of wages is only partial; insurance underwriters, as well as your employer, want you back at work as soon as possible. Usually there is awaiting period of 14 days in which you will not receive payment.

Long term disability policies are purchased to replacewhat your potential earnings would be from the time you become disabled until age 65 when Medicare wouldbe available.

For instance, if you are 55 and make $40,000 per year,you should purchase a policy for $400,000.

You cannot get a long term disability policy if.,

(1) you are or are soon to be pregnant,
(2) make less than $18,000 per year,
(3) are unemployed, or
(4) you are required to carry a weapon for your job.

Typically, the waiting period for long-term insurance to kick in is at least 60 days and as much as a year.

Disability insurance is an important aspect of your overall insurance coverage plan, and if your employer ffers it as a benefit you should definitely consider it as a wise investment.

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Individual Health Insurance

Choosing an individual health insurance plan is a important decision to make. You have to determine what you can plan will best meet your budget and what type of coverage that will meet your most needs.

Individual health care plans can be obtained directly from insurance companies
These insurance companies will ask you to provide personal information, which will include your medical history.

Given the status of you health and the history of the health of your family the health care company will determine if you qualify for a individual health insurance plan or not.

Individual health insurance plays a big role in the United States health care system.

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Alternative Health

Alternative health may also mean using natural herb and potions to cure what ails you. You do have to be careful with this however. Natural does not always mean safe. If you are taking any medications, you want to talk with your doctor before you take any type of herb or plant. This is because they can react with your medications with very bad results.

You don’t want to take anything that could harm you further rather than helping you. That is not the point of alternative health practices, nor western medicine for that matter. Your doctor may not like that you want to try other things, so if they won’t help you, find another doctor that will. Never stop taking medications without the say so of a medical doctor for your own sake.

You can learn about and practice natural health remedies on your own, but you do have to know what you are doing. That means you have to find someone qualified in the field to teach you what you can and can not do, and how to do all treatments in a safe manner.

If you are treating your children, you really want to be sure you know what you are doing. Alternative health practices can be very effective, but as with other medical procedures, you have to be careful not to do further harm when trying to help.

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Affordable Health Insurance

Today, health care costs in America are patently ridiculous for the average wage earner. Unless you are lucky enough to have employer-paid health insurance, you can easily shell out $500 a month to protect you in the case of a life-threatening event such as cancer or a massive heart attack.

Should you require an extended hospital stay, you can expect your bill to amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care, not to mention ongoing requirements of prescription medication costs which may amount to hundreds of dollars for a single prescription, which you need to refill every month.

If your income falls at or below the poverty line, you may qualify for affordable health insurance. Most states have Federally funded programs which pay for medical treatment in the case of life threatening conditions.

You then are allowed medical treatment on a level that sustains life, but are disallowed certain procedures afforded a person with full coverage. Premiums are determined on a sliding fee scale, depending on household income and the number of persons in your family. Such premiums do fit the description of affordable health insurance, but are lacking in the quality of care you receive.

Recent cuts in health insurance funding have been characterized by a reduction in what are deemed necessary services. For example, in 2006, the Feds required State agencies to cut their health care costs by a certain percentage. States responded by making cuts in a rather arbitrary manner. Dental services were cut to emergency services only. At the same time, the current administration notified the VA to cut dental funding to Vietnam vets, so that Iraq war vets could receive treatment. This directive resulted in Vietnam vets, with crumbling teeth due to the effects of Agent Orange, removing their own teeth with a pair of pliers. They had no other choice. Such a failed health insurance program is a disgrace to our nation.

With a new crop of candidates aspiring to the Presidency, affordable health insurance is a hot issue. This rich nation should address the issue of affordable health insurance with more than lip service. All of our citizens deserve decent health care without regard to income.

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