Laser Spine Institute (LSI), the leader in minimally invasive spinal surgery, is pleased to announce a partnership with United Healthcare and affiliates after an extensive six-month negotiation and clinical review process. Laser Spine Institute is the largest healthcare provider of minimally invasive spinal surgery to ever contract with United Healthcare. Effective immediately, patients with United Healthcare may be covered for qualified neck and back procedures at Laser Spine Institute.

As a top five player in every market, United Healthcare’s broad reach serves more than 25 million Americans and is thus able to integrate and share health information to better coordinate patient care. The company’s national coverage reach and deep experience in merging cutting-edge technology with clinical expertise now allows LSI to be more accessible for patients in an effort to meet the growing demand for minimally invasive spinal procedures.

“Laser Spine Institute continues to evolve toward the vision we set out five years ago, to be the most trusted global leader in spine care services, which becomes more real every day,” says Bill Horne, CEO of LSI. “Through successful growth and expansion, we maintain our commitment to seek new opportunities that will benefit our patients, such as the new in-network contract between LSI and United Healthcare. This new relationship will make the best spine surgical treatment available today more accessible to those suffering from chronic back and neck pain.”

Laser Spine Institute performs more procedures each month than any spinal surgery provider in the world. The team of renowned surgeons is able to treat a variety of back and neck conditions with a drastically reduced recovery time so patients can quickly get back to the activities they love. LSI’s surgical centers in Tampa, Fla. and Scottsdale, Ariz. have received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and the newest facility in Philadelphia, Pa. is also on its way to earning this distinguished accreditation. From pre-operative imaging and diagnostic testing, to endoscopic surgery and post-operative physical therapy, patients receive the highest quality care combined with the most advanced treatments at LSI.

Source by Health Insurance

Recently my client Michelle Tribble was featured on CNN’s cable show Anderson Cooper 360. The story addressed how insurance companies take advantage of legitimate accident victims by intentionally undercutting settlement offers and essentially forcing innocent victims to file expensive and time-consuming lawsuits just to recover their medical bills.

I was contacted by CNN about a case that I handled a few years ago against Allstate Insurance Company on behalf of my client Michelle Tribble. Michelle had been injured in two separate accidents occurring just 10 weeks apart. She was not at fault for either accident. Michelle received two herniated discs in her cervical spine. In the first accident handled by Safeco Insurance Company, Michelle was rear-ended and suffered whiplash. In the second accident Michelle was T-boned by an uninsured motorist so she filed a claim with her own auto carrier Allstate. Safeco agreed to pay for its portion of the medical bills caused by the minor first accident. But Allstate refused to pay Michelle’s medical bills attributed to the more serious second accident.

Due to Allstate’s hardball position, Michelle was forced to file a lawsuit against Allstate and the other driver in the first accident. The case was transferred to mandatory arbitration. The arbitrator ruled that Allstate was responsible for paying $35,000, which included past and future medical bills and some wage loss. Safeco’s insured was ordered to pay as well.

Although Safeco was willing to accept the arbitrator’s ruling, Allstate was not. Instead Allstate appealed the arbitration award and requested that Michelle try her case in court before a jury of 12 persons. This made little sense because the arbitrator’s award of $35,000 was still well below Michelle’s $50,000 insurance policy that she purchased from Allstate. It wasn’t as if Allstate was ordered to pay a windfall, in fact far from it compared with the amount of the policy.

When I tried to settle the case with Allstate after it appealed the arbitrator’s ruling, the most it would offer was $12,000 – an amount far less than Michelle’s damages caused by the 2nd T-bone collision. Had Michelle accepted this offer she would have ended up owing several thousands of dollars for an accident she did not cause. To her credit, Michelle wasn’t going to be bullied. She told me to fight on her behalf.

We managed to settle with Safeco and then proceed against Allstate only. The trial against Allstate lasted about 5 days. Allstate hired 2 doctors to testify against Michelle. They told the jury that Michelle suffered a simple soft tissue whiplash injury that should have resolved in a few months. They explained away the 2 herniated discs on the MRI scan by saying that they existed before the T-bone collision. Allstate’s doctors also told the jury that Michelle had psychological issues and that she had a pre-existing back problem before the two accidents (she visited a chiropractor a few times a year earlier). Michelle’s treating doctors said that she received legitimate injuries and that the herniated discs were most likely suffered in the second T-bone collision that was caused by the uninsured motorist.

The jury agreed with Michelle Tribble and awarded her damages of more than $370,000 against Allstate. Then Allstate appealed the jury’s award to the court of appeals. The appeal lasted almost two years. The appellate court then ruled that the jury’s verdict should be reduced to the amount of Michelle’s insurance policy issued by Allstate – $50,000.

Michelle incurred court costs of more than $17,000 and attorney fees that exceeded $60,000. Fortunately the appellate court ordered Allstate to pay for these expenses. But not before Allstate dragged Michelle through the system for more than 4 years.

Washington state legislators enacted a law to combat the unfair settlement practices utilized by Allstate Insurance Company in the Tribble case. The insurance industry then spent millions to turn the law into a referendum to be decided by voters this November. If you believe that insurance companies should not be allowed to drag innocent accident victims through the courts and cause unnecessary expense and delays, then you should vote “YES” on Referendum 67.

Source by Christopher Davis

Most people overlook the importance of insuring their health, unless a debilitating sickness strikes and ruins their finances. You might not be concerned about your health today because there have been many treatments or cure to mitigate serious medical problems and extend one’s life. However, did you know that the longer you live, the more likely you become a candidate for long term care? It is common misconception that a person has to endure from failing health before he or she considers long term care insurance.

So the question “who really needs long term care insurance” remains contentious and earns contradiction from people who are against it.

Individuals with more than $200,000 in assets or income they want to keep for their loved ones or heirs should consider LTCi as good protection. Low income individuals normally turn to Medicaid for help when confronted with long term care problems.

Many people would wait until their conditions worsened before they come to think of buying an LTC policy.  It is advised that individuals aged 45 or over should consider LTCI as an option to preserve their lifetime savings from the cruel costs of care. Although the cost of coverage seems less expensive for younger policyholders, it is still complicated to count in the risks in the future.

The perils of long term care carry much burden on women than men. Women, according to studies, trump men in terms of life expectancy. They live longer than what is expected and perform care giving roles that may directly impact their health. It is also no longer surprising to find more women residents than men in nursing homes and assisted living. This gives a clearer picture that women are on the risk of living alone and needing long term care. A woman should consider the family history and vast of information to pick the best long term care policy based on her situation and needs.

How can I choose good insurance policies? Long term care insurance is surely not a “no brainer” kind of insurance coverage because there’s huge money involved, and where your health and welfare is at stake.

Long term care insurance is one of the most flexible insurance coverage that could be personalized to meet individual needs or situation. The key to cheaper premiums is to cover only the most important aspect and take some risks in clear-cut manner. Here are some tips to do that:

• Always conduct a research first on the costs of nursing homes in your area to get a better idea on the maximum cost of the daily benefit. Determining the costs of daily benefit is tricky because you can get either higher or lower than what is required.
• Some insurance companies will ask you to purchase longer benefit period because,  in the first place, they will be the one to benefit from it. Experts recommend 60 to 90 days elimination period to keep up the costs of premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.
• The benefit period is the length of time the benefit will pay out for the policyholder.  The normal elimination period is two to three years.

Source by christine

You realize that the high risk of teen drivers can cause your insurance rates to skyrocket.  Fortunately, there’s good news for you.  Cheap car insurance can often be obtained – even for teens – by taking simple steps to compare insurance rates online.  There are also ways to lower your rates through discounts, how you add your teen driver to your policy, etc.  So don’t panic just yet!

Tips to Lower Premiums for Teens

To help keep the insurance premium low, discuss with your teen the reasons why he should drive an older and heavier model vehicle (such as a four-door sedan) instead of a new sports car.  Explain to him that not only are these cars much safer, but are also less expensive to insure, especially since you will have the option to carry only liability insurance and drop the collision and comprehensive coverage.  Also, stress to your teenager the importance of having safety features on the vehicle such as automatic seat belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes and traction control.  Having these features can reduce car insurance rates significantly.

Let your teen know that if he does well academically and acts responsibly, the insurance company will reward him with lower insurance, which will also benefit you.  Once he starts driving and keeps his record clean, the rates will come down after a period of time.

Many states require teens under 17 to have driver’s education before they can obtain a license, which also contributes to lowering insurance costs.  These classes are offered as part of the curriculum in most high schools.  In order to make Texas highways safer, the state has recently started requiring eager first-time drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 to take a six-hour driver education course before they can receive a driver’s license.

Advantages of Adding Your Teen to Your Car Insurance Policy

Have you considered adding your teen to your existing policy to get cheaper car insurance?  Even though this may raise your current car insurance premium, it will be cheaper than purchasing a separate policy for your teen.  On the other hand, your provider may give you a discount for adding another car to your existing policy if your teen needs his own vehicle.  So when you’re searching for a way to get cheap car insurance in Fort Worth, check on the cost of adding your son or daughter onto your policy as well as on a separate one.

Find Cheap Car Insurance for Teens in Fort Worth Online

Now you can find the right car insurance coverage for your teen by shopping online for the best auto insurance quotes.  When searching for cheap car insurance online, be sure to add the city name “Fort Worth” to your inquiries so you’ll receive quotes from local providers.  Be prepared to provide accurate information about the make, model and year of your teen’s vehicle.  Also, see what options and discounts are available for good students when comparing quotes of multiple car insurance companies.  Any type of savings on your teenager’s car insurance premium will be a big plus for both of you.

If you find it difficult at first to get cheap online insurance quotes for teen drivers, don’t get discouraged.  Affordable rates are available for everyone.  Just keep searching until you find the right policy to suit your teen’s needs.  Don’t be surprised when you see a huge variation in rates among providers.  This is often due to the many factors involved in teen driving.  Some providers actually cater to young drivers, so it’s wise to shop around and obtain as many quotes as possible from reputable companies.

Source by Jc Denton

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Health Insurance to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Health Insurance experts.

Health insurance is something that most people don’t think about very often and yet it is something that when comes foremost to mind when a loved one is sick. Health Insurance coverage varies across the world, even across the different states in the United States of America.

Health insurance is a very specific type of insurance. With this type of insurance the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. The insurer may be a private organization or a government agency. Health Insurance can protect a family from financial devastation in case of serious illness.

Today, according to statistics from the US Census Bureau, many Americans, approximately 85%, have some form of health insurance. Many people, about 60%, are insured through their place of employment or through health insurance acquired personally. For about a quarter of the population, federal or state government agencies provide the insurance. These agencies may include Medicare and Medicaid as well as various state funded health insurance plans.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

Today, health insurance costs are rising, which is a concern to many people. Because of ongoing advances in medical care and in technology, medical treatment is more expensive. These advances help people to live longer. Today there are more senior citizens than ever before – our population is aging. The elderly population is more frail and prone to illness thus requiring more medical care than a younger population that is healthier. This also causes an increase in the price of health insurance.

Health insurance costs are also rising due to personal health choices made by individuals. Poor eating habits, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, a lack of exercise, obesity are some of these poor health choices. In addition, there are still rural areas where there is a lack of health professionals including doctors.

Today, health insurers offer discounts and incentives to people who love a healthy lifestyle. Often, a person will provide health information and a personal medical history when buying health insurance. This history may address questions such as smoking, weight, drug use, and disease history. The incentives offered by health insurance companies today may encourage individuals to quit smoking or make other positive changes in their lifestyle. Many times, heath insurers will not insure pre-existing medical conditions. The medical history provided will screen out such applicants.

Because of the concern over pre-existing medical conditions, there are now state and federal laws that help ensure that those individuals with pre-existing conditions can acquire or maintain health insurance, even if they need to change plans or providers. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law ensuring that all health insurance plans nationally have a common set of standards. In addition, states can also have laws regulating health plans including group health insurance and individual health insurance. This means that the laws regulating your health insurance protections may vary from state to state. Keep in mind, that even with these laws, access to health insurance may not be protected in all situations.

COBRA continuation coverage can help you if you leave of change your job. Under COBRA, you may be able to remain in your old group health plan for a certain length of time. This can assist you in those times when you are between jobs or waiting for a new health insurance plan to cover your pre-existing condition. Under COBRA, there are limits to what you will need to pay to continue your coverage.

When word gets around about your command of Health Insurance facts, others who need to know about Health Insurance will start to actively seek you out.

Source by Emmanuel St-cyr

The aim of healthcare reform is to improve the health and living standards of the American population. It remains to be seen if the legislation will be successful. Because of the growing population of Hispanics and Latinos, they are increasingly likely to be affected. Many live under the poverty line, either unemployed or working low-wage jobs that do not offer health insurance.

Typically, Democrats have been successful among this demographic. This is even more true after the Republican governor of Arizona passed SB 1070, which allows law enforcement officers to stop and investigate anyone they suspect of being an undocumented immigrant–and which some people believe amounts to racial profiling. Therefore, President Obama is looking to shore up support among this group.

Recently, Obama made a speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In the speech, the President touted the benefits: affordable health insurance options will give them access to more effective preventative care, and reduce the overuse of emergency rooms. Increasing rates due to pre-existing conditions will also be banned.

According to Obama, nine million Latinos will benefit from the legislation. This number does not include illegal immigrants. The final version of the bill that passed the Senate does not allow the undocumented those benefits. Undocumented immigrants are not even allowed to utilize the affordable health insurance exchanges (launched by the federal government and individual states) with their own money. While they never would have recieved subsidies for coverage from the federal government, they would have been allowed to purchase health plans with their own money under the House of Representatives’ original version of the bill. However, even that appears to have been politically untenable.

Many conservatives use the high rate of uninsured Latinos to support the deportation of all of them from the United States, contrary to the belief of advocacy groups that oppose the strict limitations of the healthcare reform law. The issue is important to Hispanics in the country legally as well, because a significant percentage of them have undocumented relatives or friends.

Source by Yamileth Medina

So, you had an accident.  You slipped and fell, or maybe you were involved in a car collision.  You thought you were okay, a little sore maybe, bumps and bruises – nothing serious.  No broken bones.  You noticed your back and neck started feeling tight, stiff and you couldn’t move as freely as you could before the accident.  You used a heating pad, took some pain relievers, and maybe saw your family doctor, just in case.   But weeks have gone by, and you still hurt.

You’ve more than likely suffered a “soft-tissue injury.”  Soft tissues include the muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves.  If it’s a muscle sprain or strain, then you’re lucky because you’ll probably get better in time.  But, if you have a bulging or herniated disk, well, that will be with you permanently.  That doesn’t mean that it will always hurt, but, if you’re reading this article, then you’re probably one of the unfortunate people that are still plagued by the pain, which may even get worse.

When your neck and back hurts, it can be difficult and sometimes intolerable to perform everyday activities.  Movements like turning your head, sitting, standing, bending or twisting can cause sharp or radiating pain, a dull ache, or annoying tingling, burning and numbness.  These symptoms can be caused by herniated and bulging disks pressing on a nerve.

The spine consists of bones that are cushioned by disks comprised of a tough outer layer (annulus) and a soft, jelly-like inner layer (nucleus). These disks act as shock absorbers, protecting the spine and nerves from the stress of everyday movements as well as strenuous work such as heavy lifting. When a disk bulges, it protrudes from between the disks. When a disk herniates, a tear in the annulus allows the jelly-like nucleus to push into the spinal canal.

Herniated and bulging disks can cause injury or damage to nerve roots that run off of the spinal cord.  You may have radiculopathy if the herniated or bulging disk puts pressure on a spinal nerve.  Radiculopathy is a term to specifically describe pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the neck, back, legs or arms, depending on where the disk is located, caused by damage to a nerve root.  This pain will cause limitation of movement, restricting activity to such a degree that you may be considered partially and permanently disabled as a result.

If you are complaining of the above symptoms, your doctor will probably send you for an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).  An MRI is a diagnostic test that will show injury to the soft tissue, unlike an x-ray, which focuses on bone.  Radiculopathy is often diagnosed by another diagnostic test called an EMG (Electromyography).

When you’re hurt in an accident, you never know whether your injuries will get better or be permanent.  Lack of treatment or testing will give the adverse insurance carrier an opportunity to claim your injuries are not accident-related or serious.  The insurance carrier may offer to pay very little or “nuisance money” to settle your insurance claim, or may refuse to make any payment at all.  Protect your self and any potential claim you may have – seek immediate medical treatment and call an accident attorney right away for a consultation.

Source by Gary E Rosenberg

The insurance climate is constantly changing. Costs for coverage fluctuate and new regulations are continually created. Though insurance claims can prove costly, operating a business without coverage, particularly in the information technology industry, can create a highly vulnerable situation for the organization. To keep insurance costs at bay, companies can take proactive steps to curb insurance claims.

Typically, companies will have General Liability insurance coverage, which addresses claims of bodily injury or property damage, and Professional Liability insurance, also known as Errors and Omissions insurance, which protects organizations against claims of professional negligence and errors or omissions in professional work. While protecting the company with General Liability and Professional Liability insurance coverage provides a certain level of risk management, avoiding claims all together by enhancing quality control has proven to be most beneficial. In fact, recent trends point to kinks in quality control as the primary contributor to claims made on these two forms of coverage. This is especially important to General Liability insurance for computer consultants.

Quality control is an effective risk management tool that, when used, demonstrates a direct correlation between reduced risk and lower premium costs. IT companies can implement various strategies to tighten quality control, including:

* There are several fundamental, that when integrated into the quality control procedures, will serve as safeguards for claims made against Professional Liability and General Liability insurance for computer consultants. These include:

o Alpha and Beta Testing
o Prototype Development
o Total Quality Management
o Obtaining a Customer Signature At Every Phase
o Implementation of A Formal Quality Control Program
o A Standard Set of Customer Acceptance Procedures
o Statistical Process Control
o A Formal Vendor Verification Process

* Make certain the business is in compliance with at least one of the mainstream industry standards, including:

o UL/CSA – The American organization, Underwriters Laboratories, and the Canadian Standards Association are independent nonprofit organizations that are responsible for writing, testing and certifying product safety standards.

o ISO 9000 – Maintained by the International Organization for Standardization, the ISO 9000 is a family of standards for quality management systems.

o CE MARK – A mandatory conformity mark placed on a product by the manufacturer that ensures compliance with the health, safety and environmental requirements of European Union.

o ANSI – The American National Standards Institute is a private nonprofit organization that develops national consensus standards for products, services, processes and systems in the U.S.

* To protect customers against malevolent code and other vulnerabilities related to security in the company’s services, perform regular tests prior to release or dissemination.

* To reduce claims on General Liability insurance for computer consultants, implement a contract retention plan that spans at least seven years.

These solutions will help companies in IT-related industries demonstrate a heightened commitment to quality control. As a result, more costly claims will be avoided and insurance underwriters will feel more at ease providing Professional Liability insurance coverage to the organization.

Source by James Cochran

This might come as a surprise to some, but getting the right insurance for your business might be one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner. The consequences of inadequate coverage, or no coverage, could be devastating. There is a whole world of things that can happen to you and your business. Not protecting yourself and your business with the right insurance could cost you in so many ways.

That’s why engaging in a process of obtaining business insurance right for you and your company is so important. Do you know what general commercial liability insurance is? Well, if you don’t, then it’s just another reason why doing it right is so important. Not doing it right might cost you when you need help the most — during crisis. It’s why people get insurance. It’s why smart business people get smart business insurance.

Doing it right essentially means avoiding some common mistakes made when trying to get the best insurance policy for your business. Knowing what some of these mistakes are, and avoiding them in the future, will help you in your quest to simply make the right business decision when it comes to insurance.

Top 5 Mistakes When Getting Business Insurance:

1. Discounting the importance of business insurance

Business people of all types, whether it be CEO’s of large business conglomerates, or even someone just working out of their home office, have their own set of reasons for getting insurance specifically for their business. But not all business people necessarily think this way. Some think it might be too costly. Some think it might not be necessary . Some may even think that they’re covered by other insurance policies that they have for their property or for themselves.

Not having the insurance specifically tailored for your business often comes as a result of simply not thinking that it’s necessary. But it is. Take general commercial liability insurance, for example. This kind of insurance protects businesses from the costs of lawsuits resulting from basic damages done to people or property that have even the slightest contact with what you do. Not having this coverage when someone decides to throw a lawsuit at you, even if frivolous, could cost you in terms of money and reputation.

2. Not knowing the basic issues

It’s nice to think that insurance is just insurance, but it isn’t. Would you get car insurance for you house? Would you get life insurance for your healthcare? Of course you wouldn’t.

Yes, some of the issues involved in business insurance are similar to other forms of insurance. A good policy will, for example, protect your assets in case they get stolen. It will also protect you if bad weather destroys your business property. These are straightforward insurance issues for your business. But don’t be fooled into believing that they’re the only insurance issues for your business.

For example, take general commercial liability insurance. Some business owners might not even know what liability insurance actually is. It’s the insurance that protects you from the financial costs resulting from a lawsuit from somebody who claims they or their property has been hurt or injured as a result of the way your business conducted itself. General commercial liability insurance is the kind of insurance those companies engaging in commercial activities get to protect themselves because people hurt themselves on their premises or one of their products did damage to someone’s property. Being knowledgeable about these kinds of things will most certainly help you get the right insurance.

3. Not getting insurance early enough

There are two things that can happen to you if you don’t get insurance for your business early enough. The obvious one is that you’ll need it before you get it, and you’ll be stuck with paying for the damages from a storm or a lawsuit yourself. The other thing that can happen is that you will not have a budget for your start-up for the proper insurance, so you’ll get stuck with inadequate coverage. That’s the last thing you want to happen. Therefore, to avoid it, thinking about insurance as early as possible, even at the business plan stage, will help you create the budget you need to get you adequately covered for all future circumstances.

4. Getting the wrong kind of insurance provider

Perhaps the most tempting option for someone seeking business insurance is to get it through insurance companies they’re already doing business with. So, for example, you like how your house is covered, and who’s covering it, so you’ll seek to extend that coverage to your business, too.

The reason this is inadvisable, or should at least be looked at very carefully, is that your property insurance provider might simply not have the kind of experience with the kind of insurance you need for your business.

For example, if general commercial liability is what your particular business is in need of, even if a provider carries that kind of insurance, they may simply not have enough developed expertise to know what’s right for your particular needs. Ideally, only those companies and agents who have dealt with your kind of business before can help your kind of business get you adequately covered for your particular situation.

5. Getting the wrong kind of coverage

Following from the risk of getting the wrong insurance provider, a mistake to avoid is getting the wrong kind of coverage. Ultimately, you’re the person in charge of making the right business decisions for your company. You’re the best person suited to look out for your own interests. No one else is. That’s why it’s incumbent upon you to make sure you’ve got the right coverage for you and your situation.

As much of the above already suggests, delegating these decisions is important. Yet, in the end, it’s you who has to decide if you have the right kind of coverage for your business. After going through the entire process, collecting all the information, and talking to the right people, it’s you who makes the decision. Make sure it’s the right one for your business and where you want to take it.

Source by James Cochran

There are three types of California Car insurance policy to meet the minimum legal requirement of State law. These are Fully Comprehensive Auto Insurance, Third Party, Fire and Theft and Third Party Insurance. When you choose to avail cheap California Car Insurance, rest assured that they have these policies for you.

Fully Comprehensive Auto Insurance policy is the most expensive automobile insurance because its coverage is wide and flexible. It does not require that the other party is at fault in order to claim against the insurance company.

There are several types of auto insurance, including California Car Insurance. The first type is Property Damage and Liability. If you are at fault, this type of insurance covers the expenses for repair or replacement of the car with whom you had car accident with.

There are several cheap California auto insurance companies that offer this type of insurance coverage. Even when they are already cheap, insurance quotes are even more competitive. Hence, your job is to look for one which offers the cheapest insurance premium while not compromising the services it should render when necessity arises.

The second type of coverage in car insurance is Bodily Injury Liability. Still, when you are at fault in the accident, California auto insurance shoulders the expenses for any injury or even death of a person resulting from the accident. 

California Car Insurance companies know the cause and effect of any car accident. They have studied all angles and analyzed any circumstance, which is why car insurance rates are reasonably competitive. Cheap California Auto insurance companies offer the best car insurance there is.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage is the third type of auto insurance. This is helpful in situations in which the other party is at fault, however, for some reasons cannot cover the expenses himself. For your part, this insurance will compensate you.

For its part, if you purchase this type of California Car Insurance, it does not cover all other events like what the other insurance policies do. Also, this policy is at most purchased by owners whose car is very old and of no value at all just like almost a junk car.

There is another type of auto insurance and it is termed as Specialized Car Insurance, mainly because it is customized for cars of 25 years and older. Such cars are considered classic and calls for a type of insurance that covers the conditions very common of classic cars.

Commonly, many States require live policy for auto insurance before the car is registered to the driver’s or owner’s name. Each type of auto insurance is created for a purpose. Although it is a State law to have insurance at minimum coverage, it is still advisable to be equipped with good California car insurance coverage for emergency.

If you are held liable for car collision and your auto insurance covers the car repair of the aggrieved party, who shall cover the expenses for your car repair? Well, if you choose to avail the Collision coverage from California Car insurance, the question is deemed answered.

Source by Rudy Silva

As a stay at home mother, the official title of “mum” is an endearment that includes a hefty job description.  In these tight economic times, that job description has likely been expanded to include finding new ways to stretch the household budget.  One way to find extra room in your budget is by re-examining your car insurance cover.

Most car insurance cover is issued on a standardized basis.  Consumers have indicated they want fast, easy car insurance quotations.  In their quest to give customers what they want, car insurance companies  base their quotes on assumed driving and parking habits that don’t always reflect the true risk   As a result, many Australians, and especially stay at home mums, may be paying too much for their car insurance cover.

To be perfectly frank, the driving habits of a corporate warrior are nothing like those of a mother.  Office workers are driving in peak traffic hours every day, some long distances, and parking in less than perfectly secure inner-city car parks.  Stay at home mums are driving in off peak hours, running short errands, and parking at home or in spacious suburban zones.

The contrast between the two risk profiles is obvious, so it’s a bit of a shame that insurance premiums are charged the same for both.  All too often, due to the assumptions made by insurance companies eager to offer a quick quote, the offered rates are not reflective of the real risk levels.  This pricing formula is an area of opportunity for stay at home mums looking to save money.

There is new insurance technology out that offers a more in-depth car insurance quotation process.  It’s an automated process that includes a few more questions about you, your lifestyle and your driving habits.  Thanks to the speed of the technology, you can still get a quote online in practically no time, even though you will be answering a few more questions about yourself.

The result will be a premium that accurately reflects the real risk profile of a stay at home mum.  This is usually a noticeably lower car insurance premium than that being paid by a corporate warrior.  After all, since most of the driving being done by a stay at home mum consists of short trips to playgroups, the supermarket, or the store, they shouldn’t be paying the same rates as someone commuting long distances to work each day.

The distance driven isn’t the only factor that will lower insurance costs.  Mums tend to drive in suburban areas and planned community zones, avoiding risky highway and inner-city driving.  The car also spends more of its time parked safely at home, which usually is an area with a reduced risk of hit-and-run accidents or break-ins that corporate types may face in their unmonitored car parks.

So, by looking for a way to provide additional detail about your driving and parking habits, you may lower your insurance premium through more tailor made risk-based premium pricing.  It’s something a little different and a bit more inquisitive than the usual process, but the savings are real.  This is a painless way to ensure you are only paying for how you use your car, which may give you more money to spend on other, more important items for your family.

Source by Hugo Schreuder

Late last week a federal judge ruled that according to the settled case law undergirding the jurisprudence of the Commerce Clause, the individual mandate of ObamaCare is constitutional.

According to the holding in the Michigan case, one of at least fifteen similar challenges wending their way through the federal court system, ObamaCare’s requirement that all individuals, regardless of personal choice, purchase a qualifying health insurance plan does not violate the Constitution, in fact it is but another of an acceptable example of “activities that substantially affect interstate commerce.” It is that precise phrase — “substantially affect interstate commerce” — that set the threshold over which the Supreme Court for decades has determined that challenges to Congress’s Article I power to regulate interstate commerce must climb.

Judge George C. Steeh, a Clinton-era appointee, sided with the Obama Administration in his ruling that if an individual does not buy health care insurance, he is making a conscious decision to go without health insurance and if enough people make the same mistake, then such a decision “viewed in the aggregate, [will] have clear and direct impacts on health care providers, taxpayers and the insured population who ultimately pay for the care provided to those who go without insurance.” That is to say, if you don’t obey the ObamaCare mandates, you are increasing the cost of obedience to the national government for the rest of the country and that sort of dissent is incompatible with the principles of statism now being judicially enforced.

The “rational basis” for the decision cited by Judge Steeh is that increased cost of health care affects everyone and since everyone, at one time or another, sips from the stream of commerce, the affect is substantial and thus Congress is empowered to manipulate the flow into and out of the stream that after years of judicial misinterpretation of the Constitution and usurpation of the legislative power, has reached Nile-like proportions.

Despite this setback, the other legal challenges to ObamaCare will proceed as scheduled. The Florida case, perhaps the most publicized as it was filed by attorneys general of 20 states, will likely have a hearing on the merits of the case as currently docketed on December 16. The complaint filed by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be heard as early as October 18, provided that all goes according to the timeline currently in place.

In the case of ObamaCare, as with so many other cases that have expanded the reach of congressional regulating authority, the federal courts are complicit in the systematic constricting of the sphere of personal liberty. What were once the economic choices of free individuals have become the incriminating evidence of aggregated crimes. You needn’t participate materially in the restricted activity if your participation, no matter how slight, can be combined with similarly insignificant contributions to form one substantially affecting whole.

What recourse remains available to Americans determined to cling to the liberties that have made us free and kept us the envy of all nations? As this ruling and its antecedents clearly demonstrate, the courts offer no hope as they have tied their wagons to the horses of tyranny running roughshod over our Constitution. There is one place to which we may turn for refuge, however. A place protected by law and armed with the natural and unalienable sovereignty by which all its citizens were “endowed by their Creator.”

The several states are the answer. Not in their present and frankly debasing role as plaintiffs in lawsuits against the federal government, but rather in their traditional and ennobling role as bulwarks of liberty and checks on the unconstitutional imbalance created by federal overreaching. While states are unarguably free to assert their natural right of self-government in the manner they deem most fitting, history and the timeless principles of constitutional law have provided a sound and permanent option, one absolutely independent of federal oversight and unsusceptible to the conspiracy of tyranny consisting of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the national government.

Nullification has been written about in this magazine by this author and others since before the enactment of the ObamaCare package. We have touted its benefits and promoted its worthiness as a foil to the mandates of ObamaCare and other similarly untenable laws passed by a power-mad Congress.

In a nutshell, nullification is the principle that each state retains the right to nullify, or invalidate, any statute passed by the national government that the state regards as unconstitutional. This powerful weapon against tyranny is in the arsenal of every state. As the sovereign states formed the union, and as creators of that compact, they hold the ultimate authority as to the limits of the power of the central government to enact laws that are to bind the states and the people. That is to say, may the creation be more powerful than the creator?

As cited previously in this magazine, the Founding Fathers were very clear as to their views of this matter. James Madison, writing in the Federalist Papers, declared very plainly that the states were sovereign and that they relinquished none of that sovereignty in the act of confederating to form the Constitution. No clause or phrase of that document may be accurately interpreted to exalt the national government to a position above the states or the people.

In light of Judge Steeh’s decision in the Michigan case (the plaintiffs in which have expressed their intent to appeal the decision), perhaps it is time for that bloc of Americans who are yet determined to uphold the Constitution, to retrench the federal government to within the boundaries of constitutional enumeration, and to steadfastly defend the sovereignty of states and ultimately of themselves, to elect men and women to the state legislatures who are equally committed to exercise the privileges and obligations attendant to their status as sovereigns and nullify ObamaCare and all other similarly oppressive statutes.

In time, perhaps the pursuit of such a program by a plurality of enlightened state assemblies will “substantially affect” the balance of power in this nation and restore the delicate equilibrium of federalism that is the hallmark and the genius of the American experiment.

Source by Health Insurance

If you are curious about what is a life insurance term policy and what are it’s uses and what it can offer, read my article below.

What Is Term Life Insurance Contract?

A contract signed between you and your life insurance company saying that a certain amount of money will be paid to your beneficiaries after your death defines the term life insurance policy.

The insurance will be active only for a specified period of time as long as you fulfil your financial duties.

The Incontestability Of Your Term Policy

The incontestability clause is included in your term life insurance contract. It says that in case of false information, the life insurance company can withdraw your policy within a certain number of years (usually no longer than 2).

Also, if you die before this period is over the claim can be contested by the company and they can limit the payment to existing premiums plus interest. Once the period is over the policy is incontestable. The insurance company cannot withdraw it and they must pay the full amount upon death.

The Suicide Clause

If you decide to kill yourself within a specified period written in the contract (usually 2 years), the company can refuse to pay the claim but if you do it afterwards they have to pay the full amount.

The Misstatement of Age

In case you misstate your age, upon death the company will pay only the amount for your correct age.

Ownership Of The Policy

In most cases a policy’s applicant is the insured and the owner and he has all the decision rights. In some cases the applicant and the insured are not the same person.

For example a parent can insure a minor child, a husband can purchase a policy for his wife and a corporation can buy life insurance for its key employees.

Source by Ricky Lim

If people can spend a lot of money on buying the clothes, home, and foodstuffs then they should also give importance to their lives after having car insurance. Their act will save them from the big problems. Different car insurance companies offer discounts to them on the basis of good record of driving.

 The companies first check the ability of the drivers and after the judgment they issue the insurance cards with the appropriate policy which they have to follow. Such non serious persons drive just to show off their latest cars to the friends or family members. Non serious drivers have to pay the price in the form of their lives or car accident. As researches show that the teenagers have more accidents as compare to the older and experienced drivers. Too loud music also interrupts them and distracts them from the driving rules. So it is understood that insurance companies will charge them more to insure their cars. Car insurance companies first set the scale of risks and if find any one weak on this scale then take more money. Usually teenagers are at the top of the list this weaker scale. Such young people usually drink and then drive which is totally against the rules and regulations of the insurance companies as well as the legal framework.

 That is why insurance companies take a lot of money from them for the car insurance. Such new drivers are also very reluctant to pay the money for the basic things related to car like the registration of car and the insurance of car. Mostly young generation drive the car in a very bad way and are unaware of the consequences of this act. It has written in the rules of the car insurance company to give benefits and some relaxations to the experienced drivers, because these drivers have good driving record. Those persons who have less driving experience will have to pay more to have this car insurance. Car insurance is expensive because the drivers are less knowledge behind the steering wheel. Such drivers can have accidents without clean background related to the driving. The other reasons of the expensive insured car are the less responsible drivers. Some new drivers like to drive with freedom and want to take the risks of an accident. One of the most common reasons of the expensive car insurance is the non serious behavior of the drivers. Usually car insurance is more expensive for the women as compare to the skilled men in driving. If people want to insure their car at a very low rate then they should take some training programmer and courses before applying for car insurance. 

Source by Biddrup Mallick

Car Insurance Fraud is a serious problem over here in the UK with people intentionally causing crashes with the aim of claiming damages on the car’s insurance and in some cases demanding compensation for fabricated injuries.

In New York people had been going one step further where they were hiring middlemen to “steal” their car and make it disappear so that the owner could get it replaced on their car insurance or get large settlements from the insurers.

New York Police set up a sting operation by putting undercover detectives in a repair shop in Queens where the fraudsters were taking the vehicles that were stolen for destroying.

You may have an image of a shifty looking character as the typical person to commit car insurance fraud but of the 61 people caught out in the sting some included a used car dealer and shockingly a New York Police Officer. The cost of the actions these people were trying to get away with was estimated at $1.7 million and 70 vehicles were brought to the shop in the period of time.

Car insurance Fraud is a big problem over here in the UK too with gangs of people driving with intent to surprise unsuspecting members of the public into getting into crashes. This kind of crime is being clamped down on by the Police liaising with Insurers to ensure that those who are stupid enough to make a habit of it are brought to justice. Car Insurance fraud has been directly linked to the high cost of insurance and dragging our car insurance quotes up in recent years.

Source by Andy Adams

You may know a lot of people who regularly have the chance to visit their physicians for their monthly, semi-annual or annual check up. However, there are also a vast number who have to worry about high costs and expensive fees because they do not have any health insurance coverage. You can use a few approaches and tips to help you gain advantage.

COBRA Cares

COBRA or Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act provides people with heavy needs a means to constantly receive health insurance benefits even if they suddenly lose their job or do not own health insurance coverage. Qualifying for COBRA can be fairly easy since it aims to help individuals in very dire situations. You may qualify if you lose or quit your job for any reason, except for gross misconduct, if the employer is still in business, if the plan covered a minimum of 20 employees and if you were enrolled in the health plan of your previous company.

COBRA began in 1986 which provides you the right to go on with the group plan of your previous employer for family or individual health insurance for a duration of 18 months, at your expense. Depending on the situation, your dependent children and spouse may also stay eligible until a maximum period of 3 years. If you choose to buy into a new insurance plan rather than continue the old one you used to have with your previous employer, you lose access to COBRA benefits. You cannot avail of COBRA benefits any longer afterwards.

COBRA Stats

There are around 4.7 million people on COBRA, which is about 10% of the total population without health insurance. People need to be more aware of the benefits though, since only 20% of those eligible for the advantages sign up or claim. The cost may sometimes be expensive for a number of individuals, especially if a medical condition already exists. Some may find it easier to resume employment and get insurance somewhere else, since getting off the group also results to higher monthly premiums.

On the average, COBRA coverage is around $7,000 every year or $600 every month, together with a 2% service fee. The unemployment benefit per month is around $900. Your employer should notify you about your COBRA rights via a letter or during the time when your resignation is known. You have 60 days to enrol by filling out a COBRA form and sending it to your employer. You have about 45 days to pay the premium after.

Final COBRA Tips

You have to be very accurate in terms of your payments. Since the time you get out of your job, you have over 3 months to find a new position or get a new insurance deal that works for you to pay for COBRA. The premium may be very affordable compared to hospital bills during big emergencies.

Keep in mind that COBRA benefits are highly dependent on your previous employer. So if your former company deteriorates or closes, you have no choice but to find other means of support since your benefits can also end abruptly. When the 18 months end, you can still get insurance with a conversion policy, averaging $600 each month for an individual policy and probably more than twice as much if you plan to go on via dependents and spouse.

Source by Low Jeremy

The point of a life insurance policy is to ensure that a policy’s beneficiaries – usually family and close friends – receive a suitable financial settlement in the event of the policy-holder’s death.

This is usually taken to mean an accidental or natural death. Suicide is not usually considered one of the options but of course the potential beneficiaries will be left in just as severe financial difficulty if the policy-holder takes their own life as they would be via death through natural causes.

As a result, there are means that exist in life insurance policies to ensure that beneficiaries are protected in the tragic event of a suicide. These have to be means that also protect the life insurance companies though.

Life insurance policies contain a Suicide Clause – sometimes called an incontestable clause – that makes clear what will become of the policy in the event of the holder taking their own life. It is standard practice in such clauses to consider the time of death and to specify that if a policy holder takes their own life within two years of taking out life insurance, then no benefits are to be paid out. However, because a number of premiums will have been paid into the policy, these will be repaid to the beneficiaries. In most cases some sort of payment will take place if a suicide occurs after two years – or the named period in the Suicide Clause – even if it is not to all of the named beneficiaries.

The Suicide Clause gives the beneficiaries a clear idea of what restrictions will be place upon their likelihood of receiving a payout from the life insurance policy, but it is also there to give the life insurance company protection from Adverse Selection –the practice of deliberately obtaining a policy with the intent of planning one’s death and allowing a beneficiary to collect the cash.

Adverse Selection is also used to refer to the tendency of those people who have high-risk lifestyles, chronic health problems or who are commencing dangerous or unhealthy jobs – such as those underground or in a war zone – to obtain significant levels of life insurance. To try to mitigate the financial consequences of such actions, life insurance companies increase premiums and offer only limited coverage for such people.

To be effective, life insurance has to be profitable for both the policy-holder and the life insurance companies. The Suicide Clause attempts to strike this balance.

Source by Kim Chambers

A good health care plan is critical to your family’s overall health. With it, you’re more likely to get regular checkups and treat health problems when they’re small and manageable.

Many people get their health care plan through their employer. But if you’re unemployed, self-employed, or work for a small company that doesn’t offer insurance, this is not an option available to you. So where can you find a discount health care plan and what should you look for in a plan?

Where to Find a Discount Health Care Plan

The best place to begin your search for discount health care plans is on your computer. By going to an insurance comparison website, you can get fast and accurate rate quotes from multiple insurance companies. First, you’ll fill in a form with information about yourself and your health care needs. Then you’ll receive quotes that you can review and compare in order to choose the one that’s best for you.

The best insurance comparison websites also offer a chat feature so you can get answers to any questions you may have, plus get advice on how to lower your insurance premium, from an insurance expert (see link below).

What Kind to Look for in an Insurance Quote

When you review your quotes, you’ll of course look at the cost of the insurance. But you also want to look at what you’re paying for. For example, you don’t want to choose the cheapest quote only to find that your physician is not on the approved list.

Some items you should check include:

* Whether you have the freedom to choose your physician or must select from a list. If you select from a list, is your physician on that list?

* What diagnostic and preventive care the plan includes. Are regular checkups included? Do you get prescription drug coverage?

* How are emergency procedures covered?

* Who determines the type of treatment needed – your doctor or the insurance company?

* Can you consult a specialist when needed or will you need a referral first?

Think about what ‘s important to you and then choose a plan with the best price that best meets your needs.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/health-insurance.html or click on the following link to get discount health care plan quotes from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can also get more insurance tips there.

The authors, Brian Stevens and Stacey Schifferdecker, have spent 30 years in the insurance and finance industries, and have written a number of articles on discount health care plans.

Source by ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

Are you or a family member suffering with a Pre-Existing Medical Condition, that’s preventing you from getting Health Insurance? There is a solution. Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance for People with Pre-Existing Conditions helps prevent thousands of families each year from going bankrupt or exhausting all their financial resources.

Days of being turned down by health insurance providers for coverage due to a pre-existing condition can be a fear of the past. Guaranteed issue health insurance is a class of insurance by itself that forgoes the underwriting process to help you obtain insurance coverage so that you or your love one can get the treatment and care that you need. You do not have to answer any medical related questions; there are no specific requirements or limitations. Just about anyone with a pre-existing medical condition is approved after they have applied.

Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance for People with Pre-existing Conditions is an entirely legitimate form of insurance, in fact if you already have medical coverage in some cases it can help you or your love one to reduce your premium and increase medical coverage.

What type of Pre-Existing Conditions are Covered?

According to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), a pre-existing condition is described as a physical or mental condition. Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance for People with Pre-Existing Condition covers people with the following pre-existing medical conditions:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• High-Blood Pressure
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Depression
• Stroke
• Overweight or Obesity
• Acid Reflux
• Aneurysm, Abdominal Aortic
• Angina Pectoris
• Arteriosclerosis
• Atherosclerosis
• Arthritis
• Bronchitis, Chronic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Cataract
• Colitis
• Convulsions
• Cystitis
• Crohn’s Disease

What types of benefits are included in a Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance Plan for People with Pre-Existing Conditions?

The Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance Plans vary by the carrier you choose to go with, however some benefits covered under the Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance for People with Pre-Existing Conditions are:

• I Hospital Confinement
• Surgery Benefit
• Generic Only Drugs
• Intensive Care Benefit
• Emergency Room Benefit
• Physician Office Visit
• Blood tests
• X-rays

Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance for People with Pre-existing medical conditions gives hope to those who have been rejected or denied health insurance due to a pre-existing medical condition. We all should be entitled to insurance coverage when faced with a medical condition and Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance For People with Pre-existing conditions gives everyone the chance to get insurance coverage so that you can focus on getting better rather than worry about how you are going to pay your medical bills.

If you or a loved one has a pre-existing medical condition, please contact an insurance broker who specializes in Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance for People with Pre-existing Medical Condition, so that you can get covered and get on your way to improving your health and getting back to enjoying your life.

Source by Phillip Smith