Hispanic kids are less likely than their non-Hispanic white counterparts to be diagnosed with autism, and socioeconomic factors don’t seem to explain the difference, according to a new study in Texas schoolchildren.

“These findings raise questions: Is autism under diagnosed among Hispanics? Are there protective factors associated with Hispanic ethnicity?” Dr. Raymond F. Palmer of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and his colleagues write in the American Journal of Public Health.

Other research has shown a lower risk of autism among Hispanic individuals, while one study found that Hispanics with autism were typically diagnosed later than autistic children of other ethnic backgrounds. Autism could be under diagnosed among Hispanics, Palmer and his team note, given that these children are less likely to have health insurance and more likely to have trouble accessing medical care.

To investigate the factors behind the difference in prevalence, the researchers looked at data on 1,184 schools in 254 Texas counties, calculating the number of children in kindergarten through 12th grade in each district who had been diagnosed with autism.

For every 10 percent increase in Hispanic schoolchildren in a given district, the researchers found, the prevalence of autism decreased by 11 percent, while the prevalence of kids with intellectual disabilities or learning disabilities increased by 8 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

The reverse was seen as the percentage of non-Hispanic white children in a district increased, with the prevalence of autism rising by 9 percent and the prevalence of intellectual and learning disabilities falling by 11 percent and 2 percent.

The observed relationships remained for Hispanic children after the researchers accounted for key socioeconomic and health care provider factors, although “urbanicity” of a district, median household income, and number of health care professionals did explain the increased percentage of autism among districts with more non-Hispanic white kids — a finding the researchers call “curious.”Whether lower autism prevalence in Hispanics is attributable to other, still-unexamined socioeconomic, health care delivery or biological factors “remains a crucial area for further research,” Palmer and colleagues conclude.

Source by john willow

The actions required in removing acne scars can be expensive. Depending on the severity and amount of scarring, multiple treatments may be needed in order to effectively minimize the lasting effects of acne. The problem that many sufferers face is finding a way to pay for removing acne scars if their medical insurance does not cover the cost of treatment.

Because removing acne scars may be considered, by some insurance providers, as a cosmetic procedure, it may be difficult to get an approval. If you are considering a procedure that will aid in removing acne scars, the best way to learn if your medical insurance covers this type of treatment is to review your policy. Whether your insurance is provided through your employer or you obtained it directly from an insurance provider, you should have a detailed overview of your coverage. Many providers do not cover the cost of cosmetic treatments and/or surgeries, which are often deemed as cosmetic or plastic surgery. If you still have questions after reviewing your policy, call your insurance agent to inquire about coverage.

If coverage is in question, it may help to have your physician provide a written recommendation to your insurance company. This letter should include the physician’s name, contact information and his/her determination and recommendation regarding treatment to help in removing acne scars. Once this letter is submitted to your insurance company, a response should be given within 30 days. This can either be to the physician directly or to you, but the insurance company will reply with an acceptance or denial.

In the event that you request for medical insurance coverage relating to removing acne scars is denied, there may still be other options. For instance, if your condition warrants laser surgery for removing acne scars, the hospital may offer a payment plan to help cover the cost of the procedure. Many hospitals provide this type of financing to help their patient’s afford treatment that would otherwise be unavailable to them due to lack of medical insurance. In order to be granted a payment plan, you would have to first determine whether or not one is available. This can be found at the hospital’s billing office. If payment plans are available, your physician would have to determine a total cost for removing acne scars and provide it to the billing office. Following the procedure, the hospital would issue a bill and, if you are signed up on a payment plan, would give you the opportunity to make low monthly payments.

The information in this article is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice. Prior to beginning any attempt at removing acne scars, individuals should consult their dermatologist for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Source by Cristi

Medicaid Health Insurance is a healthcare program that is provided through national and province funding, and in Ohio is the largest plan of it’s kind, and has been around the longest. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is in charge of running the Medicaid program.

Medicaid is designed to protect people who can not afford medical insurance by covering their medical bills. There are specific criteria that determine who qualifies, based on income; in addition pregnant women, disabled people, senior citizens who are not receiving Medicare, families who are already receiving help through Social Services and refugees with emergency medical needs will be able to receive Medicaid.

Contacting the Dept. of Social Services is the simplest way to determine if you qualify. Literature is also available through the Department of Social Services that will spell out all the information you need. If you believed that you qualify for services, the next step is to request an application. A case worker will be assigned once you are approved to answer your questions.

There are quite a few pages in the application so it could take some time to complete. There are questions not only about your family income, but also your spouse, assets and any emergency medical needs.

Understanding is needed during the application process. Once it is processed and you have been approved, you will receive an identification card that you would take with you to the doctor, hospital or pharmacy. Many people will be completely covered while others will have copays. Examples of co-payments would be five or ten dollars. Nonetheless, the price is very low compared to what you could pay for doctor and prescriptions without it. Medicaid gives people access to the health care they need but could not afford to get otherwise.

Questions about Ohio Medicaid can be answered by the Dept of Social Services. They can give you guidance on application procedures as well as answer questions on how the program itself works. If you believe you might qualify it is absolutely worth your time to check into your own eligibility, as this wonderful program can help you stay healthy and safe during difficult financial times.

So, you have made it through the prospecting game. You made your cold calls, sent out your mass mortgage mailers, invited people to your coffee-sponsored seminars, you qualified responders as being serious prospects and have set the appointment.

Now what? You have done all this work, are you sure you are going to get their business? In this article are 5 closing techniques to help you solidify the deal and make the sale.

1. Quality Demonstration! If you are going to take the time to give a demonstration, be sure that you listen to your potential client’s needs and interpretations of what they expect to get out of your appointment. There is nothing worse than explaining variable life insurance and all the different cash options and disability waivers…to find out they only have a budget of $50 per month. So, listen and then tailor your demonstration to focus on their needs and to solve whatever void they need filled. Don’t get too wordy. The best demonstrations have few words, but are very poignant.

2. Small-closes! Throughout the demonstration, try to get periodic “buy ins” and acknowledgments that you are on track with solving their needs. Ask for their opinions, ask open ended questions; be sure to engage the potential client. If you can make many small closes throughout the sales process, then when it comes time to pull out the application, they won’t be shocked or caught off guard. When they ask a question, re-state their question. This does two things: it lets the potential client know that you are listening to their concerns, but it also restates to them what they have just said is their need. So, when the time comes for you to discuss possible solutions, such as term insurance to cover the mortgage, or a wrap-around disability income policy to substitute the rest of their income, then they cannot back out and say that it isn’t a concern.

3. Between 1 and 10! This has got to be one of the greatest closing lines ever. It is easy to do, and it forces the potential client to sell themselves. When you have finished your demonstration, you simply turn to your client and ask them, “Between 1 and 10…10 being ‘I am ready to fill out the application and never worry about how my family will financially survive if something should happen to me’…or 1 being ‘I wish you would leave my house right now’….where do you fall? And no matter what they tell you, you ALWAYS answer, “Really, a “#”? Why so high?” Even if they tell you a “4”….you answer, “Really, a 4? I thought you would be a 3, you had your arms crossed and didn’t seem interested in anything I was saying. Why are you so high? What made you choose a 4?”
And then let them answer. Even with a low number, they will point out the features that they liked. They will point out the solutions that worked best. They will also tell you what they didn’t like…and then you can move forward from there. If they were turned off by the price….them give them other options. If they were turned off by the fee structure of A-share mutual funds, then tell them about B or C shares.

4. Suggest/Recommend! This isn’t so much a closing technique as it is a phrase that sets you apart from others by presenting you as the expert. Think about the times you have heard people use this phrase with you. Typically most large oil changing stations will say at the end of their “12 point inspection”, “I recommend you flush out your steering fluid or use a fuel injector cleaner”. What happens is that, they are recommending this to you, which gets you thinking, “hmm…they are the experts, perhaps I should listen to them”. Versus someone saying, “you NEED to do this.” That phrase turns us off. “I don’t NEED to do anything!” When you are sitting with a prospective client and you have finished your demonstration and they have agreed that they need to begin a college savings plan, or invest in a sound life insurance policy, the next phrase out of your mouth should be, “As your Financial Representative, I suggest we get started with…..” or “I recommend that we…..”. It sets you up as the professional that they will trust.

5. Take the sale away! This phrase sounds like the opposite of what you want to do, but rather than chasing someone for the sale, make them ask you for it. Statements like, “I don’t even know if you will qualify for this….why don’t we fill out some of the medical questions to see if we should even move forward with underwriting.” Or if they balk at the initial deposit to open a college plan or annuity, try saying, “You know what? Maybe you are right. This college plan doesn’t seem like the right fit to help you cover the cost of your children to go to any school they want to….why don’t you check out state savings plans through the bank…I believe that enrollment period starts in 6 more months”. This gets the person thinking, “Well what is wrong with me? I want to fit in, I want to belong.” When you push something, it moves away from you….when you pull the same item, it comes towards you. Another move you can make…if someone says that the premium is more than they want to spend, you can always say, “you know what, maybe you are right, but why don’t we go ahead and get you underwritten, see if you even qualify for this low of a premium, as you could come back rated. Then once you are approved, then we can determine which policy will work best for you.”

It takes a little time to change your thinking, especially when you are just starting out. But give it some time, and practice these steps. You will see clients becoming more attracted to you as a professional.

Source by Christee Fontanez

Most of the time we hear people say car modification can cause you much of your premium. This is somehow partially true. According to some experts, this is one factor that is usually misunderstood by many. If they hear modification, it means higher car insurance quote. Actually, premium depends on the changes that you make with your car. Let us try to categorize the changes you want to give your car and if it affects the premium you pay.

The two categories of car modification are the following:

• Performance modification-These are the changes which improves the performance of the car. It has something to do with the speed. This changes are usually done by enthusiastic car owners who are bored with the average speed of their car and they want to make their car go faster than the normal speed.

• Aesthetic modification-These are the changes which make your car attractive not only to the common people but also to thieves and vandals.

The changes which accompany the performance modification include engine tuning. Tuning is the alteration of the internal combustion engines to produce the highest performance of the car. This may cause a higher premium because car insurance companies believe that if the engine’s power output is excellent, it is vulnerable to crash.

Of course to insurance companies, it is just practical to increase the premium rate from the business point of view. Other companies even do not want highly customized cars if possible because they are considered as high risk. In other words, the higher the risks of the car, the higher car insurance rates will be given.

On the other hand, beautification of your car does not cause you much. This includes changing of your wheels to a new alloy one. Almost anybody could do this because there is a wide range of alloy wheels to choose from. The good thing here is that it will not affect the premium rate particularly if locking wheel nuts comes with it. However the downside of this is that if the new rim is damaged, it will not be replaced by the company.

Another change which does not affect the insurance rate much is installing tinted windows. Tinted windows make your car look glossy and to some extent will prevent thieves from looking what is inside your car which may attract their attention. Some insurers though may charge 10% of your premium for tinted window modification. So if your premium is $450, it is likely that you have an added $45. This varies on the different car insurance companies. Again it is safe to inform them of any alteration.

Generally speaking, any refinement of the car which changes the performance cause you more premium rate to pay while those that only give your car artistic look causes a little less money. Sometimes it is easy to just add some adjustment but lost the picture of the consequence of doing such. So the best thing to do is to foresee if your budget can handle the modification you want to impose to your car.

Source by Patricia Gabbett

Thousands of seniors will be making the switch from the Medicare Advantage program to original Medicare during the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period.  This means they will also be searching for the best Medicare Supplemental Insurance plan available.   Deciding to make the switch is great, but determining the best plan to buy can be quite a difficult task.

Medicare Supplement Plan F is the most popular plan available to seniors over the age of 65, mostly because it is the most comprehensive option.  This plan covers the Part A and Part B deductibles, as well as the 20% coinsurance original Medicare does not pay.  In fact, people who purchase Plan F rarely have any out of pocket costs except for their monthly premium.  In addition, Medicare Supplement Plan F has a foreign travel benefit and covers Part B excess charges.

Medicare Supplement Plan F might have the best coverage, but finding this plan for a low price can be a challenge.  The good news is the Center for Medicare Services has standardized all plans, which means every insurance company offers the same exact plans with the same benefits.  They cannot change the plans, nor can they add additional benefits.  Knowing this, it is important to shop all companies to ensure you purchase Plan F for the lowest price available.

Medicare Supplement Plan F is a great plan, and most seniors would like to purchase it.  However, many do not qualify due to pre-existing health conditions.  Medicare Supplement Plans, unlike Medicare Advantage Plans, have health questions that must be answered before you are approved for coverage.   However, you may qualify for a special guaranteed issue period if you are leaving a Medicare Advantage Plan during the Annual Enrollment Period.   If this is the case, you should use this opportunity to purchase the best plan available.

Information is the key to making a great decision, and there are several ways to get information regarding Medicare Supplement Plan F.  You will need to get quotes from multiple companies, and determine if you will qualify for coverage.  The most effective method of doing this is to contact a national insurance broker who specializes in Medicare plans.  They will be able to give you quotes and explain the guaranteed issue and underwriting guidelines.

All seniors are searching for the same things.  They want the best coverage for the lowest price.  Furthermore, they want to visit the doctors and hospitals they feel will offer the highest quality care.  Medicare Supplement Plan F is almost always the best answer, but it greatly depends on your budget and location.  It is important to consider all your options before making a purchase.

Source by Tyra Phillips

1.  If you are going to move it, insure it. If you own a motor vehicle disable it until it is insured. You own a motor vehicle if you hold legal title or have use of it for 30 days or if you have immediate right of possession under an installment contract. If you are caught without insurance you will be fined. If you are in an accident and are at fault you can be sued with the limitation imposed by the No Fault law. If you are hurt in a motor vehicle accident in the uninsured car no car insurance will pay your medical bills, wage loss, or replacement loss and you cannot sue the person at fault. If someone else is hurt in an uninsured car you own you may be required to reimburse the Assigned Claims Fund for No Fault benefits it may pay for those injured in the accident. The reimbursement may include medical bills, wages and replacement expenses. It may include injuries to your own relatives.

2. After an accident notify your insurance company and send or deliver your insurance company an Application of No Fault insurance. To be eligible for No Fault benefits an injured person must notify the insurance company that is required to pay No Fault benefits within one year of the accident. In some cases an insurance company aside from your own is required to pay No Fault benefits. If your insurance company will not pay contact a lawyer to see whose company is required to pay. Remember you only have 1 year to notify the correct insurance.

3. All medical bills, wage losses, and replacement services are paid before the first anniversary of the date the bill or loss was incurred. Not even a court can order the insurance company to pay for service rendered more than one year in the past. Do not let any bill or loss become stale.

4. If you are entitled to sue the driver at fault you must generally do so before the legal time limits expire. For a motor vehicle accident the legal time limits is generally 3 years of the date of the accident. There are exceptions, but as a rule of thumb make sure you do something well before the third anniversary of the accident. An attorney will need time to pull together all the information needed to file a lawsuit before the time limit expires.

5. Remember you can be entitled to No Fault benefits even if you are at fault in an accident. Michigan has a No Fault system. You are entitled to No Fault benefits for injuries arising of the operation, use, or maintenance of a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle. The law does not require you to be without fault.

6. If you are injured changing a tire on a motor vehicle you are may be entitled to No Fault benefits. Changing a tire is maintaining a motor vehicle and is covered.

7. If you are injured while entering or exiting a motor vehicle you may be entitled to No Fault benefits. Entering or exiting a motor vehicle is using a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle.

8. If you are working and are injured in a motor vehicle accident you may be entitled to both workers’ disability compensation and No Fault benefits. Deduction from No Fault apply when workers’ disability compensation pays, but it is definitely worthwhile to have a lawyer review your circumstances.

9. Keep track of medical expenses. You are the only person who can keep up to date on medical treatment. Some services are not apparent and you need to be vigilant to keep track of them. Surgery will require an anesthesiologist. Make sure you turn those bills into the insurance company. Remember a bill that is more than one year old will not be paid by the No Fault insurance company.

10. If you drive your own motorcycle insure it. Although you are not required to carry No Fault insurance, you are required to insure your motorcycle with liability coverage. If you do not and are in an accident you will not be entitled to No Fault benefits.

Click to view our Michigan Insurance Attorneys.

Source by Richard Clark

Many details of healthcare reform are still unknown; as Ms. Pelosi, our Speaker of The House was quoted when pushing healthcare reform through that “we have to pass the (health care reform) bill so you can find what’s in it. Obviously, this is backwards logic, as is much of the reform.

There are however a few good ideas in the healthcare reform, and one of them are ACO’s. ACO’s are ( as proposed) integrated systems where providers and facilities work in tandem to minimize cost of healthcare for seniors while maintaining quality care. To accomplish this, the ACO will be given a defined budget, and will reap rewards if they spend less (ration healthcare) than the budget, or be punished (i.e. pay for it) if they exceed the budget.

This is not new, this is capitation and manages care, and the ACO is just a new name for a PHO or IPA. This idea has been around since the late 1980′s. It is prevalent throughout California. It is a concept that works at controlling cost. If most Americans were on capitated health plans, we would not need healthcare reform.

There will be backlash to this new/old concept, as seniors learn the details from slick PR Firms, whose employers want more and more of our GNP going down the drain in fee for service models. Capitation (defined budget healthcare) works it caps spending. It eliminates fraud and creates an environment where healthcare can be rationed with sanity, versus money being squirted from a fire hose (at max PSI) at a senior as they lay dying in the ICU.

In response to this we are working on a new stop loss product. ACO Stop Loss Reinsurance. Which will provide an outlier of reimbursement for the unpredictable shock loss claim, either stop loss reinsurance based on a per member basis, or on an aggregate budget basis?

HCP National is a Managed Care Stop Loss and Managed Care Reinsurance Broker and Reinsurance Intermediary. We do HMO Reinsurance and Provider Stop Loss and Employer Stop Loss and soon to be ACO Reinsurance and ACO Stop Loss

Source by William Dyer

When disaster strikes in Denver, people expect their insurance to come through with payments to contractors for their homes.  One of those payments probably needs to go to a service for board up in Denver.  There are different ways that insurance companies work with board up services. 

One way that insurance money is paid for services for board up in Denver is after the fact.  When you have an emergency like a break-in or vandalism, you call the board up Denver company and they will send someone out.  You pay for the service and the company is satisfied.  To satisfy yourself, you take your work order receipt to your insurance agent and submit it for payment on your homeowners’ insurance.  Then you get your money back. 

Another way insurance can work is for the board up Denver company to bill you rather than request money on the spot.  You can then pay the bill and submit it for approval by your insurance company.  If the board up is necessary, you will be reimbursed. 

There is another way to accomplish this process.  You can simply take the bill itself into the insurance agent and submit it for payment to the services for board up in Denver.  If the insurance company agrees, they will send a check to the board up company for the services rendered.  It is best to notify the board up company in Denver about your plans if you do this because it usually means that they will be waiting awhile on their money. 

Some services for board up in Denver have a working relationship with insurance companies.  Instead of calling a board up service in Denver, you might call your insurance agent instead. 

Often what will happen is that a board up company will be sent by the insurance company directly to your building.  They will choose the company and they will have a prearranged method of paying this board up Denver company after the work is completed.  You do not have to worry about a thing. 

When you understand the way insurance companies can work with services for board up in Denver, you can take better control of the situation.  If you want to let the insurance company handle the whole process, you can do that too.  Knowing how it works can set your mind at ease.

Source by Eddie Frank

Portland, Ore., 2008 – The Appraisal Group of America is an expert in the field of Diminished Value. If you’ve never heard of it before it’s important to know because it could cost you thousands of dollars. Any consumer seeking to recovery the maximum possible from automobile accident appraisals should find out all they can about this hidden fact.

If your car is newer than 2002 and the accident was not your fault, Diminished Value is due to you and can be paid nationally by every insurance company. Diminished Value Claims can be worth 20-50% of the vehicle’s resale value, typically worth in the thousands. Typical claims for Diminished Value scenarios can run around $4,000 -$15,000 for a single claim and estimates on luxury high end vehicles can get even higher amounts.

Research shows that 55% of consumers would not buy a car if had been in an accident and over 80% would want a huge discount on the price before they would consider such a purchase. A study completed by the State of Florida determined “uncompensated losses” due to “decreased value” were estimated to be worth over twenty billion dollars in the United States.

When a demand for diminished value is made, insurance companies may deny diminished value has happened. Claimants need to support their diminished value claims with an expert appraisal that can determine that diminished value has occurred. Appraisal Group of America fights to get you the settlement that you’re entitled to – all across the nation.

Jack Donnelly – LTC US Army (Ret) a total loss client says it all –

“Thanks for your tenacious persistence in prosecuting my claim with USAA… Without your expertise I never would have gotten the over $21K plus tax from them. I have recommended you to friends and will continue to do so in the future.”

Terry Fisher, Automobile Diminished Value Expert gets consumers millions of dollars for Diminished Value Claims. Even if your claim has already been settled, you can still file a separate Diminished Value claim as long as the repairs are recent.

You can contact Terry Fisher at Autoloss.com and get a free quote online for your diminished value appraisal. Call them Toll-Free at (877) 655-1661.

Source by Admin

Everyone believes in style and as such different phone brands are there in the market which are available with their high-tech handsets. Different blackberries and the latest i-phones are available for the user which with high prices. And, no one can bear the loss of such expensive gadgets. But this is also the fact that accidents can happen anytime. In case, if any individual fails to replace his/her handset then he/she will have to go for early termination fee to stop the monthly bill in case of pay monthly phone plan. And this process will charge more pounds to the user. Mobile phone insurance policy takes care of all kinds of losses one may face on the part of handset.

Phones are so small device which can be either damaged or broken down easily. Thinner and sleeker handsets have this chance of destruction more. Mobile Phone Insurance is an ideal service to protect one’s phone from any loss. This service can help the user by facilitating them to pay a monthly fee inspite of paying the replacement bill. One can save a lot of one’s hard-earned money. Phone Insurance is getting much popularity these days due to the increased rate over the years. So, naturally, insurance of phone is good as one can remain saved against loss and damage.

It is well-known that phones appear with manufacturer’s warranty. But, that warranty doesn’t cover any damage or theft. Problems in the phone related to workmanship or materials come under the warranties. One should keep in mind that the manufacturer is not responsible if one’s handset fells down, gets wet, phone screen gets cracked or stolen. So, there is no use to file any warranty complain in this situation. Warranty period is time-based. If the limited period ends, one will not be compensated. This is the reason, why phone users are needed to get their phones insured with the help of insurance policy.

Several comparison websites are available where one can select the insurance policy for one’s handset. Phone insurance comes with affordable rates for the user. Different websites are available with different type of insurance services which offer their respective kind of insurance plan. An individual can compare among the sites and can select the best possible service according to one’s need and desire. One should know that phone insurance policy takes care of fraudulent calls also. Fraudulent calls are one of the most disturbing elements of user who have a mobile phone.

There is a contract arrangement with which if one goes, he/she can get phone without paying anything as a part of special package. But, it doesn’t mean here that one is not required to go for phone insurance. This is the introductory offer which is not valid for another handset purchase. One will be asked to pay full replacement charge of the phone if gets stolen or broken. In order to get the maximum company of beloved handset, one is needed to get one’s phone insured. Just as an individual insure his/her car or home, he/she must go for mobile phone insurance to enjoy the phone benefits for longer.

Source by Andrew Mathew

Critical illness affects a lot of people worldwide. Critical illness insurance has an important role to play in the lives of people nowadays. Nearly everyone knows about the numerous advantages they can benefit from a critical illness insurance. Surveys show that the number of people seeking a critical illness insurance is increasing as critical illness rates have raised. For example, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Society 2002, there may be about 85,000 people suffering from this critical illness in the UK.

Moreover, around 2,500 newly discovered multiple sclerosis cases could more likely be found in the UK each year. This critical illness is frequent among young people, especially between the ages of 20 to 40. Thus, multiple sclerosis can be considered as the most common neurological disorder among young adults. Furthermore, another common critical illness in the UK is cancer. According to the Breast Cancer Campaign 2002, about 38,000 women could have been diagnosed by breast cancer in the year 1997. This figure shows how elevated the magnitude of this critical illness really is. It can also be said that one of every nine women may contract breast cancer at some point in her life. Thanks to medical improvements, interventions have been successful regarding this critical illness. More than 60 percent of women may have remained alive five years after contracting breast cancer.

There are other critical illnesses that affect a lot of people in the UK and worldwide. Let’s have a look.

Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
As per the Alzheimer’s society 2002, there may be over 700,000 people suffering from a critical illness like dementia. Furthermore, experts affirm that if the current results continue, by the end of the year 2010, the amount may reach 850,000. The situation could have been much severe if there had not been critical illness insurance to account for possible medical expenses for these people.

Arthritis & Rheumatism
According to the Arthritis Research Campaign 2002, around 8 million people may be currently affected by arthritis or rheumatic disease. Out of these, 3 million patients may have been disabled. It is therefore a saddening fact to see so much people suffering from a single critical illness. Moreover, osteoarthritis can be the most common joint disorder affecting around 1 million people. Aged people are most likely to suffer from this critical illness. Also, around 350,000 people may be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Brain & Spinal Injury
According to BASIC 2002, each year in the UK there may be about 500 new cases of a fatal critical illness such as brain tumor. The tumor spreads in the brain itself and may not propagate anywhere in the human body. Additionally, approximately 8,500 people are likely to be diagnosed with brain hemorrhage each year. More precisely, 4 out of every 10 patients may be left suffering from long term problems. Also, around one million people may be treated for head injuries in hospitals each year. More statistics show that 9 out of every 20 patients suffering from severe injury may not return to work. Thankfully critical illness insurance payout may become like a source of replacement for this loss of income. In total, about 3 million people in the UK may be currently suffering from brain related disorders.

Critical illness is what no one would like to have. What will happen to your family or the ones you love if you contract a critical illness at some point in your life? This is a question you would probably not like to think about. So the best and may be the wisest way to be protected in the future is to buy a critical illness insurance. Critical illness payout may probably support you during days you mostly need care.

Source by Mike Armstrong

Finding that a fire has damaged your business is not something to be just shrugged off, and can possibly even threaten the very future of the business. The fire not only causes damage in the immediate area but the smoke can effect parts of the building a great distance away.

you often find that the corrosive and acrid effects of smoke can be detected for months after the fire itself has been extinguished. This can present a health hazard, as well as damaging the contents of the building and decorative finish. Other damage which most often occurs is water damage caused by fire fighters and sprinkler systems. Your insurance company’s loss adjuster will not help you fill in the paperwork to settle your claim for structural damage, damage caused by water, time and goods lost from the business. Loss adjusters work directly for the insurance company and although charged with settling your claim fairly are not accountable to you.

After the fire is extinguished the next move is to find a new home for your business, make sure the damaged building is safe from further damage and salvaging the remains of your belonging. With these priority measures completed you should call an insurance loss assessor such as Truman Associates to liaise on your behalf with your insurers and guarantee the claim is processed and settled in the most beneficial way to you.

An independent insurance loss assessor will check every aspect of your policy, checking that your claim is comprehensively settled, as well as communicating with your insurance company thus guaranteeing the comprehensive settlement of your claim. Insurance loss assessors are far better placed than any layman to deal with insurance companies or adjusters as they have years of experience in the industry, especially as at the time you have a lot more on your mind than dealing with fire insurance. Specialising in independent Insurance loss assessment,

Truman Associates are totally there to help you, ensuring that your fire insurance claim is settled quickly, getting you up and running again as soon as possible and helping you to retain your customers loyalty.

Source by Daniel Southern

According to a recent survey by insurer Swinton, 80 per cent of drivers give their car a pet name. Swinton, one of the UK’s biggest high street retailers for both men’s and women’s car insurance said that eight out of ten of us who own a car name it in order to bond with the vehicle.

Insurer Development Manager for Swinton, Steve Chelton said: “Drivers can easily become emotionally attached to their vehicles, and giving an affectionate name is the first step in this process.”

Customers who have an emotional attachment to their cars tend to look after them better, as they care for the car more like a person than a hunk of metal. As a result, females who gave their cars a name could receive cheaper women’s car insurance for taking good care of their car.

On the whole, women were more likely than men to name their cars, with 88 per cent of women giving their vehicle a name, but less than half of the men admitted to doing the same. This may be a contributing factor to why women’s car insurance is cheaper, as more women were willing to care for their vehicle and hence drive with more consideration.

Car owners who were choosing a name for their vehicle said that the most important factor which contributed to the decision was the car’s colour. Yellow cars tended to get stuck with names that included “banana” in the title, whereas red cars were given nicknames associated with going fast such as “Speedy”.

After colour, the manufacturer of the vehicle was the next most influencing factor in naming a car. Renault’s were imaginatively called Megan (after the Mégane) and Nicole after the popular Clio advert featuring Papa and Nicole.

Names were also inspired by celebrities or by celebrity vehicles, such as KITT from Knight Rider. According to the poll, 4 per cent of drivers named their car after an ex-lover. Men and women tended to name their car according to the opposite sex, with 81 per cent of men giving their car a female name and 91 per cent of women referring to their car as masculine.

The Swinton survey was conducted from a sample of 1,600 customers who had a mix of men’s and women’s car insurance.

Source by Direct Traffic

As a CA auto accident attorney and personal injury lawyer in Southern California with nearly thirty years of experience in San Diego, Santa Ana, Riverside, Chula Vista, Irvine, San Bernardino, Huntington Beach, Fontana, Moreno Valley, Oceanside, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Corona, Escondido, Costa Mesa, Victorville, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, Indio, and London, there are secrets that insurance companies don’t want you to know. Here are ten of the most important.

First, insurance companies are not your friends. They are in business to make money. The less money they give you for your accident, the more money they make. Their adjusters may seem pleasant, and on a personal level they may even feel something for what you are going through. But they do not get ahead in their jobs by giving you more money than they can get by with giving you.

Second, insurance companies do no want you to hire a lawyer. If you hire a lawyer, they know they will have to pay you more money. They will paint lawyers as greedy, lazy, unnecessary, and any other number of adjectives to believe you will do better without a lawyer. Knowing the first secret, why would you ever believe such a portrayal from an insurance company interested in making money?

Third, an insurance company will tell you things that an insurance lawyer knows better than to believe himself. Some will tell you that you aren’t entitled to claim a back injury from an accident if you had back problems before the accident. They may tell you that you aren’t entitled to pain and suffering for certain types of medical bills. They will almost certainly tell you that you can’t be seriously injured if your impact was minor.

Fourth, an insurance company adjuster is a skilled negotiator. That means he or she will attempt to play you like a poker pro. You will hear things like, “that’s my best offer,” “if you don’t agree to accept this offer, we can have an arbitration,” “you won’t do better than this after an attorney takes his fee,” and “our analysis of your medical bills is that the reasonable value of them is less than half.”

Fifth, insurance companies do want to settle your case, but they pretend as if they could care less if you take the case to court. Unfortunately, until you have an attorney, they will be discounting the value of your case not only by at least what you would be paying an attorney out of your settlement, but often by other values such as the cost of future medical treatment, and future wage loss.

Sixth, insurance companies will probably not tell you other things that you have a right to be compensated for such as prescriptions, the loss of use of your car, damage to items in your vehicle, mileage to your doctors and other items you can be compensated for.

Seventh, when you are dealing with an insurance adjuster, you might as well be dealing with their insurance attorneys. The adjuster has often been trained in programs put together by top insurance negotiators and attorneys who know the law, who know psychology, and who know how to pay you the least amount of money they can get by with paying you.

Eighth, insurance companies have reserves set aside for major catastrophes that allow them to hold millions to billions of dollars and gain interest on those funds and improve their profits.

Ninth, insurance companies don’t advertise on television all of the time because they aren’t making money. If they weren’t making money, they wouldn’t advertise (although this may no longer be true of financial institutions that have gone bankrupt on Wall Street while still running advertisements on television).

Tenth, insurance companies make interest on every dollar they hold. It is therefore in their best interest not to settle your case quickly, unless they are settling it cheaply. 

If you’ve been injured in a personal injury accident in Orange County, San Diego, in the Inland Empire, Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, don’t let an insurance company talk you out of hiring an experienced Anaheim Personal Injury Lawyer and San Diego Car Accident Attorney on your case. Be sure to hire a California law firm with personal injury lawyers who can serve areas such as Escondido, Anaheim and Palm Desert so you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

If you’ve been injured in a personal injury accident and want to know more about your rights and what you are entitled to, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn more about how we obtain great personal injury settlements from insurance companies. You can also call us to speak directly to Sebastian Gibson about any auto, motorcycle, truck, pedestrian, car or bicycle accident, the loss of a loved one in a wrongful death or about a dog bite injury with no charge for your consultation.

Source by R. Sebastian Gibson

Every year, tons of people loose huge amounts of money in house burglaries, house fires, floods and other unforeseen events. These loses would have easily been compensated had these people availed of insurance for their homes and properties, but the sad fact is – a lot of people don’t or if ever they did ,it is under valued.

Property insurance is pretty much easy to understand, it’s similar to life, health and accident insurances that you take out for you and your family. It shares the same principles as car insurance and even the physical and accidental insurance that you take for your gadgets and other things. Some people may neglect the necessity of having an insurance policy for their property and home, but as we all know criminal rate and costs are rising and the rising price of everything translates into probable losses.

Property insurance works by providing financial and in some instances legal protection against unforeseen events that may damage your property. Depending on your policy, the insurance provider may directly replace the item damaged or release money so that you can replace it yourself.

An insurance provider first appraises the value of your property and drafts an insurance plan or a proposal that will have the company reimburse you with the same amount that your property is valued in the event of damage to your property. The reimbursement may be lesser or greater depending on the agreed contract. Property insurance protects you against two basic things – named and open perils. Named perils insurance protects your property from events that have been clearly stated in the insurance policy. Most of the time Named Perils insurance policies include common disasters like fire, theft, explosions, etc.

Open Peril insurance policies covers all other unforeseen events except those that have been intentionally excluded in the insurance policy that both parties sign. Most insurance policies cover the Home or the dwelling itself. Any damage to the structure of the house will be appraised and reimbursed after the insurance company has done its investigation on the cause of damage – given there is no evidence of foul play.

Structures that are connected to or in close proximity to the house are also considered part of what an insurance policy covers. This could include fences, gazebos, pools, etc. Personal property is also covered in some property insurance policies. Personal property includes furniture, clothing and appliances, the appraiser will most likely take note of these items and will ask you if you want it covered as well. This will increase the premium to be paid but again, in the event of tragedy, you can expect some replacement due to its coverage. Most of the time home owners get a separate insurer for personal items rather than have them covered by same home insurance company.

Reading an insurance policy thoroughly is necessary so that you have an idea as to what is really covered in your policy so that you will not end up quarreling with your insurance provider because something you thought covered was not after all.

Source by Hunter Blyth

As a veteran, I’ve always used USAA for my auto insurance. They specifically market themselves as the Military Home, Life & Auto provider and I trusted that. That is, until I needed them.

When I needed car insurance, I filed online for their Comprehensive Policy. I printed my proof of insurance and later received my paperwork via postal mail.  A USAA representative never called to verify the policy or account.

Just days before Veteran’s Day, I had my first ever car accident. I was rear ended and pushed into the car in front of me while waiting at a stoplight. The car that struck mine never even slowed down. Shaken but luckily unhurt, I checked on the other drivers and filed the appropriate police reports.

The next day I filed out the claims information online. The website prompted me to provide each detail of the incident, contact information, police report, and (of course) vehicle damage.

USAA sent me an email to schedule a follow up phone call to verify the details of my claim. The call was on Veteran’s Day.

My Claims Representative, Curtis Spillman, was apparently unavailable and never returned my calls, so I spoke with his “team member,” a fellow USAA representative. The USAA representative went through each detail captured in the claim filed online in a recorded phone call. The call took about a half hour.

At the end of the call, the USAA representative informed me the Comprehensive policy I had purchased did not cover auto accidents. I was shocked.

What did this “comprehensive policy” actually cover? Just about everything–except car accidents.

Like most Americans, my family’s livelihood requires using my car as transportation to and from work. At the moment the car is drivable, but there is safety-threatening damage I simply cannot afford to have repaired at this time.

Naturally I insisted on speaking to someone in management, but was sent to a nameless voicemail service. I have still yet to speak to a USAA representative who has helped with this issue.

Please help spread the word so other veterans and military men and women do not have the problems I have had with USAA.

If you have any tips for dealing with this issue please comment at www.usaadeceivesceterans.blogspot.com contact me at usaadeceivesceterans@gmail.com.

— HM2 (FMF) Garcia

Source by Shauna Nicholson

If you are preparing to launch a presence in insurance on the web then you will require a professionally made and marketed site. Today there are more than a hundred million sites live on the web so the rivalry is extreme. There are a lot of factors that will shape whether or not your organization and site will be a winner. You will require to learn how to promote your insurance websites online.

To begin with you will have to put together a superior looking site that is straightforward to navigate and operate. You will locate many web designers offering their services online, but as insurance is a niche market it is most sensible to pick a design company that have prior practice of designing comparable web sites. Do not simply pick the least expensive web designer; it is typically useful finding out what other web sites that they have designed to get a sense of their competence.

Web marketing is an entirely separate task when compared to conventional means of marketing. In the present day more cash is spent on on line marketing over newspapers and television. The internet has a scope far and above any paper or television channel. By launching a website you can have a potential customer base of millions. There is no longer a necessity to have geographic restrictions on your organization.

Although you will want more than merely a smart website to be a success in the online department. You have to ask yourself how will the market hear on your insurance services. It is essential to answer this issue in full as more than half the potential customers who buy insurance now do so on the web.

There are special methods that you can make use of to improve your web sites visibility. The largest part of us will use search engines when we are looking for info like insurance. Your web pages will have to appear with a high rank in all the major search engines. For this to happen you will need to execute the most modern search engine optimization methods. For example you can contain a mixture of keywords and phrases in to the text of your web pages also in the Meta tags.

It is as crucial spending time and money on search engine optimization as it is on designing your website. Links are a different great way of raising the amount of hits that your site gets. If you can put links to your web pages on other people’s websites then you can drive more traffic in your direction.

Blogs, social networking and Facebook can all be used to boost your online presence. The more info there is with reference to your insurance service on other web sites the greater possibility you will have of elevating sales and revenue.

When your site is being produced there are several hints that can be used so that it will be positioned better by a search engine. For instance take care if you use Flash and Javascript as these are not always able to be interpreted by a search crawler. It is vital to decide on a design company that realizes the weight of search engine optimization and internet advertising.

Source by Rachel Lane

If you are in the market for Kaiser Permanente health insurance, then you are on your way to making a great choice for yourself and your family, especially if you currently have no health insurance coverage to offer protection in case of illness or injury. 

There are many factors you will need to consider to choose the right plan for yourself and your family.  If you are choosing one of the Kaiser Colorado plans, for example, your options might be different than those in Georgia or any other regional network.  The Kaiser Permanente GA plans and CO plans all have one thing in common, though – they all offer a much better future for your family than the prospect of having no insurance at all. 

There are many reasons why a Kaiser Permanente health insurance plan can be so beneficial for any type of person, and particularly for a family.  As a parent or guardian, it is your role to protect your family from harm, which means having coverage in case someone gets hurt or falls ill.  If you don’t have insurance and someone in the family gets sick or has an accident, you want to feel free to go to the hospital or doctor’s office to take care of the problem without worrying about going bankrupt.  Many people without insurance also fail to get regular checkups or even neglect to go to the emergency room when someone in the family needs medical care – this should not be you.

Whether you are looking for insurance from the Kaiser Colorado, California, Northwest, Hawaii, Ohio, Georgia or Mid Atlantic States networks, you are making a good decision for yourself and your family, as well as anyone else that relies on your being healthy and financially sound.  Every single family should have family health insurance.  What would you do if someone in your family became ill and did not have coverage?  Either you won’t get the care you need, or you will go completely broke getting the care you need if you are forced to pay the full cost without any help from an insurance plan.

Having insurance from Kaiser Permanente GA, or any other insurance provider for that matter, is just a smart thing to do for yourself and your family.  It is just part of being responsible for children, spouses and everyone else who relies on you.

Source by Groshan Fabiola

It’s hot. Really hot. So hot that even though it’s technically an impossibility you suspect you probably actually could cook an egg on the sidewalk. Summer’s knocking on your door, and it’s up to you to find a way to beat the heat. Your own backyard swimming pool is the best way to do it-but what’s a swimming pool going to do to your homeowners insurance?

Swimming pools and homeowners insurance have more of an on-again/off-again, uncertain, unpredictable and volatile relationship than most teenagers. How much your swimming pool will affect your homeowners insurance premiums and your ability to get coverage is going to depend strongly on where you live, what type of pool you have and, most importantly, what you’re willing to do to keep the people around you safe.

Why Does It Matter?

It’s easy enough to wonder why your swimming pool would have any impact at all on your homeowners insurance, particularly if you aren’t the parent of small children (or only slightly more sensible teenagers) and therefore aren’t likely to have people in and out of your swimming pool at all hours of the day and night. What most people don’t realize, however, is that they are responsible for any accidents that take place in and around their pool-even if the victim of the accident wasn’t invited, wasn’t wanted and was less welcome than a dead rat at Thanksgiving.

That’s right. If a complete stranger parks on the edge of your lawn, gets out, walks around to the back of your house, hops in your swimming pool and drowns, it’s your fault. It’s all a matter of liability-and since it’s your insurance provider that has to pay the bill for your liability claims they’re going to be extremely careful.

Location, Location, Location

In states like Florida or Texas, where backyard pools are almost as common as joggers by the Gulf, swimming pools aren’t going to have a significant impact on your homeowners insurance. On the other hand, if you happen to live in a northern state where it doesn’t stay warm enough in the summer to justify the expense of a pool and its upkeep you may find yourself paying out a little more each month. After all, your house just became the hottest party house in time!

How You Can Keep Your Homeowners Premiums to a Minimum

Nobody really wants to pay an absurd amount of money for their homeowners insurance, but no one wants to be without it in an emergency either! Lawsuits stemming from drowning, slips, falls and other nonsense that can take place in and around a pool are rarely inexpensive and always messy. Having to stand on your own in that situation is a nightmare. There are things you can do to protect your swimming pool and your bank account from disaster.

1)Build a fence around your pool to keep unwelcome visitors out.
2)Buy a pool cover, and keep it on when you’re not using it.
3)Post signs letting people know you have a pool, especially if it’s an inground.
4)Build your pool in the backyard rather than the front to keep it out of site of the street.

Source by Anthony Peck