Substitute Insurance

It doesn’t matter if you are shopping for Auto, Home, Health, Life or Business insurance – if you don’t know the lingo you are liable to end up paying too much or getting the wrong coverage. Here’s a handy guide to some of the more important insurance terms to keep you on the right track.

General Terms:

Deductible – Deductibles reduce the price of insurance because you pay a predetermined amount of the loss or expense BEFORE the insurer pays. You select the deductible and the higher you choose, the lower your premium.

Premium – This is merely the sum you or your company antes up to the insurance firm in exchange for their coverage and benefits rendered.

Property and Casualty – Property and casualty is the term for that segment of the insurance industry that pays for damage to property or for personal injury. This includes auto, home-owners and business liability insurance among other things.

Life and Health – This is the other segment of the insurance industry that does not fit under the property and casualty label.

Umbrella Policy – This is a general term implying broader coverage than a basic policy would typically offer can. For example, homeowner insurance that includes coverage for general lawsuits would be considered umbrella insurance.

Car Insurance:

Collision – Like the name implies, this is the aspect of your car insurance that compensates for fixing damages to your car following the deductible.

Comprehensive – This term also applies to car insurance and it’s that aspect of your insurance coverage that compensates for “non-collision” types of damage like fire, water, malicious mischief or theft.

Liability – this is the aspect of your insurance coverage that compensates for losses to a 3rd party like personal injury, property impairment or pain and suffering. Householders policies also usually have liability coverage to protect you from assorted cases of personal injury suits.

No-fault – About fifty percent of the states require “no fault” insurance which pays for impairments to vehicles, property and individuals irrespective of who is at fault in the accident.

Health Insurance:

Ancillary Care/Coverage – Ancillary is just a fancy term for “additional” or “extra” or “related.” It applies to comprehensive policies that for example, only cover basic health benefits but also have added (ancillary) coverage for prescription drugs or eye care, etc.

Cobra – The “Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act” is a Federal law that requires companies to offer extended health care coverage to terminated employees for a period of time. This coverage is typically paid for by the ex-employee but at group rates.

Co-payment – This is a health insurance term for how much you are required to pay for a visit to the doctor’s office, or for some other type of medical care. After your co-payment and deductibles the insurance company typically pays for the remainder of the bill.

Fee for Service – This is the type of health Insurance that allows you to select any Doctor and pays for some agreed percentage of “reasonable and customary” fees. You then end up paying the difference.

H.M.O. – HMOs give comprehensive medical coverage for a set fee. But they require you to use their facilities and medical employees thus limiting your choice.

P.P.O. – “Preferred Provider Organizations” are networks of doctors who charge on a fee for service basis but typically at a discount pre-negotiated by the insurance company. Thus insurance companies will usually pay a larger share of your bill if you go to one of their “preferred providers.”

Life Insurance:

Annuity – These are policies that pay while a person is alive for a specified period of time. They are usually offered by life insurance companies.

Term Life – Term life is a form of life insurance purchased for a specific period (term) of time. If the person dies during this period, the insurance is paid. If not, the coverage expires or must be renewed to maintain the benefit.

Universal Life – A Life insurance policy attached to a savings vehicle tied to market interest rates and where the benefits are not fixed but may change within limits.

Whole Life – A traditional life insurance policy that accumulates cash value over the life of the policy at a fixed rate and with pre-determined premiums. The insurance benefit is also a fixed and guaranteed amount.

Chris Carbukel enjoys showing internet users how to find the most economical insurance for their needs. If you’d like to know more visit his new website Insurance-Price-Quotes.org where you can learn how to get the best deals on all kinds of insurance including finding the best Home Insurance Comparison.