Posts Tagged ‘r’
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
You may be offered a travel insurance policy at the time of booking your travel. There are many people who refuse it because they are unclear as to what it is or what it covers. The travel insurance is to cover any medical expenses or financial losses such as money for non refundable payments made as well as many other items you may not expect. Travelers who are travelling internationally or within their own country can purchase travel insurance.
Travel insurance can be purchased to cover your trips exact duration or you can get a more extensive continuous policy from your travel agent, travel insurance company, or travel supplier such as a cruise line or tour operator. Be careful when purchasing a policy through a travel supplier as their policies are less inclusive than the ones from the travel insurance company.
There are a variety of travelers that use travel insurance such as the student traveler, leisure traveler, business traveler, cruise traveler, adventure traveler, as well as the international traveler. There are several options that can be included in the travel insurance that will make the policy unique to each traveler who purchases it and allow them to reduce the cost of the policy.
Some of the most common risks that are being covered by travel insurance policies are of course medical expenses, emergency evacuations, accidental death, injury, and disablement benefits, overseas funeral expenses, cancellations of trips, curtailment, delays in departure times, loss, damage or theft of personal possessions including money and travel documentation, delayed baggage for replacement of emergency essentials, legal assistance, and personal liability for rental car damages.
The policies vary widely depending on travel insurance company and travel supplier. The policy can be customized to meet the traveler’s needs and price. There are some companies that will offer insurance to cover any additional trip expenses that may arise.
A separate policy can be purchased to cover any high risk or dangerous sports participation such as rock climbing, sky diving, or skiing as well as one to cover any pre-existing medical conditions like asthma or diabetes. Travel to countries that are known for natural disasters, terrorism acts or have a war status will create the need for a separate policy for travel to the high risk country.
Your basic policy will have certain items excluded for coverage that may require a separate policy. Travel to countries with war and terrorism threats, pre existing medical conditions or any injury or illness created by alcohol or drug use is normally excluded from a typical insurance policy. The majority of companies will allow you to buy a separate policy for travel to countries with war and terrorism threats.
The first trimester of pregnancy is normally covered by travel insurance for nay related expenses. Travel during pregnancy may not be covered from trimester to trimester so ask your travel insurance company about their policy.
Travel insurance offers services that operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Emergency assistance and the concierge services are the most common to be used. You can expect to pay about 5-7% of your total trip cost for your travel insurance policy.
Tags: f, Finance, health, health insurance, i, insurance, m, money, o, r, t, travel, travel & leisure, travel health insurance, travel insurance, travel tips
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Thursday, July 9th, 2009
by Amy Nutt
Travel Insurance is a form of limited or special situation insurance that covers loss arising from a specific event. This could be flying in an airplane or riding in a train. The policies are based on the behavior of a group of individuals engaged in an activity and the likelihood that a loss will occur.
Travel Insurance is rated based on the occurrence of a loss as it affects a group of common interest, such as airline passengers. This differs from individual coverage, which rates the risk of loss occurring based on the personal preferences and habits of the insured. It would be difficult to use individual underwriting standards such as age and health status to travel insurance since not everybody flies in an airplane.
Group insurance factors in the community experience of the group as a whole in order to access the probability that loss will occur. Community experience factors can include the number of air disasters in a given region, or in a given year, or by a given carrier. When assessing loss exposure on a group basis it is easy to discern certain trends and patterns regarding the chance of loss. Since air travel is deemed safe with air disasters occur very infrequently (roughly 1 in 2.5 million), the rates for travel insurance is very low.
If you accept that activities such as air travel are safe with a low probability of occurring, why the need to buy travel insurance? Insurance is about something not happening, as oppose to a loss occurring. Insurance provides a way to restore value in the event of a loss and for some, having the piece of mind that some benefit may be available may be important.
Travel insurance policies are typically issued in kiosks at an airport. It may also appear as a rider associated with a credit card or to a person’s property and casualty indemnity coverage. However it is purchase, the benefit provided is a low amount of coverage, maybe no more than $25,000 (although a few higher death benefit policies exist). This is done based on the community experience-rating factor that looks at the incident of death or dismemberment occurring based on the chance of an airline disaster.
How old you are, how physically fit you may be, whether you smoke or not, are all rating factors or variables that are not important to issuing travel insurance. None of those factors has an impact on a plane taking off and landing and the likelihood that a crash will occur. That the instances of plane crashes are so low suggests that very limited factors need to be considered when pricing travel insurance.
Insurance is based on a concept of risk transfer. This means that the individual pays a premium amount that insures that if something were to happen, the insurance will provide a benefit to compensate the policy’s beneficiary. The amount paid in premium is low relative to the potential benefit that is paid. The insurance company rates the potential for loss and prices its policy accordingly so that it is able to pay if that loss occurs. The higher probability that a loss can occur means a higher premium. Applying group underwriting principles to travel insurance helps provide a product that is low cost and pays a uniform benefit.
Tags: a, b, business, business;finance, e, f, family, Finance, h, health, health insurance, i, insurance, l, life, life insurance, o, p, policy, q, quota, r, rates, t, travel, travel insurance
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Thursday, June 18th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
Commencing a journey is usually fraught with many uncertainties. It is a good idea to consider availing travel insurance. It might be needed anytime. It could however be quite trying to choose from the options open before you.The length of time for which you want to have travel insurance plays a vital role in choosing. In essence there are three types of policies. to choose from. These are single trip, annual multi-trip and extended stay. To arrive at a correct choice it is worth to understand all these three types.
A single trip travel insurance insures you for a single trip return journey. In case of children insurance these policies offer discounts also, provided, that they are traveling with an adult who has also insured for the same policy. At times these policies offer children insurance for free also subject to the condition just stated.
Another sort of policy will suit your flavor if you have to travel frequently. This is an Annual multi-trip policy.With this type of travel insurance policy you can travel as often as you need to. You save not only money with this policy but also many troubles. Besides covering you for multiple trips they also cover children also for free. Trips of 24 to 90 days are taken care of in these policies. If you have to buy separate policies for each trip you will be put to much inconvenience. So in addition to saving you from hassles these are comparatively inexpensive also.
There is another policy which suits best for students, backpackers, or the ones looking for a career break. It is called Extended stay policy. With its flexibility it frees you from budgetary constraints. These categories of travelers are prone to loss of some of their personal belongings and require to be protected for the same. You can choose the accessories and equipments you want to be insured for. The disadvantage is that you can not get insurance for everything and have to make a choice about those which you think are absolutely essential requirements for you. You save expenses by not insuring every thing. If you have the idea to work also during your holiday or stay then this is not for you. For this you have to buy a gap year policy which will include your work
You are insured for a specific sum by any travel insurance policy. Medical expenses up to $20 million, luggage loss up to $16,00, trip cancellation up to $3000 for example could be covered by the policy. The situation differs case to case. Your medical emergency decides how much the policy will cover your hospital expenses. Only cases with very serious conditions merit policy coverage.
To choose the right policy plan you must make a correct assessment of your yearly number of travels and your baggage. If you do it rightly you will be able to choose right policy. Remember that no two cases are similar. What works nice for your friend may be entirely wrong for you. Assess your own requirements from the policy and make an informed choice. Also do not forget that all policy providers are different in their terms and conditions, rules, and standards. Read them all in detail before taking a decision.
Tags: f, Finance, health, health insurance, i, insurance, m, money, o, r, t, travel, travel & leisure, travel health insurance, travel insurance, travel tips
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
by A Nutt
When Canadian students travel abroad for either work or education, they need to be aware of the risks associated with visiting another country so they can make the necessary arrangements to ensure that they are protected. Incidents while traveling abroad can include an accident, illness, and lost or stolen items. Most educational institutions require that students have travel insurance before embarking on a trip abroad. A provincial health insurance may not cover students for certain events. In these cases, a student needs to have the right travel insurance.
The most important reason for acquiring Canadian Travel Insurance is to ensure the proper and sufficient medical coverage in the event of an accident or illness. Student medical insurance within a travel insurance policy can cover such events as injury or sickness, requiring an emergency hospital stay, emergency medical treatment, and basic healthcare needs. Policies can vary, but students can obtain up to $5,000,000 (CAD) coverage.
Medical expenses account for the largest proportion of claims made by those who travel abroad. Depending on the providers policy, a students coverage can include: emergency medical and dental treatment, assistance locating a doctor, prescription drug reimbursement, ambulance transport, eye examination, hospital stay and treatment, emergency air transport coverage, accidental death coverage which includes the cost of remains to be transported home, coverage for families who want to visit the student in the hospital, as well as the services of a psychiatrist, rehabilitation facility, and much more.
Other coverage that can be provided in a travel insurance policy can include: trip cancellation reimbursement, trip disruption expenses, vehicle return, baggage insurance, emergency evacuation, rental car protection, lost or stolen items such as travelers checks, credit cards, passport, iPods, digital cameras, adventure sport equipment, and more.
When one is traveling outside of Canada, provincial health insurance will generally cover less than 7% of the total cost if they become gravely sick or injured. This is a very small amount because in most medical emergencies, fees can be quite high. Without student travel insurance that includes a quality health care coverage, a student could find themselves deeply in debt, in the middle of a medical nightmare, or even stranded in a foreign country. Nothing makes things worse than if you suddenly develop food poisoning, a painful cavity, or lost your glasses, while in another country. Some hospitals may not even treat a person who does not have medical coverage or the cash to pay for treatment and services.
If you are a student planning a trip abroad either overseas or even to the United States, not having the appropriate travel insurance can lead to a host of problems. If you are a Canadian student planning to study or work abroad, acquiring travel insurance should be at the top of your list of things to do. The last thing you want to happen is to find yourself in a serious situation far away from home. The right travel insurance will be one less thing you will have to worry about and will help prevent unexpected bad situations from becoming much worse. It will allow you to have a stress free trip and make the most of your time living and learning in a foreign country.
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Monday, May 18th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield
We do not live in a perfect world and the risk of fraud exists. It may be a fraud through a company offering you products, or it may be fraud through con artists, but the sad truth is it exists. Long-term care insurance is not exempt from the risk of fraud, and there are those out there who will try and benefit off your misfortune and leave you with nothing. One of the important things you can learn from the mistakes of others is how to avoid being a victim of insurance fraud.
Obviously, the first thing anyone should consider when they are thinking of getting long-term care insurance is research. Researching a company is one of the best ways to prevent long-term insurance fraud. When you look at the record of a company, you will be given a clear indication of how they will treat you and your money.
You should look into the financial rating of a company to determine how legit it is, and how stable it is. Standard & Poor determines the strength of insurance companies, as well as giving detailed financial profiles on thousands of insurance companies. You can also look at Fitch Ratings, which give financial strength ratings for many insurance companies.
When you decide on a long-term care insurance policy, make sure you get the policy when you meet with the insurance broker. Do not fall for the line of ‘It is all in the brochure.’ Usually, it is not. You should be able to get the policy, in writing, when you meet with the broker and before you sign it, make sure you read it very carefully, even if you have to take it home to do so.
When you get a policy, you are asked for a month’s premium up front to process the application. If you choose not to accept the policy or you are declined, you should get your money back in full.
You can also talk to friends of yours to find out what insurance company they go through for their own long-term care insurance policies, if they do. However, do not accept their word because they could be victims of long-term insurance fraud and not even know it yet. Just research the company and if you find out something troubling, let them know. Conclusion Long-term care insurance is one of the best things you can do to make sure you are not a financial burden on your family. However, you do not want to give someone your money and find out later that you were a victim of fraud. Then, with all the money you put in, you come up with nothing and that is a horrible situation to be in. Do your research, ask questions, don’t sign anything without reading it and always make clear what you expect up front. If you do this, you should be okay and be able to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of long-term care insurance fraud. You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.
Tags: a, baby boomers, e, f, family, Finance, financial, financial planning, h, health, health insurance, i, insurance, l, long term care, long term care insurance, long term insurance fraud, n, r, retirement, s, seniors
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Monday, May 18th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield
Long term insurance insurance should be part of a plan that leads provides a financially stable and safe future in the event of a long term care crisis. If there are no provisions at hand, you should start looking into long term care insurance to help make your life, and the lives of your family, more secure.
There are many factors to look for when you are getting long-term care insurance coverage, and we will cover the most important in this article. Overall, you want to make sure that the long-term care insurance coverage policy you get is going to cover you for everything you need in case you need long-term care. Factor in your current financial situation, your savings, and more.
1. Make sure that the financial strength of the long-term care insurance coverage carrier has financial strength. This is because most policyholders will not receive the benefits of the coverage plan they are paying into for as much as ten to 30 years, so you need to make sure the company will still be around then.
2. You should find out about the daily benefit of the long-term care insurance coverage plan. It can cost up to as much as $100 to $200 per day for long-term care services, so make sure your plan will cover that.
3. Inflation is a terrible thing, but it is nearly unstoppable, so you should factor it into any long-term care insurance coverage plan you get. A nursing home right now currently costs about $130 per day, while in 14 years that will be $260 per day at a five percent growth rate. Inflation is a very important part of any long-term care coverage plan. Do not forget about it or you could end up with too little money, too late.
4. Making sure you have comprehensive coverage that will cover home care, nursing home care and more.
5. Look at the claims process of the company you are looking at using, including finding out what the claims process is and how many filed claims have been paid.
6. Find out about stable premiums. Long-term care insurance coverage providers can raise premiums, so find out about their rate of increases before you go with them.
Conclusion When you get long-term care insurance, you need to make sure that the insurance is not going to leave you just as worse off because you did not do your research. You should find out about the plans they offer, what their coverage is like, the claims process and factor in for inflation.
Doing this means you will not be left high and dry when it comes time to get your long-term care insurance claim processed. You do not want to have to pay out $200 per day from your savings every month because you only factored in a $75 daily charge for a nursing home. Plan ahead, do your research and get the help of the a long-term care agent that represents many long term care providers, you will not be sorry.
Tags: a, baby boomers, c, consumer guide, e, education, f, family, Finance, financial, financial planning, h, health, health insurance, i, insurance, insurance education, l, lifestyle, long term care, long term care insurance, n, o, r, retirement, seniors
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Monday, May 18th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield
Nothing in our lives is static, least of all our own ability to care for ourselves. Eventually, as we age, the need to have a long-term care solution becomes increasingly important. However, long-term care insurance does not have to only apply to the elderly. Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed at the age of 42, required nine years of long-term care. As a result, the need for long-term care insurance is incredibly important and individuals need to start looking to purchase long-term care insurance immediately.
Generally, long-term care is for those who are not sick in the traditional sense, but are simply unable to perform basic daily activities like dressing, eating, bathing and walking. When someone is in this situation, financial security and asset protection can be difficult. However, with long-term care insurance, those worries are alleviated, or disappear altogether.
Medicare, which is used by millions of Americans to assist them in their medical expenses, does not cover expenses related to long-term care, while Medicaid will for those who cannot pay for the expenses. However, this amounts to very little money and if an individual wants financial security as they age, the need to purchase long-term care insurance increases.
Long-term care does not always apply to an individual who is aging, suffering from a disease, or in need of care for years on end. In fact, some individuals only need long-term care insurance as they recover from surgery, an accident or illness. As a result, the unfair stigma attached to long-term care insurance only being used by the elderly is unfounded, as some young individuals do benefit from it. It could be you, which shows the importance of everyone taking the initiative and going out to purchase long-term care insurance as soon as possible.
When an individual decides to purchase long-term care insurance, they are taking their future in their hands and planning for the possibility that they may not be able to take care of themselves down the road. Doing this means your family will not be struggling to pay your bills and your medical costs while you are incapacitated. As well, it will keep your bank account from draining while you are receiving long-term care. Long-term care insurance is the best way to ensure your future financial situation stays as solid as your present.
Conclusion Long-term care insurance is an excellent way for an individual to plan ahead. No one knows what the future holds and, as a result, measures need to be taken to ensure that the quality of life we enjoy at this point will be the same quality of life we enjoy when we need long-term care. Going out to purchase long-term care insurance for yourself or a family member will keep the financial stresses from becoming too much in the unfortunate situation where a family member requires long-term care.
Remember, chance favors the prepared and we should always hope for the best, while preparing for the worst. The future is uncertain, so add some certainty by going out to purchase long-term care insurance.
You should just ask for help from an insurance representative who specializes in long term care insurance to answer any questions.
Tags: a, baby boomers, c, consumer guide, e, education, f, family, Finance, financial, financial planning, h, health, health insurance, i, insurance, insurance education, l, lifestyle, long term care, long term care insurance, n, o, r, retirement, seniors
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Monday, May 18th, 2009
by Terry Stanfield
When tax season comes, all anyone seems to talk about is deductions. Not surprisingly, one of the most common questions about long-term care insurance premiums is “Can I deduct them?”
Well, the truth is that you can, in some cases, so find out where you sit in terms of deduction scenarios to find out what you can deduct from your long-term care insurance premiums.
First of all, if you are an individual taxpayer that does not itemize, then you are unable to claim a deduction on your long-term care insurance premiums. However, if you do itemize deductions then you can deduct the health insurance premium but it is limited to the lesser of the actual premium, or eligible long-term care premium.
If you are a self-employed tax payer, including partnerships, members of LLC, or sole proprietors, then you are eligible for a self-employed health insurance deduction on your IRS Form but it is limited to the lesser of actual premium paid but it is not subject to the 7.5 percent of Adjusted Gross Income threshold.
If your premiums are paid for by an employer, the employer will treat the long-term care insurance premiums as accident and health plans. These premiums would then be deductible to the employer and would not be including in the income of the employee.
It can get a bit complicated to understand what you can deduct and what you cannot deduct when tax season comes around. As a result, it is important that you contact your tax adviser or accountant to find out exactly what you can and cannot do. You do not want to try and deduct something you cannot and then face an audit, and at the same time you do not want to neglect to deduct what you can, forcing you to pay more or receive less on your income tax rebate.
If you do your own taxes, then consult your insurance company to find out what you are able to deduct on the long-term care insurance premiums that you pay to them. The representatives should be more than helpful in answering your questions and ensuring you do not end up audited, or not deducting what you can.
Summary Tax season is a stressful time for citizens and accountants alike. It is a time of trying to figure out what to deduct, what to exclude and how to get as much bang for their buck as possible. As a result, people will try and deduct everything that they can, including long-term care insurance premiums.
Many do not realize, however, what they can deduct in terms of their long-term care insurance premiums, but if they take the time to research the tax information and figure out where they sit in terms of the type of taxpayer they are, they should be able to figure it out. In the worst case scenario, an individual should just ask for help from an accountant or insurance representative who will be happy to answer any questions.
Tags: a, baby boomers, c, consumer education, consumer guide, e, education, f, family, Finance, financial, financial planning, health, health insurance, i, insurance, insurance education, l, lifestyle, long term care, long term care insurance, n, o, r, retirement, seniors
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Saturday, May 16th, 2009
by Amy Nutt
Ontario has had a history of problems with people who drive their vehicles faster than the posted speed limit and drivers who participate in illegal street racing. To combat speeding problems and reduce the number of car crashes, the Ontario government implemented a new speeding law.
Ontario’s new speeding law penalizes drivers caught speeding 50 km/h over the posted limit. The law has had a positive effect curbing speeding. In the first month of implementing the new law, more than 1,300 drivers were caught breaking the law.
Ontario’s new law carries the toughest penalties of any speeding ticket in Canada and the United States. Penalties for driving 50 km/h over the speed limit as posted by 50over.ca include:
First Time Offenders – $2,000 – $10,000 Fine – 7 Day License Suspension. You’ will also need to schedule getting a new drivers license. – 7 Day vehicle impoundment. The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) will likely request a tow truck, and have your vehicle towed from the spot where you are pulled over. – 6 Demerit Points – Towing and 7 day vehicle impound storage fees – Possible driver’s license suspension for a maximum of 2 years
Repeat Offenders The speeding offense stays on your record for 10 years. If you are caught speeding 50 km/h over the speed limit a second time within 10 years of your first offense, you will face a potential driver’s license suspension of up to 10 years.
Demerit Points Convicted drivers will receive 6 demerit points for speeding over 50 km/h over the posted speed limit. New drivers (Class G1, G2, M1 or M2), who have 9 demerit points will be required to attend an interview to explain why their driver’s license should not be suspended. Fully licensed drivers will have to attend an interview to explain why their driver’s license should not be suspended. At 15 or more demerit points, a driver will receive a 30 day license suspension.
Insurance A big cost of being convicted of a speeding offense is the increase in auto insurance rates. If you are convicted, your insurance rate will skyrocket. Some insurance companies may cancel your insurance. If you have to get new insurance, it will be very expensive
If you are caught driving 50 km/h over the speed limit, your vehicle will be impounded right away. You will have to arrange for your own transportation home and you will have to pay for the towing and impound fees. The police state that there is no right of appeal in the case of a suspension or impoundment. Individuals usually convicted of the speeding offense include 80% males and 50% age 27 or under.
50over.ca cites a number of statistics showing that the new speeding law has been effective: – 8,459 charged in first year – 23 charged daily – 41% convicted on the charge – 39% have charges reduced – 36 drivers have been caught twice
A report from Transport Canada found that most drivers don’t recognize their own bad habits, and the unfortunate power they have to kill with their car,- said Paul Boase of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals.
There are about 160,000 road accidents in Canada every year. According to the Transportation Safety Board, -approximately 2800 to 2900 people are killed on Canadian roads each year.- Drivers have to realize that driving is a right and not a privilege. If you do not obey traffic rules, your car can quickly turn into a weapon that can cause great harm. People have to ask the question: Is it worth risking your life just to arrive at your destination on time?
Tags: a, auto, b, business;finance, c, car, car insurance, claims, e, f, family, Finance, h, health, health insurance, home, i, insurance, l, law, legal, life, o, p, personal, r, Reference Education, roadside assistance
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Saturday, May 16th, 2009
by Ethan Kalvin
The choices of insurance plans available now is mindboggling. This means you do have a lot of options if your shopping for health insurance, but with this many it makes it very confusing when you start looking at the detail appropriate for you.
The first thing is to think about how often you would use your insurance and for what. This will help you narrow down different plans and will help you decide between a high deductible and low monthly payment and a low deductible and high monthly payment (i.e. the more you use it, the more the latter makes sense and vice versa). If you know the things you absolutely must have included, then you will then be better equipped to choose between different insurance plans.
There are additional policy parts that must be considered also, such as copays, physicals, provider networks and immunizations. These are in some policies and not in others, these give you an additional tool to weed out plans that are not appropriate for your needs. If you know there are experimental treatments or specialist office visits in your future you should be sure to find those allowance in the plan.
Lastly, find out if different insurance plans work with your current or planned health care provider or doctor. A doctor is one of the most important people in your life: he or she is the person who will see you at your very worst. When it comes to your health, you should feel comfortable enough to discuss even the most intimate of details. Thus, if you have a trusted doctor in your life, it is best to find an insurance plan that he or she accepts or a plan that will accept your doctor.
If you do your research into different insurance plans, you will quickly discover which items are of most interest to you and your life. Don’t be afraid to call up different providers and ask them as many hypothetical questions as possible. This will ensure you have all the information possible and that you can then make an educated decision about which insurance plans are right for you.
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