Insurance World

Health insurance is designed to protect against loss of income and expenses for medical care. There are two broad categories of health insurance policies: disability income policies and medical expense policies.

Disability income policies can also be referred to as loss of income, loss of time or replacement income. This type of policy will pay benefits to an insured who is disabled and can no longer work to earn a regular income. Payments can be weekly or monthly depending on the policy.

Medical expense policies are represented by a wide range of coverage from very minimal to comprehensive packages with multiple coverage. Some include both accidents and illnesses, various hospital expenses and other costs pertaining to medical care such as accident and sickness policies, hospital-stay policies, basic medical expense policies and major medical expense policies.

Any of these policies might cover various combinations of the above and may be paid in a lump sum.Some policies cover only accidents and not illness. As you might imagine, policies like this are very specific about what is considered an accident.

It is important to understand what is defined as an accident as it pertains to the health insurance industry: an accident is an event that is unforeseen and unintended.

Keep in mind that any discussion of this type of policy also applies to any type of policy that includes accidental coverage, not just accident specific policies.

Accident benefits are most commonly paid for accidental loss of life (also called accidental death), accidental loss of limb or sight (dismemberment), loss of time and/or income, hospital expenses, surgical expenses, and medical expenses like visits to the doctor.

Accidental death benefit can also be referred to as “principal sum.” This type of coverage should not be confused with life insurance. There is a world of difference between the two. Life insurance policies will generally be paid regardless of the cause of death. An accidental benefit is paid ONLY if the death is accidental as opposed to a death by natural causes or illness.

The person who receives the death benefit is called the beneficiary. The policy owner has the right and responsibility of naming beneficiaries. Usually there is a primary beneficiary however he/she can assign a second and even a third beneficiary.

The primary beneficiary is the first person in line to receive the benefit in the event of the death of the policy holder. The policy owner can also name a second beneficiary who would receive the benefit in the event the primary beneficiary dies before the insured. Some policies can include a third beneficiary who would be in line after the first two.

There is another important element in regard to accident policies: An accidental death may not be instant. A person can die as a result of an accidental injury months after the accident occurrence. Read your policy carefully because most stipulate that the accidental death benefit will only be paid if death occurs within three months of the accident.

Paying for health insurance can be costly. Yet, paying for a unexpected surgery can be devastating. That is why we have health insurance. Unfortunately some of us can’t afford either of the choices; or at least that is the way we feel about the situation. There are some ways to get more for your money.

First, you want to make sure you have the right deductible. This is the amount that you will have to pay before the insurance company helps. You see, if you are relatively young and healthy, you can probably go with a higher deductible. However, if you have reason to believe that you may require a visit or two to the hospital you probably go with a lower deductible. However, this isn’t always the case. The downside to a high deductible insurance coverage is that you are more at risk. Yet, you will also have a lower premium which enables you to invest the difference.

Now, you can also look into alternative health care options. If you are Native American, you have certain health care options. You can find out what they are by contacting your tribe. If you work in a small business, you may be able to open a Health Savings Account. To find out if you are eligible contact your investment advisor. The point is that there may be options you haven’t thought of yet.

Another way for women to cut down on their health care costs is to get the right pregnancy coverage. You see, some insurance companies offer a lower cost if you do not plan to have anymore children. The downside is that if you get pregnant on accident, your pregnancy will not be covered on your insurance. This can be a huge burden for someone who is already dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Yet, it is great for women who have their tubes tied or are unable to carry children.

Compare insurance options. What I mean is compare what you are paying through your company’s group insurance with what you will pay for individual insurance coverage. You might be surprised at the difference. You see, group insurance is beneficial to those who’s health may not be covered any where else since insurance through an employer is not contingent with health. Yet, individual coverage is best for the young and healthy. However, do your homework and get quotes from both. This way you can get the best insurance for you. You must also consider your family which has a tremendous effect on your insurance needs and costs. They may make it more costly with the group insurance or the individual depending on the circumstances and health of your family.