Insurance World

The discussion about health insurance will rarely cross your mind as long as you are employed. The group health insurance benefits that you have while you are employed are so easily taken for granted. There may come a time when a change or loss of employment may send you scrambling into the health insurance market place. You will have a lot of new decisions to make. You will have to educate yourself very quickly because there is only a 60-day window after separation from your employer to purchase a new plan.

There are an increasing numbers of baby boomers reaching their mid-fifties that are leaving their employers and starting businesses. This requires health insurance planning. An affordable health insurance plan is only possible when you begin to understand the basics of health insurance.

Group health insurance is almost always a Major Medical plan. There is a lifetime maximum payout of benefits up to a million dollars in most plans. These plans have the typical in-patient and out patient care subject to a number of different deductibles. It is imperative that you understand the major medical policy. You do not want to purchase supplemental health policies to replace a major–medical plan. Hospital Income policies are one type of supplemental health insurance. The hospital income policy pays the insured a dollar amount benefit for each day that you are hospitalized and not much else.

Your best way to make health insurance more affordable is by taking advantage of the premium reductions gained from taking higher deductibles. The next step is starting a health savings account to fund the deductible and any other unforeseen expense. The health savings account is tax deductible. Your accountant or tax advisor will give you more details.

Insurance is usually the best way to decrease your monthly bills when you want to save money. Please see our recommended source for insurance quotes online to get the cheapest rates possible. We have done the research so you don’t have to.

The word ‘viatical’ originates from the word ‘viaticum’ which was part of the last rites performed on a dying Catholic in order to prepare him for his destiny. History shows us that its early beginnings can also be found in Greece.

Viatical settlements are offered by dozens of companies around the world. Why? To aid senior citizens (viators) in their poor financial situation. Viatical settlements provide a way out of crisis scenarios by giving terminally or chronically ill patients the option of selling their life insurance policy for a premium amount. Naturally, the higher the bid, the more profit you make. Although this form of instant cash has a sad tone, it has been highly beneficial to people who have high medical bills and other critical emergencies. If your policy is a Term, Universal Life, Whole Life, Joint/Survivor or a Group contract, then the good news is that you are eligible for a viatical quote.

The person who buys the policy is called an investor. An investor can be the final third party who is interested in the policy or a viatical company that holds it as an investment. If it is a company that is buying the policy they can resell it at a profit. When buying a life policy of another person you to have complete knowledge of the viator’s medical history. You can either buy the whole policy or a part of it. Usually a policy will state the life expectancy of the individual because the quote will depend on how long the seller is expected to live. Once you buy the policy, you gain if the seller dies before the expectancy date but your return will be lower if he lives longer. In some cases you might loose a little form your principal amount if the seller lives a long life!

Due to this risk factor, viatical settlements and quotes need to be regularized and controlled. Thus, the State Insurance Commission gives out licenses to selected companies who are capable of handling this intricate business. However, in some US states the viatical industry is not regulated at all. Companies often buy the policies and then offer it to prospective buyers at higher rates. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners and Federal Trade Commission are two legal bodies that offer information with regard to viatical quotes and settlements.

If you are a Viator, then you have two choices. Either to can sell your life insurance policy directly to another person or you can use the services of a broker. Viators generally hire a broker because they know the market and can negotiate for a better viatical quote. The quote depends of many variables such as the state, age and medical condition of the viator. Prior to suggesting a bid, the investor, broker and viator will meet to highlight details of the case. The investor will want to know the medical prognosis so he can offer a more realistic quote. Once the quote has been offered and the bid accepted, the life insurance policy is transferred to the new holder. This completes the process and the viator is given a lump sum payment.

In conclusion, viatical quotes will differ from state to state and can be settled upon only after reviewing all the factors involved in the case. The viator and the investor have to come to an agreement is which mutually beneficial. While being a perfect avenue for the viator, he should also be wise to make sure the sale is worth his while.