Insurance World

If you are pregnant, are considering becoming pregnant, or have someone on your health insurance plan that is pregnant or will become pregnant and especially if you live in the state of Florida then this is “The Maternity Insurance Article” for you. The aim of this article is to explain some of the maternity options available to you and to debunk some common myths concerning maternity insurance, maternity riders, maternity discount plans, and other types of maternity coverage.

First of all, if you are a Florida resident and you are pregnant and do not have maternity coverage then you will not be eligible for maternity coverage under an individual health insurance plan. Those with the foresight to plan ahead and purchase some type of maternity coverage before they become pregnant are rewarded while those who wait until they are actually pregnant are of course not afforded individual maternity coverage. (If you are pregnant and have access to a group plan through you or your spouses’ employer then now is the time to seriously inquire about your enrollment options as many group health insurance plans usually cover maternity just as they do any other illness). Naturally, sick people always want health insurance and people with a pregnancy in the family always want some form of maternity insurance.

If you are not pregnant and would like to add on additional maternity coverage to your individual health insurance plan then there are a few things that you should know. Most individual health insurance policies will allow you some measure of maternity coverage in the form of a rider for an additional cost. It is quite common for a maternity rider to have a waiting period of at least 12 months before they pay out any type of maternity benefit. Still some other maternity riders, such as the one that Golden Rule/United Healthcare offers in Florida allow full benefits to be paid up to a set amount after 12 months and 50% of the benefit paid out beginning immediately.

So how much does a pregnancy in our example state of Florida really cost anyway? How much of a maternity benefit should I be certain to have? How much can I anticipate paying out of pocket for the pregnancy and related expenses? These are all important questions and the answer may be, “Not quite as much as you at first think.” According to FloridaCompare.gov the statewide average charge for a normal delivery is $1,689 while the statewide average charge for a cesarean section is $14,458. As you can see there is quite a range in the cost depending on if there are any complications present during the pregnancy.

The important thing is to know the options that are available to you and to obtain maternity insurance and health insurance before you need it!

To compare multiple quotes from top health insurance companies like United Healthcare, Aetna, and Humana simply view free health insurance quotes.

Car insurance takes a significant portion out of a lot of people’s incomes, but for younger drivers it can be beyond reach on a low income. Under normal circumstances a new driving licence is a clean one, with penalty points for motoring offences not making an appearance until after at least a little time on the road. These two facts make motorcycle ownership a much more attractive proposition for impecunious young people.

There is however a noteworthy exception to this. It is only relatively recently that mini motorbikes have made an appearance, and their use has been taken up avidly by juveniles, but already legislation has had to be amended to deal with their illegal use. This is resulting in the motorbikes being confiscated and in some cases crushed; and their owners being prosecuted.

There would appear to be little point in prosecuting a juvenile as a result of a motoring offence, but the authorities have decided to use the law to enable them to deal with offenders in a fairly unique way. Even though the offenders are usually children, who are several years from being old enough to hold a driving licence, they are hit with penalty points. These are placed on record, and when a first licence is applied for the penalty is applied and the licence endorsed.

The offences being committed which give rise to these penalties are usually based on laws relating to vehicle use. It is illegal to use any vehicle unless the driver has a licence and the vehicle is taxed and insured; if these requirements are not met then use is only permitted on private land and is subject to the land owner giving permission.

The problem is that the majority of mini motorbikes are used on public land, pavements and roads, and it is doubtful if the (usually) youthful riders are aware that any offence is being committed. It is however even more doubtful if the riders have contributed to the cost of the motorbike in any way. So the machines have mostly been bought by parents who should be aware of the law and should show a greater sense of responsibility.

A number of accidents have already occurred when riders have collided with pedestrians, road users and miscellaneous obstructions. Make no mistake – these machines may be small, but modern engine design has ensured that they are capable of speeds which are out of all proportion to their size. Both riders and their victims have ended up in hospital, and in some cases in intensive care as a result of their injuries.

Bad enough if the damage ended there, with an injured child or pedestrian, distraught parents and a costly motorbike confiscated and crushed, but the delayed effect can also be traumatic. It is likely that all parties to the accident will have forgotten about the other penalty until the young person applies for their first licence on reaching qualifying age.

If the licence is granted it will carry the record of the forgotten penalty points. O.K. so where’s the problem, you may ask. A licence was wanted and has been issued. The problem lies in the next requirement which is insurance. Every company approached for a quotation will ask about the driver’s record, and when they learn that the licence has penalty points on it their interest will fade rapidly.

There will be an instant and fairly savage mark up in the premiums to be paid. This is likely to vary according to the severity of the offence, from a relatively mild but still pricey cost increase for minor offences to swingeing increases for more serious offences such as dangerous driving. Any mention of a drink driving offence will make insurance almost impossible to obtain due to the prohibitive cost, assuming that cover is not refused outright.

An insurance company spokeswoman has given some examples of actual costs. A youthful male Fiesta driver with a penalty free licence is quoted as facing comprehensive insurance payments of around Ј37 per week, but the same lad with a dangerous driving conviction has to find almost Ј48 per week. This is a 29% increase and is a considerable sum to pay out every week.

Note that whilst a young female driver in the same position would pay the same 29% increase for a dangerous driving conviction, the relevant figures in her case would be under Ј24 per week on a clean licence or over Ј30 per week with the conviction. This is because of the higher accident risk for young males.

So generous parents need to consider carefully. They could be doing their offspring no favours in the long term by splashing out on a mini motorbike for them before they obtain a licence and can then ride legally.