prizice24 asked:


I own a business (LLC) with two other people. It is only us three; we do not have any additional employees. We pay for our health insurance through our business. Based on these facts, I was wondering how much I stand to save on my personal taxes. Is this a standard write off like any other business expense or does the IRS treat health insurance differently?

Irene

ajay asked:




Overview:

Visitor medical insurance is insurance coverage that travelers purchase when they travel outside their home country. Even if a traveler/visitor has domestic insurance in his or her home country, this insurance usually will not provide coverage when traveling overseas. It is in this context that overseas visitor medical insurance is required. Given the high cost of health care, it can be financially very risky to travel overseas without proper visitor medical insurance.

Visitor medical insurance options and comparison:

There are different insurance providers that offer Visitors medical insurance and the visitor does have several plan options even with each insurance provider. Some websites allow visitors to compare the different plan options. Along with comparing the premium costs, you can also get a detailed comparison of the medical coverage as well as details regarding the provider network and the plan underwriter.

Types of visitor insurance plans:

There are mainly two types of visitor insurance plans

(a) Fixed benefits insurance

(b) Comprehensive insurance

(a) Fixed benefits visitor insurance - Fixed benefits plans are cheaper than comprehensive insurance plans, correspondingly the coverage is also limited. In these plans, you can purchase an overall medical maximum coverage, however there is a fixed coverage for different medical situations. Examples of the fixed coverage would be - a specific amount paid for each surgery, a fixed amount for hospital room, certain specified amount for the intensive care room, a limited amount for diagnostic treatments.

(b) Comprehensive visitor insurance - Comprehensive plans are more expensive than fixed benefit plans but the coverage is also superior to fixed benefit plans. In the comprehensive plans, the customer selects the medical maximum coverage, and the insurance plan covers them for this amount, without any limits for different medical treatments within the medical maximum coverage amount.

Visitor medical insurance coverage details:

Visitor insurance provides coverage against accident and sickness during the visitors travel outside his or her home country. When compared to domestic insurance there are two main limitations in visitor insurance plans. Visitor insurance will not provide coverage for preventative care or for pre-existing medical ailments. In summary, Visitor insurance can be viewed as insurance coverage for unanticipated health related expenses during overseas travel. However this insurance cannot be used to get pre planned health care treatment be it preventive in nature, or for an existing medical ailment while traveling overseas.

Visitor medical insurance - purchase procedure:

Visitor insurance plans can be purchased online using a credit card, or by faxing in an application with the relevant payment details. On completing the online transaction the policy details will be immediately emailed to the email address provided in the application. This email can be used as proof of insurance cover. A hard copy of the policy can also be requested to be mailed to the address provided in the application.

Visitor medical insurance - purchasing specifics

(a) The earliest the insurance plan can start is from the following day of the application or from any later date.

(b) The traveler’s passport details are required while completing the application.

(c) Insurance can be purchased even after the traveler has started his or her journey.



Jeff

Emeka Ezidiegwu asked:


The types of life insurance that are available can make selection difficult. With all of the different types of life insurance it is important to understand the benefits of each type before taking out a policy. When choosing what type of life insurance would be best for you and your family it’s important to understand how each type works.

Term Life Insurance: Term, or temporary, insurance is one type of life insurance. Term insurance covers the policy holder for a specified number of years, for a predetermined premium. This means that the policy holder knows how much their life insurance will cost, for the entire term of the insurance policy. Term insurance, unlike other types of life insurance, does not build any cash value. Also, most term life insurance provides death benefits only.

Whole Life Insurance: Whole life insurance is another of the different types of life insurance. It is considered permanent insurance. Permanent insurance is considered to remain in force until one of two things happens, the policy holder dies, and the insurance is paid, or the policy holder cancels the policy, either intentionally or by failing to pay the premium. The only way that the insurance company can cancel the policy is if they have evidence that the policy holder committed fraud when completing the application. Whole life coverage, like all permanent types of life insurance — builds cash value as you pay your premiums. This accumulated value can be accessed by withdrawing the money, borrowing against it, or surrendering it to the insurance company and receiving the surrender fee.

Different types of life insurance have different advantages and disadvantages: Whole life coverage offers a guaranteed dollar amount upon the death of the policy holder, a known cash value, predictable premiums, and the knowledge that the insurance company cannot cancel the policy as long as premiums are paid.

Term life insurance provides affordable coverage for many people. There are different types of life insurance available that offer term coverage. Annual renewable term coverage guarantees that the insurance company will renew the insurance policy each year, although the premium amount may change. Another specialized type of life insurance that is considered term insurance is mortgage insurance. The face value of mortgage insurance decreases each year. The purpose of mortgage insurance is to cover the cost of the household mortgage until it is paid off, if the main breadwinner dies.

While the different types of life insurance can seem confusing, there are a few basics that can make it easier to compare policies. If you are considering term life insurance, know the amount that the policy will pay off at death, the length of the coverage and the cost of the premium. If you are considering whole life insurance, know the cash value of the insurance and the return you can expect on the premium. In some cases, it makes sense to purchase a less expensive term policy and place the difference in a higher yielding investment, while for other people whole life insurance is the safer investment.

 



Heather

h0mgrts asked:


If family of two have health insurance, and one of them decide to use it for couple medical procedures will insurance policy premium go up?

Please advice.

Thanks.

Tyler

carla4860 asked:


I am starting an in-home caregiving business and some people have medical insurance that covers this type of service.
Does anybody know how to bill this type of insurance so that I could offer people with insurance my services?

Ray

Nevada W asked:


I am in medical malpractice settlement negotiations with a dentist. Her insurance company was handling the negotiations, then the dentist license expired and the insurance company dropped the dentist. The dentist obtained a new policy from a new insurance company. Now the original insurance company has dropped out of negotiations. Is it possible that the original insurance company wants me to file suit against the dentist, and then the new insurance company will have to defend the dentist? Or, because the first insurance company received the initial settlement letter with notice of intent to sue, they will have to carry on and defend the dentist even though they no longer have the dentist as a client. Please clarify the typical procedure in this type of situation. Thanks a million! N.
Thanks for the info. I do have an attorney. But I do not want to sue and want to settle. The original insurance Co. made an offer, then we countered..then the Ins Co. dropped the dentist, and did not responded to the counter offer. SO, of course the attorney wants to sue cause he will make the big bucks. I want to settle because we were on track to settle. I just can’t figure why the original insurance company would want to go to court unless they really don’t care one way or another because the dentist is no longer a concern to them in the long run??? Tks. for you input.

Shannon

Zack asked:


Cheap health insurance has become the issue of the moment in South Carolina and across the country. More small businesses are increasingly unable to provide cheap health insurance plans to their employees because of the rising cost and the lack of federal and state legislation that would allow small businesses to purchase cheap medical insurance in pools. In the meantime South Carolina and other states are looking to cut the costs of the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs for the elderly and the poor. However, more affordable forms of health insurance plans are available as some private companies are experimenting with a new variation of cheap health insurance known as health discount plans. In the article that follows we’ll explain the various aspects of cheap health insurance in South Carolina and how to find a plan that works for you.

Health Care Costs due to Managed Health Care

The current health care system in America is inaccessible to approximately 47 million poor and lower middle class people. In order to address the growing health care insurance crisis in the U.S. that resulted in health care cost growth in the 1970s and 1980s, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) sprung up. These were initially as non-profit groups designed to separate unnecessary tests and treatments from those that the patient required in an effort to keep costs down. Managed care organizations began screening requested procedures by physicians to pre-authorize what the HMO would or would not cover. However, the number of people who are the riskiest to insure-diabetics, cancer, etc.-continues to rise. Many South Carolina managed care industry experts say the cost of cheap health insurance is still high because of the existing pool of insured people who use the health care system more than an average amount.

The other battle that is ongoing in South Carolina involves the health insurance companies and hospitals, the latter which cannot turn anyone away from care by law. However, as the number of South Carolinians who cannot afford cheap health insurance increases, hospital emergency rooms are handling the majority of the load. More people have to turn to hospitals as their primary health care givers given a lack of adequate or non-existant health insurance coverage.

Cheap Health Insurance Plans Through the Workplace

Most cheap medical insurance policies in South Carolina are usually written through group coverage offered at work by your employer through a private South Carolina cheap health insurance company. This is usually the more cost effective way to purchase cheap health insurance now available since a large number of employees allows South Carolina companies to reduce their insurance premiums. Similar to buying in bulk, the more health insurance plans a business can purchase for its employees the less expensive the insurance is per employee. In South Carolina, like the rest of the nation, the number of companies that can provide cheap health insurance for their employees is declining.

Personal Health Insurance Plans

Health insurance plans can be purchased by individuals and families from virtually every insurance provider in South Carolina. Trying to purchase health insurance on an individual basis can be more expensive if the person already has a health problem, known as a pre-existing condition. Many companies will not cover people with pre-existing conditions if they have no continuation of coverage-renewing health insurance coverage after only a prescribed short period of time-picked up from an earlier cheap health insurance policy.

South Carolina Health Insurance Pool

The South Carolina Health Insurance Pool is a state health insurance plan designed to provide coverage for those that either do not have or have lost medical coverage at no fault of their own and are uninsurable. The pool was created by the General Assembly to help people who couldn’t get health insurance coverage from any other source, including people with certain disabilities. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina currently administers the pool.

Coverage is available to a person who has been a state resident for at least 30 days and meets the following criteria:



They were turned down for private health insurance coverage for health reasons;

They were accepted for private health insurance, but have pre-existing illnesses or conditions excluded from coverage, for a period exceeding 12 months;

They are paying health insurance premiums for comparable coverage which are more than 150 percent of the premium levels charged by the pool;

In certain situations, other individuals whose last health insurance coverage was an employer based group health plan may be eligible for coverage.



No matter what your age, there are also several federally sponsored programs to help you if can’t afford the premiums for individual health insurance, providing you meet their eligibility guidelines.



Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease.

Medicaid, a program for the poorest individuals and low-income families with children.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a plan that provides health care to children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but earn too little to afford individual health insurance.



Types of Cheap Health Insurance Coverage

Cheap health insurance plans generally fall into one of two categories: indemnity plans and managed care plans (HMOs, PPOs or POS plans). An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and pays for your medical expenses totally, in part, or up to a specified amount. Managed care plans generally provide broader coverage within a specified network of health-care providers.

Although you can purchase cheap health insurance plans that cover specific areas of health care (surgical, hospital, physician expense plans) most plans cover varying degrees of health care in a number of different areas. This health insurance coverage, known as major medical insurance, offers extremely broad coverage with a very high maximum benefit that’s designed to protect you against losses from catastrophic illness or injury.

When comparing cheap medical insurance plans, check to see if they provide additional benefits that you may need, including prescription drugs, preventive care, mental health benefits, maternity care, and vision care. A comparison of various health insurance policies and rates through many South Carolina health insurance companies can be obtained at www.insurances.sc.

Cheap Health Insurance Recipient Costs

With most cheap health insurance policies available in South Carolina, the way to control cost is to cut down on the out-of-pocket expenses. Since most health care insurance policies require you to make a co-payment (the amount you pay a health care provider with every visit), anything involving a lot of time spent in the doctor or dentist’s office can become expensive. Most also require a deductible (costs you must cover out of your pocket for any major expense before your cheap health insurance policy picks up the remaining costs). You may also have coinsurance, the percentage of cheap medical insurance cost you will still have to pay after you reach your deductibles.

Another thing to consider is COBRA health insurance. This law allows employees who leave a job the ability to stay on that South Carolina company’s employee health insurance for up to 18 months although they have to pay the full amount of the coverage. Check the COBRA benefits to see if purchasing a less expensive individual health insurance plan may be in your best interest.

How to Buy Cheap Health Insurance

If you need to purchase individual health insurance, it can be expensive. Unlike group plans, in which the costs and risks associated with health care are spread among many people; individual health policies are “medically underwritten” to take into account your personal health history. Any “pre-existing” condition such as heart disease, diabetes, and even pregnancy, can nix your chances of acceptance or boost your premiums.

To determine the acceptability of a particular applicant, a health insurance underwriter can require information regarding the following:



The individual’s age: Age determines rates and whether coverage will be issued at all.

The individual’s gender: at younger ages, males have a lower rate of illness and injury than females. That changes by age sixty.

The individual’s health history and physical condition: Someone who has had a previous condition that can contribute to a future illness/injury is not considered an ideal risk. In response to a less than ideal medical history, modified coverage may be offered depending on the individual’s health, higher than normal premiums may be issued, or the person may be denied coverage altogether.

The individual’s occupation and hobbies: Some occupations such as construction workers have higher insurance rates, along with people who enjoy dangerous activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping. At times certain occupations are considered so hazardous that insurance companies will not cover them at all.



Your first step in getting cheap health insurance coverage is to understand exactly what you need. Think carefully about what coverage you must have. Do you need health insurance for your whole family, or just yourself? Do you want to choose your providers? If you’re over 65, do you need insurance to fill the gaps in Medicare? Do you need - and can you afford - long-term disability and/or long term care coverage? Even if you begin by soliciting cheap health insurance quotes you must still know exactly what you want in terms of health insurance coverage so you will be comparing apples to apples when weighing any cheap health insurance premium quote.

After that, contact a South Carolina insurance agent in your area. Ideally, you can start with an independent South Carolina insurance agent who is familiar with the insurance companies that do business in your area. This agent is also not bound to write coverage for any particular health insurance company so he or she can give you an honest appraisal of various health insurance policies.

When you’ve found the right coverage, you’ll give information to your agent to complete the necessary forms. Be honest. It’s important to disclose your medical history thoroughly and accurately. Report all of your health problems to your agent. If any of your health information is misstated or incomplete, the company might refuse to pay your claims and could cancel your policy.



Floyd

Insure.com asked:


The American Cancer Society estimates doctors will diagnose over 1.4 million new cases of cancer in the U.S. in 2007, with more than 559,650 cancer-related deaths. If you are among the majority of cancer patients and survive for at least five years following your diagnosis, you may face another fight: buying life insurance.

Buying life insurance for cancer patients is challenging, but not necessarily impossible. Your chances for securing a policy depend greatly on the type, stage and grade of the cancer, and even on the treatment plan. There is a relationship between the rate you’ll receive and the curability of your cancer. Certain types of skin cancer, for example, are considered very low risk by life insurance companies and a skin cancer history may not even impact premiums.

Applicants with common and treatable forms of breast and prostate cancer may be able to get a “standard” rating under ideal circumstances. But patients with a history of leukemia or colon cancer may fall into a “substandard” or “high substandard” rating at best, or receive declines. Anyone with cancer that has metastasized likely won’t be able to obtain a policy.

Dr. Charles Levy, senior vice president and chief medical director of AIG American General Domestic Life Insurance Cos., says, “We’re better and better able to differentiate the risks of individual cancers.” Life insurers like AIG American General have sophisticated tables to determine premiums, where they can factor in cancer types and treatments. The end result is better premiums because applicants aren’t lumped together as an “average.”

Most insurers will not offer a policy to someone who is still undergoing treatment for cancer. Depending on your type of cancer, the life insurer may also want to add a surcharge, also called a temporary flat extra. For example, AIG American General sometimes charges temporary flat extras for two to five years, depending on the applicant’s cancer and treatment. The good news is that although these extra premiums can be expensive, they will automatically disappear after a set period of time.

Cancer insurance risk specialists

While a dedicated life insurance agent will search cancer insurance companies to find insurers that will sell you a life insurance policy, in some cases you may be better off seeking out a broker who specializes in finding life insurance for people who have a history of cancer.

These brokers will know the specific questions underwriters will want answered when considering your application. Many brokers have developed relationships with several insurers, so they know which companies offer the best-priced life insurance policies for cancer survivors. Some brokers have experts who specialize in gathering your medical records and organizing them.

By directing your application to life insurers that will view your application most favorably, these brokers will help you find the most accurate price quotes and the lowest premiums for life insurance. Always check the financial strength of the insurer before you buy any policy and be sure that the agent or broker you choose is licensed in your state.

Life insurance strategies for cancer survivors

If you are a healthy cancer survivor, life insurance is even more feasible. There are things you can do to ensure you’re getting the best premium offers possible for your situation.

1. Gather all possible medical records before you apply, from the first pathology report to medical records to treatment records. That ensures medical underwriters have the most complete picture of you, your health, and your cancer history. Having all those records before you apply for cancer insurance will reduce delays in your application process, because your life insurer is going to request them and will wait for them. The information you provide can garner you better premiums in the end: The less life insurer underwriters knows about you, the more likely they are to have to assume you are the highest risk and offer you high premiums accordingly. According to Levy, “If it’s fuzzy, we’re more likely to err on the side of conservatism.”

2. Make sure you have complied with your doctor’s treatment plans. For example, says Levy, if your doctor asked to see you back in one year and you haven’t been back in four years, get to your doctor for your check-up before you apply for life insurance. Your life insurer is not going to offer you a policy without before seeing the results of that check-up. Similarly, if you’ve had breast cancer and you’re due for a mammogram in December and you apply for cancer insurance in October, your life insurer will likely wait for the results of your next mammogram.

3. Get prices from several companies. Policy costs can vary a great deal among companies.

4. See if you can get group life insurance through a professional, fraternal, membership, or political organization to which you belong.

5. Consider a “graded” policy (one with limited benefits) if you cannot get full death benefits. In the first few years of a graded policy, the company pays only the premiums and part of the face value if the insured person dies of a condition, such as cancer, that existed before the policy took effect. If the insured person dies after the specified grading-in period, the company will pay the full face amount of the policy.

If your cancer has been successfully treated, and you are otherwise in good health, you can likely obtain a cancer life insurance policy. If you can show that you are healthy and your treatments have gone well, several insurers may compete for your business.



Ida

Jim Thio asked:


Most aspects of capitalism is win-win. If employers make a lot of money from workers due to increase of workers productivity, those employers will hire as many workers as possible — increasing workers’ salary.

Hence, in most aspects of capitalism, people try to profit from others in any way they can.

However, not all aspects are win-win. If same shops sell the same product at a different price, of course, you’ll pick the cheaper package. In this case, picking a package that makes the shop profit more will tend to hurt you.

The same thing works for insurance. A good rule of thumb on whether an insurance package is good for you or not is whether the insurance program makes a lot of money doing it or not.

No, I am not advocating that such huge profit should be prohibited. To the opposite, when an insurance company makes a lot of money, then they’ll invite competitors that’ll shift their profit back to you. Free market is still the best in this area. I am advocating that you don’t buy such insurances.

The same way, I am not advocating that merchants shouldn’t make a lot of money selling their products to you. I am advocating that you should buy from the business providing the best product, and service, at the least costs. That’s how capitalism works.

The following are insurance programs where insurance companies make a lot of money. Hence, avoid these programs like plague.

Flight Insurance

The safest way to travel is by airplane. There is a statistic that says that if you travel by airplane every day for 1000 years, you’ll probably get a plane crash once. Even then, you’ll survive. However, plane incidents are always reported on TV. That causes fear. Humans act based on emotions and feel that flights are much less safe. Not only that, you also have life insurance covering your life.

Mortgage Life Insurance

I have found out that you’re better off buying term life insurance. Again, in general, insurances that are mixed with something else, like mortgage, or savings, are usually bad ideas. The more things are mixed, the more consumers are confused. The more confused the consumer, the more money insurance companies make.

Credit Card Lost Prevention Insurance

By law, your lost is limited to $50. So don’t buy.

Accidental Death Insurance

Stick to regular good old term insurance. The probability that you’ll die due to accident is lower than you think.

Rental Car Insurance

This is also another rip off. Insurance companies make too much from this. Chances are, it’s already covered with your regular car insurance. Think of it this way, you use your car for a whole year. If you rent a car for 1 day, then the probability that you will have a car accident within that 1 day should be around 1/365 of your regular car insurance. However, rental car insurance is sold at much higher price than that.

Children Insurance

“Mommy, our kids are dead, I am so sad. But fortunately, we got them insured. So we got cash.” There are only two ways why you should buy children insurance. First if your child is the bread earner of the family. Second if you plan to hack them into pieces. I’ll explain more why when we understand the true nature of insurance on http://FasterFinancialFreedom.com/art.390.0.html.

Identity Theft Insurance

The hassle of going through claiming the insurance coverage is better spent on checking your free credit report.

Insurance, Risk, and Investments

Every time you put $1 in an insurance, you’ll probably get $.50. The other $.50 goes to the insurance companies and to their seller. Most of the time, the ratio is even higher.

For example, say you buy term insurance for $1 million. Say you paid $2000/year for that kind of insurance. Then I bet, the insurance companies know all along that the probability you’re going to die that year is only 1%. Hence, the insurance companies make $2 for every $1 they pay in claims.

The more complicated the insurance, the larger the ratio. In permanent insurance, for example, insurance companies probably make $5 every $1 they pay.

You can’t win in insurance by buying more insurance. Your true gain doesn’t come from the higher expected value of your return. Your gain comes from increased stability of your business. Say you have a lot of houses that’s all in the bank. Say one of them is on fire. Then a $100,000 lost can cost you way more than $100,000. Perhaps it’ll force you to fire sale your other houses at cheap price. You see how financial instability can knock you out of business? Insurance addresses this.

Also, with insurance, your income from year to year becomes smooth. Women like stable income. IRS are more lenient towards stable income too. You’ll pay less tax if you earn $50,000 per year for 10 consecutive years than if you earn $100,000 per year for 8 years and lost $150,000 per year the next 2 years. The former case will put you on lower income tax bracket and relieve you from paying the tax on the extra $50,000/year that you’re going to lose.

So what are the tips?

Do not over Insure

Remember, the benefit of insurance is stabilizing your income. If you over insure, your income will be instable again because you’ll actually make more money if your house is on fire than if it stays in charge.

Now, some people love to over insure. The only time this can be profitable is if you plan to burn your house. This is illegal, however. Insurance companies understand that those who are over insured are less likely to guard his house well, observe fire codes, and so on. So, they charge much higher premiums.

Keep the Co-payment Threshold High

In many insurances, you pay the first $10,000. The insurance pay in addition to that cost. Say you wreck your car. Say the cost is $5,000. You pay for it. However, if the cost is $100,000, then you pay the $10,000 of the cost, and the insurance pays $90,000.

Why is the co-payment high? First, insurance claiming is not easy. There’s a lot of fraud going on and there’s a lot of administrative processes that need to be done. If the insurance company puts the administrative cost to the claimant, they’ll lose customers.

“Oh I lost my house, but I have to cough up even more money to get money from my insurance.” Only governments can do such cruelty and stay in business.

So what do insurance companies do? They put the administrative cost in the premium.

So the premium becomes high. After all, if your loss is small, why not just pay for it? Saving the lesser premium in investments will be more than enough to pay small losses without losing your financial stability.

It’s also never a good idea to file a claim for small losses. Filing such claims will make insurance companies mark you as a high risk. Hence, they’ll raise the premium even more.

Sell Life Insurance Policy

The problem with term life insurance is you receive it after you’re dead. Well, sometimes you can get your money before you die. That process is called viatical settlement. It’ll only work for those whho are terminally ill. So an investor pays a reduced version of the coverage. After you die, the investor gets the coverage from the insurance company.



Michael

Florida Heath Insurance asked:


Affordable Health insurance for $2 per day from EasyToInsureME

December 1, 2008

Individual Health insurance is very affordable today if you are working with a knowledgeable health insurance broker. Health insurance plans can cost as low as two dollars ($2.00) per day. Yes, it’s true.

A very low cost health insurance plan can help you to afford your other necessities in life. All this without losing any benefits may seem to good to believe. Well in fact you can see your doctor at anytime you would like and as many times as you would like throughout the year for only $30. Prescriptions are covered at 100%. And you can receive health insurance coverage anywhere in the United States.

I usually recommend this health insurance plan for my clients age eighteen to twenty five, as it is very hard for them to afford health insurance. However, anyone is eligible for this individual health insurance plan and the second largest health insurance company in the United States provides the health insurance coverage along with more than 721,000 health care services providers, including nearly 431,000 primary care and specialist physicians and 4,323 hospitals.

Feel free to call or visit us today at www.EasyToInsureME.com

Quoting and Saving on health insurance has never been easier

www.EasyToInsureME.com is a leading provider of online health insurance quotes and health insurance services. We represent major health insurance companies such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coventry, Golden Rule, Celtic, and Humana to name a few. Citizens of the United States can view and compare health insurance quotes at anytime to see if they are able to obtain better programs for individuals and families.

Thank you for your trust and confidence America



Edna