Tuesday, September 20, 2011

What You Should Know About Critical Illness Life Insurance

By Otha Presas


One of the biggest challenges that can strike a family is sickness. Critical illness can cause serious impact on every member of the household. An ill patient and his loved ones are likely to face physical, mental and emotional stress among other things.

These, however, can be aggravated further if the affected family does not have sufficient financial resources to help them with any expense during treatment and recovery of the patient and their other needs. This is why it pays to prepare for the worst. This will not only benefit the sick family member but it will also help his loved ones go through the ordeals. And what can be a better way to do this than buying a Critical Illness Life Insurance. This is an insurance product where the policyholder is paid a lump-sum benefit when he is diagnosed to have any of the critical illnesses listed on the policy and you don't get this with Medicare supplements.

This can be purchased as a stand-alone policy or as a rider in your life insurance. Whichever option you choose to go for, you should know that with this purchase you are actually giving yourself and those around you one of the best means to deal with a serious illness such as heart attack, cancer, kidney failure and multiple sclerosis.

The amount that the Critical Illness Life Insurance will pay can be used for whatever expenses deemed necessary by the family, whether it is an expense not related to the illness. This can be very ideal for the income earners of a family whose sickness can imply long period of no cash flow that should otherwise be used to pay off bills and other household expenses.

Quite commonly, insurance companies give the payout to those diagnosed with critical illness but are able to survive within 28 days. But with the application of the term assurance on the policy, insurance companies give the policyholders an option that pays the lump-sum amount when the insured died because of the critical illness.

In the UK, there is a tax rule imposed on qualifying policies issued before March 14, 1984. This is the Life Assurance Premium Relief which states that there is no relief for premiums in excess of 1500 pounds or 1/6th of the total income whichever is greater. To be granted with the tax relief the policy should agree to pay a capital sum on death; it should also be on the life of the policyholder or the spouse by whom premiums must be made; and that the couple are residents of UK at the time the payment is made. The insured will be entitled for a payment amounting to 50 percent of the basic rate of tax.




About the Author:


Starting Out as a Senior Agent with Gerber Life Medicare Supplement

By Alex Stone


Medicare supplemental insurance, or Medigap, provides coverage for the additional health care costs that traditional Medicare does not cover. Seniors can choose to purchase a supplemental insurance policy from a private insurer, with the coverage proportional to the paid premiums.

Gerber Life, "the baby food people" is one of the most recognizable brands and they have been providing stability to their consumers since their beginning in 1967. Their partnership is for the shared goal of helping senior citizens live a happy and healthy life. They are dedicated to providing excellent customer service, answering client question thoroughly, and providing accurate product information. For your clients more comfortable going with a "name brand" for their supplemental insurance policy Gerber Life is a national brand they will know and trust.

There is a fax application program available to make selling Medicare supplements by phone ease with their product. Once you've finished speaking with a client and gathering their information you can then mail them the application to complete, with instructions, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. When you receive it back from the applicant you will then fax it into the company for review and processing.

Gerber Life has an excellent commission and offers a direct company contract and agent's have the potential to earn the highest commission level available (pending production requirements are met). Plus, also available are an aggressive policy issue, 12 month advancing, and competitive premiums. Their company is easy to work with, available in most states, and an ideal product for a new senior agent portfolio.

With an "A" Excellent rating from AM Best for their financial strength, they currently have $37 billion of life insurance in force. This provides stability to 3 million policies throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.




About the Author:


Types of Health Insurance - Health Insurance

By Cloude Raine


With changing lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and practically no exercise schedules, lifestyle diseases along with the existing deadly illnesses are on a rise and more numbers of victims get added to the count with each passing day. The treatment is not getting any cheaper and even though medical technology is pacing up to provide better and efficient treatment, there is an add up to the medical treatment cost with all this. To minimize the risk of heavy financial damage to your bank account due to any likely event of medical illness, a potent health insurance is an utmost necessity today.

It is easy to get health insurance coverage if you work for a company. But, if you are self-employed, medical insurance might be that bit difficult for you to acquire. The various options of self employed health insurance currently available are: Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) - This might be most suited to you if you travel a lot. This gives you the freedom to choose your healthcare service provider, irrespective of the provider being in the network or not. However, the facility doesn't come cheap and this is arguably the costliest plan to have.

Types of health insurance 1. Point-of-Service Plans (POS) 2. Fee-for-Service Plans 3. Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) 4. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

This kind of plan works well if your family visit the doctor quite often. If your family does not regularly visit the doctor or only does for annual check ups, then you only need a plan that may ask for higher copayment costs but cheaper monthly premiums.

Short Term Health Insurance Short-term health insurance is often a cheaper alternative to COBRA. To cover unexpected illnesses and accidents. Pre-existing illnesses and routine medical procedures are not covered. You can get the coverage the next day, when answering a few simple questions about your health. Short term health insurance is an affordable option for temporary health insurance needs and is also a viable alternative to COBRA.

If you have been laid off or have left the job, you can remain covered for eighteen months after having off rolls from your previous employer. However, you will have to pay the complete premium and also, your previous employer should have more than twenty employees.

Skilled Care Basically, the goal of quality care is taken to help you better. Skilled care has nothing to do with how you're ill. It has to do with the technical skills that nurses and doctors should help you better. Medicare defines it as "rehabilitation services that require technical skills or professional personnel such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and physical therapists and professional." Skilled Care is usually received in hospitals or skilled nursing homes, but can also be received in your home and is usually not covered by Medicare supplemental insurance.

If you have exhausted the above options, you can also search for groups offering self employed health insurance. You can also take a lesser health insurance cover, if you have good health, to minimize the premium amount. By now you must have realized that being your own boss feels good, but comes at a price. So, do proper research and compare maximum number. of policies/plans to arrive at the most suited and most affordable plan for you.




About the Author:


Insurance CE - Insurance Agent Responsibility

By Ed Hulse


It is important to understand insurance agents and their responsibility. Those professionals take your personal information and help you find the best policy for your situation. They inform you about new products the company produces that might be of interest to you. A policy specialist also coordinates the activation of your product if needed.

You may believe that insurance agents are merely sales representatives. Indeed, one of their major responsibilities is sell coverage to those who need it. Policies are not bought and sold like groceries and clothing are. If you are going to pay thousands of dollars into a product, you need to make sure it is the proper one for you. An expert in those services can explain all of your options and assist you in selecting the best one.

As time goes by, different coverage options are developed and sold. Your agent can keep track of the details of your policies even a Medicare supplement. He will make a note if something better or extra is developed after you purchase your coverage.

This is an example of coverage you may need but do not know exists. You could get your home insured with a policy that does not have a flood damage clause. If flood coverage is created that can easily and inexpensively be added onto your home product, your agent can alert you of it. You may elect to buy it if you have had problems with high water in your yard.

The most important function an insurance agent has is to make sure your coverage is activated properly if needed. Home coverage is not something most folks think about regularly until their dwelling goes up in flames. You might never glance at your automobile policy cards until you get hit by someone who should not have been driving. It is the job of your coverage expert to oversee the execution of your contract.

A coverage professional is able to make sure that the person who causes an accident fulfills his responsibilities. Not all guilty parties are willing to admit their mistakes. A professional is able to stick up for you should such a problem arise.

Insurance agents and their responsibility encompass a wide range of duties. Experts can help you to purchase the ideal policies for your situation. A coverage professional is able to alert you if new sorts of products are created that might benefit you. Agents can also manage the fulfillment of your policy and make sure that the contracts of others are properly executed.