Thursday, September 11, 2008

6 Ways to Cut Your Medical Bills

1. Practice prevention: Be healthy- take advantage of wellness programs, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.

2. Shop around for health insurance: To get good coverage at an affordable price, shop around. Because premiums vary widely, you'll probably save money if you get quotes from several companies.

3. Cut the cost of prescription drugs: Prescription costs can eat up a large portion of your budget. Try ordering your prescriptions through the mail, using a traditional or online pharmacy. You can also ask your doctor to recommend a less-expensive generic drug.

4. Check your medical bills: Check out your medical charges may save you money in the long run

5. Keep track of your medical expenses: When you will prepare your tax file, you may be able to deduct certain medical expenses.

6. Get to know your health insurance: Your health insurance policy may cover more than you think. Insurance companies often provide benefits designed to help you stay safe and healthy. Take advantage on it- you may receive discounts on vitamins, alternative medicines, and health club memberships.

Smart Tips In Comparing Auto Insurance Quotes

It is very important to compare auto insurance quotes if you have plans of getting your vehicle insured. You need to evaluate the different rates, since various companies have different prices of the same coverage, to get the right deal. You should be able to the best insurance at the expense of what you pay for.

Before you start calling the insurance agents or go online to compare auto insurance quotes, you need to note down some information and keep it ready. A lot of factors can influence the insurance rate, and by providing a company with as many details as possible you ensure the right quote.

The information you will need includes the number of your driver's license, your address and social security number, driving history, your car's model, year and make, VIN, mileage, and the condition of your car as well as your personal health condition. What will also affect the insurance price are your age, the place your vehicle was registered in, and additional safety features installed on your car. Depending on each company's policy, you may be requested for a few extra details.

Try to look up the Yellow Pages and contact different companies in your place and compare auto insurance quotes. If you have a little time, you can just browse through quotes on the Internet. Go online and search and compare auto insurance quotes yourself or you can try websites that give comparisons free of charge. Finding one online is easy because there are many websites that offer such services; some only specializes on a particular state and others offer services all over the country.

Try to consider also getting inquiries from the insurance company that offered your home insurance because they might give you special discounts since you're a previous customer. Be exact on what category you need for your insurance coverage since companies have its own coverage policies. Coverage policies are usually available on the Internet so you can check it online. Ask about the minimum coverage that your state allows so that you can reduce the insurance cost.

Through the Internet, you can easily get insurance quotes from various companies. If you still have time, try calling some insurance agents if you want further discussion on some possible options.

Just go online, type compare auto insurance quotes in the search box and the numerous websites offering the free service will be there for you to use.

article from: articlesnatch.com

California Homeowner's Insurance

California Homeowner's Insurance - 7 Tips for Ensuring Proper Residential Coverage PLUS Understandi

Owning and maintaining a home is one of the largest financial responsibilities you will ever have. If it has been awhile since you have looked at your homeowner's insurance policy, it is time to examine your coverage to be sure you are prepared in the event of disaster. Consider the following tips to be sure you're not in a mess the next time you file a homeowner's insurance claim.

1) Request written guidelines from your adjuster regarding how claims will be adjusted.

2) File away copies of all correspondence between you and your insurer.

3) Be sure you call the California Department of Insurance if you consider hiring a public adjuster. You want to ensure s/he is properly licensed.

4) Keep all receipts of your living expenses and any other documents that pertain to your insurance or property. Keep those documents in one location, chronologically ordered, so they are easily accessed.

5) Log all phone calls between you and your adjuster.

6) Never speculate about what has been damaged or lost. Always stick to business and share only factual information.

7) Understand the Unfair Practices Act and Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations published by the California Department of Insurance. You can retrieve copies from the web site (www.insurance.ca.gov) or by phoning 1.800.937.HELP.

Now that we've covered tips things to keep in mind when you file a homeowner's insurance claim, let's do a quick overview of the homeowner's insurance coverage available to you. Remember that these policies can fall into several categories.

Replacement cost coverage - Pays the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home or replacing your possessions without a deduction for depreciation.

Guaranteed/extended replacement cost coverage - This is the highest level of protection. Guaranteed replacement pays the cost to rebuild your home as it was before the disaster - even if that cost exceeds the policy limit. This policy will protect you against increases in homebuilding costs or other unexpected situations. In most cases this coverage will not compensate for home upgrades to comply with building codes. If your home is older, this policy may not be available to you. Extended policies pay a percentage over the policy limit to rebuild your home. Usually an extended policy will pay 20 to 25 percent more than the limit of the policy. Be sure to see what coverages your state offers. Not all states offer the same coverages.

Actual cash value - This coverage pays to replace your home/possessions minus a deduction for depreciation.

Other homeowner's coverage:

Structures other than the dwelling - Includes structures on the residential premises that are not attached to the dwelling - sidewalks, driveways, permanently installed yard fixtures and private or decorative fences. The average limits on coverage are 10 percent of the value of the dwelling.

Loss of use - Reimburses for expenses beyond replacing property if a home cannot be lived in because of fire. This coverage usually pays for the living expenses incurred maintaining a normal lifestyle.

Mobile homes - Offered by a few companies. This coverage is considered residential if the mobile home is established as a permanent residence.

Building code upgrade - reimburses for building code upgrades that may be required during the repair/rebuilding process.

To learn more about what should be in your homeowner's insurance policy, be sure to consult the California State Department of Insurance or your local insurance agent. Never take a gamble with your homeowner's insurance - be sure it's up-to-date and make sure you are covered for potential disasters.
By: Sofie Iida

Article Source: insurancearticle.com

Home Insurance: To Keep Your Dream Home a Reality

A Home Insurance cover though cannot prevent disaster, but it can prepare a person for the damage and destruction caused in situations like floods, fire, cyclone, etc. These days, policies that cover damage to homes have diversified and even include clauses that cover things like robbery. This is because a home is not just limited to four walls and a roof. Its definition also includes all things that fill it up from inside. When a person builds a dream house, he not only invests in the physical frame of the home, but also puts in time, effort and money to decorate the interiors. Each item that decorates a house from inside gives it a distinct character and is equally dear to the owner.

One of the corners that you can readily access, while saving time as well is the Internet. Here you have websites of many insurers who having newly arrived into the market, but with sufficient expertise to back them up, can give you what you want. Income protection is one among the essential insurance policies available with them.

Owning a home is every individual's dream and sometimes it takes a lifetime to realise it. Every individual basically works towards achieving three things in life: food, clothing and shelter. The first two necessities are relatively easy to acquire and they are required by humans on a daily basis. But a home is a one-time investment, and owning one is a life's dream for some. Hence, it is imperative to ensure that your dream house is protected against any disaster or calamity. Home insurance is the easiest and the most popular way to protect your most cherished asset, your home, from any untoward incident.

Nature is becoming unpredictable with each passing day, with natural calamities and disasters striking unexpectedly, anywhere. No country has been spared the fury of Mother Nature. In the wake of her destruction, she leaves behind a trail of loss. Loss of life unfortunately cannot be compensated, but people can mitigate loss of property and dwelling by resorting to measures like home insurance.

The exteriors and interiors together make a complete home. A home insurance policy, though it cannot protect it from damage, will provide the owner enough resources and financial support to rebuild what is destroyed and regain what is lost easily.

It is essential to protect your future, because the uncertainties of the future makes it risky and this risk can, in fact, turn out to be too big a threat to ignore in the present. No matter how old you are, you can think wisely and protect your future. Many people face incapacitation and have to be away from work, resulting in loss of income and herein lies the importance of income protection.
By: Mary Grace

Article Source: insurancearticle.com

Get Your Life Protected With Insurance

Far too many UK residents put off taking out a life insurance policy because they believe they are too young. This article discusses when you should protect yourself and family with life cover.
There comes a point in life when people start thinking that they should get protected and take out some life insurance. We all know the old music hall jokes about insuring your husband or wife just so that you can collect the insurance, but it does pay to be insured.

Life insurance can mean different things to different companies. For some, it should perhaps read death insurance because all that your relatives are going to get are the funeral costs and maybe a lump sum. This is why it makes sense to go visit an independent broker or have a good look online so that you can compare insurance prices and policies.

Some life insurance might look cheap when you start out but if the percentage rate goes up every year, you could find yourself paying out more money or getting back less than you thought. Life insurance policies have different premium rates. The premium is the amount you pay every month or every year. If you decide to stop paying your premiums, there is no guarantee that you will ever get any of your money back. These are sometimes called lapsed policies; people might think that they are insured but if they have not kept up regular payments, there could be nothing at the end of it.

Life insurance should be about life, not just death. Some policies have built-in protection if you have an accident or if you are off work for any length of time through no fault of your own. Other policies will pay you some money if you have to spend time in hospital. This means that when you compare life insurance, do not compare on price alone. Make it your business to find out exactly what your policy offers and how much it is going to cost.

If you have a family, you might want to take out life insurance that pays your funeral costs and enough money to your family to ensure that they can still have some sort of decent living standard if something happens to you.

There is a tendency when you are young to think that you will live forever and that life insurance is for old people. But what will happen if you are suddenly taken ill and unable to work? You might be able to survive on sickness benefit but you would not have a very good standard of living. Under these circumstances, the right sort of insurance could make all the difference. Just be sure to do a comparison before you buy.
ArticleSource: ArticlesAlley.com