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.

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

Get An Online Life Insurance Quote

The Internet has made it possible to get an online life insurance quote quick and simple. Unlike having to call up a life insurance agent, make an appointment, and try to fit it into your busy schedule, you can now simply go to your computer and immediately get an online life insurance quote. Before sending over your information there are a few things you should know first. Here are a few quick tips to help you in your search.

Finding A Good Website

You can easily get a life insurance quote online for every type of policy, coverage amount, and even special underwriting circumstances. The best place to start is by going to your favorite search engine and type in what you're looking for. Consider clicking on some of the relevant ads to get information. Advertising for life insurance companies can be expensive in search engines so you're more likely to get stable, trustworthy companies.

Check Out The Website

Take a moment and look over the website. Does it offer helpful articles and tips? Does it have information that will help you learn what type of life insurance you need, and a calculator to help determine how much? If the website doesn't look like it well put together don't give them your personal information. Another important point is to check out their privacy policy. If you submit your information are they going to give out your name and email address to everyone so you can all sorts of spam?

Receiving A Quote

In order to receive a life insurance quote online you will be asked to enter in your DOB, height, weight, address, etc. You will be asked a few simple health related questions in order to determine your health and give you an accurate quote. Are you a smoker? If yes, you will be charged a higher premium for any type of life insurance.

You should see about the same quotes on all the different websites. They may vary a little bit, but these quotes will come directly from the insurance carrier. If you do come across a life insurance quote that is much cheaper than what looks right, watch out. Check the company out first before going any further. A good way to do this is through A.M. Best. They review and grade every life insurance company in the industry.

Fill Out An Online Application

Once you have found the right company and the right policy to fit your needs you can begin to fill out the online application. You will be asked a series of questions, then will be mailed the appropriate forms to sign and send back in. An agent will also give you a call to confirm your information and answer any questions you may have. You may also be scheduled for a medical check at the same time if necessary. Once all the forms are filled out and signed your information goes to the companies underwriting department which looks it over and issues your life policy. Once approved, your coverage is in force and they will mail out your policy. The process usually takes 4-6 weeks at most.
By: Terry Edwards

Cigars & Smokers' Rates

Q: I don't smoke cigarettes, but I smoke cigars occasionally. Will I have to pay smokers' rates for life insurance?

Answer:

Because of the increased mortality risk associated with smoking, smokers almost always pay more for life insurance than their nonsmoking counterparts. Some life insurance companies distinguish between moderate smokers (20 or fewer cigarettes per day) and heavy smokers (more than 20 cigarettes per day) and offer somewhat lower rates for those who smoke less. The recent cigar craze has now raised numerous questions about how to classify cigar smokers. But unfortunately, there is not yet an industry-wide consensus on this issue.

Note: Life insurance companies now ask about the use of any nicotine-containing product, including chewing tobacco.

The ways in which life insurance companies categorize treatment of cigar smokers literally vary from one extreme to the other. A few companies have taken the position that all forms of tobacco are equally harmful, and thus charge cigar smokers and cigarette smokers the same rates. (However, there may be exceptions for very occasional use; for example, less than 12 cigars per year.) Other insurance companies take a middle-of-the-road position, charging cigar smokers more than nonsmokers but less than the heaviest-smoking class. Some insurance companies even consider cigar smokers to be nonsmokers, offering the lower rates typically reserved for those who don't smoke cigarettes at all.

So, if you're a cigar smoker, try calling your insurance agent or doing some research to find the best life insurance rates available. You should probably act quickly, too, as insurance companies could change their rules if clinical research determines that cigar smoking is more dangerous than previously believed.

Insurance companies will typically reevaluate your rates if you quit smoking for at least a year - something to keep in mind if you're more just a part of the cigar trend than a truly dedicated stogie smoker.

Do life insurance companies really check out if I'm a smoker? How?

Smoking
Q: Do life insurance companies really check out if I'm a smoker? How?

Answer:

Because smoking is a health hazard, life insurance companies may charge you a higher premium if you smoke. Worse yet, smoking may even prevent you from obtaining life insurance coverage at all. How does an insurance company find out if you smoke and how much? In most cases, they start by simply asking you. Almost every application for life insurance contains questions about health issues, including smoking. Your responses to any smoking-related questions will play a part in a company's decision about whether to sell you life insurance and at what price.

If you do smoke, the best approach is to be truthful. Don't be dishonest about your smoking habit just because you're afraid the insurance company will deny your application or charge you more for insurance. Because a life insurance policy is a type of legal contract, lying on your application for insurance is essentially fraudulent (not to mention unethical). What's more, it could come back to haunt you.

While some companies might never learn of your deceit, others might. Keep in mind that the application you fill out is not the only source of data an insurance company may use to evaluate your risk potential. Most companies will require you to submit to a physical exam, the results of which may indicate that you smoke. Some may conduct in-depth investigations into your background/medical history. Others may request additional information from the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which maintains centralized medical files on individuals who have applied for life insurance with member companies.

The point is, if you lie about your smoking, insurance companies have ways of uncovering your falsehood and will almost certainly reject your application if they find out you've lied. In addition, if a company sells you a life insurance policy and then finds out that you lied about your smoking, they may be able to terminate your life insurance coverage immediately (leaving your beneficiaries without protection). The reason: most life insurance policies are subject to a contestability period (generally, the first two years that the policy is in force) during which the company has the right to cancel the contract based on any false statements you made on your application. For example, if you died from emphysema due to smoking a year after you bought life insurance and told the insurance company you don't smoke, your beneficiaries might not be entitled to the policy death benefit.

Do You Still Need Life Insurance if You're Divorced?

Anytime a major life change such as divorce occurs, it's time to sit down and review your insurance coverage. You might think that because you're single now, you need less life insurance or even no life insurance at all. But this isn't necessarily true.

If you don't have children, and no one else is relying on you for support, divorce will probably reduce your need for life insurance. After all, the main purpose of life insurance is to protect loved ones that are relying on your income. But in some cases, divorce will increase your need for life insurance. This could happen if you:

Have children who are relying on you for support (whether or not you are the custodial parent)

* Have increased financial obligations
* Lose coverage you previously had
* Want to ensure that child support or alimony will continue to be paid

The terms of your divorce settlement may also affect your need for life insurance. For example, if you are responsible for paying child support or alimony, you may be required to buy life insurance with your ex-spouse as beneficiary or maintain life insurance coverage you already have.

An insurance agent or a financial planner can help you evaluate your coverage needs and options.

Beneficiary Designations
If your ex-spouse is the named beneficiary of your life insurance policy, he or she will be entitled to receive the proceeds when you die. To avoid this, update your beneficiary designations. Your insurance agent can help you with the necessary paperwork. If you don't have an agent, you can always call the insurance company and ask to speak to someone in the policyholder service department for more information. But don't name a minor child. Insurers generally won't make settlements directly to minors, and the probate court handling your estate may require that a trust be set up, and a guardian appointed, to manage the proceeds.

Tips on buying life insurance

* You may have the opportunity to purchase group life insurance through your employer, trade groups, or professional associations
* If you're concerned about the cost of premiums, consider low-cost term life insurance
* Find an experienced insurance agent or financial planner to help you evaluate your situation and the products available
* Check insurance company ratings, such as A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's, for an insurance company's financial stability
* Be sure to shop around for the best rates
* Periodically review your life insurance needs to make sure that you have the proper amount of coverage

Life Insurance for Your Child

When it comes to a child’s future, parents and grandparents like to plan high and think big. Many buy extra life insurance for themselves, homeowners and personal insurance to cover assets, and begin a college fund, but have you ever considered buying life insurance for your child?

Life insurance is meant to provide income where income was lost in the event of a death, and since children don’t typically bring in money, you may be asking why they would need life insurance, right? Well, the best reason to have a child insured is in the event of their death. The child’s life insurance policy will cover final expenses, such as the funeral and cemetery costs.

Children’s life insurance may not be the right kind of insurance for every family, and if that’s the case for you, don’t worry, you can always look into getting a term life insurance policy with a small face value.

When children come of age, most policies give them the choice of purchasing additional insurance. If they do not wish to continue with that policy, they may set out and get their own, it’s actually quite easy for young adults to obtain good life insurance at a reasonable rate.

If you are interested in getting a life insurance quote for you or your child, log on to Insurance.com. Here you will be able to evaluate multiple rates from best-in-class life insurance providers – helping you find the best life insurance coverage for you and your family.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs

Do you work in a dangerous occupation? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top 10 most dangerous jobs are:

1. Timber cutters
2. Airplane pilots
3. Construction laborers
4. Truck drivers
5. Farm occupations
6. Groundskeepers
7. Laborers
8. Police and detectives
9. Carpenters
10. Sales occupations

Do you have the life insurance protection you need?
It's a fact that some occupations are riskier than others. But no matter what you do for a living, take a look at your life insurance needs. Life insurance can help you financially protect your loved ones after you die. If you're single, and no one is depending upon your income for support, you probably don't need life insurance. But if any of the following is true, consider buying life insurance:

* You're married and your spouse depends on your income
* You have children
* You have an aging parent or disabled relative who depends on your income
* Your retirement savings, pension, or other cash accounts won't adequately support your loved ones after you die
* You have a large estate and expect to owe estate taxes
* You own a business

Calculators and worksheets are available online to help you determine how much life insurance you need. You may want to contact an insurance agent or broker who can help you determine what type of life insurance is best for you and the amount of coverage you need.

Do you have the disability insurance you need?
If you work in a high-risk occupation, you probably know how important it is to have disability insurance coverage. But don't rely on government programs such as Social Security and workers' compensation as your main source of protection. In reality, government programs pay only limited benefits under restrictive terms (e.g. you must meet a strict definition of disability to qualify).

Your employer may offer group disability insurance at low or no cost to you. But you may also want to consider purchasing an individual disability insurance policy. Although you'll pay more for individual coverage than for a group policy, you often get more benefits. And keep in mind that if you leave your job or otherwise terminate your relationship with a group, you can't take your disability policy with you, and you usually can't convert it to an individual disability policy. This means that you may be left without disability coverage when you need it most.

Shop around for coverage
Since many different types of life and disability policies are available, it's important to shop around for coverage to find a life insurance policythat meets your individual needs. Since premium costs vary widely, get quotes from several insurance companies. Just make sure you're comparing policies that offer similar benefits.

Please note that this description/explanation is intended only as a guideline.
Article source: insurance.com

Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs

Do you work in a dangerous occupation? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top 10 most dangerous jobs are:

1. Timber cutters
2. Airplane pilots
3. Construction laborers
4. Truck drivers
5. Farm occupations
6. Groundskeepers
7. Laborers
8. Police and detectives
9. Carpenters
10. Sales occupations

Do you have the life insurance protection you need?
It's a fact that some occupations are riskier than others. But no matter what you do for a living, take a look at your life insurance needs. Life insurance can help you financially protect your loved ones after you die. If you're single, and no one is depending upon your income for support, you probably don't need life insurance. But if any of the following is true, consider buying life insurance:

* You're married and your spouse depends on your income
* You have children
* You have an aging parent or disabled relative who depends on your income
* Your retirement savings, pension, or other cash accounts won't adequately support your loved ones after you die
* You have a large estate and expect to owe estate taxes
* You own a business

Calculators and worksheets are available online to help you determine how much life insurance you need. You may want to contact an insurance agent or broker who can help you determine what type of life insurance is best for you and the amount of coverage you need.

Do you have the disability insurance you need?
If you work in a high-risk occupation, you probably know how important it is to have disability insurance coverage. But don't rely on government programs such as Social Security and workers' compensation as your main source of protection. In reality, government programs pay only limited benefits under restrictive terms (e.g. you must meet a strict definition of disability to qualify).

Your employer may offer group disability insurance at low or no cost to you. But you may also want to consider purchasing an individual disability insurance policy. Although you'll pay more for individual coverage than for a group policy, you often get more benefits. And keep in mind that if you leave your job or otherwise terminate your relationship with a group, you can't take your disability policy with you, and you usually can't convert it to an individual disability policy. This means that you may be left without disability coverage when you need it most.

Shop around for coverage
Since many different types of life and disability policies are available, it's important to shop around for coverage to find a life insurance policythat meets your individual needs. Since premium costs vary widely, get quotes from several insurance companies. Just make sure you're comparing policies that offer similar benefits.

Please note that this description/explanation is intended only as a guideline.
Article source: insurance.com