Health Insurance for the Self Employed

One the most difficult things about being self-employed is having to find and pay for your own insurance. When you have a job with a benefits package that includes health insurance it's easy to become “spoiled”. Rates are often far better and coverage usually far more comprehensive than for individual and family insurance.

When your employer offers health insurance, pretty much the only decision you need to make is whether or not to accept it. When you're on your own, having to research all the options and decide what is most appropriate for you you may be overwhelmed by the choices and costs.

In your employer's plan everyone in the company paid the same rates. Now you're faced with more decisions than Baskin Robbins has flavors, but unlike buying ice cream, your decision has consequences.



The first thing you'll discover is that every state has a different set of rules and laws that govern and regulate the insurance industry for that state. Prices vary, not only from state to state, but zip code to zip code. There are dozens of insurance carriers to choose from, including names familiar to you from television, which may or may not offer you the best deal.

You're going to have to do some investigating and you're going to be shocked, especially coming from group health policies, where pretty much everything is covered, from doctor visits to prescriptions, and everyone is acccepted by the very nature of group coverage.

You are going to find that individual and family and insurance is quite selective. Pre-existing conditions will either be excluded, not covered at all or be a cause for your rejection altogether. It is important before you apply for any insurance policy to know what the restrictions are. One of the worst things that could happen is for you to be rejected because of a medical condition. Rejection by one carrier will raise a red flag and possibly cause you to be either rejected, out of hand, or forced to pay a higher premium with other carriers.

You should also make certain when buying a policy that you're guaranteed not to raise your premium for at least 12 months. Insurance companies often offer a teaser rate to get you to sign up with them and then raise your rates soon after. All of the companies going to consistently raise your rates, just make sure you're rates are locked in for a least a year.

Make sure you're with a reputable firm. Some of the offerings sound great but unless you're an expert you may not see the loopholes which render the policy useless to your needs. Your best bet is to consult with a health insurance professional, a broker, an independent agent, one who represents a multiple insurance companies. Such a person knows the business, can answer questions and lead you in the right direction.

Another option is to consult an online quoting engine, available through the Web Sites of many independent agents. Here you can compare a variety of health insurance policies and companies, and note the variety of prices and options of coverage.

Quoting engines are nice, but do not forget that they only display the "preferred" rates, which may not necessarily reflect your actual rate. They also lack the ability to advise you about loopholes, and potential pitfalls. For that you need a trained and licensed health insurance agent.

Author : Jeff Wild is an independent agent and a representative of some of the highest rated insurers in the United States. His Web Site, Simple Health Coverage was created to educate, inform and connect you, the consumer with the best carriers, policies and agents in your geographic area.

Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before You Purchase Health Insurance

How do you go about choosing the right health insurance plan? There are a number of things you want to take into account before buying.

How many times do you visit a doctor every year?

What is your current health status?

Do you want catastrophic protection only?

Do you want doctor office visit co-pays offered before your deductible?

Would you like prescription drug co-pays?

How much of a monthly premium can you afford?

Are you someone that visits the doctor frequently? If yes, then you will benefit from having the office visit co-pay before having to satisfy your deductible. Without co-pays the visit could potentially cost anywhere from $85 to $150 for a sickness checkup. With a co-pay plan you will pay anywhere from $10 to $50 per visit. Keep in mind the office visit co-pay will add to your monthly premium. That's why we ask how many times you go to the doc per year. If you go only once, then you should consider the catastrophic coverage. What's the point in paying for benefits that you aren't going to use?


Being healthy and staying in good health is critical to getting approved at the best rate. Most insurance carriers look for individuals and families that are healthy. With a carrier like Aetna you may get approved at three different rates, A, B or C rating. The A rate is the best rate available for that particular plan. The B rate is your original (best) rate plus 25 percent and the C rate is your original (best) rate plus 50% of the premium. Carriers have the right to raise your monthly premium based on your health conditions, or they can possibly decline you. That's why it's beneficial to be in good health when applying to all health insurance companies. It's not impossible to get health insurance if you are taking over two medications however it can get a little pricey. For clients that are declined there is always the state sponsored MRMIP coverage for states such as California (check within your state to get the full details of what state plans are available. The Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) is a funded by tobacco taxes, sometimes there may a shortage of fund resulting in the individual being put on a waiting list. Generally this waiting list is a maximum of 3 months.

If you know that you only want catastrophic health protection then you should take a look at the health plans without office visit co-pays. The catastrophic plans usually give you the benefit of getting a physical once per year at a co-pay or for almost free of charge. However, that's the only co-pay benefit you receive before satisfying your deductible. After you determine that you want catastrophic protection you need to think about your maximum out of pocket. The out-of-pocket maximum is the maximum amount of money you will have to pay in a calendar year. Let's say your out-of-pocket max is $3000 for a calendar year. If you go to the emergency room and are then admitted to the hospital for three days, chances are your claims will be very high (potentially $50,000, $60,000 or even $100,000.) If you need a surgery or some other type of emergency service your claims could reach $400,000. With an insurance plan that has a maximum out of pocket of $3000, you will only pay $3000 for those high claims that could leave you bankrupt. Make sure to pay attention to your out of pocket maximum. That is the main reason for insurance in the first place.

Like office visit co-pays, you can choose to elect co-pays for your prescription drugs. On the average you will have a $10 co pay for generic and a $35 co-pay for brand drugs (there is usually a brand deductible applied ranging from $250 -$750). Some plans will come with generic prescriptions only and/or have a maximum cap put on the Rx benefits. This is common with the new lower priced premium plans. Unfortunately the insurance carriers can't offer the full prescription drug benefit plans at a cheap monthly premium like they used to. People take a lot more prescriptions now and they cost a lot of money for the carriers annually. Make sure a pay close attention to what type of prescription drug coverage you are getting on the cheap premium plans. If you take two to three prescriptions and really need good drug coverage then you will pay a little more in premium but save a lot in the long run.

Lastly after you have answered the other five questions, you need to decide how much you can afford monthly. The higher the benefits on your plan the more it's going to cost. It's the same with car insurance, full coverage or liability only. There are low deductibles, high deductibles and zero deductible health plans. As a general rule of thumb, the lower your deductible the higher your monthly premium will be. To narrow down a plan that works for your lifestyle it is always a good idea to speak to a local insurance agent. An agent will quickly get a sense of your insurance needs and then browse each insurance carrier to find a plan that will work for you based on benefits, needs, out of pocket maximum and monthly premium. If you go directly to the insurance carrier your options will be limited to only that carrier.

About The Author:
This article was brought to you by the premier health insurance provider J.C. Lewis Insurance Services of California.

Medicare supplement plans: rules to be followed

It is often seen that the Medicare policy that you are having does not cover for the total bill charged for your medical treatment. Now it sometimes becomes a big problem for some people to bear that extra cost. For that very reason here is the Medicare supplement, in other words known as the Medigap policies that helps you get relieved of that extra burden of medical cost. The fact is that in the original Medicare policies there always remain several gaps for which it doesn’t pay for all the health care services that you may need. Therefore if you are the one of the beneficiaries of the original Medicare plane, you may be in the need to buy Medicare supplement insurance. In other words it is also known as the Medigap insurance because of the reason that it bridges the gap between the policy coverage of the original Medicare plans and the total medical bill you need to pay. This is the type of health insurance policy that helps you pay for some of the costs in the original Medicare program and also for the part that it doesn’t cover.


The medigap offerings or the Medicare supplement plans have been standardized by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 1992. Though medigap policies were also available prior to that. But the seniors possessing the plans prior to 1992 are still under non-standard plans. But these plans are no longer eligible for the new plans. It is to be mentioned that the Medigap or the Medicare supplement plans are sold by the private insurance companies and there are no government sponsorship behind them. And for that reason the insurance policies may vary from state to state. According to the law, the companies can offer only 12 Medicare supplement insurance plans. And these plans are named from A through L and each plan provides different sets of benefits. In 2006 it has been clearly stated that the Medigap Plans H, I, and J, cannot be sold to people with prescription to drug benefits, although there is a lax of this rule for people who already have those plans and they can keep them.

It is however advised that you should go through the policy statements carefully before deciding to choose one best fit for you. And for the concern of the policyholders it can be said that the all the plans with the same letter cover, no matter which insurance company sells it must cover the same benefits. As for example it can be said that all Plan E policies have the same benefit coverage irrespective of the insurance company selling it. However, it should be kept in mind that the amount of premium can vary with company.

The fact is that the insurance company must keep renewing the Medicare supplement plans once you buy a Medigap plan for yourself. And it is also true that they cannot change the policy covers or the benefits that it promises to provide or even can’t cancel it unless there is any failure on your part in paying the premium. However, the company can increase the insurance premium, but that too they can’t do without providing your prior notice of the increase in due time.


By: William Richards : The Best Medicare Plans, Medicare plans California and Best Medicare Supplemental Insurance

Are you sure? Health insurance to cover your needs.

Earlier company provides health insurance to employers and it is basic services for which the company is responsible. Health insurance is employment. Now, only a few days auto companies provide health insurance as a benefit for reimbursement for services rendered. It is not very intimidating to deal with health insurance even if it resembles one. The expenditure of time to acquire a good insurance quote will be useful in the long term. It will eventually save time and money and bring peace of mind.

First, and one of the most important thing is to find companies that provide insurance quotes by the need and requirements of the individual. The budget is one of many factors when searching and deciding for citations. Even in financially difficult times a person should go to get a quote, according to his needs, even if the plan in May is the cheapest available. A plan should be one that covers all requirements and sacrifice must not be made because of the budget. It's just a matter of making a smart choice. This is only possible if a person has sufficient and correct information on the various offers available.


Money and time can be saved by acquiring several awards. If a person has health insurance, even then, it must also seek out new projects with new businesses, because they can provide advantages that the previous plan in May not to have. Thus, a person must keep looking for these plans and they are readily available on the Internet. Much of healthcare is the priority in time and a good health insurance plan to ensure that health needs are covered.

A good insurance company is always keen to give a portion of its customers to obtain the right coverage and deductibles as part of their budget. Frequent physician visits, emergency surgeries, dentists and other requirements for visits are very common these days. Thus, it is essential to choose a good plan for that person will not be faced with heavy bills of his medical needs. By selecting a health insurance plan for all health needs can be covered.

Have health insurance in advance as a precautionary measure because it is something that should be in hand before a person becomes ill, because after that there will be a big pile of bills that a person does be unable to pay.

Affordable Health Insurance Is Vital For Protecting Your Family

Finding affordable health insurance in the United States has become mission impossible for the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. In a poll done in 2005 it was found that Americans biggest fear wasn't terrorists, or car payments, but finding affordable health insurance. What these people don't know is that health insurance doesn't have to be expensive. If you shop around for the best prices that fit your needs you may sitting pretty every month when you pay your monthly premiums. Many people want to know what the “perfect plan" is, well the thing is that there is no ultimate plan that will be able to save you from all your healthcare woes, what you need to do is sit down and write a list of all of your unique needs that you need to have met in order for you and your family to live safely and comfortably. Some of the questions that you may want to ask yourself are whether or not you want protection from serious illnesses and diseases, if you want coverage for just yourself or do you need coverage for your entire family, or even if you want coverage for pre-existing medical problems that you or a loved one may have.

After making a list of all of your unique needs you will want to start to look around to find the most affordable health insurance policy for what you and your family's needs. Look around to all different types of health insurance companies, talk to experts and get their advice. One great thing about shopping around for health insurance is you get free advice from professionals. Talk to the providers and ask them questions that are important to you, they know how health insurance works, and they will have reliable answers when it comes to you questions. Remember-don't just start a policy with the first person you talk to, shop around and ask for advice from others, although they do have to give you honest answers they can try to sway to towards their company. The more companies you talk to and compare the more likely you are to find a company that will fit both your unique needs as well as your budget.

Health insurance is vital in protecting you and your family financially. Without health insurance you run the risk of essentially having your entire life's savings being wiped out by something as small as a trip to the hospital. People who do not have health insurance often have to go weeks or even months before being treated for serious sicknesses' or injuries. In some cases injured or sick people may have to pass up the opportunity to see a doctor at all because the costs may be too expensive. Don't let this happen to you or anyone in your family!

Affordable Short Term Health Insurance May Be The Best Bet For People Changing Jobs

For many people the task of finding affordable short term health insurance can be very difficult. No matter what the reason that you need affordable short-term health insurance is there are many ways to go about it. Whether you need it because you are changing jobs, schools, retired, graduating, employed, unemployed, or moving you may be eligible to apply for short-term health insurance. What many people want to know is what exactly is short-term health insurance. One of the huge benefits of short-term health insurance is the low monthly premium that people have to pay. Short-term health insurance is one of the best insurance plans for people who are on the move, with monthly payments costing less than a small car payment. This type of health insurance is directed mostly at healthy individuals, their families, or children who do not need insurance for pre-existing conditions, these types of insurance polices can give people a fall back plan if something were to happen to them or a family member. Depending on the plan that they pick the benefits can be perfect for them because many of these plans can provide families with up to $1.5-2 million dollars per person for serious injury and illnesses.

Short term insurance has grown at a rapid rate in the past few years with the amount of people who are uninsured being near 45 million. It has recently been made mandatory that people who are uninsured must be insured in the next few years, which has made this type of insurance even more popular with such low premiums as well as adequate coverage as long as you are health in the 3 years prior to being covered by the plan. There are many different companies offering affordable short-term health insurance for you to pick from and also different plans within each company for you to look for.

One thing to keep in mind when you are going to look for affordable short term health insurance plans is that these plans will not cover you for pre-existing conditions, this is why it is a "short-term" plan, and why the monthly premiums can be so low. If you don't know what a preexisting condition is, it is any symptoms, or illnesses that you maybe have had 3 years prior to the start of your affordable short term health insurance coverage, this is why it is very important that when you fill out the application to tell them everything has gone on, if you do have pre-existing conditions this is not the right type of insurance for you, and although the monthly premiums will be low, it will not be able to help you if something from the previous months catches up with you and you need serious medical attention. If this were to happen it is possible that the short-term coverage that you may be receiving may be dropped.

by Ronnie Hamilton

Find the Best Individual Health Insurance Quotes Easily From Online

Looking after your health doesn't mean about preventing diseases or being healthy all the time or just preventing viruses that have a bad affect on one's health. To look after your health is very important but some times you do get affected by some disease because of today's unpredictable climate and other stuff. Though you cannot sometimes prevent the diseases but you can cover all the health expenses if you have beneficial health insurance policy.

The initial steps to select a health insurance policy is to research properly and get as many health insurance quotes as possible from as many health insurance planners. These quotes will help the individual in understanding the trends going on in the market for health insurance plans and the individual could make correct decisions from the variety of options he gets that which health insurance plan he or she want to opt for.

There are many companies in the insurance market today that offer various Individual health insurance quotes. In almost all countries individual health insurance plans are conducted throughout all major cities. An Individual can gain information through various sources about Individual Health Insurance Quotes. One could issue these policies directly from the individual health insurance plan providers or could take advantage of the internet.

One can get information about individual health insurance quotes that are beyond imagination from online resources. Getting individual health insurance quotes through online resources saves one's time and money. One of the great benefits of buying an from online health insurance companies are that one can opt from various different schemes available and he or she could compare different plans on offer at the same time.

This makes the purchasing of individual health insurance quotes depend on just one click of your fingers. You can opt for any life insurance plans that are on offer by reputed online insurance companies by your finger tips.

Looking after your health doesn't mean about preventing diseases or being healthy all the time or just preventing viruses that have a bad affect on one's health. To look after your health is very important but some times you do get affected by some disease because of today's unpredictable climate and other stuff. Though you cannot sometimes prevent the diseases but you can cover all the health expenses if you have beneficial health insurance policy.

One can get information about individual health insurance quotes that are beyond imagination from online resources. Getting individual health insurance quotes through online resources saves one's time and money. One of the great benefits of buying an from online health insurance companies are that one can opt from various different schemes available and he or she could compare different plans on offer at the same time.

This makes the purchasing of individual health insurance quotes depend on just one click of your fingers. You can opt for any life insurance plans that are on offer by reputed online insurance companies by your finger tips.