When people shop for health insurance coverage with Assurant Health they find quickly that Assurant Health has simplified the process as much as possible.  They offer one major medical plan called CoreMed and you have the ability to semi-customize the plan to meet your needs. One option that I want to highlight in this post is the option to add an Office Visit Copay feature to your plan.  On the surface this sounds good, $35 per office visit – great, right?  But in truth having an office copay feature is not only expensive, it is not what most people think it is.

Office copay’s only cover the basic services provided within the scope of a basic out-patient office visit.  Anything other than that is not covered under the copay feature and any additional charges will become subject to your plans deductible and coinsurance percentages.  An office visit copay simply does not deliver the value that many clients think!  For the vast majority of policyholders, the premium savings from eliminating the copay far outweigh the copay’s benefits.

Because the days of low deductibles are pretty much a thing of the past people have had to become somewhat comfortable with the thought of having a much higher deductible.  People make these choices because they have to in order to keep the monthly premiums affordable and sustainable for their family.  One other point to make is that policyholders already enjoy 100% coverage for many preventive care office visits, with no deductible or coinsurance requirement, making a copay benefit less useful.  Regardless of your opinion of the health care system – costs continue to climb.  This includes the cost of insurance.  We have not seen a single year in the past 25 years that we can recall in which premiums were reduced unless you made plan changes and assumed more risk or gave up benefits or both.

So if you are shopping for major medical insurance for your family consider quoting your plan choice WITHOUT the Office Copay feature when offered.  You can then use your premium savings you will gain from this to buy valuable supplemental coverage like Assurant Health’s Accident Plan, their Dental Plan or Critical Illness plan.  These plans are not only desirable but plans like their Accident Plan can help mitigate the gaps that high deductibles create, thus allowing you to significantly decrease your out-of-pocket exposure in the event of an accidental injury.

Assurant Health makes it easy for you to add these supplemental options at the time you apply for coverage.  They are also available as Stand Alone plans if you already have a major medical plan that you like.  The subject of Office Copay features applies to all types of Major Medical plans regardless of the insurer.  Choosing a plan without an Office Copay will save you money every single month.

Click on the Assurant Health Brochure above and check out their product portfolio.  If you have questions call us at (619) 435-6700.  If you would like to create a FREE QUOTE then click the button below.  Applying for coverage is easy to do and is done online from the privacy of your home or office.  As always feel free to visit our website for more information about the plans we sell – www.IndividualHealth.com.

Summer is quickly approaching and people are looking towards their upcoming vacation plans that they have previously made or may be planning.  If your travel plans this summer will take you outside the borders of the United States then you will want to consider purchasing one of two types of insurance products.  The type of insurance product you will want to purchase will more than likely depend on how you planned your trip and for how long you plan to be gone.

I want to talk about two of the most commonly purchase types of International Insurance people buy, “Travel Insurance” and “Trip Cancellation”.  Usually these types of products are used for trips that are for short periods of time and generally they will not be longer than a few weeks in length.  When people talk about Travel Insurance many times what they are likely referring to is a product we call Trip Cancellation.  Trip Cancellation Insurance is a product you will want to consider if you have already pre-paid or you are planning to pre-pay some or all of the costs of a future trip in order to help protect the investment made.

Travel Insurance policies are designed to safeguard against any unforseen financial loss related to airline cancellations, loss related to a tour, lost baggage, flight delays, terrorism illness and more.  In addition they also include medical protection designed to help protect against unexpected illness.  During your trip you may need to see a doctor, have a prescription filled, receive care at a hospital, or deal with an unexpected medical emergency.  Also in these plans you will generally find benefits for emergency medical evacuation should the need arise.

Other important benefits falls under the area of Pre-Existing Conditions.  Many of these types of plans will have some limited benefits in the event treatment is required do to the onset of illness related to a pre-existing condition.  Some companies like HTH Worldwide will waive the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion as long as you meet three requirements.  And, the condition is not limited to a smaller amount of coverage.  HTH Worldwide will cover up to the medical limits of the policy.

HTH Worldwide offers a product called TipProtector – which is a comprehensive plan that offers travel protection PLUS travel medical insurance.  TripProtector includes medical protection, trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage protection and more.  HTH’s TripProtector boasts a complete set of services to help you identify, access and pay for healthcare services in over 180 countries.  With TripProtector if you follow some basic requirements you can have the exclusion waived for pre-ex.

The three requirements that must be met in order for HTH Worldwide to waive the pre-existing condition exclusion are:

1. The payment for the TripProtector plan is received prior to/or within 24 hours of your final trip payment for your Covered Trip; and;
2. You are not disabled from travel at the time you pay your plan payment; and;
3. The booking for the Covered Trip must be the first and only booking for this travel period and destination.

Getting a quote for the TripProtector plan is easy to do.  Once you find a rate you like you simply select the plan of choice and complete the process online.  Get your free quote now by clicking on the button…

The other type of travel insurance is what we call Travel Medical which basically is a short-term plan similar in design to our domestic short-term insurance plans.  Seven Corners offers the Liaison International Medical Insurance plan which is designed to cover you outside your home country from a few as 5 days to 187 days or less of coverage. Even if you have comprehensive medical insurance at home, such coverage may either be of no use to you or invalid while

abroad. Liaison International not only provides medical coverage for conditions that develop or accidents that occur while abroad, but other valuable benefits such as emergency evacuation and assistance services as well. Your home country insurance company rarely offers these features.

Each year, millions of people travel outside of their Home Country, beyond the boundaries of their medical insurance. If you are concerned with the potential out-of-pocket expenses that could result from an injury or illness while traveling, Liaison® International offers medical coverage and emergency services to individuals and families traveling outside their Home Country.

Whether you are an U.S. Citizen planning a trip outside the border of the United States or a Global Citizen needing coverage for travel outside your home countries borders the Liaison International can fill your need for temporary coverage.

Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. (Except certain states underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London)

• Medical maximum: $50,000; $100,000; $500,000; or $1,000,000
• Coverage period: Minimum Purchase is 5 days; Maximum is 6 months
• Virtual ID cards available immediately after purchase
• Global access to assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Dental (sudden relief of pain): up to $100, class 1 individuals
• Emergency medical evacuation/repatriation: up to $300,000
• Accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D): up to $25,000
• Terrorism (Except certain states underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London)
• Waiver of pre-existing conditions up to $20,000 – See exclusion #1 in the Brochure for full details

As always feel free to call with questions (619) 435-6700 or email us at “sales@individualhealth.com“.

Welcome to the United States! As you may be aware, health care is of major concern to most Americans. To ensure that a person is properly protected against catastrophic health expenses, medical insurance is often purchased. The majority of Americans obtain medical coverage through a group program provided by their employer, direct from the insurance company or through a government program such as Medicare. These opportunities may not be available to recent U.S. immigrants (perhaps the immigrant is self-employed, in between jobs, or already in retirement).

The United States offers the most comprehensive medical care available in the world, but it is often complicated as well as very expensive. For a visitor to the United States or a recent immigrant, finding an insurance program that is easy to understand and reasonably priced is often difficult. As a solution, Inbound Immigrant and Inbound Guest was developed to provide up to 5 years of protection.

Solution One

The Solution to Your Concerns is Seven Corners Inbound Immigrant program designed specifically for immigrants to the United States

Inbound Immigrant offers a schedule that outlines the available benefits given the particular treatment required. This feature allows Inbound Immigrant to be offered at a reasonable and competitive rate. The plan is underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London. IndividualHealth.com provides no obligation quotations for the Inbound Immigrant. To get a free quote click on the Get a Quote link above.

• Must sign up within 24 months of arrival in the U.S.
• Up to 5 years of coverage available.
• Scheduled Benefit Program – a very affordable plan design.
• Hospitalization – Covered based on Medical Maximum and Deductible
• Surgery – Covered based on Medical Maximum and Deductible
• Maternity Coverage
• No Networks

Solution Two

For Short Term Solutions is Seven Corners’ Inbound Guest program designed specifically for immigrants to the United States

If you are a visitor to the United States, or a recent immigrant, finding an insurance program that is easy to understand and reasonably priced is often difficult. As a solution, Inbound Guest was developed to provide a simple and affordable program to visitors and immigrants. This program is available to non-United States citizens who come to the U.S. for business, pleasure, to study, or to immigrate. The Inbound Guest program must become effective within 180 days of arrival in the United States.

You may initially enroll in Inbound Guest for as little at 5 days and up to a maximum of 180 days. Total period of coverage for Inbound Guest cannot exceed 180 days. In order for you to re-apply after the first 180 days, you must return to your home country. This is a Scheduled Benefits plan where Seven Corners pays a set amount per procedure. The plan is underwritten by Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London. IndividualHealth.com provides no obligation quotations for the Inbound Guest. To get a free quote click on the Get a Quote link above.

• Scheduled Benefits – Set amount paid per procedure
• Can’t be in the U.S. more than 6 months before signing up
• Per incident deductible
• Per incident maximum $45K, $65K, $85K & $120K
• Available for ages 14 days to 69
• Non Networks

As always if you have questions give us a call at (619) 435-6700 or email us at sales@individualhealth.com.  If you are looking for other forms of International insurance visit our website.

Accident Medical Expense plan now available  in Wyoming and other states…

The Assurant Supplemental Coverage “Accident Medical Expense” plan is now available for sale in Wyoming.  Purchase Accident Medical Expense with another health plan or standalone, Accident Medical Expense helps policyholders pay out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as deductibles and coinsurance, after an accident.

Regardless of benefit level, Accident Medical Expense policies feature:

• Guaranteed issue
• No waiting period
• No annual or lifetime limits
• Benefits for accidental death and dismemberment
• No network restrictions or requirements for doctors and hospitals

Applying is easy and fast to do right from the privacy of your home or office.  Click the orange button below and get a quote for this plan today.  As always, visit our website www.IndividualHealth.com, call with questions (619) 435-6700 or email us at Sales@IndividualHealth.com.

Currently available in these states – AL, AR, AZ, IL, KY, LA, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, OK, OR, TX, UT, WI, WV and WY.

• Aetna Signature Administrators national PPO network is one of the country’s largest networks, with more than one million providers and 7,500 hospitals.
• The new network will bring customers more competitive pricing, valuable expanded network access and opportunities for additional network discounts to reduce cost of care.
• New policyholders will gain access to the expanded network in 18 states in March; additional states will roll out later this year.
• Existing policyholders will receive offers to move to Aetna Signature Administrators national PPO network beginning in April. There is a well-thought-out plan to move these customers, so unless you have a unique circumstance with a case or two, please allow the process to work as planned.

AK, AL, AZ, CT, FL, IA, IL, LA, MD, MI, MO, NE, OK, TX, VA, WI, WV and WY will gain access to the expanded network in March. GA and PA will gain access to the expanded network in April.

If you are shopping for Major Medical coverage then consider Assurant Health as part of your shopping.  Click on the orange button below and get a quote for you and your family today.  If you are ready to buy and you like the rates then complete your application online.  As always feel free to visit our website at www.IndividualHealth.com.

The fact is that costs are rising rapidly within the whole health care system. By 2019, the U.S. will spend about $4.4 trillion on health care. Yes, trillion with a “t.”  People ask daily what is going on with their premiums and why do they keep going up.  Well the short answer is that it is complicated and it is true that health care costs and premiums are directly related.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has created a brochure titled ”Getting to the bottom of health care costs” that takes a look at where our premium dollars go, what’s driving health care costs and what Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is doing to help reduce these costs.  We wanted to post this for those of you who are struggling with this very issue.  Click on the brochure above and see if this helps you better understand what it is that is driving rates.

This article applies to:

• Wisconsin, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, Missouri, Maine, Kentucky, Indiana, Connecticut, and Colorado
• Individual (under 65)

Visit our website at www.IndividualHealth.com

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield recently announced that atorvastatin, a new generic for the brand name Lipitor, had been added to their covered drug list. Since the generic is less expensive and just as safe and effective as Lipitor, beginning April 1, 2012, Lipitor will no longer be covered. Atorvastatin will continue to be covered.

This change impacts all commercial and individual business in all states covered under Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. ASO groups that have chosen to participate in the “clinically equivalent” coverage strategy are also included.

The coverage change does not apply to local groups that do not have the “clinically equivalent” benefit exclusion in place, but prior authorization will be needed. Medicare Part D and state-sponsored business are not impacted.

This article applies to:

• Wisconsin, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, Missouri, Maine, Kentucky, Indiana, Connecticut, and Colorado.  Also Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia
• Small group (2-50 employees), Large group (50-1000 employees), and Individual (under 65)

I hope this is helpful information.

For those who are U.S. Citizens who plan to travel or live outside the borders of the United States for extended periods of time – this can create potential hazards for you when you return home to live. Insure your insurability with the right international health plan before leaving your home.  Selecting the right plan is extremely important and if your travel needs may be longer than several months you may want to consider a long term solution.

The majority of U.S. based (domestic) health insurance provides minimal coverage when traveling abroad and no assistance services to the traveler. Policy language is often vague giving travelers a false sense of security regarding their medical coverage.

Travel Medical Insurance can provide you additional peace of mind while traveling outside your home country. The right travel insurance will include a broad range of coverage and services for any health emergency, such as:

• Comprehensive medical insurance
• 24 hour emergency assistance
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Access to quality, English speaking healthcare providers worldwide
• Pre-existing condition coverage with certain plans
• Online tools such as country and city health and safety reports
• Coverage in case of terrorism attacks
• Choice of deductibles and policy maximums and more

Three Plans to Consider…

The Atlas Travel Series from HCC Insurance

State of the art travel and emergency medical assistance services are part of every Atlas Series plan. In addition, the Atlas Series now allows you to extend and/or renew coverage for up to 36 months. The minimum coverage period is 5 days and the maximum initial coverage period is 12 months. After 12 months of contiuous coverage, Atlas International holders may renew their coverage, after which the deductible and coinsurance will need to be re-satisfied.

The Atlas Travel Series is not designed to cover pre-existing medical conditions, but some benefit are available for an Acute Onset of a Pre-existing Condition (see brochure to the right for complete details). The Atlas Travel Series provides important benefits including $500,000 of Emergency Medical Evacuation, Repatriation of Remains and Accidental Dealth and Dismemberment. These benefits are complimented by Travel Assistance Services unique to the travel medical industry.

The Liaison International from Seven Corners

From Seven Corners is the Liaison International Medical Insurance plan which is designed to cover you outside your home country from a few as 5 days to 187 days or less of coverage. Even if you have comprehensive medical insurance at home, such coverage may either be of no use to you or invalid while abroad. Liaison International not only provides medical coverage for conditions that develop or accidents that occur while abroad, but other valuable benefits such as emergency evacuation and assistance services as well. Your home country insurance company rarely offers these features.

The Liaison Majestic Travel Insurance from Seven Corners

From Seven Corners the Liaison Majestic is best suited for travelers while outside their fixed and permanent residence for 12 months or less and it is renewable up to 3 years. Simular in design to the Liaison International (plan above) the Liaison Majestic gives you flexibility to extend you coverage should you desire to stay outside your home country for more than 1 year.

Key Highlights:

• Medical Maximum $60,000, $125,000, $600,00 or $1,000,000
• Emergency medical evacuation – up to $300,000 (in addition to Medical Maximum)
• Political evacuation and repatriation – up to $50,000
• Terrorism – up to $50,000
• Felonious assault benefit – up to $10,000
• Waiver of Pre-Existing conditions – Up to $10,000
• Travel Assistance available 24/7/365

If you would like to explore more information about International Medical Plans then visit our website at www.individualhealth.com.  Should you have questions email us at sales@individualhealth.com or call (619) 435-6700.

Good news for your HumanaOne members who currently receive paper bills each month.   Members now have the option to pay their premiums online.  All they need to do is log on to www.info.humana-one.com.  One-time payments are quick and efficient.  Even better, if members opt to set up a recurring online bill payment option, they may avoid paper bill fees and enjoy added convenience and savings.

Members with Short Term Plans will not be able to use this service; however, there are no paper bill fees if a member elects to use the EFT option for payments.

Online Bill Pay is only available for medical products, whether with or without the Traditional dental rider and any life product or rider tied to the medical policy.  We’ll be announcing this new feature to members on their paper bills, eDelivery email, credit card, and EFT return letters.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana

With deductibles continuing to rise people have been searching for answers to the rising costs of health insurance.  For some raising ones deductible to a higher limit is simply a function of cost.  They need to keep their monthly premiums down and sustainable so they do the only thing they can – raise their deductibles from time to time.  Some choose to use supplemental plans such as accident plans to help mitigate the potential for unexpected medical bills helping them to cover the cost of their higher deductibles.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana has just introduced and Deductible Credit Program designed to do two things the way I see it.  One is to help build customer loyalty and the other is to reward their plan members for staying with them.  So what exactly is this program and how does it work?

The Deductible Credit Program is for Individual customers that automatically puts money into a Special Incentive Account (Account) when you don’t meet your annual deductible, and grows that account to use for future medical costs or whatever you want.  If you are a healthy person who rarely meets your deductible or a person who likes having a high deductible in order to keep your premiums lower than this may be of interest to you.

First in order to qualify for one of these accounts you must be on a plan that has a deductible of at least $2,500 or higher or $3,000 or higher for the Lumenos HSA plan.  Once you are eligible your account will be set up automatically.  Each year where your medical claims are less than your deductible Anthem will credit your Account with an amount that is equal to 20% of your deductible  ($3,000 Deductible x 20% = $600).  Click on the brochure image above to view a complete description of this program.

Once you accumulate credits in your Account, Anthem will automatically send you a special check from your Account the first year you have claims greater than 80% of your deductible.  You can use the check payment to lower your out-of-pocket expenses or on whatever you deem necessary.  Once this happens Anthem will reset your account back to zero the following year.  Then your credits will start all over again.

This new program can help soften the expenses you may incur over your lifetime thus helping reduce the impact of having a high deductible plan.  If you live in Indiana and you are not a current member with Anthem Blue Cross of Indiana and you would like to explore plan options and cost simply click on the orange button below for a current quote for all of their plans.