Saturday, October 31, 2009

Car Insurance Types.

The law requires that anyone who drives a car must have car insurance. Purchasing car insurance involves buying a policy from an insurance provider. The premium you pay depends on a number of factors such as age, gender, and the make, model, and year of the car. When you look for an insurance policy that will provide you with appropriate coverage, it is important to understand the types of car insurance policies that are available. So, what are the different types of auto car insurance options available?

Fully Comprehensive Auto Insurance

Fully comprehensive auto car insurance is without doubt the most expensive. However, with so many cars financed by finance companies, it is also probably the most common type of auto insurance – as the finance companies make it a requirement that the owner insure their automobile fully comprehensive.

In short, as its name suggests, fully comprehensive auto car insurance insures the owner of the car against all manner of events – from an accident to theft of the car. The upside of this type of insurance is there is no need to show ‘fault’ in order to claim. So, if you have an accident, which is not your fault, and the owner of the other car, who is at fault, doesn’t give you his insurance details, or, worse, is uninsured, you can still claim against your insurance company. Similarly, if your car is stolen, then fully comprehensive insurance allows you to claim against the insurance company.

However, do read your insurance policy carefully, as most auto car insurance companies refuse to insure 100% of the value of a car, choosing instead to only insure 80%, or so, of the value. The auto car insurance companies claim that doing this prevents fraudulent losses of cars where the owner of the car either no longer wants the car, or is encountering financial difficulty.

Third Party, Fire & Theft

Third party, fire & theft auto car insurance is a middle of the road car insurance package popular with those who have already paid off their auto loans, but who still have a certain level of intrinsic value in their car.

Under this type of auto insurance, most of the pay-out events covered under fully comprehensive auto insurance are covered – such as fire & theft. However, in the event of an accident, the insurance company is only required to pay-out if you are at fault, and you hit another car. So, in the event that you hit a wall, or only damage your car, the insurance company will not be required to pay. Likewise, if you are involved in an accident with another car, and are not at fault, your insurance company will not be required to pay-out, regardless of whether or not the other person has sufficient insurance to pay for the damage done to your car.

Third Party Insurance

Third party insurance is the ‘basic’ type of insurance, and only covers circumstances where you are involved in an accident, are at fault, and hit a third party. In all other events, the auto car insurance company is not required to make a payment. As such, it is also the cheapest type of auto car insurance you can purchase. That said, this type of insurance is usually only purchased by those car owners who have an old car with little or no value.

Specialized Car Insurance

Finally, strictly speaking any car over 25 years old is considered a ‘classic’. As such, this type of car should be insured as a classic car – with all of the benefits and requirements of such. Although ‘classic’ auto car insurance usually has all of the benefits of fully comprehensive auto car insurance, one significant disadvantage that classic car insurance has is that you are usually limited to the number of road miles you can drive in any given year – so check your policy carefully.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Last Minute Travel Insurance.

Many people purchase excellent travel tickets and vacations at the last minute. In fact, there are a significant number of web sites and companies who offer great deals on vacations and airline tickets for travelers who purchase their vacations and tickets at the last minute. You can obtain great prices because the travel company doesn't want to leave that seat unfilled and will discount the fair or vacation to fill it.

However, TFG Global Travel Insurance.com offers excellent travel insurance for last-minute travellers. You can obtain great travel insurance plans if you are traveling on short notice because our web site allows you to purchase travel insurance online in minutes and receive your travel insurance confirmation in just a few moments via email or later by regular mail.

If you purchase a last-minute flight or vacation, you may want to consider a comprehensive trip cancellation and interruption plan. Most vacation policies such as these do not cover cancellation because of an existing pre-existing condition if the travel insurance policy is not purchased within a set number of days.

Unfortunately, many last minute vacationers forget to get their travel insurance. Note that our web site does offer travel insurance to people who are already traveling. Some policies will cover you with a one or three day waiting period and you can print or take note of your policy and claims numbers if you purchase via the internet. It is a good idea to have access to your emails while traveling or use a Gmail or Yahoo email account to access your travel insurance policy documents.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Foreign Travel And Health Insurance.

When you travel outside your health insurer’s regular provider network, your insurer may not pay your medical bills, except for emergency care. Before you travel abroad, check with your health insurer to make sure you understand the rules in your policy. In some cases, especially if you plan to travel for an extended period to study or work, you may want to buy additional coverage.

What you should know about foreign travel and health insurance
Medicare doesn’t cover medical charges you incur outside the U.S. Other health insurers also may exclude or severely limit coverage for medical treatment you receive outside the U.S. You may want to buy additional health insurance to cover yourself while you are traveling.

If you are traveling abroad for a short time, such as for a vacation, insurers offer reasonably priced policies. Insurers may sometimes link this coverage to your purchase of other types of coverage at the same time — such as trip-cancellation insurance that includes medical coverage. Vacation insurance policies also typically cover only short-term travel — such as two weeks. If you think you might stay outside the country for any length of time, be sure to specify any long-term coverage needs.

Under Washington state law, these specialized policies are not classified as full-fledged health insurance. Insurers may legally refuse to cover some pre-existing medical problems. Lastly, unlike most insurance you buy in Washington state, some of these policies may include a deductible that applies to each claim.

Companies that offer health insurance to foreign travelers
The following companies offer health insurance to Americans traveling abroad and to families of Americans who live abroad and want to visit the U.S.

  • Access America: 1-800-284-8300
  • Champion Insurance: 1-800-643-4675
  • Peterson’s of L.A.: 1-800-345-8816
  • Travelex: 1-800-228-9792
  • Travel Assistance International: 1-800-821-2828
  • Travel Guard International: 1-800-782-5151
  • Wallach & Company: 1-800-237-6615

Monday, October 26, 2009

Types Of Travel Insurance(2).

Travel insurance could be divided in these categories as well:

Single Trip Travel Insurance

Single trip travel insurance covers you and your family for a single trip or holiday you intend to travel. It includes the basic cover of trip cancellation/interruption and medical travel insurance for the period of your travel which is limited by some companies. The additional coverage is offered as a part of packages or is your choice to include.

Annual Travel Insurance/Multi Trip Travel Insurance

Annual travel insurance policy is for frequent travelers. This is for the traveler who goes on holidays for more than one trip a year. The lower limit for days of travel and the number of trips are specified by some companies. Those opting for this policy can avail great discount and other additional coverage like business cover, golf cover, winter holidaying and sport included in some packages.

Long Stay Travel Insurance

A long stay travel insurance policy which offers a duration of 3 to 18 months is ideal for travelers who take long vacations and travel extensively. Some go to visit relatives and stay for long periods of time with them. It offers the basic travel insurance coverage's and you can always choose other additional cover.

Medical Travel Insurance

Medical travel insurance policy covers health related items that occur during the term of the policy and not already existing ailments. The applicant needs to declare pre-existing medical condition before travel and in case of any pre-existing ailments there is a separate package that involves pre-existing medical travel insurance. If any information as to a pre-existing situation is concealed you cannot claim for insurance if any symptom related to the pre-existing ailment occurs.

Cruise Travel Insurance

Are you traveling by sea in a registered cruise liner or any other mode of water transport? Topical storms or hurricanes can play havoc and may require your trip to be cancelled. If you or your family's journey is to the Pacific islands or the Caribbean's and you have to travel by a cruise your travel can be insured by cruise travel insurance. Sometimes you are insured by the company that owns the cruise. You could also avail the offer by some other travel insurance companies. The travel may be long or just for a few hours to a few days. The costs would depend on the duration of travel.

Group Travel Insurance

Going as a group is great fun. You could be just friends going for a long vacation or a part of a pilgrimage or a social club or any other group going on a tour. Each member getting an insurance policy is cumbersome and involves a lot of paperwork. Group travel insurance is an offer that provides cover for the entire group. By taking a voluntary/mandatory group travel insurance you can be assured that those who opt for the travel insurance or all of you are safe from mishaps that occur during your travel.

Business Travel Insurance

If you own a business and your employees need to undertake travel on a regular basis you can consider going for a business travel insurance policy. Many employers take care of the employees who travel through group insurance policy. Employees therefore overlook travel insurance only to have found later that their travel was not insured and the loss they incurred cannot be compensated. Another common mistake is not including business travel in the annual travel insurance policy.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Types Of Travel Insurance.

An insurance covering all your travel surfing becomes necessary when you are travelling abroad. Even in some cases, if you are in your domestic locations, it is important that your trips are covered by an insurance putting your all worries off. Travel insurance is such an insurance scheme which is specially meant to give you a good cover when you are travelling abroad or any domestic location.

The following is a list of different types of travel insurance policies available:

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: This type of insurance provides coverage if an unexpected event causes you to cancel or interrupt your trip. It is designed to provide coverage for such circumstances as a sudden illness, injury, or death of the insured, or a member of the insured's family.

Comprehensive Travel Medical Insurance: This type of insurance is designed for individuals who have left their jobs and lost their insurance coverage, or for people residing and working in another country other than their own place of citizenship for an extended period of time.

Baggage Loss/Delay Insurance: This coverage protects you in the event that your luggage is lost, delayed, or stolen. This may include compensation if your bags are delayed for more than 12 hours after you arrive at your destination.

Emergency Travel Medical Insurance: This insurance covers emergency services while traveling abroad. It covers a wide range of medical problems.

Accidental death insurance: covers your life. The insurance will compensate your family member if you meet an accidental death on the tour. Thus knowing well about the four types of insurance, which cover you when you are travelling, help you in having a good deal while planning to buy an insurance.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Travel Insurance Is A Must For Business Travellers

Business persons who are traveling should make sure that they get adequate travel insurance when they travel on business. The Travel Industry Association of America recently reported that business travellers are taking approximately 5 work related trips per year. Business owners should make sure that they are and their employees are covered by a comprehensive travel insurance policy that will cover medical and evacuation expenses. Such costs could cripple an employee's finances and he or she may look to the employer to cover these medical costs, especially if they are on company business.

Employers should purchase a single or group travel insurance policy to cover employees while traveling for business. If employees are traveling more than one time per year, a multi-trip travel insurance plan is the most cost effective travel insurance plan. A group travel insurance plan can also offer great savings either on single or multi-trip basis. It is recommended that such a group multi-trip plan, which can be a stand alone plan or part of a group benefit plan, also cover the employee while he or she is on non-business trips.

Medical evacuation coverage is a must for any travel insurance plan as the costs can also run into the thousands of dollars and the travel insurance assistance provider can coordinate the evacuation details. Most travel insurance plans include medical evacuation, but it can be sold on a stand alone basis for individuals and groups. A business travel insurance plan can also aid in assessing your medical condition, provide translation or even legal help.

Some business travel insurance plans also include coverage for baggage loss, which is quite common these days, especially in some airports such as Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Some business travel insurance plans also include trip cancellation and trip delay, but these can also easily be purchased on a single trip basis.

For business trips to dangerous regions such as Iraq or Afghanistan, make sure you get a travel insurance policy that will cover terrorism and war risk. You may also want to obtain Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage to cover travel to dangerous regions.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Enjoy Treaveling With Travel Insurance.

Travel Insurance is highly beneficial to you with regard to your life security as well as risk coverage to your money during travel whether domestically or internationally. There are many forms of travel insurance. It may consist of a specific travel period such as holiday insurance and can also be continuous travel insurance on your journeys to various destinations. Some of the travel insurance plans are offered on yearly basis known as annual travel insurance. Travel insurance plans for a longer period of time are offered for those people who have to travel often to different destinations of the world. They help save the precious time of the travelers to resort to insurance companies again and again. Travel Insurance ensures cover to maximum risks during your travel and duly compensates for your losses. The most common risk situations covered under different travel insurances are emergency situations, injury or death of the traveler and theft of money and damage to personal things. The list of losses covered under your travel insurance could vary with different insurance companies and the insurance packages offered by them.

Travel health insurance is regarded among the most popular travel insurance available to travelers on their domestic and international journeys. It is also known as travel medical insurance and reimburses the expanses spent on unexpected medical treatment during travel. Travel health insurance includes a number of plans for your health and life security from flight accidents to terrorism. The benefits may vary with the amounts you spend in purchasing the Travel health insurance. There are two prominent sources all over the world to buy travel insurance. First source is the insurance companies and the second is the travel agents and travel suppliers. The best source, however, is the insurance companies where you can get a number of advantages in comparison to that of travel agents and suppliers.

If you are a frequent traveler or you are just planning for a tour during your vacation, you should have the updated information on various travel insurance plans offered by different insurance companies for you. The information can be collected through the internet as almost all the eminent insurance companies maintain their websites for their prospective customers. There are a number of travelers insurance plans with varying rates and facilities; search which plan suits you the best. Some people may be conscious of getting cheap travel insurance for their travel. The internet can also help you to find out travel insurance plans with comparatively lower rates, matching to your budget requirements.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Tips For The Students Who Are Going To Study Abroad.

Students find studying abroad an exciting and rewarding experience of life. However the trips are trouble free but one needs to be prepared for everything. The first thing that the student and the parents should do is to contact the study abroad office and ask about the facilities and resources that are going to be provided to the student and his parent throughout the journey and back home. The student must apply and get the passport ready beforehand and ask about any changes in the travel warnings from both the countries. Parents must also be sure that their passports are updated and free of any problem to avoid last moment hassles.

Students should try to research on the culture of the country that they are going. The student must check out with student health insurance study abroad provider whether his health will get coverage outside the country or not. If the student is on prescribed medicine he should have sufficient stock to last at least a month or two so that there is no problem in the foreign country. Parents must get the assurance that they have the authority to approach and guide their child in case of any medical assistance. Since every country has its own laws, the student must learn the basics so that he behaves there keeping away from any legal problem. Last but not the least thing is that the student must register his name in his country’s embassy and his purpose of coming abroad.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Pet Healthcare Insurance.

Pet Insurance is very similar to human health insurance which offers a range of programs tailored to suit the needs of domestic pets. While pet insurance remains a relatively underdeveloped product in North America, with less than 1% of all pets being insured, European levels of insured pets range from 12% to 50%. Growing up with pets is a great learning curve. Today we are not only dog, or cat lovers anymore. We have become spider lovers, frog, or ferret lovers. Many pet owner are willing to spend incredible amounts of money for their beloved pets.

However, they seem to completely neglect the fact that their pets can fall seriously ill, or have a grave accident. Since vet science advanced considerably of the last years, medical interventions for pets cost almost as much as for a person. They can amount to outrageous sums of money? People have usually a health insurance from the time they are born. But what about pets?

Why is a pet healthcare insurance so important?

* You only insure what you value. You need to answer yourself this question: How much is
your pet' s health worth to you?

* Do you have money to squander? Imagine how much money you would have to pay out of your own pocket when your pet is sick!

* It protects you from unwanted surprises and gives you peace of mind.

* Compare pet healthcare insurances, their packages, and their fine print.

* It is important to get a pet insurance at an early time.

* Be aware of exclusion criteria. Certain breeds, pre-existing medical conditions, and the age such as old age of your pet can be a criteria for exclusion.

* Check the deductibles that you have to pay before your pet healthcare insurance starts to pay for your vet expenses. This amount can vary, and it depends how much you want to spend each time that there is an incident with your pet.

* If you are battling with too many obstacles to get your pet insured, a pet care savings program can take over the role of a pet healthcare insurance

* To save money, it is also advisable to join a pet care discounter

Monday, October 19, 2009

How To File A Claim?

Review your policy or employee booklet carefully to make sure the plan covers the service in question. If you have any reason to think a health care service may not be covered, or that your company disagrees with your understanding of the policy, talk it over first with your provider and with the insurance company. Resolving questions first can prevent problems later.

You should never assume your plan will cover a treatment or service. Follow your plan’s rules, including pre-certification requirements and use of network providers. Your provider may require you to make a copayment or pay your coinsurance at the time of visit.

Fill out any claim forms the provider or insurance company gives you. Be sure to include your policy number and other identifying information.

How to submit a claim yourself:

* Find out if your provider submits the claim for you or if you need to do it.

* If you need to do it, review the claim information to make sure it is complete and correct.
* File the claim as soon as you get the bill from the provider.

* Send it to the correct address.

* Keep a copy for your reference.

* Wait for your company’s statement before you pay your provider directly.

* Allow reasonable time for the company to process your claim. The company must inform you if it needs any additional information to complete the claim. Sometimes, it will request additional information directly from the providers; in other cases, it will return the claim form to you to get more information.

If the insurance company denies your claim:

* They should state the reason on your explanation of benefits.

* If you disagree with the reason for denial, check your policy or employee booklet for the company’s appeal procedures.

* The company should answer procedural questions about appeals over the phone. Call the company’s assistance line (the phone number should be listed on your statement).

* Submit your appeal in writing. The company may require information from your doctor.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Tips Before Buying A Medical Insurance.

You Need To Ask Yourself the Following Questions Before You Buy a Medical Insurance Policy:

*What are the various types of health insurance programmes that are available to me, and which is best suited to suit the needs of my family and myself

*How do I choose the ideal health care plan?

*What is ideal for me among the vast choice of health care plans before me- is it organized care- short term and long term, does it cover disabilities, does it deal with just health insurance?

*Can I have information on issues like private insurance, public expenditure and uninsured customers?

*Can i afford the cost of health care?

*Would there be a medical insurance policy that would cover the sort of services that I require?

Today we have a vast variety of affordable and comparable health insurance policies. On the one side we have:

  • The Traditional Indemnity Plans, and on the other
  • HMOs or the Health Maintenance Organisation. In between we have the
  • PPOs ( Preferred Provider Organisations) plan and the
  • POS (Point of Service) plan.
The latter two are hybrid variations of the traditional indemnity plans and the HMOs. While the HMO is normally credited with providing the customer the cheapest and most affordable health insurance but with minimal benefits, the indemnity plans are considered the most expensive but crediting with providing the customer maximum benefits.

It would be smart to pay close attention to the specific features of whichever plan you intend to choose. For example:

* Are the prescription drugs that I habitually use also covered?

* Do I have to pay application fees? (Please note that none of the best heath insurance firms require the customer to pay either for enrollment or for application fees).

* Do I get cover for both inpatient and outpatient costs? Do they both share a common deductible in a single calendar year? (A deductible refers to a sum of money that you pay each year, upfront, for your medical costs, before your insurance cover starts to pay up).

* Are the benefits from such health insurance cover on a fixed schedule? Are they reasonable?

* Is there a waiting period for such a cover before I am able to start utilizing my policy? Are there any clauses, preexisting, that I ought to know about?

How Do I Pick the Ideal Health Plan That Is Best Suited for My Family and Myself

It is of the utmost importance that you understand the moot points of the various medical insurance covers before you. They could be broadly categorized into:

Affordability

* How much is my monthly premium?

* After I have paid my deductible, upto what percentage of my medical costs would I be reimbursed?

* If I use the services of a medical professional not included in the insurance firm's network, would I be reimbursed less? If so, how much?

* Do I ask for insurance cover for all of my medical costs or just for the major spends?

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Types Of Health Insurance.

If you are self-employed, or otherwise find yourself in a situation where you need to obtain your own health insurance coverage, the choices available to you can be confusing. You'll be sifting through terms like HMO, PPO, premiums, co-pay and deductibles, which can be intimidating if you don't know what you're looking at. The biggest thing to consider is the type of policy you're looking at so you can compare apples to apples. The three most common type of policies are: PPO plans, fee-for-service, and HMO plans.

PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations)

A Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is a health insurance plan where medical treatment is fully covered if provided by a doctor or hospital belonging to the PPO's network of health care providers. Treatment performed outside the network is also covered, but at a reduced rate. Policy holders are liable for any differences if seeking out of network treatment. PPOs are essentially a group discount form of health insurance; by maintaining administrative control over a group of doctors and hospitals, PPOs are able to provide medical care at a discount. PPOs generally require prior approval before allowing major medical services.

HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations)

Health insurance from Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) greatly restricts who a patient may see for non-emergency medical services. The advantage is a significantly lower premium. HMOs have generated considerable controversy, as in many plans doctors receive financial incentives for reducing the amount of medical services provided to patients. One method of doing this has been to pay doctors a fixed monthly fee for each patient, regardless of the treatment they need. HMOs do tend to cover more preventive procedures such as immunizations, mammograms and physicals.

Fee-for-Service Policies

Fee-for-service plans are also sometimes called indemnity plans. In these types of plans, the insurance companies pay fees for the services provided to you. The fee-for-service plans are generally provide the most flexibility and choice of doctors and providers, but they generally have one major drawback. This type of insurance usually requires you to pay the provider up front for the services, and then submit forms to the insurance company to be reimbursed.

If having the greatest flexibility in choosing a health care provider is important to you, this type of plan can satisfy that, but be prepared to pay for service up front and then have to do the legwork of submitting claim forms yourself in most cases.

Like all insurance policies, fee-for-service plans will require that you pay a monthly premium, deductibles, and coinsurance after your deductible is met. Fee-for-service policies also typically have annual caps which limit the out-of-pocket expenses you can incur in one year.