FLORIDA HEALTH INSURANCE

May 20, 2008 ARCHIVE

La Belle Florida Health Insurance!

A Florida Health Insurance Agency

Health Insurance Brokers for the Self-Employed

If you work for yourself, you are forced to purchase your own health insurance. In other words, the option to purchase group coverage is not even available. If you have never been self-employed in the past, you may be a bit intimidated by this entire process including purchasing your own insurance policies. Luckily, you do not have to be stuck in this position without anybody to help. A qualified health insurance broker will be able to assist you in finding a policy.

Moving from a corporate job to being self-employed is not easy. In fact, this is a total change of lifestyle. From a health insurance point of view, you need to make sure that you have everything in order before finalizing the transition. The best way to do this is to determine when your current policy is going to expire, and then make sure that you have a new one in place for the next day. This way, you will never go a single day without coverage.

When speaking with a health insurance broker, tell them about your situation and how you will be working for yourself. This way they will know what type of policy you had in the past, how much money you are willing to spend, and what you are hoping to find. The more that they know about you and your past policies, the better chance there is that you will be able to make the transition without any problems.

Shopping for health insurance as a self-employed professional can be tough. To avoid common pitfalls and disasters, get help from an experienced health insurance broker.

Five Minutes to Finding a Health Insurance Broker

Working with a broker can make buying health insurance a breeze. Of course, you need to make sure that you choose the right person to be on your side. If you make a bad decision, you may not end up with the type of experience that you were hoping for. Luckily, there are several signs that you can look for when seeking out quality health insurance.

The first step that you need to take is locating several health insurance brokers. Although not necessary, you would probably do best speaking with brokers in your area. To locate them, use the internet and/or yellow pages; either option will work fine.

How much experience does the broker have? This is the first thing that you should find out. If they have been in the industry for a while, there is a good chance that they have enough experience and know how to guide you in the right direction. The best brokers do not always have the most experience, but this is a detail that you must absolutely consider.

Once you get past the question of experience, you must collect information on how each broker is going to help you. Chances are that if you are thinking about hiring a broker you do not want to do a lot of work on your own. For this reason, choose the professional who will ask for your input, but will get the job done without bothering you too much. This is not to say that you want to be left out of the process entirely, but with a broker, you want to make sure that they can help with the steps that you do not want to complete on your own.

Now that you have collected all of the appropriate information, the only detail left is to choose the best broker. At this point, you should have a good feeling as to which direction to move.

Why your Health Insurance may not be that great

There is a chance that your health insurance policy is not as great as you once thought. Over the past few years, many things have changed within this industry. If your health insurance policy did not keep up, it may be time to make a change. With that being said, you will first want to review your policy before you make any rash decision. After all, the grass is not always greener on the other side.

One of the top reasons to consider a change is cost. Millions of Americans who purchase their own health insurance have seen their premium increase time after time over the past few years. In turn, this means that you may be paying a lot more money now than you did when you first purchased a policy. While some rate increases are to be expected, not many people were thinking that things would get as bad as they have.

Your health insurance may also be lacking in the amount of coverage that it offers. Can you see the doctors that you want? Do you get stuck paying a large portion of every doctor bill that you incur? You need to answer these questions, and then decide if switching to a new policy could remedy these issues. Remember, health insurance only helps if you can seek the proper care without having to pay too much for doing so.

If you feel that your health insurance is lacking in some areas, you will want to consider changes that can put you in a better position.

For Many, Health Insurance is a Luxury

For many Florida residents, health insurance is nothing more than a luxury. In fact, one out of every four Floridians under the age of 65 does not have health insurance coverage. Over the five year period from 2001 to 2005, health insurance premiums in the state increased by nearly 30 percent. As you can imagine, this increase put a lot of residents behind the financial eight ball.

Although Florida's Governor is working hard on plans that would bring relief, things are progressing slowly. Unfortunately, with each month that goes by, more and more people are losing health insurance coverage and in turn living without any coverage. This is especially true for those who have previously received a policy through their employer.

With more than 47 million Americans without health insurance, this is a problem that the entire nation is struggling with; not just those in Florida. Even though many people see health insurance as a luxury that they will never be able to afford, this is not acceptable. The more people who think this way, the worse off the country is going to become from a health care standpoint.

Plans are being put into effect on the state level, and of course, the next president is going to be largely responsible for lowering the number of uninsured Americans while also curbing the rising cost of coverage.

Instead of looking at health insurance as a luxury, it is important that every American begins to see this as something that they need. Although things are progressively worsening, there is hope around the corner that proposed laws can get passed on the state level and that the next president aggressively attacks this issue.

Insurance Advisory (#10)

When the economy was thriving in the 1990's, it was not uncommon for employers to offer a great health insurance plan for an employee's entire family. Of course, those days are long gone due to a struggling economy coupled with companies who are cutting back on group health insurance. If you have a spouse and/or children who also need health insurance coverage, you will need to consider all of your options.

Obviously, the best situation would be to receive full coverage for you and your family from your employer. If you are unaware of the benefits that are available, it is very important to ask. This holds true no matter if you have been with the company for many years, or just started. Either way, make sure that you know if your family will qualify for health insurance.

In many cases, a company will pay for the employee's health care but only a portion of others in their family. While this may seem like a bad deal, this usually works out much better than paying for the entire cost on your own. As you probably know, the cost of buying health insurance is on the rise with no immediate end in sight.

No matter what, you need to make sure that you and your family have some level of health insurance. In a perfect world, you will be able to obtain family health insurance from your employer. But in many cases, this is far from reality. It is important to ask your employer if they offer this benefit, and if not, turn in another direction to purchase the proper level of coverage.

Shopping for Health Insurance

To get the best deal when shopping for Florida health insurance, you need to help yourself. Sure, you can rely on others to assist in some ways, but ultimately you need to be the one making the final decision. For some people, this take control attitude comes naturally. On the other side of things, there are those who would rather hope for the best without putting in a lot of work.

How can you help yourself during this process? One of the best things that you can do is to educate yourself on your personal finances and health, as well as the industry. When you have a solid grip on all of these factors, you will be able to match them to the best policy when the time comes.

Although you will eventually have to make your own decision, you should keep in mind that getting the help of a Florida health insurance broker can work in your favor. If you are the type who would rather sit back and watch this may be the way to go. But keep in mind, a broker can only help you obtain quotes. It is up to you to compare and contrast what they show you, and then make a decision on which policy to purchase.

If you are not willing to do what is best for yourself, you cannot expect others to help. Buying Florida health insurance can be an easy and relatively quick process if you are willing to put yourself in position to succeed. With all of that being said, it is time to help yourself so that you can protect your health!

When shopping for health insurance, it is very important that you are confident in the process that you are following. If you do not feel that you are doing what is best, you will end up causing yourself problems in the long run. The question is: how can you make sure that you are confident going into the shopping process? This is not as hard to answer as many consumers may think.

The best way to be confident in this decision is to know what you are doing. The main reason that many consumers make mistakes is because they have no idea what type of health insurance they are looking for. If you have knowledge of the industry and a good idea of what is available, you will find it easier to be confident when shopping and making an eventual decision. On the other side of things, if you are skittish and do not know much about health coverage, there is a chance that you will be second guessing every move that you make.

To gain confidence, you may want to get help from a health insurance broker. They can give you confidence by answering any questions that you have, and ensuring you that what you are doing is correct. Sometimes all it takes is a nudge from a professional to feel good about what you are doing.

It is essential that you are confident when shopping for health insurance. If you know a lot about yourself, what you need, and what is available, you should not have any problems attacking the shopping process with confidence and ending up highly successful.

Setting a Budget for Florida Health Insurance

If you are in need of Florida health insurance, it is important that you set a budget before you begin shopping. You are probably aware that this type of coverage can be expensive, but you may find that things are not as you thought. Some people have enough money to purchase any Florida health insurance that they want, but others must be more selective when choosing.

How can you set the right budget? If you have no idea what to expect, you will want to first put together some preliminary numbers. Keep in mind that these will change as you learn more about buying a policy.

Once you have some basic numbers in place, it is time to collect quotes. By doing this you will get a better idea of how much you will have to spend for certain types of coverage. Make sure that you receive as many Florida health insurance quotes as possible so that you can see the range of prices that is available. Additionally, do not get frustrated if you are only coming across expensive policies; there is something for every consumer.

If you have no idea what you can buy with your budget, you may want to find a Florida health insurance broker who can help. You can tell them how much you are willing to spend, and they can find you the best policy for that amount of money.

It is important to have a budget when shopping for Florida health insurance. You may not be able to afford every policy, but there should be a few that suit your budget and will allow you to receive coverage without breaking the bank.

What are Flexible Spending Accounts?

Flexible spending accounts are also known as a flexible spending arrangement or FSA. All three of these names are common knowledge to many people, and with these accounts on the rise, it is safe to say that you will be hearing more about them in the near future.

A flexible spending account gives an employee the ability to put aside a predetermined amount of their paycheck to be used for qualified expenses. The expenses that are eligible with a flexible spending account are outlined in a cafeteria plan.

In most cases, flexible spending accounts are used to pay medical expenses. With that being said, there are other qualified expenses that can be paid for out of a flexible spending account such as care for dependents. Obviously, it is important for each employee with a flexible spending account to know what type of plan they have, as well as what expenses they can pay with these funds.

When funds are taken from an employee's paycheck and deposited into a flexible spending account, the money is not hit with payroll taxes. The end result is a large savings.

Generally speaking, there are two types of flexible spending account offered by cafeteria plans: one for qualified health care expenses and the other for caring for dependents.

If you have the ability to start a flexible spending account, you may want to consider doing so. For many people, having an FSA goes a long way in helping them to keep their health care and dependent care expenses to a minimum.

Details of a Health Reimbursement Arrangement

Health reimbursement arrangements are often times referred to as HRAs or health reimbursement accounts. But no matter what you call it, this type of account has a lot to offer both employers and employees. Generally speaking, a health reimbursement arrangement is a type of plan that allows an employer to reimburse employees for particular medical expenses.

Of course, there are some stipulations of health reimbursement arrangements that both parties need to be aware of. First off, a health reimbursement arrangement only reimburses expenses that are not covered by a standard health insurance plan. This can include expenses such as coinsure, co-pays, deductibles, and vision related expenses.

For the employer, it is important to note that they do not need to pay into a reimbursement account on a regular basis. Instead, they can simply reimburse each employee as they tally these expenses. Additionally, the employer can benefit from a tax standpoint as qualified expenses are deductible. As you can imagine, this is one of the biggest benefits of a health reimbursement arrangement for the employer.

Any reimbursement that an employee takes on during the course of a year is tax free. In other words, you do not have to pay taxes on the money that you are reimbursed as long as the expenses are eligible under the health reimbursement arrangement policy.

As you can see, there are many benefits of a health reimbursement arrangement. This holds true for the employer and employees. If you are lucky enough to work for a company that offers an HRA, you should be glad. This can go a long way in keeping your medical related expenses to a minimum.

Information for your Insurance Broker

Working with an insurance broker is a mutual relationship. The information that you give them will help to ensure that you get a good policy. If you are not clear and concise with your broker, it is likely that you will have a difficult time moving through the buying process.

Here are three important details to communicate to your insurance broker.

1. Make sure that you give them accurate personal information. This includes details on your name, address, phone number and email address, and date of birth. This will help them to stay in touch with you, and is also necessary when getting quotes from different providers.

2. For many types of insurance, it is essential that you provide correct information on your past health history. This holds true for both health and life insurance policies. Remember, insurance companies will adjust their rates based on your past. If you do not tell the truth up front, it could result in being denied coverage in the future.

3. Give information on how much you are currently paying for coverage, as well as what your current budget allows for. This will help your insurance broker to know which companies are best suited to your needs. If you can only afford $100 per month, there is no point in your broker sending you quotes for more than that.

All of the information that you supply your insurance broker is important. If you want them to help you with the buying process, you need to give the details that they need. After you do this, you can sit back and let them take care of the real work. Then when the time comes, all you have to do is choose a policy and then fill out the final paperwork. Sounds easy enough, right?

For Changing Times, Rely on an Insurance Broker

When times are changing, it can be difficult to purchase insurance. With that being said, you can get a lot of help from professionals if you know where to look. Generally speaking, an insurance broker is one person that you will want to have on your side. This is not totally necessary, but when things are a bit iffy, you really need the help of somebody who knows exactly what is going on.

The impressive part of working with an insurance broker is that they know exactly what is going on within the industry that you are interested in. For instance, if you are in the market for life insurance, they can give you current information and news on the industry. This will allow you to make the best buying decision without having to worry that you are doing something wrong.

When working with an insurance broker, make sure that you give them enough information. Remember, they can only do so much based on the details that you give them. The more that you tell about yourself and what you are looking for, the better off you will be. Remember, even though an insurance broker knows the ins, outs, and changes, they cannot read your mind. You need to be 100 percent honest and upfront so that they can seek out the type of policy that you are looking for.

Right now, a lot of things are changing within the insurance industries. This can make it difficult for consumers to shop with a high level of confidence. Although it can be scary to make decisions during changing times, an insurance broker can help you to get over this.

Questions to ask an Insurance Broker

Choosing an insurance broker should be based largely on the initial conversation that you have with them. In fact, you should treat your first encounter with an insurance broker as an interview of sorts. The answers that they give will determine whether or not you want to work with them as you move forward.

What type of questions should you ask an insurance broker? This can be difficult because you want to gather good information, but at the same time you do not want to be taken as pushy. Just remember, you are the one who is going to be affected in the long run. If an insurance broker does not want to speak with you about your concerns, you are probably better off taking your business elsewhere.

One of the most important questions to ask is how many companies the broker works with. This is essential because it will determine whether or not you are getting quotes from a variety of companies. Generally speaking, an insurance broker that works with 10 companies is better than one that is only going to call five on your behalf.

Another inquiry to make concerns the buying process. Make sure that you know how you will need to move forward when it is finally time to purchase. Will your insurance broker help you with this? Or will you be on your own for the most part? Every broker has a different way of doing this.

There are no particular questions that you need to ask an insurance broker before hiring them. Anything on your mind is worth asking. It is very important for you to feel comfortable with the broker that you choose. After all, they will be helping you to find an insurance policy, which is a very big part of your life.

If you have decided to use an insurance broker, you now need to decide how to choose who you want to deal with. There are many insurance brokers who have a lot to offer, but not all of them are the same. You will find some that brokers have your best interest in mind, and others just want to sell you something so that they can get paid.

The first step in choosing an insurance broker is to find one that specializes in the policy type you want to purchase. In other words, if you are buying car insurance, you want to select an insurance broker that has experience in this area. If you don't, you could end up losing time along the way.

From there, make sure that you "interview" more than one insurance broker. You do not have to ask a lot of questions, but you at least want to get a better feel for what each one has to offer their clients. After speaking with different insurance brokers you will get a better idea of which one will be able to get you the best deal.

Finally, make a decision based on the insurance broker that you are most comfortable dealing with. You may not make the right decision, but you should do everything you can to put yourself in position to do so. There are enough insurance brokers that you should be able to locate one that you get along with.

Deciding to get help from an insurance broker is a great idea. Just remember to be patient when searching for and choosing a broker. To have the best chance of finding an affordable and quality policy, you need to work with an insurance broker who is well connected.

Why use an Insurance Broker

There are two ways of buying any type of insurance policy.

1. You can buy direct after doing all of the research on your own.
2. You can work with a broker or consultant who can do the work for you.

It is up to you on how to purchase. But before you choose one option or the other, make sure that you consider both.

There are a few advantages of using an insurance broker. The main one is that you will be able to get help from an industry professional. When you work with an insurance broker it means that you are not the one in charge of all the details leading up to the decision. Sure, you get to make the final call, but the broker is the one collecting the information and telling you what is available. This works out to your advantage because you do not have to spend time collecting information, or dealing directly with agents or companies.

There is another big reason to use an insurance broker: it will not cost you a cent. Many people shun insurance brokers because they think they will have to play a lot of money for their service. This is not the case because insurance brokers get paid by the company that you buy from; you never send them any money direct. In the end, this means that you get free, professional help. Does it get any better than free?

Overall, the reasons to use an insurance broker are many. If you are buying a policy, why go at it alone? Unless you know for 100 percent sure what you want, you will be better off calling on the assistance of an insurance broker.

Details of Florida KidCare (SCHIP)

There are many states that offer health insurance plans to uninsured children. With that being said, there are not too many plans better than Florida KidCare. If you live in this state and don't have insurance for your children, you need to look into this type of plan. Many people think that they will never qualify for Florida KidCare, but until you look into it you will never know for sure.

Of course, there are many details of Florida KidCare that determine which children qualify. The two most important qualifications are being under the age of 19, and of course, not having health insurance coverage.

To go along with the details above, the state has also put income eligibility requirements in place. In other words, if you make too much money your children will not qualify for Florida KidCare. Instead, you will have to purchase insurance for them on your own.

State laws also require information on the parent's health insurance plan, if available. This will show whether or not the child has access to other options. To go along with this, pre-existing health conditions must also be disclosed. With that being said, a pre-existing condition does not necessarily mean that a child will not qualify.

The cost of Florida KidCare depends on the size of the family, as well as income statistics. The majority of families pay a premium of $20 per month. As you can imagine, this is much less than you would be charged by a traditional health insurance company.

As you can see, the Florida KidCare program has a lot to offer. Parents who live in Florida and have children who meet the requirements should look into what this program can do for them.

As you are probably aware, there are many problems surrounding the health insurance industry. Although each and every one of the presidential candidates is promising to make big changes, you never know what is going to happen as the months go by.

In the time being, it is important for you to be aware of how you can save on health insurance.

1. Consider switching the company that you buy from. If your current health insurance provider is over the top with prices, you are not obligated to stick with them. You are free to buy from any health insurance company you want.
2. In correspondence with number one, shop for lower rates. Like anything you can buy, the cost of health insurance coverage varies based on the company you are buying from.
3. Did you know that your deductible can have an enormous effect on how much you pay? As a general rule of thumb, a low deductible policy will cost more than one with a higher deductible.
4. If you want a lower price, opt for less coverage.
5. Does your employer give you the chance to receive coverage through them? If not 100 percent, will they pay for any of it? If you don't know the answer, you better ask.
6. If your employer does not offer health insurance benefits, maybe you can get put on your spouse's policy. This is a simple solution to a sometimes difficult problem.
7. The most well known health insurance companies charge the highest rates. This is usually because they work with the largest network of providers. To keep costs down, buy from a lesser known insurer.
8. You do not need a lot of extras to go along with your health insurance policy. Many insurers will try to sell you on things such as dental coverage, etc.
9. Prescription drug coverage can cost a lot. Although a nice benefit of a health insurance policy, it is not a necessity.
10. Make sure that you know how much you are paying for health insurance. Rate increases can pop up at any time, and you want to be well aware of this happens.

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    10 Ways to Save on Health Insurance

    As you are probably aware, there are many problems surrounding the health insurance industry. Although each and every one of the presidential candidates is promising to make big changes, you never know what is going to happen as the months go by.

    In the time being, it is important for you to be aware of how you can save on health insurance.

    1. Consider switching the company that you buy from. If your current health insurance provider is over the top with prices, you are not obligated to stick with them. You are free to buy from any health insurance company you want.
    2. In correspondence with number one, shop for lower rates. Like anything you can buy, the cost of health insurance coverage varies based on the company you are buying from.
    3. Did you know that your deductible can have an enormous effect on how much you pay? As a general rule of thumb, a low deductible policy will cost more than one with a higher deductible.
    4. If you want a lower price, opt for less coverage.
    5. Does your employer give you the chance to receive coverage through them? If not 100 percent, will they pay for any of it? If you don't know the answer, you better ask.
    6. If your employer does not offer health insurance benefits, maybe you can get put on your spouse's policy. This is a simple solution to a sometimes difficult problem.
    7. The most well known health insurance companies charge the highest rates. This is usually because they work with the largest network of providers. To keep costs down, buy from a lesser known insurer.
    8. You do not need a lot of extras to go along with your health insurance policy. Many insurers will try to sell you on things such as dental coverage, etc.
    9. Prescription drug coverage can cost a lot. Although a nice benefit of a health insurance policy, it is not a necessity.
    10. Make sure that you know how much you are paying for health insurance. Rate increases can pop up at any time, and you want to be well aware of this happens.

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