Sunday, October 31, 2010

Affordable health insurance in Florida

Below are some points that can be helpful to the consumers in Florida who are looking to buy affordable health insurance:

• If some Floridians lost their group health insurance plan from the employer, they may qualify for COBRA continuation coverage.

• Floridians have the option of a federal tax credit that helps in paying COBRA or state continuation coverage premium up to nine months. However, there is condition that such consumers should have lost group health insurance due to involuntary termination of employment that occurred between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009.

• Cover Florida offers health benefits to Floridians who have been uninsured for 6 months or recently lost health coverage.

• In Florida, uninsured or underinsured children under the age of 19 years and not eligible for Medicaid can get health coverage through the Florida KidCare Program. Moreover, children are allowed to stay in their family health insurance policy as dependents till the age of 26 years. This has been achieved with the implementation of healthcare reforms.

• A federal tax credit is available to Floridians who lost their health insurance but are receiving benefits from the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program. This credit is known as the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC).

• Floridians, aged 55-65 and are receiving pension benefits from Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC), may qualify for the HCTC.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tips to buy low cost health insurance in Florida

To buy low cost health insurance plans in Florida, it is better to understand the terms and conditions beforehand. Below are listed some tips that could help Floridians to buy low cost health insurance plans in:

• Floridians, who are young and healthy, should think to buy health insurance plans even if they think that they don’t need healthcare services. Buying at a young age helps in keeping the premiums low.

• It is important to follow a health life-style. This helps in keeping a check on the premiums. Drinking and smoking habits should be avoided because it could mean a higher premium for the consumers.

• Floridians should really start thinking that exercising daily to keep oneself fit would help. With a healthy status, premiums will not rise.

• Floridians enjoying good health status should think of increasing the amount of deductible in any given health plan. The premium costs are directly proportional to the deductibles. If consumers can afford it, they should go for higher premiums.

• Some of the insurers in Florida will offer discounts if the consumers pay premiums for the whole year instead of paying on monthly basis.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Key insurance group meets in Florida to plan reform details

Orlando, Florida is hosting a meeting of insurance commissioners that will decide how much should health insurers should mandatorily spend on providing healthcare facilities as opposed to profits and administrative costs. The federal health reforms want health carriers to spend their financial resources to their consumers and this delegation will work out the details of it.

After deliberating on it for the last seven months, the group will submit its final recommendations to the federal US government. However, there are concerns that the move will prompt insurance companies to desert small scale businesses and other niche groups.

According to the Affordable Care Act, insurers selling large group plans must spend at least 85 cents of every premium dollar on medical care and plans for individuals or small groups must spend 80 cents per dollar.

Gary Claxton, head of the Health Care Marketplace Project, Kaiser Family Foundation commented, “At stake is how much money the industry gets to keep from what they bring in.”

Health carriers, meanwhile, are scurrying up for last minute changes before the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; vote in on the spending details.
Insurance companies are pressing for tax exemptions, a longer phase-in period, and a broader national assessment to see if companies are meeting the rule.

Insurers fear that the new reform laws will not only impact their profits but could also force them to withdraw coverage to certain health plans like small or individual health plans. The Democrats, however, are certain the tighter insurance regulations will curb the health insurance controversial prices and the exponentially rising premium rates.