When it comes to driving this position is backed by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Their research highlights drivers over 70 are 13% more likely to make a claim on their insurance than people between the ages of 40 and 50. Plus the cost of their claim is likely to be higher.

The same applies for people purchasing travel insurance. Premiums notably begin to rise from 50 and progressively increase with age, reflecting the higher risk. Further research by the ABI shows over two thirds of people over 65 report a major pre-existing condition such as heart disease or respiratory problems. Customers over 65 are three times more likely to make a claim on their travel insurance than those aged 35, and people over 85 are eight times more likely to make a claim while on holidays.

Over 50 and healthy – Why are my insurance premiums so high?

Insurers understand the health and mobility of people over 50 can vary considerably. Healthier lifestyles and advances in medical treatment means age is not necessarily the benchmark it once was. However, it is currently very difficult for insurers to differentiate between individuals. So premiums are often based on the average risk presented by policy holders within an age group.

The ABI is calling for the Government to review current conditions and while this issue is being addressed, the insurance industry is responding to the growing demand for more competitive and flexible insurance for people over 50.

Which companies offer insurance for over 50s

More often than not you will find better deals on the internet. High street prices tend to have a premium attached to the policy.

Also, it is good to remember by shopping around each year rather than sticking with your current insurance policy you will more than likely save money. According to 50 plus insurance, by shopping around and not renewing with your current home insurance provider you can save as much as 20%. The reason being insurance companies provide better deals to new customers.

The most well known insurer for people over 50 is Saga, however there are a number of other insurers to choose from. Help the Aged offers over 50s insurance through intune. The intune group ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Help The Aged, with any profits generated from selling insurance going directly towards charitable activities. If it’s travel insurance you need try Insure for All. According to 65 Travel Insurance, specialists in comparing travel insurance for seniors, Insure for All is consistently cheaper than many of its competitors for similar travel insurance.

Daniel Wilson of Seniors Discounts writes on matters relating to over 50 insurance.
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Save money with Saga travel insurance

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_L_Wilson

Get in touch with the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA). The NCQA accredits and issues “report cards” on various plans. To find out whether a specific plan is accredited, see its report card, or to find out what criteria are used for evaluation, contact the NCQA at (202) 955-3500 or visit the Web site at www.ncqa.org.

The Joint Committee on Accreditation issues reports about preferred provider organizations and managed behavioral health care. For more information, visit www.jcaho.org.

Keep in mind both these organizations are funded and governed in part by the health care industry.

Another resource is a Consumer Reports article from August 1996 entitled “How Good is Your Health Plan?” This article ranks many of the large plans based on a satisfaction survey. You can order a copy from Consumers Union of U.S. Inc., Yonkers, NY 10703-1057. Specify report number RO155 and send a check or money order for $5.

Get in touch with your state’s department of insurance for reports on plans, or information on complaint ratios.

Some community groups, state agencies, and employers have developed their own report cards. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is at 120 W. 12th Street, Suite 1100, Kansas City, MO 64105-1925. Its phone number is (816) 842-3600, and the Web site is www.naic.org.

If You Are On Medicare
Contact your state’s Insurance Counseling and Assistance (ICA) program. These are programs in each state funded specifically to counsel senior citizens about health insurance issues.

Also read our report, “Comparing Medicare HMOs: Do They Keep Their Members?”, which tells the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that elected to disenroll from various managed care plans – www.familiesusa.org/mhmo1.htm

If You Are On Medicaid
Some state Medicaid agencies give consumers information on how Medicaid managed care plans perform. New federal legislation requires all states to give consumers managed care performance information in the future. You can ask your state Medicaid agency if they will provide:

• Statistics on grievances, showing how many Medicaid beneficiaries complained about their plans, what types of problems they encountered and whether plans resolved their problems;

• Statistics on disenrollments, showing how many Medicaid beneficiaries decided to leave their managed care plan;

• results from external quality reviews, showing what problems auditors identified with the quality of care furnished by managed care plans and whether the plans corrected the problems.

Research the Plan
One of the best ways to judge a plan’s quality is to talk to members and providers who have a history with the company.
Friends and family are an invaluable resource in telling you how a plan functions and whether their needs are served. Ask them how easy they find access to specialists, how quickly they can get appointments with their primary care provider, and whether they feel they always receive the health care that they need. Keep in mind that these are subjective answers, and make sure you find out what they mean by a “long wait”, etc.

Find out how providers are paid — whether they are salaried, capitated, or paid-by-service. These make the difference in whether your physician will financially benefit from his/her decisions to give you care. If they are salaried, then they get the same amount of money regardless of your care (make sure to ask about bonuses for staying under estimated costs!). If they are capitated, then they are given a specific amount of money per month for your care and get to keep what isn’t used. If they are paid-by-service, then the plan pays them for each service that they provide. Note which plans reward providers for not authorizing or giving care, but note that there are quality plans in each of these categories.

Ask a primary care provider the process for referring patients to specialists. Do they have to get authorization for each referral? Find out how complicated the process is and how much time it usually takes to make an appointment with a specialist.

One of the most important aspects of quality is the caliber of the providers. Having providers who are available, knowledgeable, and willing to go to bat for you with the administrators is priceless.

Families USA is creating a guide that focuses on obtaining publicly available information on managed care from sources including state and federal agencies and private organizations like NCQA and large employers, and analyzing this information. If you don’t have the resources to undertake such a monitoring project, contact a health consumer group in your area and encourage it to work on this. Always check to see if information is publicly available, even if you don’t immediately assume so. The Families USA report will focus on Medicare information. The guide will be available in 1998.

Families USA has developed a list of questions that attempt to discover whether managed care policies and procedures adequately protect consumers. Use these as a guide when evaluating a policy.

Emergency care
Does the HMO allow you to get emergency care without first calling an HMO number? Does the HMO define an emergency as a problem that the average person would consider an emergency? (If not, you could wind up paying the entire emergency room bill if your problem turns out not to be a true emergency.)

Care From specialists
Does the HMO allow women to have an ob-gyn doctor as primary care providers and/or see an ob-gyn doctor for annual check-ups without first obtaining a referral? Does the HMO provide you with an adequate choice of specialists?

If you have an ongoing chronic disease, does the HMO allow you to see an appropriate specialist without requiring you see your primary care provider each time you need care? (If it doesn’t, you could waste a lot of time with doctor visits to your primary care provider when you really need to see a specialist).

Does the HMO have a clear arrangement for referring you to a specialist if you have life-threatening conditions, or other problems that require specialty care over a period of time?

If the HMO doesn’t have a doctor available who can meet your needs, can it refer you to specialists who are not part of the HMO plan?

Travel and waiting times
Does the HMO assure that you can get an appointment in a reasonable length of time, especially if you have an urgent problem? (If you only need a checkup, you can expect to wait for several weeks to get an appointment.)

Can you get to the HMO doctor’s location without traveling for more than 30 minutes?

Contracting hospitals/other facilities

Continuing care
If you are pregnant or have a life-threatening or long-term condition, does the HMO allow you to keep seeing your former doctor for awhile before you have to switch to a doctor in the new HMO?

If the health care provider you are seeing for pregnancy or for a life-threatening condition no longer contracts with the HMO, will the HMO allow you to keep seeing your provider for some time?

Grievances and appeal of HMO decisions
Does the HMO describe how it makes decisions on what is and isn’t appropriate care?

Does the HMO notify you in writing that you can ask for an appeal if it refuses to pay for a service, or refuses to allow you to see a specialist, or have a particular test or treatment?

Does the HMO explain how you can appeal if you are denied care, or care is reduced or stopped?

Does the HMO allow you to make grievances and ask for appeals verbally, rather than only in writing? Does it offer to assist patients who want to appeal?

Does the HMO guarantee that you will receive a decision on your appeal?

Does the HMO guarantee that you will receive a decision on your appeal within a reasonable time, say two weeks?

Does the HMO have a way for you to get an appeal decision more quickly, say in three days, in the case of a life-threatening situation?

Confidentiality of patient records
Does the HMO promise in writing not to share information about you with anyone other than those providing your care, processing payments, or anyone else you specifically say should be informed?

Does the HMO promise in writing not to release information from your medical record to your employer without your permission?

Communications
Does the HMO respond to your questions clearly and promptly?

Materials and resources

There are many publications and organizations to assist you in finding out which plans serve their members best.

Health Pages Magazineis a consumer’s guide to managed care. It supplies comparative information for different geographical areas each time it is published. Their address is 135 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 1010 and can be reached at (212) 505-0103.

The Good Health Web has a database of over 1,000 health organizations at www.social.com/health. Click “organizations” and key words “quality,” “managed care,” etc.

To learn what an association of health plans thinks you should expect from a plan and what standards you should hold them to, contact the American Association of Health Plans. The address is 1129 20th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036-3421. You can also call (202) 778-3200 or visit the Web site at www.aahp.org.

Families USA has published a book, Health Care Choices for Today’s Consumer. It include guidelines on whether a plan is right for your needs, and tips on how to best utilize a plan once you have it. The book is available in bookstores and to order it for $17.95 you can call (202) 628-3030.

There is a health and human services information web page provided by the government.
“Healthfinder” can be found at www.healthfinder.gov. You can review many topics, including “quality of care,” “managed care,” or anything else for related Web sites and organizations.

U.S. News & World Report has published a ranking of HMOs that covers 223 plans in 46 states. This chart is available at www.usnews.com.

This material is presented and copyrighted by © 1998 Families USA. For more information, visit the Families USA Web site at www.familiesusa.org

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

Benefits
Medicare consists of two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A is compulsory hospital insurance (HI), financed by contributions from employees, employers, and participants. HI pays for hospital, nursing home, home health and hospice service. Part B is voluntary supplemental medical insurance (SMI), financed by payments from those who enroll in it. SMI covers physicians’ services and a variety of other goods and services.

Medicare has been generally successful in assuring broad and equitable access to health care for the elderly. When the program began, the poor and non-white elderly received substantially less medical care than did the wealthier or white elderly. But, these disparities have been substantially reduced.

Medicaid
Medicaid eligibility is much more complex than Medicare. Medicaid is a welfare program, and every applicant must show that his/her income falls below certain levels set by states according to federal guidelines. Eligibility varies significantly among the 56 state and territorial Medicaid programs.

How Does it Work?
Medicaid is administered by each state according to federal requirements and guidelines, and is financed from both state and federal funds. It provides medical assistance to people eligible for cash assistance programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). States have broad discretion in covering different groups under their Medicaid program. To be eligible for federal funds, the program must provide for individuals receiving federal aid.

Other Services
The government also provides health coverage to federal civilian employees, veterans and Native Americans.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

What’s the difference between a continuing-care facility and a nursing home?

Continuing-care retirement communities provide a continuum of care, generally guaranteed for a lifetime. You may start out living independently at the community in your own unit, with only light housekeeping services. Later you may require some medical or living assistance, such as with taking medication or dressing. And later still you may need to move into the facility’s nursing home for full-time care, either temporarily or permanently. A good continuing-care community can make these transitions seamless.

Not all of the continuing-care retirement communities (CCRCs), sometimes called life-care communities, provide the same level of services. Some facilities offer a full spectrum of services, from transportation and laundry service to extensive recreational facilities such as for golf and swimming. Others are more modest, though most offer some recreational and social activities, meals, and transportation to local events and shopping.

How expensive are CCRCs?

These facilities tend to be more expensive than traditional housing options because they guarantee lifetime care. Fees vary widely, but typically average from $60,000 to $120,000 for one-time entry fees, with monthly fees from $1,000 to $1,600 or more. Be sure to ask what is included in the monthly fee and what you must pay extra for. A majority of CCRCs participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or both programs.

What determines the size of the fees?

It largely depends on the type of services you buy, refundability of entrance fees, and living arrangements. Following are three basic types of services:

• Complete care. This guarantees housing, services, and unlimited nursing care. Generally, it’s the most expensive, but there usually are no substantial increases in monthly fees except for inflation adjustments.

• Limited care. You pay for housing, services, and limited nursing care or other medical services, with additional daily rates for any medical care beyond the specified limit.

• Fee for service. The entrance and monthly fees generally will be lowest for this type of contract. They cover only basic shelter and services. Access to nursing care is guaranteed, but you pay market rates if you use the service.

Is the entrance fee refundable if I decide to leave after a few months or if I die unexpectedly?

That depends on the contract. Newer CCRCs usually will refund a portion of the entrance fees, from 50% to 90%, if the person moves. In the event of death, a portion may be refunded to the heirs.

Who makes the decision of what level of care I need?

This should be spelled out in the contract. Often it is a joint decision made by you, family members, medical advisors, and the CCRC’s manager. Some state laws provide guidelines as well.

How do I know a CCRC is right for me?

CCRCs are most appealing to single people who have no family or who don’t want to burden a family with their care and to married couples, who want to remain close to each other even if one moves into the facility’s nursing home. CCRCs also are appealing to people who want to live independently yet have guaranteed access to medical care.

Money is clearly another factor, since one needs the financial resources to pay the hefty entrance and monthly fees. Also, although the number of CCRCs is growing, they are not nearly as widespread as nursing homes. Their greatest concentrations are in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Therefore, if you must move to another state to live in a CCRC, check to see how that state’s laws might affect your will, taxes, and other estate and financial planning issues.

How do I choose a CCRC?

Because of the entrance fee, you should treat a CCRC as you would any investment. It’s particularly important to investigate the financial stability and management experience of the facility. Some communities have gone bankrupt, though CCRCs are more regulated than they once were. Because many of them are run by nonprofit organizations, they do not have deep pockets to pay back residents if the CCRC should fail. Have an attorney and financial advisor carefully review the contract. People should look into CCRCs well before they may need or want one–the waiting lists for good facillities can be years long.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

“A year of nursing home care can cost individuals from $30,000 – $65,000 a year, or more, in this country,” says Michael Snowdon, CFP, CMFC, and the CFP Program Manager at the College for Financial Planning. The wealthy generally can afford to meet that expense out of pocket. People at the other end of the economic scale generally can’t afford the LTC insurance premiums and probably would qualify for Medicaid, anyway. People who have more modest assets, modest retirement income, especially those who have little or no family to provide care at home, and who don’t want to rely on government programs are the ones who should consider purchasing long-term care insurance.

People should begin considering LTC insurance in their 50s, even if they don’t buy it until they’re in their 60s (premiums rise dramatically after that). The first step is to determine need. To do this, an individual might find out the average cost of local nursing home care and then, with the help of a financial professional, determine what portion he or she could afford to pay annually out of assets and income and what portion would have to be covered by LTC insurance. If nursing home care runs $150 a day and the person can pay $50 of that, the policy might need to carry a daily benefit of $100.

The next challenge lies in choosing the right policy and features. Long-term care coverage is expensive and there are many options from which to choose. People who purchase a long-term care policy should consider the following three important benefit features:

• Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). A COLA bumps up the chosen daily benefit each year, usually at a fixed percentage, to keep up with rising health care costs. A $100 daily benefit today, with a 5 percent annually compounded COLA, would provide $550 in daily benefits in 35 years.
• Home health care. This is an important feature because living at home is preferred by many. A home health care benefit is generally sold as a specified percentage of a daily nursing home benefit, such as 50 percent or 100 percent. Typically, 100 percent is the best choice, because home health care, contrary to public perception, is not cheaper than nursing home care. Skilled care by a nurse or therapist at home can easily run as much as a nursing home stay – plus the individual still has the continued home maintenance costs, such as taxes, utilities, food, and perhaps even a mortgage.
• Liberal benefit triggers. Look for a policy that does not require previous hospitalization or skilled nursing home care before benefits will be paid. The policy generally should go into effect if the policyholder is unable to perform one or more “activities of daily living,” such as bathing, dressing, or eating. And the policy should pay for all three levels of nursing home care: custodial, intermediate, and skilled.

One should also be sure that a policy’s benefit triggers include forms of cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease. (Alzheimer’s, which can strike early in life, is an argument for getting LTC coverage earlier rather than later.) Of course, each feature you choose adds to a policy’s cost, sometimes substantially. The home health care and COLA features, for example, can each double the premium cost of a “no-frills” policy. To reduce premium costs, consider these options:

• You could lengthen the period of time after the onset of need but before a policy begins to pay benefits (the elimination period). This means you pay expenses out of pocket for the first 30, 90, or 180 days of care.
• You could buy a policy for a shorter period of coverage, such as two to five years, rather than for a lifetime. However, this would not dramtically lessen premiums because statistics show most nursing home visits last fewer than three years.
• Couples might consider buying a joint LTC policy that covers both and has a lower premium than two individual policies. At the very least, if a couple each purchases an LTC policy from the same company, they should inquire about discounts. Not all companies offer these features.

Finally, people should be aware that a change in their personal circumstances, such as divorce or death, could alter their need and type of policy. They should also look for changes in the Medicaid laws that might affect their needs.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

Features and options vary widely among types of plans more so than among companies providing the plans. Where things vary among companies is usually cost – depending on your personal circumstances, some companies’ rates may be less than others.

Since many people buy health insurance through their employers, that adds another variable – some employers pick up more of your health care bill than others. (Since that can add up to a bundle, that makes asking about health benefits a good idea during job searches.)

But you don’t need to be an expert, or even spend a lot of time, to figure out which plan type is best for your needs. Understanding which type of plan offers the things you want should make a decision pretty easy. Here’s a rundown of the main differences among plan types:

HMOs

A Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is like a club for both patients and health care providers. Subscribers to an HMO receive medical services from participating physicians, clinics and hospitals. An insurance company sets up an HMO and gets a group of doctors to participate. Everybody agrees on certain costs and charges, which lets the insurance company control expenses and give you lower prices. But if you join an HMO and your previous doctor isn’t a member, you can’t bring him or her with you. HMOs work like this:

• You choose a primary care physician (PCP) from a list of participating doctors. He or she is your personal doctor, who you see for routine medical care like annual exams and health issues. If you need to see a specialist, be hospitalized, or have lab or X-ray work, your doctor will refer you to a provider or facility. Your doctor must give authorization for those services to be covered by your HMO.

• You may have to pay some portion of the cost (called a co-payment) for each office or hospital visit, such as $15 per doctor visit, regardless of what the services cost.

• You may have to pay extra for some services (emergency room, mental health and chemical dependency services, for example).

• You do not have to fill out claim forms, which makes this a relatively simple system.

PPOs

PPOs offer choices and access, but there is typically a cost associated with that freedom that is higher than HMO costs. Like an HMO, it is a network, but rather than choosing a primary care physician, you can see any health care professional in the network any time you choose to make an appointment. You don’t need referrals for specialists or other services. You can even see professionals outside the established PPO network, but if you do so, your portion of the costs will be higher. PPOs work like this:

• You will have choices to make about your insurance options within the PPO system when you enroll. Your choices will apply to you and any dependents you enroll in the plan, and can usually only be changed once a year during “open enrollment” periods.

• You’ll receive a list of participating medical professionals, which you can use to find health care. Or you may continue to see anyone you already use.

• You may have to pay a portion of the cost for each office or hospital visit, regardless of how much the visit costs. Your portion is the “co-payment.”

• You may have to pay extra for some services (emergency room, mental health and chemical dependency services, for example).

Point-Of-Service

These plans combine characteristics of HMOs and PPOs. You choose a primary care physician who controls all aspects of care, including referrals to specialists. All care received under that physician’s guidance (including referrals) is fully covered. Care received by out-of-plan providers is reimbursed, but you have to pay a significant co-payment or deductible. So basically, you decide each time you need medical care whether you want to use your plan as an HMO or a PPO.

Traditional Indemnity/Major Medical

This is the least restrictive option of the three main plan types. TI lets you see any licensed health care professionals for anything covered by the insurance. You choose deductible and other options when you enroll, and those apply to you and any dependents you enroll in the plan. TI works like this:

• The deductibles you choose apply to each person enrolled in the plan (so if you and a spouse enroll and select a $250 deductible, you each must pay $250 in medical expenses before your plan starts paying further costs each year). But companies typically set a maximum of two or three deductibles per family.

• Costs that exceed your deductible are covered by a coinsurance plan, so you and the insurance company share the cost for services covered by the policy. For example, with an 85/15 provision, the insurance company pays 85% and you pay 15%.

• After you meet your deductibles, coinsurance maximums apply that protect you from skyrocketing bills.

You may have to pay extra for some services (emergency room, mental health and chemical dependency services, for example).

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, poor fitness, inactivity and bad diet are contributing to increasing juvenile obesity. Since 1980, the percentage of children who are overweight has doubled. This brings on a host of health and social problems that get more serious as children become adults.

Studies have shown that children who are obese frequently struggle as adults with excess weight. And before they become adults, obesity puts them at a significantly increased risk of developing juvenile diabetes, heart disease and other chronic, life-threatening conditions.

The experts currently studying the problem tie the recent rise in overweight children to factors including fast food-centered diets, a reduction in physical education demands in schools, and increased “seat time” – more computer or television time and less active playing or sports.

But the reasons are many and varied, and solutions are not going to be easy to identify or implement, they say.

What can adults to help children set patterns for lifelong good health and fitness?

• Lead by example. Don’t just tell kids to go ride a bike. Go ride with them. Limit computer and television time – not just for them, for everyone in the house. Go to the zoo, or the park, or go roller-skating or blading (grownups skate too – no sitting on the side watching!). Instead of catching a movie or renting a video, help them plan and film a movie, using a camcorder, that will keep them moving. In health and fitness, just as in other things, children learn habits by observing adults around them.

• Make it fun, not stressful. If a child is overweight, don’t threaten and punish. The stress of punishment could have the reverse effect and cause kids to overeat to either rebel or comfort themselves. Focus on fitness rather than weight. Make a game out of weight lifting and seeing who improves the most – you or the kids – from week to week. Don’t cut out desserts; buy sorbet instead of ice cream, and pretzels instead of cookies. Get kids to help with physical projects like yard work that you can do together. Go camping. Or boating.

• Pay attention. Your children need good health care. They need regular checkups, and when they’re not well, they need to see a doctor the family knows and trusts. Finding a family physician who answers your questions and gives you the attention you want is good preventative medicine. (But you have to follow doctor’s orders! Get immunizations for children as directed, and don’t cut corners on health recommendations.) The emergency room or urgent care center is not a doctor’s office, and health insurance isn’t a luxury. It is a necessity for living the best, healthiest life.

• Avoid the golden arches. Feed children healthy foods that taste good, and eat the same thing you’re serving them. If they want burgers, cook them at home (try turkey) and use low-fat mayo. Same thing goes for tacos – anything you cook at home is likely to be significantly healthier than fast food. Let kids help you cook. Learning that skill will help them avoid prepackaged, fattening food for the rest of their lives.

• Stay informed. Know what your children need, and what risks they face. Talking with their physician and becoming knowledgeable about events in your community are two good ways to do this. Another is to conduct a little research. Check out www.cispimmunize.org – it’s a great resource for health-related news. Another good place to look is at the literature your insurance company sends you – many are now helping subscribers educate themselves with informational newsletters that discuss current health news.

• Experiment. Soccer is not for everyone. Forcing a child to compete in a sport he or she doesn’t enjoy will make the whole family miserable. (Lessons about sticking with things don’t necessarily apply to fun and games.) If the usual sports aren’t exciting, try something else. Martial arts, aerobics, gymnastics, cycling, swimming, rowing, yoga, dancing, horseback riding, Ultimate Frisbee, boating, rock climbing, track – there’s a whole world out there. Let children know that enjoyment, not performance, is the most important part.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

Childhood immunizations are the most effective method of preventing children from contracting devastating illnesses and diseases. Immunizations protect not only children, but also their communities from preventable illnesses. The increasing number of safe and effective vaccines for conditions such as measles, polio and tetanus protect children from acquiring these infirmities. While state laws require children to have such immunizations complete before entering the school system, this does not mean that 100 percent of children are immunized. Children who do not have health insurance often do not receive these important vaccines, and may suffer greatly as a consequence.

Besides immunizations, it is important for children to have health insurance to cover regular checkups, as well as sicknesses and injuries that are sure to pop up when you least expect them. If your child gets an injury that is not treated, it could cause recurring problems throughout the child’s life. Children who do not have a regular source of health insurance coverage are also at a higher risk of using the emergency room and requiring hospitalization. This can be very expensive, especially if you are uninsured. This expense could have been avoided if the child had health insurance coverage and visited his or her regular doctor for his or her problem in a timely manner.

Not only is it extremely important for a child to have health insurance, it is just as important that the coverage is maintained. Lapses in coverage could mean a child misses an important immunization or checkup. What if your child had a condition that could have been prevented if he or she had gone to a regular check-up? If the child is not continuously insured, this could happen. It also may be a good idea to use only one carrier and/or health plan if you have more than one child. Having multiple plans can make it difficult to get quick medical attention when your child needs it, especially if two or more of your children are sick at the same time.

The two main reasons that a child is uninsured are that the parent(s) think they cannot afford coverage, or the parent(s) recently lost employer-sponsored coverage. By comparing multiple rates, the parent(s) may realize that there is a health plan they can afford, even on their own.

Low and No Cost Alternatives
If you find you cannot afford health insurance for your child(ren), there are state and federally funded options that may be able to help. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid aim to help America’s poorest families find insurance for their children. Many states have their own programs as well. California, for example, has programs such as Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program which pays for a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources. Medi-Cal is free for those families who qualify) and the Healthy Families program (which provides low cost health care to children who are under the age of 19 and are not eligible for Medi-Cal with family incomes less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level). Check your state’s website to find information about its unique no-cost or low-cost health care programs.

Conclusion
Over nine million children are uninsured in the U.S. Do not let your child(ren) be a part of this alarming statistic. Get and maintain health insurance for your children to ensure that they grow up healthy and happy.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

E-mail, chat rooms, Web surfing, computerized games – your home PC contains something for everyone in the family to get sucked into. But adults and children already spend hours of daily computer time just on work and education. When those hours are compounded by several more spent on computer-related leisure and hobby activity, exercise, relaxation and face-to-face communication can suffer.

We need our computers for many of life’s daily tasks. And we want them for far more uses than we can list here. (Not to mention Game Boys and their like.) But all of this entertainment comes at a cost.

One seemingly obvious link is between screen time and obesity in both children and adults. Activities like Web surfing and video game playing don’t burn calories, but they sure lend themselves to snacking. Fitness and health patterns are established when children are young, and those patterns – whether good ones or bad – often continue into adulthood. Adults juggling job and relationship stress, tight schedules and financial burdens might not recognize how much time computer use is consuming, or feel simply too busy to think about healthy computer use.

Another less obvious result of extensive computer use is isolation, from friends, family and society. All of us, especially kids and young adults, need to interact with others in person in order to develop social skills needed for success at work, in relationships and in resolving conflict.

That’s not to say kids should be kept off the computer. On the contrary, many education programs can help them learn, and some studies have even shown major benefits when kids use developmental educational software (not the fill-in-the-blank drill type). Software programs that promote problem-solving and critical thinking were shown to improve long-term memory, fine motor skills, knowledge and even IQ in 4- and 5-year-olds. Some educators also believe that interactive games like Nintendo can help children develop concentration, memory, and logic. But so can a board game played with family members!

Solutions are fairly easy to come by. Make some kind of physical activity part of the daily routine. When people are active, they are not just building muscles and heart strength; they also don’t have time to eat between meals. And plenty of entertainment options exist outside of the computer screen. As with most things, the key to healthy computer use is balance.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/

All of these figures point to a disturbing fact; the problem of the uninsured in this country is getting worse instead of better.

That’s why organizations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation formed Cover the Uninsured Week, a now annual week that brings this issue to the forefront through intense advertising campaigns. 2004’s Cover the Uninsured Week took place May 10-16.

“This advertising campaign has persuaded opinion leaders of the serious consequences faced by millions of Americans who go without health insurance,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J. “We are running ads in 2004 to keep the issue of health coverage high on the nation’s domestic agenda. By reaching more than 85 million Americans with messages that underscore the seriousness of this problem, we are bolstering the growing national will to finally secure coverage for all Americans.”

To find out more about this worthwhile cause, visit www.covertheunisuredweek.org or www.rrwjf.org (the website of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation).

InsWeb, through our trusted partners, offers health insurance quotes tailored to your specific needs. Get your quotes today, and prevent your family from being a part of these alarming statistics.

Source: http://www.insweb.com/