Friday, June 30, 2006

20 LIVE health insurance quotes in 20 seconds

Real time health quotes is offering an advanced service for the Florida health insurance shopper. The website is undergoing a major overhaul but their cutting edge tool will still allow you to view up to 20 LIVE health insurance quotes from top Florida health insurance companies like Aetna, Humana, and Golden Rule/United Healthcare in under 20 seconds - all for free. Florida Health Insurance

Thursday, June 29, 2006

5 Things to Look for in a Health Insurance Company

It's a simple fact that even some very good health insurance companies lack a few of the following 5 things. Be a discriminating health insurance buyer and make sure that the health insurance company that you choose receives a passing grade in all 5 of these areas:

1. Large, Stable Networks [If you have never heard of them before then it could be that your doctor never has either].

2. Excellent Customer Service [This should go without saying].

3. Comprehensive Policies [No Annual Caps or Limits - no indemnity policies or health discount plans unless all other alternatives are exhausted; TIP: Simply look up Discount Health Plan Warning in any major search engine and take a look].

4. Competitive Pricing [There is very strong competition amongst the "Big 3" that many other companies could have trouble competing with unless they give up ground on 1 or more of these other 4 things].

5. Claims-Paying Ability [Financial Strength].

When it comes to being fully prepared why does it make sense to depend on one of the "Big 3" health insurance companies: United Healthcare, Aetna, or Humana? Aren't there some other good companies out there?

The answer is, "Yes, there are many good health insurance companies out there with great people working for them."

However, in all practicality almost all people will find the best policy from one of the "Big 3" health insurance companies: United Healthcare, Aetna, or Humana. The "Big 3" are all very strong in each of these 5 areas.

Again, there are many other good companies out there but a health insurance company must be strong in each of these 5 areas to truly be a health insurance company that your family can depend on for years to come.

Florida Health Insurance Quotes

Tampa Health Insurance

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Florida Group Health Insurance

Florida group health insurance can be an affordable and cost effective way to recruit, reward, and retain employees or it can be a profit margin compressing behemoth that will suffocate your company's growth.


Florida group health insurance is a very competitive market. The competitiveness of the Florida group health insurance market can be leveraged to the Florida small business owner's favor by an astute Florida group health insurance specialist.


The Florida group health insurance specialist can save a small business owner in the state of Florida a sizable sum of health care expenses each year by offering group health insurance services on an ongoing basis.


It should not be underestimated the value that a group health insurance specialist can bring to the table by conducting an annual pre-renewal check up on a group health insurance policy. This is just one of many Florida group health insurance practices that should comprise a comprehensive Small Business Value Proposition by a Florida group health insurance specialist.


The Florida Group Health Insurance Specialist should be an independent insurance agent (meaning that he/she can shop among different health insurance companies and find the best group health insurance policy for your company).


This is contrasted with an insurance agent that is captive and can only represent one insurance company (if your yearly renewal rolls around and you are not satisfied; guess what? That is the end of the options available to the captive insurance agent).


To speak with a licensed independent Florida Group Health Insurance specialist simply request free Florida group health insurance quotes

Monday, June 26, 2006

Florida Health Insurance

Florida health insurance costs can prove to be a very real obstacle to many Florida consumers that are searching for a comprehensive and affordable Florida health insurance policy. Florida health insurance premiums can be pricey at first glance. However, when you consider that even some routine surgeries plus a week or more in a Florida hospital could cost upwards of six figures then the importance of finding a Florida health insurance policy that is both comprehensive and affordable cannot be underestimated.

The Florida health insurance market is a very competitive market. This is at once a very good thing and a very bad thing for the Florida health insurance shopper. The competitiveness of the Florida health insurance market is good for the Florida consumer because it forces the top companies to drive down their rates in an effort to maintain affordable health insurance policies as they compete against each other for your business. The negative aspect of the Florida health insurance marketýs competitiveness is that many insurance companies are attracted to the strong demand for health insurance in the state of Florida and not all have the sterling reputation of an Aetna, Humana, or a United Healthcare.

Without mentioning names, this strong demand for Florida health insurance will attract health insurance companies to Florida that are forced to put calendar year limits in their policies or only cover benefits up to a certain amount (an indemnity style policy) in order to try and compete with stronger, more established companies.

Just to contrast the seriousness of this, imagine that you blow out your knee as you are exercising and you have to have arthroscopic knee surgery and a week plus in the hospital brings the total bill to $100,000.

With a strong reputable Florida health insurance company with an established dependable network such as one of the Florida health insurance "Big 3" (Aetna, Humana, and United Healthcare) you will have coverage of anywhere from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 per person without any calendar year limits and without limits on benefits payable for certain procedures. That $100,000 hospital bill is whittled down to your maximum out of pocket cost of probably around $3,000 to $5,000 depending on your policies deductible and coinsurance amount.

Now imagine that you had decided years back that you wanted to go with a Florida health insurance company that you had never heard of until then and purchase a seemingly attractive indemnity policy or a policy with a calendar year limit: if the limit on the policy is for say $10,000 for that particular procedure or maybe only up to $200 a day for every day in the hospital guess what? Once you reach that limit threshold you are stuck with the rest of the bill. It is as if you do not even have insurance once you reach the limits in the policy.

The different Florida health insurance policies can be difficult to navigate without the assistance of an expert independent insurance agent. View free Florida health insurance quotes from the top companies side by side and compare them to ensure that you have both comprehensive and affordable Florida health insurance.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Maternity Insurance and the Cost of Pregnancy:Fact and Fiction

If you are pregnant, are considering becoming pregnant, or have someone on your health insurance plan that is pregnant or will become pregnant and you live in the state of Florida then this is "The Maternity Insurance Article" for you. The aim of this article is to explain some of the maternity options available to you and to debunk some common myths concerning maternity insurance, maternity riders, maternity discount plans, and other types of maternity coverage.

First of all, if you are a Florida resident and you are pregnant and do not have maternity coverage then you will not be eligible for maternity coverage under an individual health insurance plan. Those with the foresight to plan ahead and purchase some type of maternity coverage before they become pregnant are rewarded while those who wait until they are actually pregnant are of course not afforded individual maternity coverage. (If you are pregnant and have access to a group plan through you or your spouses' employer then now is the time to seriously inquire about your enrollment options as many group health insurance plans usually cover maternity just as they do any other illness). Naturally, sick people always want health insurance and people with a pregnancy in the family always want some form of maternity insurance.

If you are not pregnant and would like to add on additional maternity coverage to your individual health insurance plan then there are a few things that you should know. Most individual health insurance policies will allow you some measure of maternity coverage in the form of a rider for an additional cost. It is quite common for a maternity rider to have a waiting period of at least 12 months before they pay out any type of maternity benefit. Still some other maternity riders, such as the one that Golden Rule/United Healthcare offers in Florida allow full benefits to be paid up to a set amount after 12 months and 50% of the benefit paid out beginning immediately.

So how much does a pregnancy in let's say the state of Florida really cost anyway? How much of a maternity benefit should I be certain to have? How much can I anticipate paying out of pocket for the pregnancy and related expenses? These are all important questions and the answer may be, "Not quite as much as you at first think." According to FloridaComparecare.gov the statewide average charge for a normal delivery is $1,689 while the statewide average charge for a cesarean section is $14,458. As you can see there is quite a range in the cost depending on if there are any complications present during the pregnancy.

The important thing is to know the options that are available to you and to obtain insurance before you need it!

To compare multiple quotes from top health insurance companies like United Healthcare, Aetna, and Human then fill out this free health insurance quote form.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Health Insurance: Your Rights Under State Law

Health insurance is regulated at the state level and as such there are certain very important state regulations that you should be aware of. These health insurance regulations vary from state to state. Do not make the mistake of assuming that the health insurance policy that you purchased in Pennsylvania will be governed under the same rules as the health insurance policy that you would like to purchase in Florida.

It would be close to impossible to go into a great deal of depth on the various regulations across all 50 states in this short article. However, there is a health insurance information site run by Georgetown University that allows the ability to view and print A Consumer Guide to Getting and Keeping Health Insurance.

Each of these health insurance Consumer Guides are state specific which can save you quite a bit of time in sorting through what does and does not apply to your state of residency. Do your research on the insurance rules and regulations in your state and then be sure to enlist the help of a qualified independent insurance agent to assist you. Be a knowledgeable consumer when shopping for health insurance and know your rights under state law.