Affordable Health Insurance

As the cost of health care increases, so does the strain on household budgets. A majority of today’s families are barely getting by, and an increasing number of households are living with no health insurance at all. In fact, more than 46 million Americans now live uninsured–and that number increases by the year.

Health insurance is designed to protect you and your family from expense in case of accidents or illness. Doctor bills; hospitalization; medical tests and treatments; rehabilitation, and maternity/pediatric care…all fall within these bounds.

So what’s a family to do if it needs health insurance protection but doesn’t have much to spend?

Getting Cheap Health Insurance

The less likely you are to need health care, the less you’ll pay for your health insurance coverage. Therefore, finding ways to reduce your claims risk increases your chances of getting the cheap health insurance rates you deserve.

If your family needs cheap health insurance and you’re not sure how to get it, use these money-saving strategies to reduce your health insurance premiums:

• Take care of your bodies. Get regular exercise; eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, and see your doctor for routine check-ups and health care advice. Don’t drink or smoke.

  If you do what’s necessary to maintain your health, you’ll reduce your health care costs in the long run–reducing, in turn, your health insurance costs.

• Set your deductibles high. What is a deductible? It’s simply the amount you have to pay on your medical bills before your health insurance kicks in and pays the rest.

  According to experts, it’s not uncommon for families to save up to 25 percent on health insurance premiums with a high deductible plan. The more responsibility you take for the cost of your medical care, the less responsibility your health insurance company has to carry–and the lower your health insurance rates will be.

• Find a group policy. Group health insurance is always less expensive. This is because the financial risk to the health insurance company is spread amongst the entire group, instead of resting solely on you.

  Look for group health insurance through your employer, or through community or professional organizations to which you belong.

• Buy early.The younger you are when you purchase health insurance, the lower your premiums will be. This is because your risk of health-related issues increases as you get older.

  Buying health insurance early on means your family saves on monthly premiums, as well as over the life of the policy.

• Coordinate your coverages. If you and your spouse both work and have health insurance available, compare plans–and choose the best parts of each. Sharing expenses between more than one insurance plan makes things cheaper for both health insurance companies–and for you.

Your family’s health insurance premiums don’t have to eat into the household budget–or your bank account. Use these strategies to get cheap health insurance protection, and you’ll be prepared for whatever comes your way.

Author: Penny Hagerman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

Health insurance fraud represents one of America’s largest taxpayer rip-offs ever, costing Americans literally billions of dollars every year.

Due to rampant deception, scams and abuse in the health care system, consumers are forced to pay the priceliterallythrough escalating medical costs and rising health insurance premiums.

And government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, designed to help the low-income and elderly, represent two of the biggest losers of all.

Health Insurance Scams

According to the Insurance Information Institute, health providers and facilities such as doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic labs and attorneys routinely attempt to defraud the health insurance systemwith devastating results.

How do they do it? In a number of ways, including:

1. Billing health insurance companies for expensive treatments, tests or equipment patients never had or never received
2. Double- or triple-billing health insurers for the same treatments
3. Giving health care recipients unnecessary, dangerous, or life-threatening treatments
4. Selling low-cost health insurance coverage from fake insurance companies
5. Stealing medical information and using it to bill health insurance companies for phantom treatments

If health insurance fraud knocks on your door, these types of scams may leave you with medical debts, damaged credit ratings, falsified health records, a high level of stress and overpriced health insurance premiumsor the inability to get any health insurance at all.

So what can you do about it?

Report it; then fight back!

What to Watch For

The first step to fighting health insurance fraud is keeping your eyes and ears open for abuse.

Be especially watchful for providers who:

• Charge your health insurance company for services you never received or medical procedures you don’t need
• Give you prescriptions for controlled substances for no justified medical reason
• Bill your health insurance company for brand-name drugs when you actually get generics
• Misrepresent cosmetic or other health care procedures not usually covered by health insurance plans as covered

If you notice a health care provider doing any of these things, keep all supporting paperwork handy for reference, and then contact your health insurance company to let them know.

Then, if you’re a Medicare or Medicaid recipient, call the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and report the abuse.

Finally, contact your state department of insurance or the local police.

Fighting Health Insurance Fraud

To keep yourself from falling victim to health insurance fraud, take the following steps to fight back:

* Check with your state insurance department to make sure your health insurance company is licensed in your state.
* Check out your health insurance company for consumer complaints, fraud convictions and bankruptcies through your state department of insurance.
* Keep detailed medical records.
* Carefully review your billing statements.
* Never sign blank insurance claim forms.
* Avoid salespeople offering free health services or advice.
* Protect your medical records and information.
* Make sure you know what your health insurance policy coversand what it doesn’t.
* Never pay your health insurance premiums in cash.
* Be wary if you’re asked to pay a full year’s premium up front.
* Be on guard against medical providers claiming to be connected with federal programs or the government.
* Beware of health insurance companies offering you coverage at an unreasonably low price.
* Ask your health insurance provider about anything you don’t understand regarding your bills.

Making a Difference

Protect your right to health insurance, lower your premiums and keep your medical information safe. All it takes is a little education, a watchful eye, and the willingness to make a difference!

Author: Penny Hagerman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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