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Best Cheap Life Insurance Charlotte North Carolina

If you’re living the good life in North Carolina, and thinking about finding the right life insurance protection for your family, then you’ve come to the right place. The fact is, life and death is not a subject that most of us enjoy pondering, but we know deep down, that one day our time in this life will end. We hope that day is postponed as far as possible and the days before are filled with joy and vitality, but no matter how grand our experience here is, or how long it may be extended, there is no fountain of youth. Eventually, the hands of time will catch up with each and every one of us.

Topics Covered On This Page Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the best coverage that fits you or your family today.

North Carolina Life Insurance

While living, we have an opportunity to make our mark, create a legacy or perhaps leave a proverbial dent in our very own corner of the universe. For better or worse, we can and often will have an impact long after we are gone.

When our final day does arrive, most will be survived by family and friends who will remember our funny stories, thoughtful words, kind acts, as well as the many meaningful moments and special occasions that we shared together.

By choosing the right life insurance policy, we have yet another way of leaving something else behind, it’s often called, financial protection.

The name for this “financial protection” by way of life insurance, which is paid to the beneficiaries in a lump sum, is known as the “death benefit.”

By having a life insurance policy, the living are able to provide a pre-determined amount of money to be paid to one’s heirs and/or designated survivors upon their death. 

While nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, proper financial planning can provide a layer of comfort and protection for your family. For many, it’s the thought of the financial pressure and stress that will be added to their grieving families burden which motivates them to provide adequate life insurance protection. 

North Carolina Life Insurance Facts & Figures

The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.7 years and 54% of the U.S. population has a life insurance policy. Below we can review the statistics for North Carolinians and see how North Carolina compares with the rest of our country:

 

 

  • North Carolina life expectancy for males: 75.3
  • North Carolina life expectancy for females: 80.7
  • State rank for life expectancy: 37

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Life Insurance in North Carolina:

What is Life Insurance?

Life insurance is a written agreement (contract) between an insurance company and a policy holder.

The purpose for a life insurance contract is to pay a specific amount of money (death benefit) to the named beneficiaries, when the insured dies. This contract consists of payments from both parties. The insured agrees to pay the insurance company in the way of an agreed premium (usually monthly or annually) and the insurance company agrees to pay the named beneficiaries (this may be one person or more than one person) an agreed upon amount, at the time of the insureds death.

To illustrate, let’s use an example:

Mike and Sue are married with two young children. They wish to purchase a Term Life Insurance Policy to protect their family from financial hardship, in the event that one or both of them were to die unexpectedly. After consulting with a licensed insurance agent and reviewing their options, they decide to purchase a 20 year term life insurance policy. The insurance provides them with a safety net of financial security, as well as increased peace of mind.  Upon the death of either spouse, the surviving spouse would have the necessary funds to continue raising the kids without fear or worry over how they will be able to pay the bills.

Key Terms:
Let’s review a few of the life insurance terms in the scenario above, Mike and Sue are the insured. Their Term Life insurance contract is one form of life insurance, and this agreement (or contract) is also called the policy. Mike and Sue are the beneficiaries of the policy. Their monthly insurance payments, paid to the insurance company are the premiums. The amount paid at the time of their death from the insurance company is called the death benefit.

Why Should I Own Life Insurance - Graphic Concept

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:

  • Life insurance is a legally binding agreement/contract.
  • In order for the agreement (contract) to be valid, the insured must provide an accurate and honest account on their policy application describing and detailing their health history, as well as any possible high risk hobbies or activities they might engage in.
  • The policy holder is responsible to make timely payments in accordance with the terms of the policy contract which may stipulate monthly payments, annual payments or even a single one-time lump sum payment, but whatever the terms of the agreement state, the policy must be paid as agreed, otherwise it will not be enforceable.
  • The death benefit or face value of the life insurance policy will be paid to the named beneficiaries (or their heirs, in the event of the beneficiaries death) upon the death of the insured.

Different Types of Life Insurance Let's review the most common types:

Most life insurance can be simplified into two basic categories, Whole Life and Term Life insurance. To keep things simple, there is a common form of life insurance that combines lifetime death protection insurance coverage with a cash value feature. This type is often called Whole Life or Universal Life. You may think of this kind of life insurance as serving multiple functions. Should you die while covered by one of these types of policies, generally your family (the named beneficiaries) will receive a payment from the insurance company (you will recall from earlier in our article that this payment from the insurance company is called the death benefit). There is also another feature that works similar to a savings account and that’s the “cash-value” portion. It’s important to know that legally and technically, it’s not really a “savings account” but there are a few similarities. The cash-value portion of the policy accumulates a certain amount of cash- value over time, and it can be “borrowed” from while the insured is still alive. Some people like this feature as it can provide access to funds when an unexpected need arises. It’s normally the more expensive form of life insurance and there are important considerations that we will cover later in this article, but for now, that’s the first of the two groups of life insurance that we are going to cover, and again, life insurance policies which are in this group are often referred to as Whole Life Insurance.

The other very popular type of life insurance that you’ll hear people talk or write about is called Term Life insurance. As the name implies, Term Life is only valid for a specified period of time (example: 5, 10, 20 or 30 years) and unlike Whole Life or Universal Life, it does not build up cash-value over time. Term Insurance serves a single function. If the insured dies during the term of the policy, the insurance company will pay the agreed upon sum (death benefit) to the policy’s beneficiaries. Term Insurance is normally the simplest to understand and most affordable type of life insurance available. 

Whole Life vs. Term Life Insurance What are some of the pros and cons...

Whole Life is insurance that you can keep for your whole life. You never have to worry about it expiring after a certain period of time. You could purchase it when you’re 30 and be covered when you’re 102. As the name implies, Whole Life covers you for as long as you live and as long as you keep making your monthly payment. Because it combines cash-value and life insurance, the cost is more expensive than its popular alternative Term Insurance.

  • Whole Life & Universal Life Insurance plans:  You may also hear the term Permanent life insurance. These are life insurance policies which remain active until the insured dies, stops paying premiums, or surrenders the policy.  As premiums are paid, the cash-value builds up. Over time as the cash-value of the policy increases, the insured may be eligible to borrow from the cash-value balance, in the form of a loan. With a Universal Life Insurance policy the cash value may be eligible to make future premium payments.

As your premiums are paid, a portion of your premium is credited towards the policy’s cash value. Once the cash value has reached a certain amount, you are able to borrow from the insurer using the cash value portion of your policy as collateral for the loan. Since the loan is secured by your policy, their is no credit application requirement for this type of loan. Most insurance companies are flexible with regard to how the loan is repaid but if the balance of your loan, plus interest, exceed the value of the policy, then the policy will be canceled. The same rule would apply if you wanted to withdraw all of your accumulated cash value. You could, but you would no longer be insured – which means you will have no life insurance protection for your family when you die. This is where many critics of Whole Life and Permanent Life insurance point out that it is not the best value option available when compared to most Term Life insurance policies.

Please keep in mind that each policy has it’s own terms and conditions that should be read and understood in order to make a formal comparison, but in general the argument against this type of insurance is due to the “cash-value” feature and the additional premium cost associated with life long insurance which never expires.

In the end, you’re paying for cash-value and life insurance but you only get one or the other (and the death benefit is considerably less). The typical purchaser can expect to pay anywhere between 5 to 15 times more for the same death benefit coverage as compared to term insurance.

Let’s assume that you and your spouse have a Permanent life insurance policy that covers both of you with a $50k death benefit. Let’s also assume that you make your payments for 30 years. Then one day your spouse becomes ill and passes away. You remember that you have a $50k policy but you might also expect that after 30 years of payments, your cash-value portion has accumulated a pretty significant amount as well, right? You add up your years of payments and you find that $300/mo x 30 years…is a total of $108,000 that you paid in premiums over the years. Wouldn’t you be surprised if you learned that your cash-value was also equal to $50k? To be clear, we’re just making up a hypothetical situation here. This is not an actual client. But the story serves to illustrate an excellent point. Many people would conclude that they have around $100k coming their way from the insurance company but they would be wrong. You see, with most Permanent Life Insurance policies, you will only have access to one or the other. This means you will either walk away from the cash-value or the death benefit. We already covered what happens if you withdraw all of your cash-value from the policy. Your policy will be canceled. So, what happens if you use the death benefit. Well, in that case you will forfeit the cash-value. It’s kind of a lose, lose situation. You lose one or the other benefits, and you paid a whole lot more for a very long time, for a very little amount of insurance. Where $50k may have been a significant amount 30 years ago, it’s not very significant today. Contrast this with paying $30/mo for $500k worth of insurance for 30 years of Term Life Insurance. For starters, $500k in protection is a lot more than $50k in protection. And the monthly cost difference is $270. That’s a lot of money that you could have saved. If you truly saved $270 each month for 30 years, and your spouse died in the 30th year, you would receive $500k from the insurance company in the way of the death benefit, plus you could have accumulated a nice balance in your own savings, investment or retirement account. Even if you stuffed it into your mattress, you would have accumulated $97k at zero interest. I must add, this is not financial advice, or investment advice. The purpose here is to inform and encourage you, the reader, to do your own research. We also recommend that you call us and speak with a licensed agent who can assist you with your questions and provide you with professional assistance in selecting the right life insurance policy for you and your family.

  • Term Life Insurance Plans: Term life insurance policies expire after a certain number of years. This type of insurance does not work like a “savings” account and has no cash value. Sometimes called a “surrender” value. Simply put, this policy is a death benefit policy only. No portion of the premium (monthly or annual policy payment) is set aside into a savings or interest earning account. It is typically the least expensive of all life insurance policy options.  

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right life insurance coverage for your family in North Carolina is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important North Carolina life insurance questions. 

By Samantha DevaneLife Insurance

Best Cheap Health Insurance Philadelphia

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides Philadelphia, PA with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Philadelphia, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Content Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Philadelphia

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in Pennsylvania, let’s take a look at what Pennsylvanians are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in Pennsylvania (for a benchmark plan) is about $459 in 2020 and projected to be $455 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Philadelphia:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Philadelphia is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Philadelphia health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth

Best Cheap Health Insurance Charlotte

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides Charlotte, NC with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Charlotte, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Topics Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

North Carolina Health Ins

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Charlotte

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in North Carolina, let’s take a look at what North Carolinians are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in North (for a benchmark plan) is about $558 in 2020 and projected to be $516 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Charlotte:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Charlotte, North Carolina is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Charlotte health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth

Best Cheap Health Insurance Las Vegas

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides Las Vegas, Nevada, with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Nevadans, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Topics Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Las Vegas

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in Las Vegas, Nevada, let’s take a look at what Nevadans are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in Las Vegas (for a benchmark plan) is about $374 in 2020 and projected to be $393 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Las Vegas:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Las Vegas health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth

Best Cheap Life Insurance Las Vegas

If you’re living the good life in Nevada, and thinking about finding the right life insurance protection for your family, then you’ve come to the right place. The fact is, life and death is not a subject that most of us enjoy pondering, but we know deep down, that one day our time in this life will end. We hope that day is postponed as far as possible and the days before are filled with joy and vitality, but no matter how grand our experience here is, or how long it may be extended, there is no fountain of youth. Eventually, the hands of time will catch up with each and every one of us.

Topics Covered On This Page Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest life insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

Nevada Life Insurance

While living, we have an opportunity to make our mark, create a legacy or perhaps leave a proverbial dent in our very own corner of the universe. For better or worse, we can and often will have an impact long after we are gone.

When our final day does arrive, most will be survived by family and friends who will remember our funny stories, thoughtful words, kind acts, as well as the many meaningful moments and special occasions that we shared together.

By choosing the right life insurance policy, we have yet another way of leaving something else behind, it’s often called, financial protection.

The name for this “financial protection” by way of life insurance, which is paid to the beneficiaries in a lump sum, is known as the “death benefit.”

By having a life insurance policy, the living are able to provide a pre-determined amount of money to be paid to one’s heirs and/or designated survivors upon their death. 

While nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, proper financial planning can provide a layer of comfort and protection for your family. For many, it’s the thought of the financial pressure and stress that will be added to their grieving families burden which motivates them to provide adequate life insurance protection. 

Nevada Life Insurance Facts & Figures

The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.7 years and 54% of the U.S. population has a life insurance policy. Below we can review the statistics for Nevadans and see how Nevada compares with the rest of our country:

 

 

  • Nevada life expectancy for males: 75.9
  • Nevada life expectancy for females: 81.3
  • State rank for life expectancy: 33

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Life Insurance in Nevada:

What is Life Insurance?

Life insurance is a written agreement (contract) between an insurance company and a policy holder.

The purpose for a life insurance contract is to pay a specific amount of money (death benefit) to the named beneficiaries, when the insured dies. This contract consists of payments from both parties. The insured agrees to pay the insurance company in the way of an agreed premium (usually monthly or annually) and the insurance company agrees to pay the named beneficiaries (this may be one person or more than one person) an agreed upon amount, at the time of the insureds death.

To illustrate, let’s use an example:

Mike and Sue are married with two young children. They wish to purchase a Term Life Insurance Policy to protect their family from financial hardship, in the event that one or both of them were to die unexpectedly. After consulting with a licensed insurance agent and reviewing their options, they decide to purchase a 20 year term life insurance policy. The insurance provides them with a safety net of financial security, as well as increased peace of mind.  Upon the death of either spouse, the surviving spouse would have the necessary funds to continue raising the kids without fear or worry over how they will be able to pay the bills.

Key Terms:
Let’s review a few of the life insurance terms in the scenario above, Mike and Sue are the insured. Their Term Life insurance contract is one form of life insurance, and this agreement (or contract) is also called the policy. Mike and Sue are the beneficiaries of the policy. Their monthly insurance payments, paid to the insurance company are the premiums. The amount paid at the time of their death from the insurance company is called the death benefit.

Why Should I Own Life Insurance - Graphic Concept

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:

  • Life insurance is a legally binding agreement/contract.
  • In order for the agreement (contract) to be valid, the insured must provide an accurate and honest account on their policy application describing and detailing their health history, as well as any possible high risk hobbies or activities they might engage in.
  • The policy holder is responsible to make timely payments in accordance with the terms of the policy contract which may stipulate monthly payments, annual payments or even a single one-time lump sum payment, but whatever the terms of the agreement state, the policy must be paid as agreed, otherwise it will not be enforceable.
  • The death benefit or face value of the life insurance policy will be paid to the named beneficiaries (or their heirs, in the event of the beneficiaries death) upon the death of the insured.

Different Types of Life Insurance Let's review the most common types:

Most life insurance can be simplified into two basic categories, Whole Life and Term Life insurance. To keep things simple, there is a common form of life insurance that combines lifetime death protection insurance coverage with a cash value feature. This type is often called Whole Life or Universal Life. You may think of this kind of life insurance as serving multiple functions. Should you die while covered by one of these types of policies, generally your family (the named beneficiaries) will receive a payment from the insurance company (you will recall from earlier in our article that this payment from the insurance company is called the death benefit). There is also another feature that works similar to a savings account and that’s the “cash-value” portion. It’s important to know that legally and technically, it’s not really a “savings account” but there are a few similarities. The cash-value portion of the policy accumulates a certain amount of cash- value over time, and it can be “borrowed” from while the insured is still alive. Some people like this feature as it can provide access to funds when an unexpected need arises. It’s normally the more expensive form of life insurance and there are important considerations that we will cover later in this article, but for now, that’s the first of the two groups of life insurance that we are going to cover, and again, life insurance policies which are in this group are often referred to as Whole Life Insurance.

The other very popular type of life insurance that you’ll hear people talk or write about is called Term Life insurance. As the name implies, Term Life is only valid for a specified period of time (example: 5, 10, 20 or 30 years) and unlike Whole Life or Universal Life, it does not build up cash-value over time. Term Insurance serves a single function. If the insured dies during the term of the policy, the insurance company will pay the agreed upon sum (death benefit) to the policy’s beneficiaries. Term Insurance is normally the simplest to understand and most affordable type of life insurance available. 

Whole Life vs. Term Life Insurance What are some of the pros and cons...

Whole Life is insurance that you can keep for your whole life. You never have to worry about it expiring after a certain period of time. You could purchase it when you’re 30 and be covered when you’re 102. As the name implies, Whole Life covers you for as long as you live and as long as you keep making your monthly payment. Because it combines cash-value and life insurance, the cost is more expensive than its popular alternative Term Insurance.

  • Whole Life & Universal Life Insurance plans:  You may also hear the term Permanent life insurance. These are life insurance policies which remain active until the insured dies, stops paying premiums, or surrenders the policy.  As premiums are paid, the cash-value builds up. Over time as the cash-value of the policy increases, the insured may be eligible to borrow from the cash-value balance, in the form of a loan. With a Universal Life Insurance policy the cash value may be eligible to make future premium payments.

As your premiums are paid, a portion of your premium is credited towards the policy’s cash value. Once the cash value has reached a certain amount, you are able to borrow from the insurer using the cash value portion of your policy as collateral for the loan. Since the loan is secured by your policy, their is no credit application requirement for this type of loan. Most insurance companies are flexible with regard to how the loan is repaid but if the balance of your loan, plus interest, exceed the value of the policy, then the policy will be canceled. The same rule would apply if you wanted to withdraw all of your accumulated cash value. You could, but you would no longer be insured – which means you will have no life insurance protection for your family when you die. This is where many critics of Whole Life and Permanent Life insurance point out that it is not the best value option available when compared to most Term Life insurance policies.

Please keep in mind that each policy has it’s own terms and conditions that should be read and understood in order to make a formal comparison, but in general the argument against this type of insurance is due to the “cash-value” feature and the additional premium cost associated with life long insurance which never expires.

In the end, you’re paying for cash-value and life insurance but you only get one or the other (and the death benefit is considerably less). The typical purchaser can expect to pay anywhere between 5 to 15 times more for the same death benefit coverage as compared to term insurance.

Let’s assume that you and your spouse have a Permanent life insurance policy that covers both of you with a $50k death benefit. Let’s also assume that you make your payments for 30 years. Then one day your spouse becomes ill and passes away. You remember that you have a $50k policy but you might also expect that after 30 years of payments, your cash-value portion has accumulated a pretty significant amount as well, right? You add up your years of payments and you find that $300/mo x 30 years…is a total of $108,000 that you paid in premiums over the years. Wouldn’t you be surprised if you learned that your cash-value was also equal to $50k? To be clear, we’re just making up a hypothetical situation here. This is not an actual client. But the story serves to illustrate an excellent point. Many people would conclude that they have around $100k coming their way from the insurance company but they would be wrong. You see, with most Permanent Life Insurance policies, you will only have access to one or the other. This means you will either walk away from the cash-value or the death benefit. We already covered what happens if you withdraw all of your cash-value from the policy. Your policy will be canceled. So, what happens if you use the death benefit. Well, in that case you will forfeit the cash-value. It’s kind of a lose, lose situation. You lose one or the other benefits, and you paid a whole lot more for a very long time, for a very little amount of insurance. Where $50k may have been a significant amount 30 years ago, it’s not very significant today. Contrast this with paying $30/mo for $500k worth of insurance for 30 years of Term Life Insurance. For starters, $500k in protection is a lot more than $50k in protection. And the monthly cost difference is $270. That’s a lot of money that you could have saved. If you truly saved $270 each month for 30 years, and your spouse died in the 30th year, you would receive $500k from the insurance company in the way of the death benefit, plus you could have accumulated a nice balance in your own savings, investment or retirement account. Even if you stuffed it into your mattress, you would have accumulated $97k at zero interest. I must add, this is not financial advice, or investment advice. The purpose here is to inform and encourage you, the reader, to do your own research. We also recommend that you call us and speak with a licensed agent who can assist you with your questions and provide you with professional assistance in selecting the right life insurance policy for you and your family.

  • Term Life Insurance Plans: Term life insurance policies expire after a certain number of years. This type of insurance does not work like a “savings” account and has no cash value. Sometimes called a “surrender” value. Simply put, this policy is a death benefit policy only. No portion of the premium (monthly or annual policy payment) is set aside into a savings or interest earning account. It is typically the least expensive of all life insurance policy options.  

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right life insurance coverage for your family in Nevada is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Nevada life insurance questions. 

By Samantha DevaneLife Insurance

Best Cheap Health Insurance Detroit

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides Detroit with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Michiganders, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Topics Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Detroit

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in Detroit, Michigan, let’s take a look at what Michiganders are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in Detroit (for a benchmark plan) is about $360 in 2020 and projected to be $347 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Detroit:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Detroit, Michigan, is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Detroit health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth

Best Cheap Life Insurance Detroit

If you’re enjoying the good life in Michigan, and thinking about finding the right life insurance protection for your family, then you’ve come to the right place. The fact is, life and death is not a subject that most of us enjoy pondering, but we know deep down, that one day our time in this life will end. We hope that day is postponed as far as possible and the days before are filled with joy and vitality, but no matter how grand our experience here is, or how long it may be extended, there is no fountain of youth. Eventually, the hands of time will catch up with each and every one of us.

Topics Covered On This Page Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest life insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

Michigan Life Insurance

While living, we have an opportunity to make our mark, create a legacy or perhaps leave a proverbial dent in our very own corner of the universe. For better or worse, we can and often will have an impact long after we are gone.

When our final day does arrive, most will be survived by family and friends who will remember our funny stories, thoughtful words, kind acts, as well as the many meaningful moments and special occasions that we shared together.

By choosing the right life insurance policy, we have yet another way of leaving something else behind, it’s often called, financial protection.

The name for this “financial protection” by way of life insurance, which is paid to the beneficiaries in a lump sum, is known as the “death benefit.”

By having a life insurance policy, the living are able to provide a pre-determined amount of money to be paid to one’s heirs and/or designated survivors upon their death. 

While nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, proper financial planning can provide a layer of comfort and protection for your family. For many, it’s the thought of the financial pressure and stress that will be added to their grieving families burden which motivates them to provide adequate life insurance protection. 

Michigan Life Insurance Facts & Figures

The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.7 years and 54% of the U.S. population has a life insurance policy. Below we can review the statistics for Michiganians and see how Michigan compares with the rest of our country:

 

 

  • Michigan life expectancy for males: 75.7
  • Michigan life expectancy for females: 80.5
  • State rank for life expectancy: 38

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Life Insurance in Michigan:

What is Life Insurance?

Life insurance is a written agreement (contract) between an insurance company and a policy holder.

The purpose for a life insurance contract is to pay a specific amount of money (death benefit) to the named beneficiaries, when the insured dies. This contract consists of payments from both parties. The insured agrees to pay the insurance company in the way of an agreed premium (usually monthly or annually) and the insurance company agrees to pay the named beneficiaries (this may be one person or more than one person) an agreed upon amount, at the time of the insureds death.

To illustrate, let’s use an example:

Mike and Sue are married with two young children. They wish to purchase a Term Life Insurance Policy to protect their family from financial hardship, in the event that one or both of them were to die unexpectedly. After consulting with a licensed insurance agent and reviewing their options, they decide to purchase a 20 year term life insurance policy. The insurance provides them with a safety net of financial security, as well as increased peace of mind.  Upon the death of either spouse, the surviving spouse would have the necessary funds to continue raising the kids without fear or worry over how they will be able to pay the bills.

Key Terms:
Let’s review a few of the life insurance terms in the scenario above, Mike and Sue are the insured. Their Term Life insurance contract is one form of life insurance, and this agreement (or contract) is also called the policy. Mike and Sue are the beneficiaries of the policy. Their monthly insurance payments, paid to the insurance company are the premiums. The amount paid at the time of their death from the insurance company is called the death benefit.

Why Should I Own Life Insurance - Graphic Concept

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:

  • Life insurance is a legally binding agreement/contract.
  • In order for the agreement (contract) to be valid, the insured must provide an accurate and honest account on their policy application describing and detailing their health history, as well as any possible high risk hobbies or activities they might engage in.
  • The policy holder is responsible to make timely payments in accordance with the terms of the policy contract which may stipulate monthly payments, annual payments or even a single one-time lump sum payment, but whatever the terms of the agreement state, the policy must be paid as agreed, otherwise it will not be enforceable.
  • The death benefit or face value of the life insurance policy will be paid to the named beneficiaries (or their heirs, in the event of the beneficiaries death) upon the death of the insured.

Different Types of Life Insurance Let's review the most common types:

Most life insurance can be simplified into two basic categories, Whole Life and Term Life insurance. To keep things simple, there is a common form of life insurance that combines lifetime death protection insurance coverage with a cash value feature. This type is often called Whole Life or Universal Life. You may think of this kind of life insurance as serving multiple functions. Should you die while covered by one of these types of policies, generally your family (the named beneficiaries) will receive a payment from the insurance company (you will recall from earlier in our article that this payment from the insurance company is called the death benefit). There is also another feature that works similar to a savings account and that’s the “cash-value” portion. It’s important to know that legally and technically, it’s not really a “savings account” but there are a few similarities. The cash-value portion of the policy accumulates a certain amount of cash- value over time, and it can be “borrowed” from while the insured is still alive. Some people like this feature as it can provide access to funds when an unexpected need arises. It’s normally the more expensive form of life insurance and there are important considerations that we will cover later in this article, but for now, that’s the first of the two groups of life insurance that we are going to cover, and again, life insurance policies which are in this group are often referred to as Whole Life Insurance.

The other very popular type of life insurance that you’ll hear people talk or write about is called Term Life insurance. As the name implies, Term Life is only valid for a specified period of time (example: 5, 10, 20 or 30 years) and unlike Whole Life or Universal Life, it does not build up cash-value over time. Term Insurance serves a single function. If the insured dies during the term of the policy, the insurance company will pay the agreed upon sum (death benefit) to the policy’s beneficiaries. Term Insurance is normally the simplest to understand and most affordable type of life insurance available. 

Whole Life vs. Term Life Insurance What are some of the pros and cons...

Whole Life is insurance that you can keep for your whole life. You never have to worry about it expiring after a certain period of time. You could purchase it when you’re 30 and be covered when you’re 102. As the name implies, Whole Life covers you for as long as you live and as long as you keep making your monthly payment. Because it combines cash-value and life insurance, the cost is more expensive than its popular alternative Term Insurance.

  • Whole Life & Universal Life Insurance plans:  You may also hear the term Permanent life insurance. These are life insurance policies which remain active until the insured dies, stops paying premiums, or surrenders the policy.  As premiums are paid, the cash-value builds up. Over time as the cash-value of the policy increases, the insured may be eligible to borrow from the cash-value balance, in the form of a loan. With a Universal Life Insurance policy the cash value may be eligible to make future premium payments.

As your premiums are paid, a portion of your premium is credited towards the policy’s cash value. Once the cash value has reached a certain amount, you are able to borrow from the insurer using the cash value portion of your policy as collateral for the loan. Since the loan is secured by your policy, their is no credit application requirement for this type of loan. Most insurance companies are flexible with regard to how the loan is repaid but if the balance of your loan, plus interest, exceed the value of the policy, then the policy will be canceled. The same rule would apply if you wanted to withdraw all of your accumulated cash value. You could, but you would no longer be insured – which means you will have no life insurance protection for your family when you die. This is where many critics of Whole Life and Permanent Life insurance point out that it is not the best value option available when compared to most Term Life insurance policies.

Please keep in mind that each policy has it’s own terms and conditions that should be read and understood in order to make a formal comparison, but in general the argument against this type of insurance is due to the “cash-value” feature and the additional premium cost associated with life long insurance which never expires.

In the end, you’re paying for cash-value and life insurance but you only get one or the other (and the death benefit is considerably less). The typical purchaser can expect to pay anywhere between 5 to 15 times more for the same death benefit coverage as compared to term insurance.

Let’s assume that you and your spouse have a Permanent life insurance policy that covers both of you with a $50k death benefit. Let’s also assume that you make your payments for 30 years. Then one day your spouse becomes ill and passes away. You remember that you have a $50k policy but you might also expect that after 30 years of payments, your cash-value portion has accumulated a pretty significant amount as well, right? You add up your years of payments and you find that $300/mo x 30 years…is a total of $108,000 that you paid in premiums over the years. Wouldn’t you be surprised if you learned that your cash-value was also equal to $50k? To be clear, we’re just making up a hypothetical situation here. This is not an actual client. But the story serves to illustrate an excellent point. Many people would conclude that they have around $100k coming their way from the insurance company but they would be wrong. You see, with most Permanent Life Insurance policies, you will only have access to one or the other. This means you will either walk away from the cash-value or the death benefit. We already covered what happens if you withdraw all of your cash-value from the policy. Your policy will be canceled. So, what happens if you use the death benefit. Well, in that case you will forfeit the cash-value. It’s kind of a lose, lose situation. You lose one or the other benefits, and you paid a whole lot more for a very long time, for a very little amount of insurance. Where $50k may have been a significant amount 30 years ago, it’s not very significant today. Contrast this with paying $30/mo for $500k worth of insurance for 30 years of Term Life Insurance. For starters, $500k in protection is a lot more than $50k in protection. And the monthly cost difference is $270. That’s a lot of money that you could have saved. If you truly saved $270 each month for 30 years, and your spouse died in the 30th year, you would receive $500k from the insurance company in the way of the death benefit, plus you could have accumulated a nice balance in your own savings, investment or retirement account. Even if you stuffed it into your mattress, you would have accumulated $97k at zero interest. I must add, this is not financial advice, or investment advice. The purpose here is to inform and encourage you, the reader, to do your own research. We also recommend that you call us and speak with a licensed agent who can assist you with your questions and provide you with professional assistance in selecting the right life insurance policy for you and your family.

  • Term Life Insurance Plans: Term life insurance policies expire after a certain number of years. This type of insurance does not work like a “savings” account and has no cash value. Sometimes called a “surrender” value. Simply put, this policy is a death benefit policy only. No portion of the premium (monthly or annual policy payment) is set aside into a savings or interest earning account. It is typically the least expensive of all life insurance policy options.  

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right life insurance coverage for your family in Michigan is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Michigan life insurance questions. 

By Samantha DevaneLife Insurance

Best Cheap Health Insurance Cedar Rapids

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides Cedar Rapids with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Iowans, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Topics Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

Iowa-Health-Ins

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Cedar Rapids

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in Cedar Rapids, let’s take a look at what Iowans are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in Iowa (for a benchmark plan) is about $468 in 2020 and projected to be $457 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Cedar Rapids:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Cedar Rapids is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Cedar Rapids health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth

Best Cheap Health Insurance Des Moines

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides Des Moines with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Iowans, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Topics Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

Iowa-Health-Ins

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Des Moines

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in Des Moines, let’s take a look at what Iowans are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in Iowa (for a benchmark plan) is about $468 in 2020 and projected to be $457 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Des Moines:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Des Moines, Iowa is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Des Moines health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth

Best Cheap Health Insurance Aurora

Healthcare is changing, but we’re adapting to meet your needs. Our company provides the Aurora area with excellent health coverage and affordable plans. Our commitment as a trusted leader in providing health insurance to Aurora, will always be to offer excellent customer experiences and to offer value-based products for all of your health insurance needs.

Topics Covered On This Page: Find exactly what you're looking for by using any of our direct links.

In a hurry? We understand, if you prefer to just receive a quote right away, you can use our  request and find the lowest cost, cheapest health insurance premium with the coverage that fits you or your family today.

Colorado Health Insurance

We can help you address crucial medical concerns by providing access to affordable medical coverage for individuals and families. All healthcare inquiries are of course addressed through a network of qualified Health Insurance Providers. By having the proper health insurance, you’ll never have to worry about having access to clinical experts who specialize and practice medicine in the areas that you need, when you need it.

Most health insurance companies that we work with offer access to telemedicine, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to healthcare professionals, online prescription services, and home testing kits. If you do have questions, we invite you to contact us today. Our licensed agents are available to help answer your questions regarding health insurance coverages offered.

Health Insurance Cost in Aurora

If you’re asking yourself, how much will it cost to purchase a health insurance policy, for myself or my family in Aurora, Colorado, let’s take a look at what Coloradans are currently paying. The average individual health insurance premium in Colorado (for a benchmark plan) is about $358 in 2020 and projected to be $351 in 2021. These estimates are from the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.

The average premium for a family plan is around $1,020/month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the monthly premium will vary based on a variety of factors. According to healthcare.gov there are five main factors which can affect a plan’s monthly premium: location, age, tobacco use, plan category, and whether the plan covers dependents.

Why Choose Us?

What makes Life & Health Now stand out in today’s market, is our professional and friendly team. Our focus is on delivering value and positive health care shopping experiences to each and every client.

As a team, we don’t settle, and we are all in it together; we apply this thinking to help our customers thrive and live better lives by eliminating their concerns over choosing the right insurance provider.

Cheap Health Insurance in Aurora:

What is Health Insurance?

The purpose of health insurance is to cover the majority of costs related to medical care and treatment of illnesses and injuries; this includes surgical, medical, prescription medication, and some dental expenditure.

If you are unable to work because of an illness or injury, health insurance may reimburse you and/or directly pay your healthcare provider.

Most individuals acquire health insurance through their employer, but you can also receive health insurance privately or through a State exchange. You are likely to encounter different terms that describe your financial responsibility for coverage and payments; these are:

 

Premium:
The monthly payment amount which you pay for health insurance is called a premium. It’s normal to have extra insurance related costs in addition to your monthly premium, such as your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance. 

Because of these additional costs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for your health insurance that the policy with the lowest monthly premium may not end up being the least expensive for you or your family, before the year is over. If you’re anticipating frequent medical visits, it may be to your advantage to pay a slightly higher monthly premium with a lower deductible, than to pay a lower monthly payment with higher deductible. 

 

Deductible:
This is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $5,000 deductible, for example, you would pay the first $5,000 of covered services for the year, out of your own pocket. After you pay an amount equal to your deductible amount (deductible amounts do vary depending on your policy), you will then usually pay for a portion of the covered services, this is called a copayment or coinsurance for your covered services.


Copay:
A set amount (for example, $25) that you pay for a covered health care service after you’ve paid your deductible. Let’s say your allowable cost for a doctor’s office visit is $100. Your copayment for a doctor visit is $25.


Coinsurance:
The percentage of costs of a covered health care service that you pay out of pocket. Let’s use an example of 30% and a $2,000 annual deductible. Let’s assume that you’ve paid $2,000 out of pocket towards your health insurance cost for the year. Let’s also assume that your health insurance plan’s allowed amount for an office visit cost is $100 and your coinsurance percentage is 30%. Since you’ve paid your $2,000 deductible: You pay 30% of $100, or $30. In this scenario, if you have not paid your deductible for the year, let’s say you’ve only paid $1200 towards your yearly covered medical expenses, then you would pay the full $100 and that would increase your deductible expense from $1200 out of pocket to $1300 for the year.

Types of Health Coverage

Health insurance is offered in a variety of health plan types. Your monthly cost will be determined by the plan that you choose. There are plans where seeing a specialist or other health care providers will require a referral from your primary care physician. 

Below we will review the differences between HMOs, PPOs, EPOs and POS health plans. When shopping for health insurance, you’ll find these are the most common health insurance plans offered today.

  • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: An HMO is the most affordable option of the three plans. If you’re looking for the best value, this could be the plan for you. The main drawback of an HMO is it also comes with limitations regarding your choice of doctors and healthcare providers. You’ll be assigned to a network of doctors, specialists and health care providers in your area. Should you need or want to see a specialist outside of this network, you’ll need a referral. If you like the idea of trading flexibility in choice for savings, then this may be the plan for you.
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: If it’s the freedom of choosing your own doctor and health care providers that you desire most (and you don’t mind higher monthly premiums), then a PPO plan may be suited for you. You will still have a network of doctors and specialists, and using them can save you money, but should you desire to see a specialist (or any doctor of your own choosing), you can and do not need a referral to do so. You’ll pay a little more for your out of network office visits, but for those who want the most freedom to choose their health care providers, going with a PPO is well worth the additional cost. 
  • Point-of-service (POS) plans:  If you’re looking for a mix of the two plans outlined above (HMO & PPO) then choosing a Point of Service plan could be the ideal plan for you.  As in the PPO plan, with a POS plan, you will be able to see the specialists and/or general practice doctors that you desire, even if they are not part of your plans network. However, similar to a HMO, you will need a doctor’s referral to do so. In short, POS plans cost less than PPO’s, yet they still offer patients the flexibility of seeing the doctors they truly desire. 
  • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans: An EPO is an exclusive provider organization, and is similar to an HMO but it often does not require a referral to see a specialist.

It’s important to keep in mind that while insurance companies are required by health laws to identify their health insurance products by type, in their plan coverage summaries, one PPO plan may have very different out of pocket expenses for you or your family as well as coverage limits than another plan. Since no two plans are likely to be identical, it’s important when shopping that we don’t just lump all PPO’s or HMO’s (or any other type of health insurance plan) into one generic “bucket”.

As the lines between the various plans (for the purpose of this article we’re referring to, HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans), it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one type from another.

One expert, Sabrina Corlette, project director at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, had this to say, “You have PPOs with really high cost sharing for out-of-network services, which from a consumer perspective seem a lot like HMOs”.

The “idea” behind using recognizable plan type labels and acronyms was (in general) to provide the public with a fast and easy way to distinguish the level of access it’s members would have to the various providers that are outside of a plan’s network, how much it would cost to see those providers – if desired, and whether or not a referral would be required. However due to a lack of uniformity and regulations with respect to the industry-wide-definitions, and standards that vary from state to state, this leaves insurance companies with a great deal of latitude when it comes to marketing similar plans under different names.

While the above examples are generally true, some experts say, there are PPO plans which don’t offer any out-of-network services at all. While at the same time, there are HMO’s which do in fact offer out-of-network options, which makes it very hard to differentiate from a PPO plan.

Confused yet? We understand, with all of the similarities and minor differences between the most common health plan types, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed.

With a lack of clarity and standardization between states in the industry it’s easy to get lost.

A few Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for Health Insurance:

(1) Is there out-of-network coverage?

(2) Will you need a referral to see out-of-network doctors or specialists? 

(3) Does that out-of-network spending count (accrue) toward your out-of-pocket maximum? (Not a requirement but some plans do include it).

What Problems Does Health Insurance Solve?

Having private health insurance provides peace of mind. It assures you and your loved ones, that if a health crisis should arise, the insured can be seen by a private care physician or surgeon. Without it, you may find yourself waiting weeks or even months for a referral or operation through federal and/or state health insurance programs such as Medicaid.  Medicaid is a health insurance plan offered by the Federal Government for people with a low income.

Additionally, in these times of COVID-19, your insurance company can help you with telehealth services, testing, outpatient visitation, and inpatient hospital stays. Your insurance provider will monitor the spread of COVID-19 to help keep you informed with updates and safety information at this time.

If you have made it to retirement age without any severe health issues, consider yourself fortunate; however, as we age, the inevitability of declining health becomes a reality. As you plan for retirement, you must consider how you would manage financially having to contend with serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. When facing a health crisis, you don’t want to add the payment for treatments to the list of things to worry about.


Having health insurance can lower your worries, especially during these difficult times; your health insurance will cover many of the services that would be too costly otherwise. Knowing that you or your family member will have the benefit of choosing a private or semi-private hospital room with doctors and healthcare providers who can look after you, is a peace of mind that health insurance is uniquely designed to provide. 

Speak with a licensed agent today. We're here to answer all of your questions.

Choosing the right health insurance coverage for your family in Aurora, Colorado is a big decision. Our licensed agents are here to help. Contact us today to get answers to your important Aurora health insurance questions. 

By Samantha Devanehealth