Shopping For Health

Question: My husband and I are self employed.....We are shopping for health Insurance, what do recommend? We are looking for affordable health insurance, but I don't even know where to begin....If you are self employed, who is your provider and why?

Answer: If you are self employed, you and your husband could get a health insurance plan through an agent in the yellow pages - look under "health insurance" and request quotes and plan comparisons. Some plans are affordable - Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Aetna. But you could compare plans and quotes online through reputable health insurance quotes services. That way you can review the plans at your convenience with no pressure. Two of the leading health insurance quotes providers are: 1) InsureMe - they give you up to five free health insurance quotes from top-rated health insurers nationwide. To Request a free, no obligation quote, Go to - http://www.insureme.com/landing.aspx?Refby=613598&Type=health 2) eHealthinsurance.com offers you side-by-side quote comparisons from a large network of health insurers across the country. eHealthinsurance has more than 900,000 clients in the U.S. Review all Exclusions inlcuding any Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusions before you buy. Also, understand how the Co-Pay works so you know how much you'll pay out-of-pocket per claim. Also, ask the health insurance company if you can deduct your health insurance premiums, since you're self-employed. I hope that helps you find an affordable self-employed health insurance plan. Good luck.

Question: Any advice for shopping for health insurance? I am not looking for your political opinion nor will i give you mines. i am simply looking for health insurance, for about 2 years i was covered by my job i had to leave my job because we moved and my new job does not cover me i am not sick in any way to my knowledge, i do not and have never smoked i am 21 and about 7 pounds over weight, i live in california LA and i wear glasses any advice or tips i am looking for something thats really there in case i get seriously sick i dont want a big fight with my insurance company

Answer: YOu are not the only person who have ever met this kind of problem,I met this type of problem before.I have good experience here http://www.HealthInsuranceFree.info to solve the problem.

Question: shopping for health insurance? my husband pays $200 every two weeks for health insurance for 4 of us from his employer. Id like to shop around for other options, but the health insurance market is so huge, i dont even know where to begin! any suggestions or advice?

Answer: Do as much research as possible, first you should realize that that Group coverage (which you currently have) is guaranteed issued without medical underwriting. Individual and family plans that you purchase from agents, or directly from health companies are medically underwritten. This means that if you or any of your family members have health conditions (or have in the past 12months) or take medications it may be difficult or impossible to obtain a plan outside of your husbands employer. If your family is very healthy, then keep going and first ask get a list of your doctors and you should call your drs office and ask what health plans they accept. Buying a plan that your Dr. does not accept would be worthless. In the USA three types of plans have emerged in the last two years, 1. PPO Participating Physician Organization, you can visit any dr within the list of participating physician (normally thousands) and receive discounted rates, copays, and normally involve co-insurance. 2. HMO Health Maintance Organization, with this type you pick 1 primary care physician, and if you need specialty care, your primary care physician will refer you out. 3. HSA Health Savings Accounts, these are High deductible plans, (perfect for self employed) these are long term strategic plans, you take control of your healthcare costs by purchasing a low costs High Deductilbe (normally 2500-10000) and you pay everything out of pocket until you have reached the deductible. A smart consumer will open a HSA account at a financial institution (Federal Tax Exempt) earn at least 5% interest and fund it, whatever is not used up by the end of the year rolls over the following year (the money, and account belongs to YOU), Learn more at www.HSAInside.com Lots to consider, I suggest you interview at least 3 or more brokers who specialize in Health Insurance and don't sell anything else. Lots of plans to pick from, so speak to someone with experience.

Question: Shopping List / Health and cost calcuations? I've made my shopping list. (I am looking to gain weight in a healthy manner.) I assume most of my items are healthy and nutritious and/or will provide decent energy/carbohydrates for my workouts (three times per week with heavy weights). Could you all look it over and tell me whether it's missing anything or if I am off on the pricing estimate. $ .. Item 2 .. Bagels 2 .. Wheat Bread 4 .. 2% Milk 4 .. Eggs 2 .. Strawberries 6 .. Chicken Breasts 2 .. Bananas 1 .. Nuts (unsalted) 1 .. Peas 2 .. Mushrooms 3 .. Cheese 2 .. Green Beans _______________ 31 dollars Also, anything missing or should anything be removed? Please remember, I'm twenty-four with a very high metabolism and looking to GAIN WEIGHT, not lose it! Thanks for your help. 32 dollars -- oops.

Answer: Well, are you going to eat the same thing all the time? Remember stores have sales and stuff...leave a few bucks to splurge on something new if the mood strikes you. Seems like a pretty healthy diet. I keep reading about whey protien shakes--have you investigated adding that to your list?

Question: Shopping for health insurance..."un-insurable?"? OK gang, here's a doozie. We've been shopping for health insurance and are continually declined because we consume more than 12 alcohol drinks per week.(I know! Are you kidding me??) We're perfectly healthy people who have a few beers after work each day, and a few more on the weekends. Can anyone assist me in finding the right company? PS. We both work for very small companies, so a group plan is not an option either.....

Answer: Hi there, you can get some coverage. my dad had was in the same boat and this lady signed him up and he was able to go to the doctor and the dentist the nex day. www.everyonebenefits.com/s.martin they have plans starting out at 11.95 Dental,vision, chiro, and prescription,a month for an idividual and 19.95 for a household of up to 20 people. They do have other plans that are affordable that include the medical. Check out the site.

Question: What is the best health insurance for someone who wants good chiropractic coverage? I am shopping for health insurance for my family (my husband, myself, and our baby). I believe that chiropractic care is an important part of wellness, but I'm having a hard time finding a program that sufficiently covers chiropractic work. Any suggestions? Anyone have an insurance plan that has great chiropractic coverage?

Answer: health-quotes.isgreat.org - here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.

Question: What are some typical costs associated with major unexpected health issues a young adult might have? I'm a healthy, normal-weight, non-smoking 30-year-old male. I'm shopping for health insurance just to cover any unforeseen major illnesses or injuries that might come up. I'd like to get a ballpark estimate for how much these things cost, so I can better judge the level of insurance to buy. So, what are the most common health problems that a relatively young and healthy person might have, and approximately how much do they cost to treat? Thanks!

Answer: YOu are not the only person who have ever met this kind of problem,I met this type of problem before.I have good experience here http://www.HealthInsuranceFree.info to solve the problem.

Question: Health shop products for the treatment of acne? Anybody know if there are any products you can buy in health shops, say Holland & Barrett, for the treatment of acne? I've tried everything at this stage, took antibiotics prescribed by a dermatologist for the past year but was taken off them a few months ago and now my skin is terrible again :( Thought I might try the health shop route!

Answer: please buy an aloe vera plant. this works amazingly. try 'blood cleansing' products like liquid chlorophyll (this will cure your acne, please try it, it also takes bad breath and body odour away too) or teas like dandelion tea, burdock, and yarrow.

Question: Tips for shopping for health insurance?? I have no clue about shopping for health insurance but i just go married so they kicked me off of my mom's... any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! I'm gonna need something with maternity and dental anyone have any good policies or companies you recommend?

Answer: The best way to attain health insurance is through employment.Buying individual health policies are not only expensive but they also have limitations that larger groups don't have.Blue Cross Blue Shield has an open enrollment every year for individual policies but the deductible is extremely high around $2500-$3000 yearly.If you buy insurance through an employer they not only pay half the premium the yearly deductible is a lot lower $250-$500 yearly.There are allot of companies out there that say they offer health insurance but it falls short of adequate coverage.The true tell tale to any policy is its exclusions.You should always read the exclusions before buying any insurance product.There are a few companies that underwrite true major medical policies.Blue Cross Blue Shield,Aetna and United Health Care are Three of the largest most reputable insurers.Make certain for the coverage you are looking for you are buying a Major Medical Policy and not anything else.Do not fall for Aflac or an accident plan as Medical.Do not fall for the Hospital Indemnity plan either.If you look at the three companies I mentioned you should find what you need at a premium of course.

Question: If you have a pre-existing condition you were unaware of, would health insurance companies still exclude it? I'm shopping for health insurance right now and I'm concerned about the 'pre-existing health conditions' exclusions that many (if not all) companies apply. Also, if anyone can recommend a great health insurance company, don't be shy about mentioning it.

Answer: Most companies have 5 or 6 set questions they look for. 1; are you expecting (baby) 2; declined for health insurance before and reasons 3; have you received medical consult or diagnosed w/in the last 5 years and what was it. And these are the biggies; liver, kidney, emphysema, diabetes, cancer, heart/respiratory, circulatory, immune disorders, HIV. The big ones will most likely exclude you from buying a insurance policy. The others for any treatment or diagnosis could be "iffy" depending on what it was. Consult an agent and advise them of any ongoing treatment, RX you have had and they can advise if you could have a problem or not. They could recommend the best price and coverage you may also need. But as a rule, if you have a preexisting condition, some companies cant exclude if they insure you if you disclose it. So as a general rule they will deny your application. Also, if you know about something and fail to disclose, they are known to pull your records for years so that they can deny and void the policy. good luck

Question: please help to find useful sites for decorating health shop? I would like to set health shop,and would like to make it look unique.Please suggest

Answer: use lots of healthy stuff

Question: Need help shopping for health insurance....for a toddler.? It is only for my toddler (13 months w/ no health problems (THANK GOD!)). I do not understand all the health insurance lingo. She obviously goes to the doctor often for check ups, immunizations..etc. I would also like ER to be covered and perscriptions to have a low co payment. Can someone explain what deductible means and how it comes into play with all this? I get so confused researching this info. What else should I look for in a plan? Also, would it be cheaper if I had her on a plan with my Husband...any advice will be helpful! She is covered currently, but I am shopping for lower rates that still have adequate coverage.

Answer: You can easily check your minimal health care rates in internet, for example here - health-quotes.isgreat.org

Question: Shopping for an affordable health insurance plan for myself. Any suggestions or recommendations? Not really sure where to start and thought it would be good to get ideas from people who have had good experience with their company they use. Thanks.

Answer: Try this site http://heinsurance.notlong.com here you can get quotes from different companies in your area.

Question: when shopping at a health food store, what vitamins, minerals or other supplements should I shop for to help? with weight loss and for a healthy metabolism?

Answer: well you should just get a multi vitamin and mineral supplement , maybe some enzymes or digestive enzymes, fiber...it depends on your fitness goals really....weight loss..lipo 6 with good diet and workout

Question: Has anyone tried the diet pills Xenadrine available in health shops? Has anyone tried these? Any feedback for these pills greatly appreciated.

Answer: No no no!!!! Stop using these pills now!!! Diet pills are NOT good for you!!!! If you really want to lose weight/get fitter then there is only one way, eat a better diet, do more excercise. Simple. The current reccomended healthy eating plan is four or five small to medium meals a day, each one (apart from breakfast) should contain some carbohydrates (rice/pasta/potatoes etc) some protien (chicken, fish, etc) and lots of vitamins minerals and antioxidants (fresh fruit and veg). You can pile your plate high with as much veg and snack on as much fruit/fruit juice as you like. Just keep one day a week as your 'treat day' where you get a takeaway/pizza/whatever. Also excercise is essential. Cardio excercise will not only keep you healthy, increase your lung function and decrease your resting heart rate, it will also burn off a lot of calories, keeping you slim. Weight training is also important, use light weights with lots of reps and you will tone and define your muscles without 'bulking up', which will keep your body strong and supple, but also increase your metabolism so you burn off even more calories even when you are resting!

Question: Can anyone help me shop for health insurance? I am looking for health insurance and I can't decide between a regular insurance plan or a plan that includes health savings accounts. What is the difference between these two and which one is the best? I am on a tight budget.

Answer: Which one is best depends upon your situation. Are you the type that runs to the doctor for every little sniffle or do you rarely go see the doctor. Are you generally healthy or do you have health concerns. The simplified answer: The idea of the HSA qualified plan is to also open up a separate savings account that works similar to an IRA with tax advantages (but you don't have to). The plan usually has a higher deductible than a "traditional" co-pay plan and lower premium. You pay the negotiated discounted rate if you go to the doctor. This amount can be paid out of the HSA and will go toward the deductible. If you have a catastrophic illness or accident you pay the deductible then everything is covered 100% (if you get the right HSA plan). This plan is better for healthy people who seldom see a doctor except for preventive check ups. If you go to the doctor 6 or more times per year you will want the "traditional" co-pay plan. The premium is higher but you just pay the co-pay at the doctor. You'll want to go visit a local independent agent to get more details. In my area the average doctor co-pay is $25, the average doctor fee with the HSA plan is $75. You can do the math (with the agents' help) to decide which is best for you in your area.