Press Releases Distribution, Article Publishing

Ever noticed that health insurance companies are starting to do a better job of explaining things to customers?

The time has come for health insurance companies to lay their cards on the table and tell their customers why they pay the premiums that they do. While this is a refreshing change, one might wonder why this wasn’t standard operating procedure in the first place. After all, consumers like to know where their dollars are being spent.

Surfing the Internet will bring up any number of articles on Chicago health insurance and it’s easy to see that insurance companies are getting into more detail about their policies and premiums. For a change, they are letting people know that Chicago health insurance is pricey because of things like new improvements in the drug arena, fancy new medical equipment, general inflation, a hike of professional and hospital fees, government orders, fraud, customer demand, and litigation.

While people may think the premiums are increased just because the insurance company can do that, it is actually not the case. Chicago health insurance companies are governed by many outside forces that have an effect on their bottom line operating costs.

Perhaps the biggest reason the price of premiums keeps going up is that it is really difficult to monitor Chicago health care costs. What that means in the overall scheme of things is that if the Chicago health insurance is expensive, it cuts down on the amount of money used for health care. Some examples of not being able to successfully monitor costs is the fact that virtually 40% of health care costs (direct and indirect) are the result of “avoidable” choices in lifestyle – smoking, stress, lack of exercise, poor diet and doing drugs.

If people chose to live healthier lifestyles, they’d live longer and also pay less in Chicago health insurance premiums. It’s pretty much a given that taking care of one’s health on a daily basis will pay off handsomely in the long-term. With lower health care costs would come greater public access to Chicago health insurance policies. By changing daily choices to what is best for our own health care, our overall options would drastically improve and our Chicago health insurance costs would go down. It’s definitely something to think about.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

Knowing that the right health insurance is in place is something that puts a person’s mind at ease.

Getting the right Chicago health insurance is critical to one’s well-being. It’s a plain fact that at some point, everyone will get sick and need medical care. With the right Chicago health insurance, this can be a reality.
The other alterative is that health care will be refused without coverage. The sad thing is many people don’t understand they will be denied treatment if they don’t have Chicago health insurance. They wait until they need something and then find out the bad news.

For those who happen to work at a small company, be sure to find out if the employer offers the right kind of Chicago health insurance, and that the coverage is complete. Running without complete coverage may save money on premiums, but it won’t save money when it comes to paying for medical treatment. Often it’s too late before people realize this and they find their savings wiped out for what they thought was a minor medical incident that got out of control.

Knowing the coverage is important; there are several things people can do to get the right kind of Chicago health insurance. For instance, make decisions in advance about what is affordable and what scope of insurance is needed. Being able to handle those minor health problems may mean getting a different scope of health insurance coverage than people with existing health conditions.

Make it a point to search the Internet and compare various levels of Chicago health insurance and the going rates. This beats having agents call, trying to sell a plan that might not make sense in certain circumstances.

Ideally, to get Chicago health insurance, find a local health insurance broker and call them directly asking questions about what they offer on their site. The broker should be someone who has multiple carriers and spends the time needed to make sure all questions and concerns are answered thoroughly. In addition to checking out websites, find brokers that offer instant quotes that will provide a general idea of pricing for what is needed for Chicago health insurance.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

Illinois family health insurance is one of the hottest commodities on the market today.

It’s a fact of life in Illinois that most employers are no longer able to offer insurance for their workers’ families. In response to this decline in coverage, Illinois family health insurance has rapidly grown into a force to be reckoned with over the last ten years or so. Today it is one of the most popular forms of medical coverage available in Illinois.

So, if you’re having a rough time trying to find the kind of Illinois family health insurance place that will do what you want it to do and protect you and your loved ones, then spend some time shopping around online at a reputable Illinois health insurance broker’s site. Look for a site that answers your questions; one where the broker genuinely cares about getting you the best deal and coverage, and won’t charge you an arm and a leg for it. What you ideally want is a broker who will focus on “your” needs and tailor them to suit you.

Shopping online for competitive quotes is the best way to make sure you do get what you need, and by all means, jump in head first and take advantage of competitive quotes. Shopping for Illinois family health insurance is not just about getting health insurance that works, but about getting a deal that works well for you.

When you’re shopping for those Illinois family health insurance quotes, choose a broker who has access to many carriers and can pick and choose, in partnership with you, what health insurance plan is the best fit. When the broker is able to offer multiple carriers with differing plans and premiums, getting the medical coverage policy you want is a reality – and a reality at a price you will be able to afford.

Know what you want to spend and then check out the total cost of each plan, making sure to include the price of the premiums in the total. Also figure in your out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles if applicable. This will give you a more realistic picture of what you will be spending and what you will get for your money.

Look for flexible medical coverage that will let you pick and choose the precise coverage you need. Your insurance broker should be able to do that with you. In fact, the best insurance brokers will be right there with you every step of the way, answering your questions and helping you compare plans to see which one makes the most sense.

While it might take some time to shop around and find out what you need to know, it’s well worth it later when you wind up with an expert insurance broker who believes in quality service, and an Illinois family health insurance plan that makes you a happy camper.

Randy Gillespie is with Illinois health insurance agency, Focus Insurance Group. To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

Health insurance in Illinois for the slightly over 20 crowd just got better.

There’s a new option for parents who want to check out health insurance in Illinois for their about-to-graduate young adults. This new law came into effect June 1, 2009, and it lets families keep young adults on their health insurance policies until they reach the age of 26 years old. This is a major step forward for health insurance in Illinois and takes care of parents’ concerns about medical coverage for their older children.

There is one important eligibility requirement that your young adult must meet to be kept on your family health insurance in Illinois, and that is they must not be married. Other than that, any young adult under the age of 26 whose parents have a health insurance policy is eligible. In addition to this, a young adult who is under the age of 30 and whose parent(s) served in the military is also eligible, provided they live in the state and are not married.

This law doesn’t apply to union plans or companies that are self-insured. If you’re in doubt about your status, check with the human resources department. Typically, the law also does not apply to insurance policies that were issued outside the state of Illinois. There is one exception though, and that is if you have coverage through an HMO with a network of physicians and hospitals in Illinois.

Getting enrolled in this program is easy. If the family has medical coverage that includes dependents, there is a 90-day enrollment period for the children when the policy is due for renewal. You might want to find out when the open enrollment period is due to speed things up a bit. Prior to open enrollment of the 90-day period, parents might need individual insurance to cover that gap or find out if they are eligible for COBRA or Illinois continuation coverage. If you have any doubt, speak to a qualified Illinois health insurance broker who has access to numerous carriers and will be able to assist you in making the right choice of insurance for your family’s needs.

Don’t miss the 90-day enrollment period. The reason for this is that an insurance company can’t exclude your children from coverage because they weren’t previously insured. In addition, once the open enrollment period is over, the insurance company may insist on continuous coverage, meaning the company will only issue a policy if someone has prior medical coverage for 90-days.

It’s best to move quickly and take advantage of this law during the first year it is in effect, as the 90-day enrollment periods are “only” available in this first year from June 1 through May 31, 2010. After that time period, you may enroll your young adult during a regular 30-day enrollment at your place of work. Be aware that the insurance company may want continuous coverage.

To find out what costs are involved or to talk about pre-existing conditions, make it a point to speak to an expert health insurance broker with lots of experience who is able to put you with a carrier without riders or exclusions if at all possible.

Randy Gillespie is with Illinois health insurance agency, Focus Insurance Group. To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

If you have the ability to be able to compare health insurance plans and premium payments by seeing them online all in one place, it’s not that hard to make a decision on what to buy.

Usually when shopping for health insurance, the people you talk to say the prices are the same. In most instances, this is the case, but with one exception – shopping for Medicare Supplements will save you money, as quotes on supplements are quite variable.

That’s good news that you will actually save money on health care insurance, or to be more specific, save money on Medicare supplements. This is just about the only area in the whole Medicare health insurance business where you will save money by calling around for quotes. And not just save nickels and dimes either, but enough to make a difference over the year.

It’s possible to save money on Medicare supplements and still be able to get decent health care coverage. Without getting too complicated here, this is doable because in all states Medicare supplements are priced the same; priced the same, however, also means that insurance companies don’t have to offer anything more than Part A – period.

The other letters of the alphabet B-L are optional. So, because the B-L parts are optional, insurance companies tend to charge what the market will bear, if they offer them at all. This is why when you compare Illinois health insurance online at a site that offers side-by-side quotes and all the other information you need, you will see right away which carriers offer the better deals. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Sometimes the market will bear a higher rate and sometimes not. While this may sound a bit capricious, it’s actually more of a business decision rather than prompted by competition. So here’s the thing. Say for instance you are 70 years old and are asking about Part F or J (which covers all expenses). Call big brand name company number one and the quote is $115.00 a month. Call slightly less well known company two and the quote is $100 a month – and presto there’s a savings of $180 a year.

This is just an example of savings that can be had by comparing health insurance rates online at a website that shows all the carriers, their design plans, requirements and pricing. Choosing Illinois Medicare supplements has never been easier. The savings could even be larger and rack up a bigger amount by the end of the year. It’s really well worth the time to surf online and get some quotes. Really, saving money in this day and age is a delightful bonus while still getting good health insurance coverage.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

While it’s nice to get an instant Illinois health insurance quote online, people need to be wary about where their personal information is going.

There are many options for Illinois health insurance that may be purchased privately or publically, depending on what suits the person shopping for health insurance. There are also equally as many insurance agents and brokerage firms to choose from when searching for Illinois health insurance quotes. In addition, the selection of products available will provide even the most well versed Internet surfer with a gigantic headache when faced with the list of health insurance plans.

In some ways it’s a real boon to have as many choices for insurance as Illinois health insurance brokers offer; such as CHIP health insurance quotes, disability insurance, senior health, small group health, employer-based group health plans, student health, and kid’s Illinois health insurance quotes. Selecting an Illinois insurance quote that suits the individual or the situation is only part of the process. The next step is to determine what websites to visit to get a quote. Those sites could include Short-Term Medical, BCBS of Illinois, Humana One, Unicare, etc.

It’s not so much that people searching for online Illinois health insurance quotes won’t find sites to get quotes. They will find quotes, but if they land on a lead capture page, their names will be sold to other businesses in the health care industry. To be safe and get the best information possible, one needs to go to a website where they can pull up to four quotes at once and do a side-by-side comparison. This will give the person a starting point in their search for health insurance. For further information, it’s the smart choice to speak to the insurance agent running the website.

Online forms usually ask most of the basics like age, height, weight, sex, whether a person is a smoker or not, some details about any current Illinois health insurance plans, medical conditions and other miscellaneous information. In most cases the company chosen uses the information to provide a quote for what may be the best plan in the circumstances. That would include rates from different kinds of plans and also different Illinois health insurance companies.

Keep in mind that there are usually two ways to get a quote: quick or instant quote, and a custom quote. Quickie quotes come back instantly with general details, but do not factor in any medical history or other underwriting requirements. They don’t include benefit options or include maternity benefits. Opting for a custom quote would provide more in-depth information.

While this all sounds on the up and up, remember there are companies on the Internet that only want personal information to collect data to sell as leads to insurance agents or who will turn around and sell the information provided to other companies in the health care market. They provide you with a quote in some cases, but by then personal information has been sent elsewhere.

If a person isn’t totally clear where their personal information is going, they should think twice about hitting that submit button. It makes the most sense in this case to call the phone number listed on the site(s) and speak to an insurance agent to make sure information is going to a legitimate insurance company and not some data collection outfit.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

Medicare parts A and B provide complete protection or comprehensive coverage. Many Americans believe the combination offers complete protection. This isn’t the case.

While many people have both parts A and B of Medicare, they are making a mistake by thinking that they have complete protection. What they have is comprehensive coverage, but this is not the same thing as complete protection.

If you go back a bit in history, Medicare has never covered outpatient prescription costs, with the onetime exception in 1989. Things mostly remained that way until 2003 when a new act was brought into force – the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act. All that whole mouthful means is that it expanded Medicare to include a prescription drug benefit that started in 2006.

You might be wondering why the change wasn’t implemented earlier. This has to do with the fact that Medicare has the right to definitively outline the care it will cover, and that includes part D. This brings up another interesting point, the one that says all medical treatments and procedures must be approved by Medicare. This is the major reason why you need to have a good working knowledge of Medicare to really understand the program.

Not many people seem to realize that every part of Medicare offers benefits for different types of care and that Medicare parts A and B each have different co-payments, out-of-pocket expenses and limits. What this really means is that you almost have two different insurance policies.

What do you need to know to have your medical expenses covered by Medicare? The first thing you need to know is that your treatment is medically required and deemed appropriate for the condition you have. Medicare must approve your treatment and it must have been prescribed by a doctor.

They won’t OK coverage of unique procedures or experimental treatments. If however you feel you have been wrongly denied, you do have the right to appeal the decision. Why is this stuff important for you to know? It is significant for you to know because Medigap and/or Medicare supplement insurance only pays a claim if Medicare accepts the expenses as reasonable.

Keep in mind that no matter where you buy Medicare plans and/or Medicare supplement plans, they are all the same, all standardized. The only differences will be what one company charges versus another. The thing to pay attention to is that since the plans were standardized, plan F has become the most popular because customers value the full coverage. This isn’t to say that there aren’t other viable alternatives such as plan C, D or G because many hospitals and physicians don’t demand the patient pay more than what Medicare approves.

Randy Gillespie is with Illinois health insurance agency, Focus Insurance Group. To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

Buying family health insurance in Illinois isn’t that difficult if you follow a few guidelines.

One of the first things to consider is having every family member on a separate policy. While that idea might go against the grain, there is a very good reason for it. It’s a proven fact that some insurance carriers have actually cancelled a whole family’s health insurance coverage because of something that might be wrong with just “one” dependent. That’s a pretty scary thought to have everyone in the whole family suddenly without health insurance.

Don’t jump whole hog into buying health insurance from a company no one seems to know very much about. The ideal thing is to thoroughly check out whether the company under consideration has a good track record for paying claims or not. Word of mouth is often helpful here.

If there isn’t much information to be found about the company, take a pass and move on to another choice. The ideal health insurance agent is one who will spend time educating clients about their options and not pressuring them to buy anything, not to mention the agent knows precisely who has a good track record for paying their claims.

When choosing an insurance company before buying health insurance, it’s a good idea to pick a company that does “not” hike rates every six months after the initial first year with them. While this might seem impossible to believe, it does happen and in fact there are examples of insurance companies handing out a 31% rate hike every six months after the first 12 months, this despite assuring the customer would only see (on average) a mere 8% increase in rates. No one needs to be dealing with rate increases like that.

It may be tempting to fudge a person’s health status on an insurance application; after all it just seems like a “little white lie.” Never try and hide any health conditions from the insurer. It is a virtual guarantee that they “will” find out later during the course of medical testing, etc. Finding out later has some serious repercussions that may include policy cancellation.

Don’t go to the doctor’s office that often? If that is the case, consider a different type of health insurance, as there is no sense in paying for the ability to visit the doctor frequently if that never happens. It doesn’t make sense to fork over hard earned money for doctor co-pays if it isn’t necessary.

Seek an expert health insurance agent that isn’t just out to sell something, but takes the time to help figure out which plan would be the very best fit for everyone that needs health insurance.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

The twenty first century calls for innovative changes in health care across the country. Americans are now able to take advantage of a Health Savings Account, something just a little different than traditional health care insurance.

Concerned health care consumers are able to opt for paying current expenses and save for future qualified medical/retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis by buying Illinois HSAs – Health Savings Accounts. These are much better than doctor’s office co-pay plans.

Why are they better? They’re better because the Illinois HSAs cover everything and not “just” the visit to the doctor’s office. In addition, not many people realize that when they go for further diagnostics after they’ve paid their portion of the doctor’s bill, the lab tests and other services have to be paid for out-of-pocket.
To take advantage of Health Savings Accounts an individual needs a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The HDHP is also referred to as catastrophic health insurance, and usually costs less than traditional health care coverage. The reason it costs less is due to the fact the first several thousand dollars are paid by the client before coverage kicks in.

Money saved on insurance may then accrue in a Health Savings Account. The money in the account belongs to the account owner and decisions made to spend the funds are the sole responsibility of the account holder, not a third party or health insurance carrier.

Other interesting benefits offered by a Health Savings Account include the ability to invest the money however the account holder sees fit to grow money to save for the future. Having control over the disposition and day-to-day account management adds value to this alternative solution to traditional health insurance plans.

People don’t buy an Illinois Health Savings Account. It’s just that – a savings account that accrues money on a tax-preferred basis. The only thing purchased with an HSA is the HDHP. The idea is the HDHP covers the shortfall if medical bills exceed funds available in the HSA.

To qualify for an Illinois Health Savings Account the minimum deductible for the HDHP is set at a certain amount for individuals and families, as are out-of-pocket expenses. Speak to your expert local insurance broker about the variable deductible amounts, about preventive care and higher out-of-pocket limits.
Banks, credit unions, insurance companies and other approved companies offer Illinois Health Savings Accounts for the general public. Or an employer may offer a plan for workers. If other health care plans do not pay out significant dollar amounts, they may be kept along with the Health Savings Account.

Randy Gillespie is with Illinois health insurance agency, Focus Insurance Group. To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com

There are times that finding an Illinois health insurance plan suitable for a pre-existing health condition is difficult, if not next to impossible. What do people do about that?

The first thing to understand when dealing with Illinois health insurance is what the definition of a pre-existing health condition happens to be. To simplify a sometimes long and drawn out description, a pre-existing condition is one where a person has seen a doctor and has been diagnosed with a “condition or illness,” and has been treated prior to applying for Illinois health insurance.

The tricky situation then becomes the fact that many Illinois health insurance companies use the application questionnaires to implement an exclusion period to defend themselves against people with pre-existing health conditions. It is often used as a loophole to deny insurance, rider it or accept it, but with a higher premium.

The conundrum in Illinois is that if a person is looking for individual Illinois health insurance and they have a pre-existing condition, the insurance company can turn them down unless the person happens to be eligible for an Illinois Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA. Without getting too technical, HIPAA protects Illinois health coverage for workers and their families if they change or lose their jobs and provides protection for those with pre-existing medical conditions by limiting their exclusion period.
While it’s a good thing to have that law in place to protect people who need Illinois health insurance, the unfortunate thing is that the law hasn’t gotten rid of the ability of insurance companies to deny health insurance to those with pre-existing health conditions or even excluding medical conditions. What this boils down to is that there’s only guarantee issue in State sponsored plans and in insurance company funded plans. If an applicant for Illinois health insurance meets six HIPAA criteria, they are eligible for guaranteed issue HIPAA. In a pinch, this may be the only route those with major pre-existing health conditions are able to take.

Illinois health insurance companies all tend to handle pre-existing health conditions differently, so it’s best to do some serious research online and in person to find out what company and policy will be applicable. It’s a given that individual plans have more exclusions and are more expensive than group plans. When in doubt, ask a local insurance agent what is available and what the requirements are to apply.

Some of the most important insurance companies in the state of Illinois handle pre-existing conditions a little bit differently, because of this it is important to do some research and actually shop around for a policy before deciding to apply. Individual plans have more exclusions than group plans and that is why they are quite a bit less expensive, because they are more restrictive.

To learn more about Illinois health insurance, Illinois health insurance quotes, Illinois group health insurance or to get an Illinois health insurance quotes, visit Focusinsgroup.com