Health Insurance

Health insurance has become a need for every person in India all thanks to growing medical inflation. In this article, we will throw light on how to go about buying a health insurance and claiming process. Gone are the days when we had to fix an appointment with the agent and spent hours in buying health insurance and understanding its claim process. Today thanks to the internet revolution and smartphones, buying of health insurance can be done on your fingertips. Surprised! Today all the major insurance players, be it government or private companies have a presence online. With growing awareness more and more people are using online channel with great convenience as it also offers discounts on policies when purchased online. Health Insurance A recent Harvard study noted that statistically, "your family is just one serious illness away from bankruptcy." They also concluded that, "62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by health problems and 78% of those filers had medical insurance at the start of their illness." Those numbers alone should urge you to obtain health insurance, or increase your current coverage. The key to finding adequate coverage is shopping around. While the best option and the least expensive is participating in your employer's insurance program, many smaller businesses do not offer this benefit. Finding affordable health insurance is difficult, particularly without an employer-sponsored program or if you have a pre-existing condition. According to the Kaiser/HRET survey, the average premium cost to the employee in an employer sponsored health care program was around $4,100. With rising co-payments, yearly deductibles and dropped coverage's, health insurance has become a luxury less and less can afford, yet even a minimal policy is better than having no coverage. The cost for a day in the hospital can range from $985 to $2,696. Even if you have minimal coverage, it can provide some monetary benefit for your hospital stay. As the health care debate continues in Washington, approximately 48 million Americans are without insurance coverage. Check with your employer regarding health care benefits, inquire of any occupational organizations that you belong to regarding possible group health coverage. If you are over age 50, AARP has some health insurance offers available. (To learn more, check out Buying Private Health Insurance.) Long-Term Disability Coverage This is the one insurance most us think we will never need, as none of us assumes we will become disabled. Yet, statistics from the Social Security Administration show that three in 10 workers entering the workforce will become disabled, and will be unable to work before they reach the age of retirement. Of the population, 12% are currently disabled in some form, and nearly 50% of those workers are in their working years.