Posts Tagged ‘Plan’

The Value of Exercise As Part Of Any Alternative Natural Health Plan Should Not Be Underestimated

June 13th, 2011

Alternative natural health is a style of living that, with some luck, will help a person live a higher quality life, for a longer period of time, by eating healthy, reducing the dependency on prescription medications, and exercising.

I have personally seen the advantages of exercise combined with alternative natural health in my family, as well as the challenges lack of exercise can often times present. My family does not come from some tribe of mountain top dwellers who exist on berries and bark. No, we are just average working class Americans that choose to adopt an alternative natural health approach to living. My parents both in their mid seventies and are a tiny snapshot into how exercise or lack of exercise can impact those who live similar lifestyles. Both currently are not having to use prescription medications, but my father seems to be more healthy. Why, is it genetics? No, there is history of heart disease. Is it a super low cholesterol diet? No, not that either. The difference seems to be in his three fold approach of  exercise, alternative natural health supplements, and fish oil.

It is hard to tell which one of his cornerstones of healthy living are leading the parade, but let’s look at what the statistics tell us about aging and exercise.

*Diabetes: Men who received counseling on techniques for effective weight loss, making dietary changes, and boosting exercise were 58 percent less likely to develop diabetes. Other studies have shown that exercise reduces complications and extends life after diabetes is diagnosed.

*Stronger bones and joints: In one study of postmenopausal women, participating in a one year walking program modestly improved bone mineral density of the spine. Another study found that leg strength increased up to 13 percent in 26 women age 63 to 86 after they bicycled twice a week for 10 weeks.

*Cancer: While not well documented, anecdotal mounting evidence suggests that regular aerobic exercise may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, particularly colon, lung, prostate, and breast cancer.

*Mental decline: Tests of the cognitive abilities of nearly 6,000 women age 65 and older over a 6 to 8 year period showed a slight benefit from exercise: The most active women (walking on average over 2 miles a day) experienced a 17 percent decline in memory compared to 25 percent among the women who walked the least (an average of a half mile a week). A 5 year study of seasoned citizens age 65 and older showed that participants that were most active were 50 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and 40 percent less likely to develop dementia or mental impairment than those who were inactive.

Certainly with numbers like the ones above the value of exercise as part of an alternative natural health plan cannot be underestimated. Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to consult your doctor before hitting the hiking trails, walking tract, or swimming pool, to establish a safe and effective exercise plan.

Additionally, many natural health minded individual are choosing to combine exercise with alternative natural health remedies. This is a powerful one two punch worth considering that you can learn more about purchase remedies.com.

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Health Care System & Plan

June 2nd, 2011

Everyone, at some time in his or her life, will need to seek medical care. The American health care system is a billion dollar industry, and it discards people that can’t afford its services. The current health care system is divided into two groups–health care for the insured and no health care or limited care for the uninsured. The kind of medical and personal care that an individual receives under the current American health care system depends on the person’s insurance status. In the land of equal opportunity, segregation is still practiced.Many practitioners refuse to work with uninsured people, and won’t allow them to pay for medical care on a monthly payment plan. This additional exclusion prevents thousands of Americans from obtaining necessary health care. The American health care system has become so convoluted and expensive that American citizens are forced to seek health care outside the United States. Places like Argentina, Singapore, Manila, Bangalore, and Costa Rica provide high quality, low cost health care to American citizens that America should be providing to its own people.

Believe it or not, America boasts some of the world’s best doctors, the most advanced health care system, and the most technically superior resources in the world, bar none. Those who travel globally and have gotten sick know that their first choice for treatment would be in the U.S. Though health care in America is, more expensive than any other country, many of the worlds wealthiest come to the U.S for surgical procedures and complex care, because it holds a worldwide reputation for the gold standard in health care.One of the greatest mis-conceptions some people have relied on with regard to the health care debate is that, given a universal health care system, every person in the U.S. would receive the highest quality health care – the kind our nation is renowned for and that we currently receive.

Though our nation’s economy has recently lost millions of jobs, the health care industry has continued to add them. Not surprisingly, unions are eager to sign up health care workers. In the last 10 years, the rate of union wins in the health care industry has grown faster than the national average. Unions are uniting to lobby for labor-friendly legislation to promote increased union membership in the health care sector.The following article provides an overview of the major unions involved in the health care industry, as well as strategies to ensure your organization is prepared and remains successful.The coalition also encourages workers to unionize on an industry-wide basis, consolidating smaller unions within larger unions.

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Your Own Health Care Plan

May 5th, 2011

God’s Word has given us an alternative to this world’s health care plan and system and we need to switch now.

It really makes me angry to see how the body of Christ is being taken advantage of by the health care of this world’s system.  The devil has used this system to take control of their health as well as their finances.

I pray for a revelation of the healing that was provided for all of them by the broken body of our precious Lord Jesus, which can remove any and every sickness, disease, and infirmity.

Jesus told us to remember what He did for us so that we can make the switch,

1 Cor 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. KJV

Jesus told us to remember.  When we remember, we are to see ourselves at that whipping post with Jesus and see ourselves receiving the healing that is flowing to us.  It’s like the children of Israel when they looked at the snake that was placed on the post they were healed of the plague.  Jesus was placed on that cross so He could purchase our total salvation package that includes healing and wholeness for our bodies no matter what the infirmity.  So every day we need to bring to our remembrance Jesus’ sacrifice so we can every day receive the divine healing and health care that comes with no cost to us.  Just be sure and thank Jesus for paying the cost, the cost of laying His precious body on that whipping post.  I am telling you, if you are a Christian, you need to see Jesus lying on that post to pay the price for your divine healing and health.  If you don’t, you won’t ever receive the benefits of Jesus’ health care package that far exceeds anything this world has to offer you.

Here are some scriptures to help you go to that place and receive right now, today divine healing and health.  Go there with the eye of faith and see yourself receiving the healing that freely flows to you and heals your body now.  There is enough power in each of these scriptures to heal you and make you whole today, right now. These scriptures can be your medicine and can also be taken with prescribed medicine and you will see much better results.  Here’s some medicine for you to take, so open your mouth and speak these powerful healing scriptures over your body and receive the power contained in these scriptures to heal you now.

1 Peter 2:24 He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. AMP

Gal 3:13 Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified); AMP  (The curse is anything that kills, steals and destroys.)

These are not just scriptures; this is your divine health care from heaven!  We can’t leave them on the coffee table any longer.  These scriptures are the very Word from God and they have enough power in them to heal and deliver from any sickness and disease and infirmity.

Heb 4:12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective] AMP

I’m telling you there is enough power in that scripture alone to heal you.  I have used this Word as my medicine so many times you couldn’t tell me there is no power in that Word.  I took this scripture as medicine, opening up my mouth and declaring it over my body like this:  The Word that God speaks is alive and full of power in this body.  The Word of God is operating in this body.  The Word of God is energizing this body.  The Word of God is effective in this body now; bringing divine healing and divine health to this body now.

Here’s another scripture to encourage you to partake of this divine health care package from heaven:

Prov 4:20-22 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. KJV

KJV  “Footnote: Health = Medicine“

I want to speak out for Christ!  He laid His precious body on that whipping post to be whipped with numerous stripes in order that we could have an alternative to that world’s system. This world’s system is practicing medicine and gives you no real guarantee that you will fully recover but just continues to prescribe more and more medicine that results in side affects and results in medications working against each other.

I am so tired of seeing people, God’s people, relying on a system that has no guarantees!

I personally have no faith in this system for myself for I have learned there is another alternative and that is the divine health care of God, heaven’s health care. My family and I have not had a doctor bill, hospital bill nor taken medicine for over 30 years, for we have taken God’s Word as our medicine.  We have saved lots of money, saved time and we have been saved from a lot of heartache.  Thank you, my precious Lord Jesus!

A lot of Christians don’t know this but the precious Holy Spirit can be your Physician.  Isn’t that what the bible calls Him, the “Great Physician.”  So many Christians quickly pop a pill, run to the doctor or to the hospital when they are sick or have any pain.  And there inside of them is the best Physician there is in this world.  I know what I am talking about.  I have had some symptoms come on my body and instead of running off to this world’s system to get healed I just wait.  I wait for the Holy Spirit and He has told me what was wrong and how to handle it.  He knows what can bring things on.  He made the body so He knows what you should eat and not eat.  Every person is different and He is an Expert with expert diagnosis and solutions for each individual.  I am telling you, I just couldn’t go back to that world’s system ever again.  I am so secure in my health care package Jesus purchased for me.  I plan to use it till Jesus comes or I go to be with Him.  It is so wonderful to get up each morning without pain and sickness and disease and know my health care is in Him.

I am so passionate about reaching Christians with this message of God’s health care.  The Lord told me to publish a book, “Scriptures & Confessions For Healing,” so that others can take God’s Word as their medicine.  I have included with the scriptures declarations you can speak over your body.  See you take God’s Word, God’s medicine, by the mouth just as you do prescription drugs. You open your mouth and you declare the Word of God over your body.  You are simply declaring what God has already declared about your health through Christ and it carries with it the power of God, which you will feel working if you stick with it.  This is not something that you are going to just try and see if it works.  It’s like prescription drugs; you continue to declare the Word until you get the results it guarantees.  Christ is the guarantee. One word from God can change your health forever.

There are many advantages to using this medicine; it simply costs nothing, Jesus paid the price; you can’t overdose; and you won’t have any side affects.  You can take it right along with the prescription drugs and see a marked difference right away.

Let me know of your healing testimonies.  I can’t wait to hear what the Lord has done for I know He will be faithful to bring divine healing and health to you just as He promised.

If you desire to purchase my book, “Healing Scriptures & Confessions”, you can go to my website, www.godswordalive.com.

If you don’t purchase my book, please go to my website, www.godswordalive.com, and use the healing scriptures and confessions I offer you there.

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Gop Claims Health Care Plan Is Merely Camouflage

May 1st, 2011

The White House issued proposals Monday for health care reform that have won kudos from several Democratic lawmakers, a sure sign, say Republicans, of how little GOP input is in the plan.

Republicans have agreed to show up at the White House Thursday for a summit on health care, but are heading there with a dim view of the outcome.

“It’s disappointing that Democrats in Washington either aren’t listening, or are completely ignoring what Americans across the country have been saying,” U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a written statement.

“House Republicans welcome any good faith effort to start over on health care reform but the bill President Obama unveiled today is just more of the same government-run insurance, mandates and taxes the American people have overwhelmingly rejected,” added Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.

The White House, however, insists that the bill is more than just camouflage, but rather represents compromise.

“Senator McCain in the campaign had a proposal to add — to add those dependents on to your parents’ health care up to a certain age to allow for what is a gap in the uninsured based on when someone leaves the dependency of their parents and gets a job that provides health care,” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, noting that provision has been included in the president’s proposals.

Gibbs argued that 160 Republican amendments were included in varying pieces of legislation that made its way through the House and Senate.

“Inexplicably, all those ideas weren’t good enough,” he said.

Indeed in its effort to appear bipartisan, the White House included in its health care proposals listed on its Web site a section on Republican initiatives that were included in the legislation passed by Congress and included in the president’s latest plan.

Among them were provisions to allow health insurance premiums to vary based on participation in employer wellness programs, grants to states to evaluate medical liability reform ideas, automatic enrollment by employers in health insurance and ability for employees to opt-out.

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Do You Make These Mistakes in Choosing Your Health Care Plan

April 30th, 2011

There are a lot of details to consider when you are choosing a health care plan, whether it’s one offered through your employer or one you buy on your own. No matter what age you are, your health should be a primary concern, although young people often act as if they will live forever and sometimes postpone making health care decisions.

Here is a list of common mistakes that people make all the time when choosing a health care plan. They are in no particular order, and all are important to consider, carefully and completely. If you are not conversant with all the terminology or are finding it difficult to make the decisions, you should ask for help from a neutral third-party such as family member or friend. Don’t ask a health insurance company unless you want to hear a sales pitch!

Common mistakes
- You don’t check out your doctor, or any others – Although some healthcare plans require you to use a physician in their own network, other plans are more inviting. If you already have a physician, and are buying your own insurance, check with the doctor to see what plans he is a member of. If you do have to choose a new doctor, you should look into the health plan doctors’ credentials by contacting the AMA.

- You forget “location, location, location” – The location of your doctor or clinic, and the travel time required, are other factors you should consider when considering health care plans. Find out where the doctor is located and also look into the regular and emergency hours of the facility.

- You don’t consider specialists – If you already need specialist care, or think you may need to in the future, you need to know the health care plan’s procedures on using them. Some plans require you to contact a primary care physician, while others allow you to make specialist appointments directly.

- You don’t consider your own specialist – You should definitely find out if your current specialist is in the health care plan you are considering. If not, perhaps your specialist can refer you to one who is.

- You forget to check the policy on “pre-existing conditions” – Even though this should be a “no-brainer,” people forget to ask about the policies on pre-existing conditions. Coverage for pre-existing conditions varies widely among health plans. Some exclude them entirely, and will not even consider coverage, while others cover them fully. Many health care plans fall somewhere in the middle, offering coverage after a certain amount of time, or for a certain amount of time or expense. Rules promulgated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guarantees you coverage for your pre-existing conditions if you join a new group plan offered by your employer after being insured the previous year.  Do your research to make sure you know what your policy covers.

Less common oversights
- You don’t ask about physicals and health screenings – Again, it seems an obvious thing to ask, but if you appreciate getting regular physicals and health screenings you should ensure that they are covered. Most “managed care” plans do cover these types of procedures, usually on an annual basis, but there are some plans that do not cover them. If you have children, make sure to ask if “well baby” check-ups, physicals and immunizations are covered.

- You forget about additional services – Everything, from prescription drug coverage to mental health care, is an important consideration. You need to consider which of the various additional services that you may need are, in fact, covered when you are comparing health care plans. Other examples of these additional services that may be important to you are drug and alcohol counseling and treatment, home health care, nursing home or extended care, hospices, experimental treatments, alternative and complementary medicine, chiropractic care and physical therapy.

Bottom line considerations
- You don’t price things out correctly – Once you know what you want in your health care plan you need to compare costs, and you need to do it right, which means covering all the bases. You will need to know exactly what deductibles must be paid first before the health care plan coverage starts paying, and don’t forget to ask if the deductible needs to be met before certain services can be utilized. Find out about “out of network” charges if you anticipate having to go beyond your plan facilities or physicians. Finally, there are co-payment, cap amounts and total-care limits you need to know about. Some plans have lifetime limits, some have lifetime and annual limits, and others have mixed formulas for making this determination. Get all the facts.

- You don’t check the exclusions – If you don’t read the exclusions list, you will not know what is not covered. You need to see if any condition you currently have, or that you expect to contract in the future, is included. This is an important bottom-line consideration since, if you don’t get this settled and dealt with up front, you will likely spend a great deal of money down the line to treat excluded conditions.

It is a difficult thing to look at your health in a dispassionate, dollar-oriented way, but that’s life. As we age, more of our energy goes into thinking and planning against death and disability, but the subject need not be morbid or depressing. Do your best to get a health care plan that covers what your particular needs are, and remind yourself that you are worth the trouble – and the expense.

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How A Private Health Services Plan Can Save You Money

April 14th, 2011

You might have heard of a PHSP or Private Heath Services Plan (also called a Cost Plus plan or a Health and Welfare Trust), but how does it actually work? Can it really save you money? It sounds like a gimmick when you first hear the concept: pay for your medical expenses yourself and then pay an extra 10% premium to have the expense run through your company. Are you just paying and extra 10% over the cost of your medical expense for nothing? How does this tax savings actually put more money in your pocket?

 

This article will try and unpack the concept of a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) from a tax savings perspective. There are two main things to consider here: a taxable expense and a tax deductible expense. Since controlling taxation in Alberta and Canada is a corner stone of income and wealth management, you have to understand how this can be implemented to add up to significant ongoing savings.

 

You must be incorporated!

In order for this to work you must own an incorporated company (it can be provincially or federally incorporated – it doesn’t matter). All employees of the corporation can then benefit from the PHSP. In essence, the PHSP allows the employee to incur an eligible medical expense and then get reimbursed by the corporation as a tax free benefit. The expense is then transferred to the corporation and can be claimed as a tax deduction from corporate profits.

 

This can result in significant savings, since your personal tax rate could be much higher than the corporate tax rate. Let’s look at an example of an incorporated consultant who has only two employees in the company (the consultant and his/her spouse). The marginal tax rate of the consultant is at the maximum of 39% (in Alberta). He incurs a dental expense of ,000. Here is how the PHSP would save him money on this one expense:

 

The consultant pays the dentist ,000
He/she then submits the ,000 expense to his/her PHSP administrator
The PHSP plan carves the corporation ,100 for the expense and the admin fee of 10%
The PHSP plan sends the consultant a cheque for ,000 as a tax free benefit
The corporation can deduct the full ,100 from it’s corporate profits

 

At this point no taxes have been paid on the medical/dental expense incurred. This is far better than the consultant paying for e expense with his/her after tax income. Here is how much he/she just saved in taxes:

 

Gross income required to net ,000 = ,639 (at a 39% marginal tax rate)
Immediate tax savings = ,639 – ,000 = 9
Administration fee paid = 0
Net savings of using the PHSP is 9 (9 – 0)

 

As you can see the 10% administration fee is very minor compared to the tax savings by setting up such a plan. Also the company can tax deduct the entire expense, the eligible medical expense and the administration fee.

 

You can also expense your health and dental plan premiums through your PHSP. If you are spending 0 per month for a family health and dental plan, this premium can be reimbursed to you as an eligible health care expense and all claims that are paid to from the insurance company providing the health and dental plan would be tax free income to you also. This creates a real win-win scenario.

 

As you can see, there is a lot of benefit to owning a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP). It can turn medical expenses from your own after tax income into a tax deductible expense for you and your family. It can even be used if you are an empires with a PHSP plan for the employee group. You can save thousands per year in taxation if you had a lot of medical and dental expenses. And there is almost no carrying cost to the plan. It only cost 0 per year to keep the plan active. Otherwise it is a pay as you go plan, only costing you a 10% admin fee for your health and dental expenses.

 

If you would like more information on how a PHSP could benefit you or your employees, please check out our page on PHSP plans with our strategic partner, Beneco.

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Obama Health Care Plan

March 27th, 2011

The American health insurance scene desperately needs reform. In a nation where over 15% of the population were without health insurance in 2008 and 16% of the gross domestic product is spent on health care, everyone agrees that change is necessary. The nature of that change, however, is up for debate. Those on the left advocate a single-payer approach that would cover all Americans, while those on the right champion private options such as health savings accounts and competition among health care providers. President Obama frames his plan as a middle of the road approach which would require coverage for all Americans, keep costs affordable, and ensure that coverage cannot be denied based on pre-existing health conditions. The first aspect of President Obama’s plan makes health insurance a requirement rather than an option. The reasoning behind this idea is that those who can afford to buy coverage but choose not to place a drain on the system by visiting emergency rooms for unexpected injury or illness and taking advantage of taxpayer money to cover the cost of the visit. Requiring everyone to purchase health insurance would create a larger pool of funds to draw from in order to cover the cost of the overall health care plan. Fines would be imposed on those individuals or businesses who chose not to purchase health insurance coverage. Those who cannot afford private insurance coverage would have access to a public option as well as a tax credit based on need. Critics say that fines levied on businesses would be passed on to consumers and would be the equivalent of a tax increase paid, not by the business, but by customers. They also point out that fines levied on individuals who cannot or choose not to purchase insurance are the equivalent of a tax on people making less than 0,000 a year, something Obama promised not to do in his campaign. The second goal of President Obama’s healthcare plan is to create an insurance marketplace that would provide affordable insurance options and healthy competition. Private insurance companies could participate and the opportunity to gain new customers would be the incentive for doing so and for keeping costs down. Opponents of this aspect of the plan claim that private insurance companies could not hope to compete with a government option and would therefore eventually be driven out of business, placing all health insurance care under the public option umbrella. Third, President Obama hopes to ensure coverage for all Americans by eliminating the possibility for insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing health conditions as well as doing away with caps on lifetime coverage amounts. He would also limit what consumers can be required to pay out of pocket for care. While many champion this part of the plan as providing fair and equal access to healthcare for all Americans, critics point out that it would do away with any incentive for consumers to monitor their health care consumption, in turn causing costs for insurance companies to skyrocket. Many private companies would be forced out of business, again placing more health care under the government’s oversight. Without a doubt, health care in America needs reform. Costs continue to increase and people die due to lack of coverage. Whether President Obama’s plan will meet the need or not remains to be seen as Congress gears up for health care debate.

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Top Reasons to Have a Private Health Services Plan

March 26th, 2011

A Private Health Services Plan, which is an excellent idea for employees of businesses or those that are self-employed, is a great way to decrease the amount that you will have to spend out of pocket on a variety of different types of medical, dental and therapeutic treatments. A PHSP is very flexible and ensures that you have additional coverage in the event that many of the medical, dental, vision or therapeutic services you require are not covered by your provincial insurance. In addition these plans can be a great tax saving for both the employee and the business.

Although most of the major medical expenses are covered in Canada and the risk for individuals to find themselves in financial ruin because of medical bills is not a factor as it is in the United States, most families still spend between ,000 and ,000 per year on medical expenses. This may be more if you have several children in the family or family members that have significant dental problems, vision problems or that are requiring orthodontic treatment. In addition those that regularly visit a chiropractor, massage therapist or use an alternative type of treatment such as acupuncture may find that their current insurance caps the claims allowed or has a set limit each year.

The benefit of a Private Health Services Plan to these individuals, which may include employees and their families depending on the employer’s design of the plan, is that these additional expenses can be covered. While the employee files the claim, a small amount, usually about 10% of the approved claim, is charged without the need for regular monthly premiums. It is literally a pay as you claim system for most small companies with the amount that they end up covering fully tax deductable as a business expense. There are some guidelines established by the Canada Revenue Agency that outlines the eligibility of each type of claim, but typically services provided by a licensed professional will be covered.

For very small companies that want to offer employee benefits the Private Health Services Plan option is an ideal choice. The coverage is more comprehensive than that found with traditional types of additional insurance coverage plus you can be flexible as to how you want to operate the program. Some companies opt for a pre-pay option that allows them to roll credits or unclaimed values from the previous year into the next year. The company’s contribution within the year is deductable for the company while the employee is not taxed on the money they use to cover their medical expenses.

This plan covers a variety of services, not specifically just medical expenses. Some of the best plans will cover things such as dental cleanings, preventative oral health treatments, vision care, laser eye surgery, prescription glasses, prescription medications, therapeutic services and a variety of other expenses related to preventative or treatment types of health care services.

For businesses the cost of enrolling in a Private Health Services Plan for their employees is much less costly than traditional insurance options. There is usually a one-time fee that handles all the administrative paperwork to set up the account, plus a small fee for each employee. After that the fees are entirely based on the claim amount. The added benefit to you is that this initial set-up fee, like the funds provided to employees; is completely tax deductible in the year that it was made.

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Points to remember while choosing a health care plan

March 9th, 2011

When choosing a health care plan you have to keep certain things in mind. Some of the important points are as follows:
An individual health insurance cover, simply stated, is an agreement between you and the insurance firm, aimed at protecting you against any financial constraints on account of a medical emergency. The one pertinent question you need to ask yourself is -what are the factors to be analyzed before deciding on an individual health insurance policy?

It is indeed a fact that medical and preventive sciences have made rapid advancements in today’s world. Nonetheless, it would be prudent to arm yourself with the best individual health insurance cover to protect yourself against any unforeseen illness. Indeed, America’s best health insurance companies are vying with one another in putting together some of the most imaginative individual health insurance policies designed to overcome any medical contingency. If you are unemployed, or self-employed, an individual health insurance policy is the right choice.

Consult with your insurance company if you can have your individual health insurance policy incorporated in its group policy. You may be paying a higher rate but the terms would be more advantageous than if you had to buy your own individual health insurance policy. If you are married, find out if your spouse’s employer is willing to include you in its group policy. If you are left with no option, then it is wise to buy an individual health insurance policy. Even though the insurance cover may be limited and the rates high, you would still be ensuring protection for yourself or your family against financial problems if you are suddenly confronted with a serious illness or medical emergency. Search for a good health insurance professional to help you with the best individual health insurance policy that offers you good value for money.

You have plenty of choices while selecting individual health insurance plans – The PPO Plan or the Preferred Provider Organization, the HMO Plan or the Health Maintenance Organization, the HDHP or the High Deductible Health Insurance and HAS or the Health Savings Accounts Qualified High Deductible Plan.

When considering individual health insurance plans a worthwhile option may be a health savings account plan which has few unique benefits. With individual health insurance plans, you can trade lower deductible health insurance for a plan that has a higher deductible. This will help you save money each month by lowering your premium. Besides the lower cost, higher deductible health savings account plan also has the added benefit of a tax favored savings account. Yet another interesting aspect of these individual health insurance plans is that the money you save rolls over year after year.

Even if you are already covered by your employer’s insurance scheme, you may still need to get additional coverage through an individual health insurance plan. This becomes necessary because employer-sponsored programs often fall short of individual needs. Extensive coverage for self and family can be achieved through a separate individual health insurance plan.

Individual health insurance plans are of two types: – Indemnity plans – Managed care plans. Indemnity plans are costlier but best suited for those who have particular health issues and need to be treated by specific doctors. Managed care plans cost less because you will be visiting a doctor or a hospital that is provided under the plan. If the treatment requires you to visit a specialist, you will need special permission from the insurance service provider. This plan is best suited for individuals without specific health problems, and wanting to pay less.. If you have to choose a new physician from the health care plan then do a little bit of research work by calling the medical office she works for or checking with the AMA. Other factors like location and availability have to be considered while choosing a doctor.

Sometimes in life you may need a specialist for specific medical conditions you need to find out how you will be able to use a specialist. Find out do you have to contact your primary care physician first or find out if the current specialist you use is an in-network doctor. While choosing a health care plan many forget to confirm that their pre-existing condition will be covered. Pre-existing conditions can vary between plans from being excluded to being covered fully and sometimes somewhere in-between like being covered after a specific amount of time. Find out what type of emergency rooms and hospitals are covered on your plan. Also find out if you have to contact your primary care physician first before getting emergency care. Most of the managed care plans do provide regular physicals and health screenings yearly, but some independent insurance plans do not cover them at all. If you’re using a prescription drug on a regular basis or you may need in the future, then choose a plan that has good prescription drug coverage. This coverage type can vary enormously from plan to plan. If you’re visiting a gynecologist regularly, find out if your doctor is covered in the plan. Find out what additional benefits do the plan offers when comparing health plans like drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health care, counseling, home health care etc. After finding what you want in your health care plan you have to compare costs. Find out your deductibles, co-payment details etc. Co-payments are the fees you need to pay when visiting your doctor, hospital or emergency room.  Do know your limits. Some plans have lifetime limits on how much the health care plan will pay and some have lifetime limits along with yearly limits. The last thing is the exclusions list. You will want to review each plan’s exclusions list to find out what is not covered and to see if any condition you currently have or expect to have in the future, is included on that list.

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Tips for Choosing a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP)

February 5th, 2011

Making the decision to provide additional coverage for employees, yourself or your family if you are self-employed is one key reason to start shopping for a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP). Each plan and plan provider may have slight difference that, when added together, can have an impact on your bottom line. These plans are designed to provide businesses with a tax deduction for contributions to the employees’ pool, plus the employee can access the funds without incurring any tax on the money.

One of the major factors to look for in a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) is how the plan will be funded. There are some companies that offer maximum flexibility with a pay-as-you-go option. This means that you pay a small percentage on each claim without a standard monthly premium. For a small company, or one that has a constantly changing workforce, this is often the most cost effective option. Some companies offer a combination of prepaid and pay-as-you-go funding, which may be an important consideration if you have a very stable workforce and a large, established company.

Online access to information, including reporting online regarding the status of a claim, the amount that has been paid in and the total amount that has been claimed is also very handy to company managers and financial departments. In addition, having all the information available at the click of a mouse, cuts down on administrative time on the phone, sending queries by email and waiting for responses. It also helps in checking on the budget status of the account. The security of these sites should be top notch and password protected as well as encrypted. Most providers already have security in place, but it never hurts to ask and confirm before choosing a provider.

Being able to carry forward any unused or unclaimed amounts from one budget year to the next is a terrific advantage to a self-employed person or a small business. Not all Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) providers offer this option, but it will help with saving money over the short and long run. Some companies offer extended time frames for filing claims, allowing you to claim on up to a year previous, which is a variation on a carry forward type of program. Just make sure it meets your company requirements and that there is some flexibility built into the program.

While businesses should expect that the plan is in full compliance with the regulations set forth by the Canada Revenue Agency, it is absolutely essential to confirm with the provider that they meet all standards including mandated privacy requirements. Failure to meet regulations can result in the CRA auditing your books and possibly denying your deductions. The provider should be regularly audited with regards to complying with the regulations to demonstrate that they are professionally managed and administered.

Last, but certainly not least, the Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) should have a reputation for prompt and accurate processing of all claims. Some of the older systems may have what is called a “black out period” that is a time, usually when switching from one year to the next, during which new claims are not processed. This not only holds up any reimbursement but it creates a nightmare situation for company administrators trying to deal with employees that want their claim processed immediately.

As a business owner or a self-employed individual choosing a Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) takes a bit of research and a good understanding of just what you require.

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