| Individual Health Insurance Overpriced - Insurance Consultant Needed
Florida Health Insurance Consultants are recommended for anyone buying health insurance. Recent polls taken by the Wall Street Journal said, "18 percent of American's do not have health insurance coverage" of any kind. 40% of those polled did not know the difference between a PPO and an HMO. Finding affordable health insurance has never been easy; it is not 'one size fits all.' Now, with the increases in policy rates, hardly anyone in Florida can 'afford' to stay healthy. Depending on your current state of health, budget and individual needs, the best insurance for you may be far different than the best insurance for a friend or another family member. What can you do protect your family? Contact an expert insurance consultant and talk to them about your needs. They can show all available policies, not just one policy from one carrier.
Children left unprotected
TAMPA - Without treatment, little Carla's chest cold could turn into pneumonia. Luckily, the toddler's mom has health insurance for her. But that's not the case for thousands of Florida children, despite the fact that affordable health insurance - backed by the state and federal government - is available for most of them. It's called KidCare. Families earning $40,000 or less qualify, so long as they can prove U.S. citizenship and Florida residency. Incredibly, 700,000 children in Florida qualify for KidCare and are not enrolled. "There are a lot of children, particularly in the Tampa Bay Area," explained child advocate Chris Card. "That qualify and could use this health care coverage, and we've just put up too many barriers." Those barriers include budget politics and loads of paperwork that are unnecessary red tape according to Congresswoman Kathy Castor, who is pushing a bill to eliminate it.
Florida Group Health Insurance At Lower Costs
Florida Group Health Insurance is very difficult to compare with individual health insurance. Recent polls taken by the Washington Post said that "33% of the consumer population didn't realize that group and individual health plans are different". How do I get a group health insurance policy? And what are my options to get lower cost health insurance? Group health insurance plans allow you to participate in a good policy, based on your inclusion in a specific workplace group of people. If you're a business owner, then offering a good group health insurance plan is the best idea for a many reasons. Do you qualify for one of these plans? Many employers think that, with just a few employees, their businesses are too small. To the contrary, even a two person company can qualify for a group health plan.
Consumers Beware: Individual Health Plans Are Confusing
Today's Health Insurance Market Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2007--Consumers who purchase individual health insurance plans solely on the initial price they are quoted by a broker or via the internet could be hurting themselves financially and be missing out on important benefits they probably want, states Charles O'Neill, CEO of Avalon Healthcare. More than nine percent of all people insured buy individual plans and the numbers in Florida are increasing, O'Neill said. Avalon is Florida's newest statewide health plan selling individual and group consumer directed health insurance plans. "Buying health insurance is confusing and while products may look alike, most are not," O'Neill said. "As more Floridians purchase consumer directed health plans for themselves and their families, they need to become better educated about the products they are buying.
Florida Health Insurance Web Advises Insurance Consultant for ...
Prices of health insurance are at record high levels while actual benefits are getting smaller. Florida Health Insurance web advices use of professional insurance consultants to avoid over-inflated rates on individual health insurance policies. (PRWEB) March 13, 2007 -- Internet insurance portal, Florida Health Insurance Web, reports nearly three million Floridians without individual health insurance coverage. That's 18% of the state's population. Health related bankruptcy is on the rise - the leading cause of bankruptcy today. Every Floridian without health insurance coverage is just one illness away from financial ruin. Florida Health Insurance Web, www.FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com, advises consulting an online source such as its service, before choosing any health insurance policy.
Florida Health Insurance Quotes And Plans Are Necessary
Florida Health Insurance Quotes are easy to come by these days for anyone searching for health insurance on the World Wide Web. Many polls taken by the New York Post said, "American's without health insurance coverage has increased by 16%, from 2005". 55% of those polled didn't know the difference between individual and group health insurance coverage. They also reported that "healthcare in the United States has an inflation rate of nearly 21% ", the highest inflation, with higher education coming in a close second. How can this issue be solved? Florida health insurance is something that all of Florida residents and businesses would require at some point in time. One of the major concerns of Florida residents though is that the health insurance prices are constantly on the rise.
Private Medicare plan struggling to stay out of receivership
Universal Health Care Insurance Co. Inc., a St. Petersburg-based private Medicare plan provider, is continuing legal efforts to hold off a threat of receivership, while trying to meet a state demand that it increase its financial surplus by about $150 million. Universal has about 80,000 policyholders in its Any, Any, Any Plan, which has been the target of actions by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation since February. Universal denies that it is insolvent and has stated that it will continue to pay claims for its members while trying to resolve its problems with the OIR. Should Universal go into receivership, members would be able to enroll in other private Medicare plans or, at worst, simply revert to traditional Medicare. Currently, "Universal is not in receivership," said Nina Banister, spokeswoman for the state Department of Financial Services.
Lawmakers Give Old Auto Law New Spin
Mar. 28--TALLAHASSEE -- A Senate insurance committee on Tuesday took the Legislature's first major stab at rewriting the state's mandatory automobile insurance laws. In so doing, the members unanimously passed a bill that manages to irritate just about everybody: doctors, hospitals, lawyers and most auto insurance companies. The state's "no-fault law," also known as personal injury protection, is scheduled to vanish on Oct. 1. That law requires all Florida motorists to carry $10,000 worth of auto insurance coverage to pay the health care costs for injuries in any wreck, no matter who caused it. Proponents of the no-fault law say it keeps minor crashes from clogging the courts and ensures timely payment, especially for those who don't have any health care coverage. Opponents say it already leads to lawsuits, is prone to fraud and forces those who already have health insurance to pay for duplicative coverage.
Avalon Healthcare Signs Hospital Contract with BayCare Health System
TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avalon Healthcare, Florida's newest statewide individual and group health insurance plan has signed a hospital agreement with BayCare Health System. BayCare represents nine hospitals in the Tampa Bay marketplace. The agreement became effective March 1, 2007. "Creating a relationship with BayCare meets another milestone for Avalon in our on-going strategic plan to provide healthcare consumers with the highest quality health plan option in Florida," said Avalon CEO Charles O'Neill. "Avalon's philosophy is to provide access to outstanding medical care while creating a better consumer experience." BayCare is a family of health care providers consisting of nine leading not-for-profit hospitals in the Tampa Bay region. With 17,000 employees and other health care services, BayCare is the largest, community-based health system in the region.
Blue Cross Tried To Steal Customers
Apr. 4--As two possible buyers kicked the tires Tuesday at Universal Health Care Insurance Co. in St. Petersburg, the company's attorneys fought separate legal battles against the state and a competitor, accusing both of using illegal tactics to try to put the young company out of business. Universal filed a complaint against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida on Tuesday in Pinellas Circuit Court, saying that the state's largest insurer deliberately smeared Universal to steal its customers. Universal said Blue Cross committed illegal acts, including forgery, which would entitle the Pinellas company to triple damages if it can prove its case. Blue Cross "intentionally, maliciously and unjustifiably interfered with" Universal's relationships with its members and doctors, the complaint states, through "false, misleading, deceptive (and) defamatory conduct." Blue Cross has acknowledged sending e-mail to 3,000 sales agents on March 26 that said Universal's Any, Any, Any plan had gone out of business and its members had been moved into a Blue Cross drug plan for Medicare beneficiaries.
Any, Any, Any Still Operating, Status Unclear
Mar. 27--TAMPA -- Universal Health Care intensified its fight to hang on to its largest subsidiary Monday as confusion and anxiety grew among the company's customers and insurance sales agents. Two-thirds of Universal's customers, about 75,000 Medicare beneficiaries in eight states, are members of a plan that Florida's insurance commissioner declared insolvent Friday. Those affected are members of the Any, Any, Any plan, so named because it claimed to cover any doctor, anywhere, any time. Any, Any, Any remained in business Monday, after winning a grace period from Leon Circuit Judge Thomas H. Bateman III on Friday. Universal's attorneys filed a motion Monday asking Bateman to hold Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty in contempt of court for requesting liquidation three hours after the judge's order.
Insurer, Florida Hospital OK pact
A two-year agreement that took three years to reach was announced Thursday by Florida Hospital and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.
The agreement affects roughly 100,000 Central Floridians who have either the BlueOptions or BlueCare health-insurance plans, Blue Cross spokesman Rick Curran estimated. Those plans will now be accepted at any of the 17 hospitals in the Florida Hospital system.
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Florida Weighs Whether to Continue Personal Injury Coverage
After her car accident, Sarah Capps suffered from a sore shoulder and back. What she thought were common pains turned out to be six herniated discs. Were it not for the protective medical coverage that every Florida car insurance holder must pay for in a policy, Capps would never have known in 2004 about her more severe injuries. Just starting a new job, she didn't yet have health insurance and couldn't pay for the doctor visit on her own. "If there wasn't anything there I wouldn't be getting help,'' said Capps, a program organizer for the Florida Consumer Action Network, which supports the continuation of Personal Injury Protection. Also known as Florida's no-fault law, PIP is set to expire in October if lawmakers do nothing - which is exactly what the majority of the powerful insurance lobby wants to happen.
Wells Fargo Insurance Services Opens Orlando Office
Wells Fargo Insurance Services announced today the opening of its first office in Orlando, Fla. The new Wells Fargo Insurance Services office is located at 801 International Parkway, Lake Mary, and offers both commercial and group health and benefits insurance services, as well as extensive experience with the health care industry. Shawn F. Smith has been appointed Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the Orlando Wells Fargo Insurance Services office. Joining Smith are Kim McGee, Vice President/Account Manager, and Kim Zastrow, Vice President/Senior Account Manager. Smith has more than 17 years of insurance experience and joins Wells Fargo Insurance Services from Marsh. While at Marsh, Smith assumed various business development roles and was the health care practice leader for Florida and sales leader for the company's Orlando and Tampa offices.
AARP wants candidates to focus on health care
ST. PETERSBURG - Presidential candidates campaigning in Florida can expect persistent grilling about health insurance, prescription drugs and Social Security if AARP has its way. The lobbying group for older Americans announced Wednesday that it will stock every public campaign event in the state with vocal volunteers who will try to pin candidates down on health care reform and financial security for retirees. The moment is ripe, AARP "social impact" executive Nancy LeaMond said in a news conference. Polls show that Americans place a high priority on accessible, affordable health care, she said. And business groups are beginning to take the same view. The Business Roundtable, traditionally a Republican-tilting organization, will join AARP in trying to steer the public debate toward health care and retirement issues, as will the Service Employees International Union, usually aligned with Democrats.
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