Affordable Homeowners Insurance Quotes
Homeowner’s insurance costs have been rising steadily. According to industry experts, it is the extraordinary number of catastrophes, the high cost of home repairs, the aging of the U.S. housing stock and the emergence of mold claims that are causing homeowners insurance rates to climb. Despite the rising costs there are still things you can do to reduce your premium.
Homeowners Insurance Rate Quotes
If you are in the market for a new home, check the cost of insuring the homes you are interested in. Even though the homes may look alike there, the premiums could vary significantly. Homeowner’s insurance premiums are affected by such things as: proximity to emergency services, age of the home’s systems (heating, electrical and plumbing), and the material the home is made out of. Additionally, flood insurance and earthquake damage are not covered by the standard homeowner’s policy. You will have to pay additional dollars for these policies.
Speaking of disasters, if you make your home more disaster resistant you could reduce your premiums. Check with your agent and see what specific improvements they give discounts for. Examples of disaster proofing are: adding storm shutters, reinforcing your roof, and retrofitting an older home to make it more capable of withstanding earthquakes. Also consider modernizing heating, plumbing and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage.
If you install smoke detectors, burglar alarms or dead-bolt locks, you can usually get a five to ten percent discount. Some insurers may give as much as 15 to 20 percent discount for a sophisticated sprinkler system or an alarm system that rings the police. Always check with your insurer before making any of these improvements and find out which ones they will give discounts for and how much.
Insure only your home and not the land. Your land can’t really be damaged so there is no need to insure it. Only purchase enough insurance to cover the value of your home.
You can save anywhere from 5% to 15% if you purchase all your insurance policies from one insurance company. This called a multi-line discount. Also, if you stay with the same insurer for several years you could be eligible for a long-term policyholder discount. Some insurance companies will give you a 5% discount if you are with them for three to five years and a 10% discount if stay for six years or more.
If you increase your deductible (the amount of money you must pay before the insurance takes effect) to $1,000 from $500.00 you could save as much as 25% on your premium.
All these discounts could add up to some significant savings on your premiums and safer house to live in.
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Affordable Long Term Care Insurance Premiums
According to MSN money, 42% of Americans who are 65 today will enter a nursing home during their lifetime. The current average annual cost of a one-year nursing-home stay is almost $50,000, and none of this cost is covered by Medicare, Medigap or private medical insurance. Women are especially vulnerable because they have a 50% greater chance of needing nursing-home care than men.
The premiums for long-term care insurance are expensive, but unless you have assets of $2 million or more, you are probably going to need it. If you don’t have it and experience a long term illness you may have liquidate other assets to pay for it. Premiums for long term health insurance vary based on your age, sex, geographical location and policy type, but annual costs can range from $400 a year for a 40-something male to more than $3,000 for a man or woman aged 70 or older.
Obviously, long term health care is not cheap and ideally you want to get it as early as possible when the premiums are lower and you are free from pre-existing conditions. But if you have to buy later rather than sooner there are still some ways you can save money.
Buy group coverage – Group coverage is cheaper than a comparable individual policy. If your employer offers long-term care insurance as an optional employee benefit considers taking the option. According to MSN money the employee can usually buy coverage for themselves, their spouse and their parents.
Extend your waiting or elimination period – This is the period of time you must wait for the benefits to kick in. Your choices are usually 30, 60 or 90 days. Choosing the 90 day option will reduce your premium costs significantly.
Shorten the coverage period – Don’t take the lifetime coverage but get a coverage period between three to five years. According to industry sources the average nursing home stay is approximately two and half years.
Take a lower daily benefit – Studies show the average annual cost of private nursing home care is approximately $150 per day. Choosing a lower amount can reduce your premium. You may have other income you can use to make up the difference.
Choose a joint policy - If you are married you can get a joint policy for you and your spouse. As mentioned above many companies offer this option.
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PPO vs HMO vs HSA Pros and Cons
Compare PPO, HMO, HSA Health Plans Advantages and Disadvantages
Fast and Free Health Insurance Quote Comparisons
If you are searching for your own individual health insurance or choosing between options for your group major medical, you may not know what the difference between PPO, HMO, and HSA major medical health plans are. We have always felt that the more consumers know about their own health insurance, the more likely they are to enjoy the benefits of it.
Best Family Health Insurance Quotes
HMO: Health Maintenance Organization This type of insurance plan will restrict you to using a plan network for almost all of your covered medical services. In general, any services provided from outside this network will not be covered unless it is a special circumstance. Exceptions may be emergency treatment from outside the area of coverage or some procedures that the network does not contain a provider for.
Advantages of an HMO: In general, HMO plans do the best job of controlling medical costs. You will probably have the lowest copays for any covered services. Many people like the convenience of having a booklet with providers to choose from.
Disadvantages of an HMO: You must seek your medical services from a network provider if you want the insurance company to pay. This can be inconvenient and restrict your choices. Also, since an HMO provides so much coverage, you may be paying for more coverage then you want or need.
PPO: Preferred Provider Organization: This type of plan is a bit more flexible. It will contain a network of medical providers, and the health plan will offer the lowest rates and most comprehensive coverage if you stay inside the providers they control. You may choose to find a provider outside of the network, but accept that you will be covered at a lower rate. As with an HMO, the in-network difference will probably be waived in an emergency.
Advantages of a PPO: The health insurance company gets to control costs within the network, but you can still choose to use the out of network coverage if it is more advantageous for you to select a non-network provider.
Disadvantages of a PPO: You must accept lower coverage if you leave the network (except in an emergency). Again, you may be paying for more coverage then you want or need, though a PPO is usually a decent compromise.
HSA: Health Savings Account with a High Deductible Health Plan: These are higher deductible health insurance policies that are designed to work with a health savings account. Now an HSA can still work with a network, much like a PPO network, though that isn’t the basis of the plan.
HSA Advantages: Within limits, your HSA contributions will be tax deductible. Your contributions can be taken out without a penalty after retirement if you do not use them. The money in the HSA can earn interest too. It can also be used for a variety of medical services that may not be covered by normal health insurance plans. You will not be paying for a very high level of insurance coverage if you do not need to use it.
HSA Disadvantages: Franky, HSA plans sound great, but they just do not work out for everybody. For one thing, you must be a disciplined saver. If you have not put any money into your HSA account, then you will need to fund the higher deductible some other way!
NOTE: We cannot find one major medical plan that works for everybody. People who thought they would be thrilled with an HSA plan ended up switching to a PPO because they did not put money into savings like they thought they would. Others love HSA plans, and use them very well, and they would hate the restrictions of an HMO. Still others would rather have their health plan help them choose their doctors and other medical service, and they have no problem cutting costs by using a PPO or HMO network. Figure out what your own style is, compare health insurance rates, and then make a choice!
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Search for Fast and Free Health Insurance Quote Comparisons
The Importance of Comparing Health Insurance
If you need to shop for health insurance because you are self employed, a small business owner, or not covered by a group plan, then we have always stressed the importance of comparing individual health insurance plans! We believe we have the best individual health insurance quotes because you get to fill out a fast and safe online form one time, and then sit back and get competitive health insurance rates and plans in your area!
Compare Types Of Plans For Your Family
If you are a good saver, then you will want to take advantage of a high deductible health plan with an HSA. If would rather just pay a larger premium, but know that most of your medical services will be covered, or covered with a small copay, then a lower deductible PPO plan with doctor’s visits is a good choice for you. If you do not mind using the health insurance company’s network for almost off of your medical services, and you would like the most control over your medical costs, consider an HMO plan if it is available in your area.
Compare Health Insurance Quotes with one Fast Online Quote Form
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Best Individual Health Insurance Quotes
To get the best individual health insurance quotes, you need to do two things.
First, make sure your expectations are reasonable. Consider a higher deductible health plan with a Health Savings Account to keep your premiums reasonable, get possible tax deductions, and build savings that you can use for all sorts of health care. Furthermore, if you do not use all of your money by Medicare time, you can take the money out to supplement retirement savings!
Second, be sure to compare health insurance quotes from different companies. Of course, prices vary by your age, health, and even where you live! But beyond that, different insurance companies have very different rate schedules. You will want to look at top health insurers with a variety of deductibles, and then find the coverage you can LIVE with, at a premium you can budget for!
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