Health is a very important issue today. In the present scenario, health insurance is a must. With soaring medical costs, we cannot afford to be without medical insurance. In California, “Healthy Families” is a low cost health insurance program which gives health insurance along with dental and vision coverage for children. Health insurance is generally too high and many below the poverty line cannot afford to take care of their health because of this. Being concerned about the health of children in the state and wanting them to have all the health benefits, they have started “Happy Families”. This goes to show that the state is interested in the people of the state and wants everyone to lead a healthy life.

There are many people who are employed and yet do not have basic health coverage. California’s ‘Healthy Families’ is an insurance plan mainly for children who do not qualify for free Medi-Cal and do not have any other medical insurance. This is run by the state of California and has Federal funding and so the rates are subsidized. The children should be residents of California and should be citizens of the United States of America. They should be naturals or immigrants. They should be less than nineteen years of age. Their families should have income at or less than 25% of the Federal poverty line.

The benefits of being a member of ‘Happy Families’ are many. All medical expenses of children are taken care of. Children can have regular medical check ups, visit the physician if necessary and use hospital services. Dental and eyesight problems are taken care of. Preventive medical care is given. Regular prescription medicines are also given and children are also eligible for immunization. There are also well baby clinics for the babies. So, all children, right from babies to nineteen year olds are given all the medical facilities needed. Pregnant mothers are covered by this policy. Prenatal care is also taken care of for under-eighteen year olds. Mental health is also covered.

The program is not expensive. The insurance can be used to cover the entire family. The guidelines that are given are different for each family. They differ according to the age of the children and the number of members in a family. They can give their household income and choose the health plan they want. The cost also differs accordingly. The premiums are affordable and have to be paid monthly. They get covered for twelve months by paying a minimum of $4 for a child and $27 for a family. There is a $5 co-payment for some services like going to the doctor for illness. The health check ups and immunization for children is free.

To determine the income of a family they do not take into account any savings or their possessing a car or any other assistance they are receiving from the government. The insurance is given regardless of their status and whether the parents are employed.

To apply for the “Healthy Families’ insurance you can call them, write to the ‘Happy Families’ or visit their website http://www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov/, for further information. An application form has to be filled. The parents of children can fill it, or the children can also fill it. After this is approved, the insurance scheme is put into action.



By: CharlesPeter

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) says that many people deeply regret not taking out travel insurance. They think their credit card accident cover, home insurance, or private health cover is sufficient. The reality is that you do not have appropriate travel insurance and you suffer serious injury or lose valuable possessions you will face harsh financial consequences.

The FCO has guidelines for what your insurance should cover in the event of an emergency or other problems you may experience while on holiday.

The real cost when things go wrong. An emergency abroad can be extremely expensive. If you need to be returned to the UK it could cost you thousands of pounds, unless you are adequately insured:

* £30-35,000 – air ambulance from USA’s East coast

* £12-16,000 – air ambulance from the Canary Islands

* £15-20,000 – scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort from Australia

What should my travel insurance policy cover?

* medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness abroad – more information on medical and health cover page

* 24 hour emergency service and assistance

* personal liability cover in case you’re sued for causing injury or damaging property

* lost and stolen possessions cover

* cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip) cover

* extra cover for activities that are commonly excluded from standard policies, such as jet skiing.

The policy should cover the whole time that you’re away.

Your policy may also have:

* personal accident cover

* legal expenses cover

* financial protection if your airline goes bankrupt before or during your trip.

Many insurers will extend cover if you ask them. If not, shop around for a specialist policy.

Common travel insurance policy exclusions

Always check the conditions and exclusions of your policy:

* most policies will not cover drink or drug-related incidents

* you must take reasonable care of your possessions or your policy will not cover you.

Travel insurance buying tips

* shop around to find a good price and the right product rather than opting to travel without cover

* cheaper policies will usually have less cover – for some the price seems most important, but is it worth the initial saving?

* consider annual multi-trip insurance if you make several trips a year – you’ll save time and money.

Cancelling or cutting a trip short

A good insurance policy will cover you for cancelling or cutting a trip short. Check carefully to see exactly what you’re covered for:

* accident

* illness

* pregnancy (unknown when you buy the policy)

* jury service or witness summons

* home emergency: fire, storm or flood, burglary

* redundancy

* strikes

* bad weather – affects the departure of flights and ships.

Ensure your policy:

* will refund the full cost of your holiday

* pays out if you need to cancel or cut short a trip because you fall ill for example

* covers pre-paid expenses such as excursions

* covers extra costs incurred to get home

And try to book through an agent that’s with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), Air Travel Organisers’ Licencing (ATOL) or other credible Financial Protection Organisations.

Personal liability insurance

If you accidentally cause an injury to someone or damage their property they may sue you. Good travel insurance will cover you for personal liability.

Personal accident cover – disability and death

Travel insurance can cover a personal accident payment made for permanent disability or death.

Cover for stolen, lost or damaged possessions

You can normally choose the limit in your policy. Limits for single items such as cameras and jewellery can vary from as little as £250 up to £1000 or more. Check these limits are adequate and realistic.

You should report a loss to the Police within 24 hours. Proof of notification will be required when you make your claim.

All insurance policies say that you must take care of your belongings at all times. If you don’t, the policy may not pay out.

Tip: take as much care of your property as if it were uninsured.

Lost baggage on flights

Do not rely on compensation from an airline if it loses your luggage.

By law, airlines only have to pay a specified minimum value per kilo of lost luggage. This is unlikely to cover the full value of your things.

Legal expenses cover

Taking out legal expenses cover will help you to pursue compensation or damages following personal injury while you’re abroad – very important in countries without a legal aid system.

EHIC – European Health Insurance Card

Get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for healthcare in European countries. Understand what it does and doesn’t cover you for.

Medical health insurance

Financial protection for holidays

Don’t get stranded abroad without a refund when your holiday company goes bankrupt – know what protection exists for you.

Credit card protection

Information on the financial protection offered to credit and debit card users.



By: Sav DSouza

The government does have many programs in place to assure insurance coverage for kids up to the age of 18.  These plans have been established over the last ten years to provide low to middle class families affordable insurance for their children.  They’re not widely known about though, people may not know what is out there for them.

The first option for children is Medicare.  This program however, primarily will provide coverage for those children who are handicapped or have birth defects.  If your child falls into this category than they care eligible for this government plan.

The next option is a possible eligibility under Medicaid.  You typically would be below federal poverty guidelines to apply for this coverage.  That guideline specifies income of less than 22,000 annually for a family of four.  This will also cover pregnant women, and may cover very ill children and emancipated minors.

The final option is fairly new, the federal government calls it the SCHIP program.  It’s for those who are working but have limited salary and don’t have insurance coverage in their benefits at work.  Every state has a different name for it so you may need to call your local social services, local Medicaid office, or your doctor to find out about it in your state.  The income requirement is higher, and they often can offer your kids the insurance for free or maybe require a small premium.

These government programs are extremely helpful for families with children, however keep in mind that these programs do not cover the adults in the family and unfortunately this leaves the parents of these children without the insurance they need.  Hopefully a more affordable insurance option is on the horizon for all, but in the meantime it is good to know that there are at least affordable insurance options for this nation’s youth.



By: Ethan Kalvin

As an attorney defending people from employment discrimination since 1991, the worst discrimination is against a pregnant employee. Harassing or terminating a pregnant woman can be incredibly heinous. Firing a woman who is pregnant leaves her with no income, no hope to find a new job and no health insurance. All that when she most needs to keep her job, her income and medical insurance to take care of hospital and other bills incurred in an expanding family.

Very few employers will hire a woman who is obviously pregnant. There is going to be time off needed for regular doctor visits. The potential for complications requiring extended time off. The near certainty that delivery of the baby will require weeks of leave. Combined with the possibility that after nurturing her infant the mother will not want to return to the job, makes getting a new job when you are pregnant almost impossible.

Federal, state and local laws do provide some protection from discrimination because of pregnancy. In 1978 Congress amended Title VII to include the Pregnancy Discrimination Act that prohibits discrimination because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Employers cannot treat pregnant women differently, even if they are doing it to try to protect the woman. A classic example was a case brought by the EEOC against the Rustic Inn Crabhouse, near the Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood Airport, in which the restaurant admitted that it had re-assigned a waitress to the cash register because the owners considered carrying the large trays of crabs and walking around while customers were hammering crabs, dangerous for the woman and fetus. In 2000 the Federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found the restaurant’s policy regarding reassigning pregnant waitresses was direct evidence of pregnancy discrimination. Of course the restaurant admitted this was their policy, which rarely happens.

Florida law is less clear on pregnancy discrimination because it is not specifically mentioned as a protected category under the Florida Civil Rights Act, Fla. Stat. §760. Most courts have agreed that Florida law provides protection based on pregnancy, but there are some lawyers who will disagree in defending companies that terminate pregnant women. The leading case in Florida is O’Loughlin v. Pinchback, 579 So. 2nd 778 (Fla. 1st DCA 1991) finding that §760 protects women from discrimination because of pregnancy. The theory is that gender discrimination as protected by state law has the same construction as gender discrimination laws in Title VII, so they will be interpreted the same way and provide pregnancy protection. See Kelly v. KD Construction of Florida, 866 F.Supp. 1406, 1411 (S.D. Fla. 1994).

The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) also provides for limited leave to accommodate pregnancy and serious medical conditions related to pregnancy.  The FMLA provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave within a 12 month period for serious health conditions, provided the employee has worked for at least a  year and worked at least 1250 hours and the company has more than 50 employees within a 75 mile radius. The leave can be taken intermittently (an hour or hours at a time) but the limitation of 12 weeks is absolute. If an employee takes more than 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave, then they can be fired. Otherwise an employer must return an employee to the same or similar position after returning from FMLA. Unfortunately the leave is unpaid and few people can afford a long term leave without income. A father is also eligible for FMLA leave to care for his wife and baby.

There is an issue as to whether pregnant women are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was amended in September 2008 so that more people are protected from discrimination because of their disabilities. The Amendments to the ADA are effective as of January 1, 2009. It reverses several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that narrowed the scope of the ADA so that it was almost impossible to prove that you were qualified for a job and disabled. Protection under the ADA is now expanded to include almost any substantial restriction of any bodily function or system and for medical records which show an impairment of any major life function. However, because pregnancy is a  temporary condition, it has been found to be outside the protection of the ADA. Whether that continues to be the analysis of the courts as they begin to interpret the ADA as amended, is yet to be seen.

The real importance of the lack of protection under the ADA is that employers do not have to accommodate pregnant employees. Pregnant women often need accommodations. Frequent bathroom breaks, inability to stand for long periods of time, help in lifting heavy objects, juice breaks, scheduling doctor visits, limits on environmental stressors or contaminants do not have to provided by the employer. The employer can treat a pregnant employee like any other employee without any special treatment or reasonable accommodation.

However, there is another potential cause of action for negligent still birth if you can prove the employer was responsible for a miscarriage. This can happen when an employer intentionally harasses a pregnant employee, forcing them to stand during a long shift, refusing to assist them with moving heavy objects or ordering them to perform duties which caused the loss of a fetus. Damages in those cases run into the millions of dollars, even though there is no ADA protection.

If you or someone you know is suffering discrimination on the job because of their pregnancy, get legal protection immediately. Having a lawyer involved in protecting your rights could mean the difference between having a healthy baby that you can afford, or losing a baby because the employer violated your rights.



By: Randy A. Fleischer

The healthcare reform bills passed by committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate have significant differences. These variations will have to be hammered out before a final bill is presented to both chambers in Congress. In general, the House’s bill is more comprehensive and allows for greater public involvement in providing Americans with health insurance. Interest groups are vying for benefits in the bill, which will no doubt see budget cuts before it comes up for a general vote. Unfortunately, older Americans appear to suffer in both bills, due to proposed insurance regulations that will allow insurance companies to charge higher rates based on age. Many baby boomers are in this precarious age group: too young for Medicare, disproportionately suffering from layoffs in this terrible economy (therefore losing their employer’s insurance), and often having pre-existing conditions that may prevent them from buying individual health insurance at all. Still, which version of healthcare reform passes will be of great consequence to older individuals.

Currently, insurance companies are not limited in how much they charge older people when underwriting policies. In that regard, either reform bill could be considered an improvement. Insurers would be allowed a 2-to-1 ratio in health insurance rates under the bill that passed the Education and Labor and Ways and Means committees in the House. This means that they can charge a middle-aged person up to twice as much as a younger person in similar health. The Senate Finance and Health Committees’ bill would allow insurance companies to charge up to four times as much to insure an older individual. Lobbyists for the insurance industry claim that even the Senate’s looser regulations will hurt their profit margins and raise premiums across the board. Trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans is promoting a 5-to-1 ratio, and some studies back that up. Those experts claim that insurers could justify charging older, higher-risk patients up to seven times as much as a younger, higher risk patient. On average, older individuals do tend to use more health care services, get sick more often, and are more likely suffer from chronic conditions.

Even if they work for an employer that offers health insurance, middle-aged individuals will still pay higher health insurance rates. Estimates vary, but anywhere from 40% to 83% of Americans in private sector jobs work in small businesses. Companies employing a majority of older workers can pay 10-20% more to provide health insurance, passing the costs onto their employees. There is often a reason for this; insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield have found that medical claims increase by up to 2% for each year older a person gets. Since private insurers prefer to pay as few claims as possible, workforces with higher average ages (mid 40s or older) are less attractive markets. This problem compounds for small businesses, according to NPR. Unlike larger companies, businesses with under 1,000 employees don’t have enough historical claim data available for insurance companies to make a fairer judgement. Age (and gender) become the determinants of insurance premiums as a result. Neither the House nor the Senate bill addresses this issue.

Why does there seem to be congressional agreement on allowing age discrimination in the health insurance market? One of the main priorities of this administration is to expand health care coverage to as many Americans as possible. Despite the above disadvantages in acquiring insurance, only 12.5% of 55-to-64 year olds lack health insurance. While that’s a significant figure, it pales in comparison to the 30% of 19-to-24 year olds who are uninsured. Putting too much of the cost burden on young adults could make them even less likely to buy student health insurance. On the other hand, more middle-aged individuals have a family and household to support; if premiums become too high, they may have to cut back on other necessities. Even though charging older people significantly more for health insurance is touted as an unfortunate side effect of insuring more Americans, the Congressional Budget Office found that the House measure (with stricter regulations on age discrimination in the market) has the potential to insure 97% of the country, versus the 94% that would be insured by the Senate’s plan.

There are many changes ahead for healthcare reform; both houses of Congress need to combine their bills into one that will be presented to the entire House and Senate. No doubt that there will be tons of debate and amendments when that time comes. Democratic Senator John Kerry is one congressperson against these provisions; he was quoted in the Miami Herald saying that “allowing insurers to charge older Americans vastly higher premiums”–when they are equally healthy–”simply because of their age is discrimination, pure and simple”. As expected, senior citizens’ advocacy groups also oppose these measures and plans to lobby against them. No matter what happens, it is unwise for baby boomers to drop their health insurance. Premiums may or may not decrease for older Americans, but suffering a serious medical catastrophe while uninsured could cost even more.

(Image: Moomettesgram under CC 2.0)



By: Yamileth Medina

If you are leaving group health, than you should prepare for some surprises when you shop for your first family health plan on the individual health market. For one thing, many employees are not really aware of how much their company contributes to their premiums, and they are surprised by costs when they have to pay the whole bill themselves! But on the other hand, if those ex-employees have already seen COBRA health plan bills, they may already been made aware of the group health plan costs. If the family is fairly healthy, they may actually be pleasantly surprised by rates. Since insurers can pick and choose who they want to cover, individual rates can be be very affordable for preferred applicants!

Think about your needs, budget, and expectations when you shop for health insurance. Also find out which plans are available where you live. Your choice of health insurance will depend upon what you want, what you can afford, and what you need. But since different states, and even zip codes within states will have their own rates, provider networks, and plan details, your choices may be limited by your local area.

This is why I usually recommend using an online health insurance quote form. You can enter your information one time, and then start your process by finding out which insurers are completive in our area. You may find dozens of plans, or be limited to a couple of choices.

If you live in a big city, you may be very happy with a PPO or HMO network because you can find plenty of plan doctors in your neighborhood. If you live in a small town or rural area, you may have more trouble finding a variety of medical services in your hometown, and you may want more flexibility to make choices. Of course, you may already have a family doctor you want to continue seeing. In that case, you will want to make sure that he or she takes the plan you choose.

If your initial search for your ideal health insurance plan frustrates you because of high premiums, it may be time to adjust your expectations. Some benefits, like doctor copays, are very expensive. If you only visit the doctor a couple of times a year, perhaps getting a network discount without the copay will be affordable enough to make it worth it to accept a plan without that benefit. If you think you can stick to a disciplined savings plan or have access to good credit, thing about dropping the premiums by raising your yearly plan deductible.

But make sure your plan does cover services you do need. For instance, if somebody in your household could get pregnant, many individual plans do not cover normal maternity costs.

I cannot tell you which plan to choose without getting to know your family. So do not be afraid to speak with qualified health insurance agents in your area. A good agent will not try to sell you, but will educate you, so you can make your own best choice!



By: Marilyn Katz

Do I need health insurance?

This is a very important question to ask yourself because there are many who didn’t have health insurance and suffered serious financial hardships and even had to file bankruptcy due to an unexpected hospital visit.

Your health is the driving force of your life! If you became extremely ill for what ever reason, what would happen to you financially?

Unless you are one of those fortunate individuals who have set-up themselves nicely, I would imagine that your financial outlook could become quite grim.

Have you ever spent a few days lying in a hospital bed while the doctors ran tests? Well if you haven’t been fortunate enough to experience such a glorious and gratifying venture, let me inform you that just two days in a hospital can land you a $3,000 bill and higher in some cases!

Imagine paying $3.00-$5.00 for one Tylenol tablet. Where at Wal-Mart, you can get 30 for that amount! And by no means gash your head and have to get rushed to the emergency room for a few hours, you can be looking forward to a hefty $1,300 for that one! So again, the question is do I need health insurance?

A friend of mine, who established himself as an independent contractor, decided that it’s cheaper to pay for any medical expenses when needed rather than pay a monthly health insurance bill. His wife became pregnant and since he didn’t know anything about medical costs, he continued to go with his first thought of not buying health insurance.

A visit here and a visit there; $200 here and $400 there – no big deal because he made pretty good money and carrying health insurance would have cost him about $300-$500 a month for his entire family. Nine months later, his baby boy was born and he received a nice $18,000 hospital bill as a token of appreciation for bringing a new life into the world we live.

Yes, he learned the hard way as to the importance of health insurance. Luckily for him however, he’s fortunate to make a very good living so it didn’t destroy him financially, but there are many people and families that have been destroyed financially due to unexpected high medical bills.

If you are a heavy smoker or drinker, or someone who lives an adventurous life such as: rock climbing, jet skiing, sky diving, skateboarding, motocross or playing an extreme sport – make sure that you are carrying some type of health insurance or else you can be in for a serious financial hardship.



By: Robert Anderson

By cassandra3850e:

www.FindQuotesToday.com For an affordable solution to health insurance for maternity in North Carolina, get multiple quotes in minutes! With top providers, low quotes and coverage in as little as 24 hours, why go elsewhere? Get direct quotes for policies to cover you during pregnancy. Visit FindQuotesToday.com and find the maternity insurance policy you need for the best price around NC. … direct healthcare quotes video health

Ready to shop for health insurance quotes online? Maybe — maybe not. Shopping for any type of insurance usually requires the shopper to make a number of on-the-spot decisions, so it helps to have your priorities firmly in mind before you begin. If you want to avoid a mind-numbing shopping experience, you may want to write down the answers to the following 3 questions — before you fire up your computer and start shopping for online quotes.

1. How flexible are you? Do you have your heart set on seeing a specific doctor, or receiving medical care at a specific hospital? If so, you will want to start your shopping process by ruling out all Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO’s), which are very restrictive about using their “in network” health care providers. 

On the other hand, if you have been referred to a particular HMO, ask them up front whether or not your favorite providers are included in their network. If not, you’ll want to look elsewhere — perhaps a PPO that provides more flexibility.

2. How healthy are you? Are you looking for a specific kind of coverage? Keep in mind that health insurance coverage comes in all shapes, sizes and flavors and what is necessary for your neighbor isn’t necessarily the right kind of coverage for you. Think about your lifestyle and decide whether or not any of the following optional benefits are important to you — prescription drug coverage, mental health benefits, maternity care, vision care, dental, or chiropractic care. If you don’t expect to need these benefits, there is certainly no point in paying for them in your policy.

On the other hand, make sure you are including optional coverage that you are likely to need. For example, if you have any thought of starting a family in the near future, maternity benefits are an absolute necessity as they will be prohibitively expensive or impossible to purchase once a pregnancy has occurred.

3. How much deductible can you afford? Early in the quote-seeking process, you will need to declare the amount of deductible you are seeking. Remember, the higher the deductible, the lower your premiums. It is generally advised that you accept the highest deductible being offered, even if it seems like a financial stretch — the lower premiums will usually out-weigh the deductible over time.

Once you have a firm grasp of the flexibility, coverage and deductible that you’re seeking, you’re ready to begin shopping for health insurance quotes online. If you need help finding the right quote provider, please visit the website recommended below.



By: Barb Dearing

Folic acid is one medicine, which must be included as a food supplement in the diet of all would-be mothers. It is the best medicine for pre pregnancy care. Folic acid helps in preventing brain and spine defects in the newborn baby. Folic acid, also known as folate, helps in developing the spine and the skull of the fetus. Folic acid is necessary for the blood and protein production in the baby. Enzyme functioning is also dependent on folic acid. In order to have healthy blood cells in the baby, a pregnant women must take a dose of 400mg of folic acid for pre-pregnancy days. On doctor’s recommendation, women should start taking folic acid three months before pregnancy and continue until the end.

Foods And Their Supplements

Foods such as bread, green leafy vegetables, French beans, and fortified breakfast cereals are good sources of folic acid. Citrus fruits are rich in folic acid along with fruit juices, berries and grapefruit, cantaloupe, banana etc. Besides, peanuts, whole grains, enriched pasta and white flour are also good sources of folic acid.

Mother’s At Risk

It is important for women with neural tube defect or women suffering from epilepsy or those with diabetes are at risk of having NTD babies. They should take precaution in the pre conception stage and work on the advice of their personal physician. They should take proper dose of folic acid during pregnancy planning so that the baby’ s brain develops fully and there is no fear of Spina bifidia. The fear of NTD, which causes loss of control in the lower part of the body of the baby remains only in the first 30 days. Conception planning is necessary in such cases, and with proper doses of folic acid, chances of NTD reduce considerably. It is much easier to take supplements of folic acid than food intake.

Significance Of A Diet Plan

It is important to mention here that it is utterly necessary to adhere to a well-balanced pregnancy diet plan, which includes calcium, all vitamins, milk and milk products besides including a diet of fish like salmon and sardine and tofu. All pregnant women must include folic acid for pre-pregnancy days. Do not miss broccoli and spinach both rich in vitamin B. All these supplements have their own significance. Calcium develops the bones and the teeth – what ever is white in the body. Iron is required during pre-pregnancy to prevent anemia and for proper production of red blood corpuscles. Iron can be sourced from red meat, fortified powder drinks, breads, cereals, dry fruits, and nuts.

Therefore, you are well advised to consult your nutritionist as soon as you decide to get pregnant. On the advice of the consultant start your diet and nutrition planning right away and take proper supplements of folic acid for pre pregnancy days. Pre pregnancy care is required to sustain pregnancy. Try to maintain body weight by proper diet and limited exercise. Eat only healthy food and shun junk food.

Women desirous of having babies in the later stage of life as well as women who have more weight should take proper doses of folic acid for pre pregnancy days and follow it up during the entire length of pregnancy. This way they can eliminate chances of neural defects in their babies. Follow the instruction of your physical consultant at every step. Moreover, try to avoid smoking, drug abuse and alcohol. Avoid hazards of all kinds at office and at home and constantly be concerned for the safety of the child you are about to deliver.



By: Apurva Shree