Why Your Pet Needs Health Insurance

The question is really one of being prepared for the worst. You need pet health insurance and hope that you will never have to use it. To have pet health insurance and not need it is so much better than needing it and not having it.
Molly Bee was a very cute, lovable and absolutely wonderful West Highland Terrier. Coming into my life when she was 12 weeks old, I assumed the best for her since I was getting her from a reputable AKC breeder. I had no way of knowing what was in store for her. I was not prepared for the thousands of dollars I would spend in vain trying to save her life.
Molly Bee developed a hereditary condition that shut down her liver. It was so devastating that our good veterinarian told me her test numbers were higher than any he had ever seen. I prayed (and paid) until I could pray and pay no more. Molly Bee had to be put to sleep when she was but 18 months old. I was devastated and out thousands of dollars. Remembering the pet health insurance flyer I had read while at her doctor's office, I vowed to never go without pet health insurance ever again.
Following are six helpful tips on what you may need to know about this topic. Remember: To have pet health insurance and not need it is so much better than needing it and not having it.
Most people don't consider the breed of their pet, its disposition, whether or not that breed lives an active or sedentary lifestyle and how neighborhood children or other animals, both wild and domestic, may interact with their pet. Small children can pose a real danger, and that Rottweiler that lives down the street or that Coyote from the open space park can create a $1,000 vet bill with one bite of your Jack Russell Terrier.
1. Be sure to read the brochure!
Just like health insurance for humans, there are all kinds of plans to fit your budget. Most pet health insurance plans offer 80% coverage (a 20% deductible or maybe a $100 initial treatment threshold), which might rise along with your monthly premiums. For about $12.95 USD a month, you can insure your pet for most accidents and the costs associated with treating them in case of an emergency. You are likely to be better off paying as you go, or out-of-pocket, for routine pet health care, vaccinations and the like.
2. When does the coverage begin?
Often there will be a waiting period, usually 14 - 30 days, before your pet health insurance coverage begins. Make sure that your vet has well documented the good health of your pet at their last visit so that it can be said that there were no pre-existing conditions (or have that condition waived or insured). A good time to purchase pet health insurance is right after that visit to the veterinarian.
3. Can I choose my own veterinarian?
Most plans let you choose your own pet healthcare provider especially in the event of an emergency. I suggest that you confer with your veterinarian as to what insurance programs he or she accepts for customary or usual and emergency pet health care.
4. 6 million dogs and 6 million cats are diagnosed with cancer every year. Will my insurance cover those costs too?
Be sure to read up on your pet health insurance plan to see just what is or is not covered. Often, your insurance policy will allow you to add certain coverage for additional premiums. Contact your carrier for further information.
5. Are there age requirements or restrictions for pet health insurance?
Yes, most plans do not cover the first eight to twelve weeks of your pet's life. Some plans are limited to pets up to age 12 (varies with the age of your pet at the time the insurance is bought) and have other limits based on the breed of your pet. Great Danes for example, usually do not live past about 8 years of age. And, I have had cats that lived to 20 years of age! Most policies place age and/or breed restrictions on their coverage.
6. But I have more than one pet! Can I save by insuring them all?
Yes, most plans offer a discount (often 10% per pet) when you insure your whole "family".
In closing, you need to carefully consider all options for health insurance for your pets. Having no insurance at all is just plain irresponsible. If your pet needs emergency care and you cannot afford that care, contact your local humane society or ASPCA for their help.
Remember that pet health insurance need not be expensive, is not limited to a single veterinarian, is not complicated to use, may provide coverage for general care or check-ups and may be applied for online!
In any event, we would be happy to answer your questions regarding this important decision. Send us an email or comment to this article and we will get back to you just as soon as possible.

How To Get Insurance For Your Self Storage Items

Many customers of self storage think that the providers themselves automatically insure their items. But this is not the case all the time. You might think that storage facilities will include insurance in the rental and other fees you pay but not all providers do this.
An insurance coverage for your self storage is important for protecting your personal items. It will help you in the event the storage facility encounters fires, explosion, vandalism, riot, earthquake, vehicle impact, theft, floods, storms and other natural disasters that will damage your belongings. In terms of theft, only break-ins are normally covered. It should be your responsibility then to consider the insurance aspect as one of the security features you need to consider when choosing a self storage provider you will be using for the months or years ahead.
Today, only a few self storage facilities provide full and comprehensive insurance included in the rental fees you pay every month. If this is the case, you will normally be charged a higher fee to cover the cost of insurance. Some providers may offer the basic insurance coverage included in the self storage package you pick but this may not be enough to cover the cost of your items.
If you have expensive items and other belongings with great sentimental value to store in a rental unit, it will be worth getting additional insurance coverage to protect your personal possessions. You need to get a policy before you even move your items into the rental unit.
Calling your home insurer is the initial step you need to take. Find out if your personal items can be covered by your home contents policy. A household policy usually covers items in a house and some stored items removed from your house for purposes of repair and servicing. Normally items put in self storage are not covered.
In case you want to save money and don't want to get a separate insurance policy, you can pay an additional premium to your existing home insurance coverage. On the other hand if you want to get an insurance coverage, you may have to show your policy first to your chosen self storage provider before you can rent a unit.
New customers of self storage can also take advantage of the provider's policies. In this case, you will have to provide a list of items and their values in order for the provider to choose the best policy suited for your needs. They may also recommend to you insurance policies ideal for self storage items which can be a more affordable option. Some facilities offer assistance to their renters although there are also others who may insist their own policies to customers before they can rent a unit.
For customers who plan on adding and retrieving items from their self storage unit, it may be worth considering consulting your insurance company. You need to find out first if you can change your policy when needed such as when you want to put additional stuff or want to remove items from your rental unit.

iPhone Insurance Terms: What Protection Does The Limited Warranty Have In Water Damage?

Damages to the iPhone brought about by accidental spills and liquid immersion is one service that we will never get from the manufacturer's warranty. The one-year warranty that iPhone users get is an additional service that automatically activates at the moment of purchase. This exclusive offer is a good add-on from Apple. This gives a sense of security to valued customers, both new and past ones. However, one should do their assignment.
Have a closer look on what it is about. Be knowledgeable on what instances will the company be liable to make good of its guarantees. The usual terms and condition state that the warranty runs for a 12 month period, commencing on the day the iPhone was bought. It doesn't matter what the mode of payment is. If you paid thru cash, or swiped it up with your debit card or credit card. Damages resulting from use, whether intentional or not, have no coverage at all. Accidental damages, water spills, unauthorized changes and alterations, unsanctioned services and dismantling are not accepted under the warranty. In fact, the limited warranty service only protects users from factory defects on the handset itself, either hardware or software or both.
Unfortunately, if your iPhone was accidentally spilled and rendered it completely non-functional, or if you are lucky, it still works but some of the functions are not working normally, the manufacturer is not liable to have your handset replaced nor have it fixed for free. However, there is one option for this kind of situation. Although water damage is not a candidate for the limited warranty, it might be qualified under the Out-of-Warrant Service or (OOW). There are conditions that are not eligible for this, and Apple has the sole prerogative to decide which damages are qualified for the OOW service. In here, the company will assess the nature and the degree of the damage. In case if the damage on your iPhone is qualified under the OOW, it comes with a price. It is not a free service and Out-of Warrant Service charges will apply, plus, an additional shipping fee will be billed, if applicable.
The privileges under the iPhone warranty are good but limited. Even if you take care of your iPhone with the diligence of a good of a family, when damage does occur even without your fault, provided that it is not manufacturing defect, no protection is available, and, you have only a period of 12 months to avail this. Beyond that, you are on your own.
Today's news is often full of bad stuff. The wrath of nature always hits the headlines every year, and with a noticeable frequency. The most dominating type of natural calamity that happens often in almost every continent is flooding. From the America, Europe and Asia, it has brought loss of life and staggering destruction to personal property.
The good news is, there is insurance specially suited to cover damages that our not included under the Limited Warranty Service. The iPhone insurance coverage fills up these limitations. Damages due to accidents, liquid spills and water immersion are all eligible. Moreover, loss from theft and warranted calls are also qualified under the comprehensive iPhone insurance policy. Plus, you can extend your insurance basic policy, and when going outside the UK, your iPhone is still protected thru International cover with comprehensive iPhone insurance.

Mobile Phone Insurance: Why It Costs Too Much

If you've ever purchased a cell phone you were probably asked about whether or not you wanted to place a mobile phone insurance policy on it. For the big providers, the company they contract through to offer protection is Asurion. For five dollars per month, you are protected against loss, theft, or damage. This may sound like a good thing. For a few bucks a month you are able to protect yourself in these events. It may seem like an ideal form of insurance. But generally, this isn't a great way to protect your investment. It comes down to the numbers.
At five dollars per month, you are going to be spending $120 over the two year contract agreement that most cell phone customers lock into. So imagine that you lose your phone in the 10th month that you own it. You've already spent $50 for mobile phone insurance. Now you'll have to pay an additional $50 to $100 in the form of a deductible. That's a total of $100 to $150 that you'll be paying to get your hands on a replacement phone from the insurance provider. Usually, the phone you receive as a replacement is a refurbished unit that might not even be worth $100.
Once you see these numbers and think about it logically, you realize that there are few situations where it makes sense to pay for mobile phone insurance. You may be asking yourself: what are the other options that can protect my investment? The best way to cover against the possibility of cell phone loss is self insurance. This means setting aside that five dollars per month that you would have been paying to an insurance company. If you manage to get through just one two year contract without damaging or losing your phone, you will have created a $120 fund that can be used in the future. Compare this to losing that $120 to an insurance company if you had maintained coverage.
Most people don't lose or break their phones often enough for mobile phone insurance to be a good investment. Of course, if you are the type of person that's known to put their cell phone in danger, then it might be more of a consideration for you. This includes people that work in hazardous environments such as construction. The other circumstance where it can make sense is if you have a particularly expensive phone. If you have a phone that would cost several hundred dollars to replace, it generally makes sense to carry coverage for the first six months to a year.

Senior Health Care Insurance

Health Insurance For Seniors On The Net
When a good friend of mine inquired where he could obtain information about medical insurance for his out-of-state, elderly mother, I told him to try the Internet.
He reported back to me about a week later, in desperation: "I am giving up, I am too confused." He had taken on an overwhelming project with his widowed mother, living in another state. As the only child, and following the sudden death of his father, it was his responsibility to care for his mother.
In this world of technology, the family unit is often living in different geographical areas and the family members are usually quite involved with their own lives, careers, and families. In addition, when both parents are alive, often one or both parents are quite independent and do not require a lot of assistance. As time goes on things, of course, change, and sometimes change very suddenly. There can be a crisis, with regard to the health care needs of one or both aging parents.
With our baby boomers facing this problem in ever increasing numbers, and with the information highway in full bloom, there is a definite need for planning.
Protecting your parent's assets and health is a huge and daunting undertaking, which requires a tremendous amount of education and practical application. Our seniors face many diverse responsibilities upon reaching age 65. To name just a few: Estate planning, taxation, Medicare, social security, wills, insurance, and various other legal and financial matters. All of these different areas require expertise from accountants, lawyers, estate planners, insurance agents, home brokers, financial advisors, and others.
The Internet is a good starting point for most people to find resources for questions and solutions for your problems. There is, however, no replacement for good solid intelligent advice from an expert.
Twenty years ago, insurance for elders was sold by "senior insurance specialists", with just a handful of companies in each state. The programs were most often Medi-gap or Medicare supplemental policies, which covered the expenses not covered by Medicare, including hospital and doctor deductibles, durable medical devices, and non-approved Medicare costs. Ironically these specialists did not sell a lot of nursing care policies, even though Medicare paid a national average of less than 2% of these expenses. With the advent of "financial and estate planning" and more insurance companies entering this market, a more broad and diversified product line became available to agents, brokers, planners, and seniors.
Part of this new diversification was the "home health care plan", sold by itself, and in conjunction with senior health insurance products. The appeal of the "home health care policy" was that a senior could stay at home and still receive medical and custodial benefits, allowing a person to recuperate in the comfort of their own home.
This was the answer to a huge problem. The last place an older person wanted to go was a "retirement home", or "rest home", or, God forbid, the "nursing home." It appeared that seniors could now rely on this new innovation without worry of having to move out of their home environment in the event of a health problem.
As with most things," if it is too good to be true".... The home health care policy is no exception. The problem is, there is not enough coverage for a lengthy illness or recuperation time. The fact is, the new trend is toward an "all in one" type facility, allowing for a variety of levels of care all in one location. In other words a senior could start off with little or no health care concerns in an independent, less expensive area, and then go to an assisted living, or nursing care facility, all within the same compound.
A "nursing home" requires a nurse on the premises 24 hours per day, assisted living is just eight hours. The advantages to this are financial. The patient or senior is only charged according to the care level required during the time he or she is admitted to that facility. Another benefit is it alleviates a lot of planning because the care is delivered, as it is needed. The medical attention is available to all residents regardless of their current health.
Some people are offered a lifetime package, which covers their care for the rest of their life, regardless of their current age. It also allows for social outlets to an otherwise somewhat isolated group. On-line shopping services have become a huge business. It is definitely here to stay and many insurance policies are purchased from Internet quotes and on-line applications.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of insurance agents and brokers advertising on the Internet. Most of them will provide instant on-line quotes and even applications for the potential insured. I highly discourage a layperson to purchase insurance in this fashion. A little knowledge can be dangerous.
The federal government has mandated to all states through legislation, the standardized senior health insurance policy guidelines, which are governed and regulated by each state insurance department.
There are plans for almost every level of health. Some are designed and priced for a less than healthy individual. Others are for a person with minimal health concerns. . The whole concept of insurance is to provide protection for "unanticipated" sickness or injury, especially catastrophic expenses, which would devastate a person's net worth. The more small expenses a person is willing or able to pay (self-insure), the lower the rate. I recommend this strategy when evaluating your insurance options.
Another consideration when reviewing various insurance plans is to look at the company itself. How long has the company been selling this type of insurance? Do they have a lot of complaints filed with the local department of insurance? Are the rates stable? Does it pay claims on time? Service? Most agents talk about the rating. These ratings are as follows: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or "not rated".
Do not be fooled by rating alone. It is good to have a high rating, but it is far better to have a company that has longevity, stability, innovation, service, and expertise. The problem is that some companies enter into a market and quickly leave without explanation. This does not give security to the policyholder.
The most important consideration should be a review of the profit/loss ratio for that product. This will establish stability, and longevity in the market. An insurance company with a moderate profit in a particular line of business will remain in that market. On the other hand, a company with losses will make changes and possibly even withdraw. This is information not normally available to Internet users.
Before entering into an insurance contract, the senior person, the family, and other advisors must be realistic, and a careful evaluation of the entire picture must be examined. The age, the health of the senior, the financial resources, the personality and attitude of the senior, and most importantly the desires of the senior, should all be considered.
Early planning is important, as qualification becomes increasingly more difficult as the applicant's health declines. The senior health care market is complex. I will offer some words of advice to attempt to alleviate potential pitfalls.
*Choose a well-informed, seasoned, and service oriented agent or broker to assist your decision making process. The professional can offer invaluable information, but do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions and even get a second opinion.
*Do not wait until your parent or loved one is sick, or injured. Plan ahead and take the time needed to cover all the options.
*Choose an experienced insurance company. A Company that has been in the marketplace for a significant time and has maintained a balance of rates and benefits and sound risk selection with moderate rate increases over time is your best bet.
*The plan should be flexible, with a broad range of options and benefit selections to the insured. There should be no tricks, or complicated language for the coverage. An incredibly low rate is a red flag for trouble in the future.
*Do not rush or be rushed by an over aggressive sales person.
This policy will not be inexpensive and will need to be read and reviewed for a clear understanding of the contents. This is one advantage to the Internet. You are allowed to read indefinitely before you act.
A long-term care program, with or without insurance coverage, will only work if the senior has input into the care selection process. If there are any questions about the accreditation of a facility please call the "Continuing Care Accreditation Commission at 202-783-7286.

Choosing Buy-To-Let Property Insurance

Risk is an area often overlooked by landlords, but failing to protect the main assets of your business, which often have borrowings secured against them could lead to ruin.
Landlords often fail to understand the types of insurance risks that they are exposed to and are unaware that insurance coverage for buy-to-let investments is very different to the standard household insurance policies that cover owner-occupied dwellings.
Therefore, landlords are advised to seek the services of specialist insurance companies catering for the buy-to-let market.
Essentially there are five broad categories of landlords insurance:
-- Landlords buildings insurance
-- Landlords contents insurance
-- Emergency assistance
-- Legal expenses insurance
-- Rent guarantee insurance
Landlords buildings insurance
These are the core policies and will generally provide coverage for a number of perils including fire, flooding, burst pipes, malicious damage and owner's liability.
It is worth checking the policies of each insurer as the perils covered may vary. Other issues to be aware of are the amount of money the insurance company will pay out in the event of damage occurring, types of tenants (student tenants are perceived to be higher risk) and consent to let from your mortgage lender, as failure to gain consent will render your insurance void in the event of a claim.
Landlords contents insurance
Many landlords insurance specialists will offer the option of limited or full contents insurance.
Limited contents policies are designed for properties that are let unfurnished or part furnished. A typical policy would provide cover of up to £5,000 for items such as curtains, carpets, white goods and light fixtures. Most policies will also provide employers and landlords liability cover in relation to these products.
Liability cover is important, as the number of personal injury claims relating to contents has risen at an astonishing rate since the 1990s, with awards in excess of £100,000 not uncommon.
Full contents policies are for fully furnished properties or for limited contents that would cost more than £5,000 to replace. When applying for full contents insurance, ensure you value the contents for the cost to replace them, opposed to the actual value that you think they are worth.
Emergency assistance
Cover is provided for general property emergencies, such as failing electricity supplies and cooking facilities, plumbing problems, leaking roofs and guttering, and damage to doors and windows.
Typical policies will provide parts and labour up to a specified cost, along with a 24-hour call out helpline number.
This sort of insurance is most suited to landlords who do not live near their property and have not contracted their managing agent to provide such a service.
It should also be noted that these policies only cover emergency call-outs and are not a general repair service required through lack of routine maintenance.
Legal expenses insurance
Problems can always occur with tenants and in many cases it is a change of personal circumstances such as job loss, accident or illness that will affect the tenants ability to pay rent or look after the property correctly.
Resolving such situations will usually involve expensive legal costs, sometimes running into thousands of pounds and legal expenses insurance is generally recommended.
Rent guarantee insurance
These policies guarantee that rent is received regardless of the tenants personal circumstances or ability to pay. These policies are most useful for landlords who have a mortgage on the property and are relying on the rental yield to service the loan. Policies will often guarantee rental payment for periods of six or twelve months.
Regulation
It is always advisable to shop around for insurance and understand what each policy provides. Always ensure that the insurance provider is a member of the General Insurance Standards Council (GISC) and is fully regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
Please note that this article is for information and guidance purposes only. With all financial matters you should seek professional advice with respect to your own specific circumstances.

Buy Long-Term Care Insurance and Become Financially Secure

Everyone of us plans to take insurance policies to meet our immediate financial needs, whenever necessary. It is often seen that many people require financial support at the later age of their life. Long-term care insurance (LTC) is one such insurance policy that covers expenses related to medical and non-medical needs of people suffering from chronic illness or disability. It covers those areas which are generally not covered by health insurance.
Long-term care insurance is gaining wide popularity among people in the United States. Many people buy this policy to get expenses associated with health-issues. The policy helps them with finance required in follow-up care after critical illness, surgery and other unusual medical conditions.
Quite often, physicians prescribe patients to take nursing for early recovery from illness. They suggest treatment as well as authorized nurse to take care of the patients. By buying long-term care insurance policy, patients can get money required in custodial nursing care. Besides this, the policy covers home care plan, according to which nursing can be planned at home as per the requirement of the patients.
Now-a-days, a number of insurance companies have started to offer LTC insurance policy. Before choosing an insurance company to buy this policy, it is necessary to ensure that the company has good reputation in the market and is able to provide finance in the time of emergency. In addition, the policy owner should have clear idea about the coverage length of the policy and the amount to be paid for the policy.
The insurance policies are complex to understand and require expert advice to ensure financial security for your later years of life. In order to have crystal-clear knowledge about the various policies, you can seek assistance from professionals working with licensed insurance companies. The skilled insurance agents have up-to-date information about the different policies including life insurance, health insurance, group insurance, long-term care insurance and many more. They are able to make their clients understand easily about the various schemes associated with the policies.
Long-term care insurance policy can be availed by individuals after attaining 18 years of age. If you are interested to avail yourself with such kind of policy, then you can contact some insurance companies in Orlando which provides the benefit of "lock-in" of lower premium costs. You can check out the policies and make decision to strengthen your financial base.
So, avail yourself with Long-term care insurance and take advantage of the policy during your immediate financial need.

Thinking About Your Insurance Needs When You Get Married

One of the changes in their lives that many newlyweds give no thought to is their insurance needs. Chances are good that they've been living under their parents' health insurance, and if they have life insurance, it's only because their folks took a policy out on them. As a child and a young person, few of us have any cause to think about insurance. However, when we get married and start taking on the responsibilities of adult life, our needs change, and we must address the various types of insurance that will help us protect ourselves and our lives.
It's possible that when you started driving at age 16, your parents made you earn the money for your part of the car insurance. After all, young people are very expensive to insure. When you get out on your own, however, you definitely need to carry insurance to cover your car and liability in case you have an accident. It's possible that your car insurance premiums may decrease when you marry, because many insurance companies offer discounts to couples. The time of your marriage is also a great time to get some new car insurance quotes to see if you can get the coverage you need at a lower price.
Life insurance is another item that becomes important when you have others to think about than just yourself. Think about the financial condition your spouse would be left in if anything happened to you. You don't want to make yourself insurance poor to where you're paying so much for your life insurance that you don't have enough left to live on, but you do need to carry enough to pay your funeral expenses and to leave your spouse with a small nest egg on which to start a new life without you. Once you add responsibilities such as children and home ownership, you will need to readjust your thinking about how much insurance you need to carry.
Health insurance is a "must-have" these days. Medical costs are sky high, and although you're young and haven't really thought about being laid up for awhile, you could break a leg or become ill enough so that you wouldn't be able to work while at the same time you'd be piling up a large debt in medical costs. Maybe you'll be lucky, and one of you will have a job that provides health care for both of you. If not, you'll have to check around to see what's available at a price you can afford. When you hesitate to buy the coverage you need because of the cost, keep in mind that one accident or illness could end up costing you thousands of dollars.

Paying Insurance Premiums Is Not Throwing Money In The Water

It is important to have insurance for your car, your home and even for yourself. Accidents can occur at any time, your valuable belongings can be stolen and you can also get ill or impaired and not able to make a living. In all of these situations you can claim from your insurance policy to cover these costs and expenses.
It's a given fact that no one enjoys paying their monthly insurance costs. Insurance coverage is not a perceptible item that you can observe, smell or taste and many individuals regard paying insurance premiums as throwing money in the water. For that reason it is important to make sure that you find the most economical insurance quote with the best possible cover for your month to month contributions.
The most important thing is to compare and contrast as many quotes as you possibly can. Shopping for insurance should not be the same as shopping for clothes or sneakers! Sometimes when you spot a nice coat or pair of shoes in a shop, you might buy it without actually needing it. Insurance is totally different. You first need to analyze your needs and requirements and then decide which type of insurance policy would be the best. Compared to clothes shopping again, you need to buy the perfect coat or shoes for your requirements and not simply the first jacket or pair of shoes that you find on a sale.
A very easy way to obtain an insurance quote is by browsing the net. It is possible to visit the websites of individual businesses, but sometimes an insurance portal where you can contrast and compare policies is a better idea as you will receive neutral quotations from various suppliers.
There are specific things that people can do in order to lower their monthly insurance premiums. Let's use vehicle insurance as an example. If you install an alarm system, tracking unit or anti-theft device, you will be seen as a lower risk consumer and your premiums will be adjusted accordingly. Some insurance companies also offer reduced rates for customers that only travel limited distances each month. Even precautionary features such as air bags and anti-lock brakes can have an effect on your insurance costs. This can be different from one company to another and it is crucial that you confirm these aspects with your insurance vendor or insurance broker.
When you obtain an insurance quote, you need to make certain you understand what your policy will cover, what will be ruled out and what will be expected from you, the client. Some insurance plans have a voluntary excess amount that needs to be paid out every time you want to put in a claim. Other insurance plans will cover the complete amount. Some insurance plans will offer no-claim bonuses while other insurance policies won't.
With the amount of insurance companies and insurance plans available on the market, it is really not difficult to obtain a car insurance policy at a reasonable price. The most important thing to remember is to compare and contrast as many quotations as possible before making your final decision.

Items to Consider While Choosing a Claims Management System

As a business owner or a risk manager of the organization, it is your responsibility to maintain a safe environment at workplace. In order to ensure a safe working environment, it is necessary to address all the factors that are causing accidents. This is where a Claims Management System comes to your rescue.
An effective Claims management system can be a blessing to those organizations which are struggling to deal with claims and their associated costs. Claims management systems assist you in analyzing claims (including property, casualty, workers compensation, general liability and others) and enables you to monitor and control your risks effectively. Today, it has become a necessity in every organization, particularly for insurance and risk claims departments, third party claims administrators and risk managers.
With its increased requirement in organizations, a multitude of systems from various manufacturers (many of them are inexperienced) are popping up every day. With a wide variety of choice, choosing a good claims management system can often be an intimidating task due to the risks involved and the complexity of each system. The purpose of this article is to help you focus on what really matters while choosing the right claims management system.
Quick and instant response
The very reason for implementing claims management software in any business is to address transactions quickly and efficiently. Every transaction, whether it is accessing and saving a claim, entering payments and reserves, creating letters and notes or any other item, the system should respond instantly in order not to negatively impact or frustrate the examiners. With every transaction, the system should manage all of the relevant data to each case and provide quick and instant details. It should return all the related details such as type of accident, date and time, employee involved, severity of the accident, etc. within seconds.
Latest technology
When it comes to buying a system, the choice should always be for the latest release of the technology. Reputed manufacturers continually are updating and modernizing platforms that facilitate improved performance and stability. Systems with latest technology are generally more user friendly, which will ensure that claim handlers and adjusters are more comfortable utilizing the software.
Easy to capture accidents
Your claims management system should be designed in such a way that it captures all relevant claim information, document all file activity, captures necessary documents, incorporate all reports and correspondence and maintain permanent transaction records. Efficiently managing the details of the claims will provide clear and organized data regarding the claims, which will assist in easy retrieval of the pattern of accidents so you can focus on correcting the issues.
Ad hoc reporting
A good and advanced system should be able to provide specific and intricate details of an accident. If the standard reports of the system are not helpful, your claims management system should be able to provide you with ad hoc reports whenever needed. With the keen analysis of every claim, addressing the issue is a relatively simple task.
Provide clear and understandable information - Data Visualization
Managing and sorting the information in a clear and organized fashion helps you clearly understand the factors responsible for accidents and their effects. Therefore, clear and understandable information, preferably illustrated through customizable graphs, charts, flow charts etc. is very essential. It is time saving too, as it greatly reduces the time necessary to analyze the issues.
Powerful user access rights
Your claims management system should have powerful user access rights to protect the valuable data from unauthorized use. The system should have multi-level access passwords and data should be encrypted. Only responsible persons with correct user ids and passwords should be allowed to access the system which can be maintained across multiple tiers.
Experience of vendor in the field
Looking for an experienced vendor will only better your chances of choosing a best system for your organization. An experienced vendor will be better prepared to understand the needs of the industry and provides you the right system. Remember, reputed and experienced vendors continuously communicate with their clients and will consider their requests and suggestions to update and modernize their systems.
A good claims management system helps you identify the patterns of accidents and significantly reduces your operational costs. So, you need to spend some time evaluating the system capabilities, vendor response and vendor reputation while choosing one.

Insurance Leads - Plan of Action

Insurance leads, which are made ready for use by insurance lead providers are verified and subject to close examination by insurance lead reviews. They act as an insurance leads guide that helps other insurance agents lay hands on the best quality online leads at the most competitive cost.
Online insurance prospects are a workable and staple tool of a profitable insurance agent. Nevertheless, if they can give a remunerative source of money, they can also be an expensive drain on your account if you end up getting leads that are of no use. Therefore, the means to maximize this marketing aid is to find excellent quality leads.
Insurance leads are proven good in helping an insurance agent become a successful salesperson. Still, leads can be a great waste of money if you end up with leads that will never do well. For this reason, you should get paramount insurance leads to fully utilize them.
Most people view insurance plans as a waste of money. Accordingly, it is not surprising why being in the business of selling any kind of insurance nowadays can be hard, even though there are still people who believe that insurance is important. Hence, you need some additional effort to find these persons who view insurance as vital. These people are a portion of the choicest insurance leads you should obtain.
Countless people believe that insurance premiums would just eat away their money. As a result, selling insurance nowadays can be difficult. Notwithstanding, there are others who trust on insurance in times of sudden adversity, and these are the kind of people you need to summon.
It is very valuable that you have the best lead insurance management. You have to track your leads and follow your sales, too. If you always calculate your ROI, then you would be able to concentrate more on profitable lead companies and disregard the ones that do not have a good ROI.
If you purchase leads, it is actually all about profits. Whether you buy the exclusive ones or the shared leads, as long as you get your money back, including the extras, that is what is most significant.
The most valuable thing that agents can do to collar the best leads is to examine and pursue the leads given by a certain provider. Your aim should be to purchase leads from every leading lead service providers and then cautiously track your profits, since it is important that agents have top-notch lead insurance dealings.
Bear in mind before you purchase leads that some lead providers can be awesome while others are horrible. It will be up to you to consistently track your ROI and to be proactive about trying new insurance.

Disability Insurance For Urologists

We have been working with physicians for the last 30+ years. When we started providing income protection solutions, there were over 125 disability income companies. Out of those 125, there were approximately 25, give or take a few, that had the contractual language that included a specialty specific definition. Today there are approximately 25+ carriers with this coverage of which only 3 in CA contain the preferable language; specialty specific definition for a urologist.
Over that period of time we have seen medicine change dramatically. Disability companies have responded by removing or changing favorable contract provisions, i.e.:
- Reducing benefit periods
- Increasing waiting periods
- Removing the specialty specific own-occupation definition
- Increasing premiums
- Tougher medical underwriting
- More stringent financial underwriting
- Stricter claims handling processing
In the last 30 years we have seen many friends and clients die and become disabled. We have seen physicians not only become HIV positive but contract AIDS, be stricken with Leukemia, brain tumors, prostate cancer, heart disease, incur severe back injuries, get diagnosed with cognitive diseases and much more. We have seen the value in our recommendation. We have seen hardship experienced by some who didn't take our advice.
The protection of your income should be the foundation for your overall financial plan. When all is said and done, disability coverage allows you to meet your financial obligations. It allows you to focus on getting well and trying to overcome your injury or illness. It allows you to live with dignity.
Remember the first rule of insurance, insure first that which you can least afford to lose.... your income, your health and your life.
If you had a goose which continuously laid golden eggs, would you rather insure the eggs or the goose? The smartest decision would be to insure the goose's ability to lay those golden eggs. If you are like most of our high income clients, the single greatest asset your family has is your earning power.
The probability of at least one long term disability (90 days of longer) occurring before age 65 is 50% for someone age 25, 45% for someone age 35, 38% for someone age 45 and 26% for someone age 55.
Inadequate disability coverage can be more costly than death, divorce or a lawsuit. If you have never heard of a living death, well...disabilities happen!
Give yourself an income protector checkup:
- How long does your coverage last?
- How much is my monthly benefit? i.e. $10,000
- Can I live on that amount per month?
If you earn $500,000 per year or $41,667 per month, that represents only 24% of your pre-disability income. If you walked into your office tomorrow and your income was cut by 76%, could you survive?
- Is my policy specialty specific for the entire benefit period? Most group policies will be for only a 2 to 5 year period.
- Who pays the premium? You typically want to pay premiums personally. This way the benefit is received tax free. There are also other issues as to why you do not want your corporation paying and deducting premiums. Some physicians have been told to write off premiums until you run into a potential situation where you will get disabled and then pay your next premium post-tax. The theory being that your last premium was not deducted; therefore, the benefit will be tax free. Do not believe it and do not take that advise.
- Do I have adequate overhead coverage? Many physicians who contact us have inadequate coverage.
- Do I have a contractual provision in my buy-sell agreement providing for disability buy-out if I or one of my partners become disabled and how is it funded?
- Is my carrier financially stable?
- Is my policy non-cancellable? Group policies or associate coverage can be cancelled, premiums can be increased. With a non-can product you will pay a fixed premium throughout the contract term.
- Does my policy contain a cost of living adjustment?
- Does it pay if I am partially disabled?
- Are my future pension contributions covered?
We hope this information has been of value to you. Our desire is to help as many physicians as we can make educated, informed decisions when protecting their income.

Recession Has Forced People to Claim for Disability Benefits

Social security benefits that serve the purpose of insurance post retirement have become the absolute necessity for many of the workers in United States. Many people who were rendered unemployed after the economic downturn were forced to retire before they were willing to. Another reason is massive downsizing happening even in flourishing industries. The business is still in a state of flux and has not fully recovered and the jobs are not created either. This has put many workers in a big financial trouble. Majority of the workers who are unemployed are not even close to the early retirement age fixed by the federal government. But, these workers cited health problems to claim their disability benefits, in order to prevent their lives come to a grinding halt.
The growing concern is that those who retire before the early age and full term retirement age may not get full benefits under the social security act. They may continue to get fewer benefits till they attain full term retirement age. Another matter of concern is that these claims are not headed on time. Many of them are being denied. Initially 65% of the disability claims were denied giving rise to more number of appeals. Social security administration has hired more judges to hear to these appeals and has managed to bring down the time to resolve an appeal from 532 days to 390 days now.
In spite of these efforts, there are close to 700,000 pending hearings. There is no budget with the federal agencies to clear this backlog. Even the stimulus package given to the federal agency is not sufficient to clear the overwhelming claims. Every year social security administration is spending close to $800 million, yet the amount is not enough to meet the needs of many laid off and retired workers.
The budget cut on social security administration, has resulted in deferring the opening of 8 new offices in different states. Even the government headed by President Obama has failed to release more funds for covering the backlog claims. This will result in more time to hear the appeals of millions of workers. This has raised concerns among many of the potential claimants who want to claim their social security benefits due to disability. However, there is a ray of hope in trying to look for the new jobs considering the fact that economy is on a road to recovery.

How Do Employers Handle a Disability Claim?

Handling a disability claim has become one of the toughest things an employer will ever have to deal with. The intent of this information is to help you prepare for what lies ahead.
Many employers have shared their experience as this being a "living nightmare". The number and frequency of "Disability Claims" among the working population has been increasing over the last decade. This has forced employers, benefit consultants/ brokers and insurance companies to revisit plan designs and develop pricing strategies.
Times have changed! "it used to be that when an employee had a problem they just kept it inside, pulled up their socks and got the job done." Today, with the financial need for a double-income family, problems such as divorce, job loss and daycare, social activities are creeping into the workplace. Although the problems may not appear serious, they are greatly affecting productivity.
When a disability occurs, no matter what the situation, the employer feels a moral responsibility to ensure the disabled employee is taken care of. Most employers within their sick leave policy provide a specified number of days at full salary for any type of injury or sickness. From that point on the group insurance program or disability benefit will usually begin. However, the employer must now co-ordinate the work to continue to get done until the employee returns to their job.
This is where the nightmares can be eliminated in the future. A disability management program should be incorporated into your sick leave policy. This program is designed to prevent and manage absences from work and to help keep your employees healthy and productive. The cost of work absences significantly affects the cost of doing business, including benefit costs.
How do we develop the disability management program?
Employers can gain valuable information about the type of disability management program required by analyzing reasons for absence from work, as well as the number of occasions and duration. Once you have a clear picture of your employees absence trends, you may wish to review your claims management procedures. Do you have clear policies in place outlining the responsibilities of both you and your employee? Are they understood and followed? Does your company keep in touch with the employee while off and do you help them return to work as soon as possible?
Rehabilitation counselling in the early stages before a claim reaches Long Term Disability can help the employee focus on their ability rather than the disability and it assists them in developing a return-to-work strategy. Statistics show that the longer a disabled employee is away from work, the more difficult it is to return. As well, consider adding an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). An EAP is designed to help resolve work-related and personal problems before they become overwhelming and too expensive to treat which in result in absence from work. An EAP is short term counselling where employees can get help to deal with a variety of problems including stress, depression, drug and alcohol addiction and family conflict.
Some ways that employers are helping employees is to give them the opportunity to upgrade their skills for future advancement within the company. Programs are available at local colleges, universities and day programs. Other preventive programs you may wish to add include educational programs on time and stress management or ergonomics. In the long run, all these programs will save you money by keeping your employees healthy... and on the job!

Affordable Insurance - How To Save

Finding a way to save on your insurance policies can be a very great way of making savings.
Since a lot of us have either auto insurance, health insurance, home insurance, renters insurance, life insurance and other types of insurance coverage, little savings we can make from all these different policies would amount to something tangible and worthwhile.
We would be looking at three broad ways of making savings.
* The first thing we would look at is quotes comparison. Quotes comparison allows you a sneak preview of what different insurance companies would charge you for the cover you are looking for. The more quotes you can get and compare, the more savings you are likely to make.
This should be the first thing you should do be buying any policy.
* After getting and comparing quotes and buying the policy you require from your insurance company of choice, the nest thing would now be to look for things that can earn you more savings.
Depending on the type of insurance policy you have, raising your deductible would earn you lower rates. You need to raise your deductible wisely. You do not want to raise it to an amount you would not be able to come up with should you need to.
* The last way that you can save is by taking advantage of discounts available on your policy. There are many types of discounts you can take advantage of. Some of them include
- Safety Discounts - You get this discount for keeping the insured item (car, house etc) as safe as possible.
- Security Discounts - This is for securing the insured item. The more secure it is, the more likely you are to get this discount.
- No Claim Discounts - When you do not make claims on your policy for sometime, you should get this discount.
- Low Mileage Discounts (Auto Insurance) - This applies to auto insurance. The less you use your car, the more likely you are to get this discount.
- Good Driving Discounts (Auto Insurance) - Also for auto insurance. The better a driver you are, the less likely you are to get involved in an accident so you get this discount.
- Discounts For Paying Premiums Annually And Now Monthly - Insurance companies prefer that you pay your premium yearly. When you do this, you save some money.
etc
You should however talk to your insurance agent who would then explain to you the discounts available on the policy you have.
Make all the savings you can and really enjoy affordable insurance.

Choosing The Ideal Overseas Holiday Home Insurance Policy

Holiday home insurance policies are dissimilar to both ordinary house insurance and buy-to-let insurance, so don't make the slip-up and imagine that it is easy to spend less and corners by using the inappropriate variety. This is a policy which usually covers your personal property whether you are at home or not. House insurance frequently features coverage from theft, fire, lightning and various key risks confronting a home-owner. Property is regularly considered a good investment and naturally, when we put money into something, we need to attain the best turnaround possible, being economical where we can easily and removing on unnecessary expenditure so that the return we obtain should be even better in good time to exit, but you can discover corners that ought to not be cut.
We have found some material on what holiday property coverage is precisely about and why should we need them. You must first find an expert holiday home insurance provider, or perhaps a professional dealer. Your policy may well be divided into building cover and contents cover. Just as with your main residence, overseas property insurance cover should provide a similar protection over its structure and contents. Many UK holiday home insurance plans demand that water pipes and tank equipment are cleared in the event the property is untenanted and temperatures fall below 8 degrees.
Typical homeowner's and renter's insurance policies include coverage of household items, which includes electronic products together with other high-priced goods, but up to a particular limit. A lot of professional insurers will provide both Park Home and Holiday Home insurance policies, therefore it's essential that if you're looking for insurance you choose the protection that most closely fits your unit and the way whereby you use it. Some insurance policies can rule out theft claims except in cases where door/window locks meet a specified standard and shutters/grilles are fitted and utilized. Also, many insurers can't settle a claim unless there is evidence of a break-in, so take care should you leave your property.
Variables impacting on Spanish Policies - Spain has not got comparable subsidence problems as Britain and to a smaller extent France as its water table is a lot lower, the land is generally naturally dry. It is actually simple enough to find insurance for holiday homes in Spain and you will find many businesses who have got English-speaking staff but watch out as a great number of times the actual policies are written only in Spanish therefore it is important one does understand the things you are being covered for. Your Spanish property insurance will need to cover you from damage a result of quake, storms and floods. Whilst in the event you need overseas holiday property insurance any extra premium should be to cover the raised risk of cave in.
Apart from finding complete insurance coverage upon your building and its contents, it's also wise to have an insurance coverage against liabilities. House owners Liability: Without question the vacation home owner really should be concerned about the appreciable pitfalls resulting from alternative party liabilities. Review the insurance coverage against the valuation on your own personal property. Ultimately, check that the holiday home insurance provides fully extended contents cover and liability cover. For homes which could be let on short-term contracts you should make sure you have the proper policy. Holiday properties are especially vulnerable to storm and frost deterioration in wintertime, since they often run dangerous currently.
So an ideal overseas holiday home insurance is vital to manage your own investment. Make sure your Holiday Property Insurance policy includes Householders Liability of at least £2,000,000 of cover. For example, a few holiday home insurance policies really don't safeguard non citizens. Firstly refer to your holiday home insurance broker that the usage of Key Safes is adequate. Various other holiday home insurance plans might stipulate that they can insure exactly the items not in the house. Other holiday home insurance policies operate in a contrary fashion whereby they insure the exterior but not the inside. You shouldn't pick the esteemed holiday home insurers who have too many obligations to satisfy.

Will I Have to Pay for Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?

Are you thinking about buying a home? It is a buyer's market, because there are a plethora of homes for sale at great prices, and interest rates are still relatively low. Of course, when buying a home, there's a lot more to think about than just securing a loan and making house payments. You need to be cautious about the area where the home you buy is located, because even if the home is valued quite low when you buy it, when we finally get out of this recession, home prices will go back up, and you need to be sure that you can afford the property taxes you will be assessed. Another expense might be carrying Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) if it's required.
PMI is insurance you pay for that protects your lender's money should you end up having the home foreclosed. You may think you're getting a bargain when your realtor quotes you a small downpayment and affordable monthly payments, but many of them avoid telling buyers that if they only pay a little down, they will most likely have to carry PMI which is going to be tacked onto their monthly payments. Lenders have been left carrying the bag in many instances during the foreclosure crisis, and they want to be assured that if they have to foreclose on you, they'll be able to sell the property and make up any shortfall between the selling price and the outstanding debt. Thus, PMI.
There are some situations in which you won't have to worry about PMI. These include if you take out a VA or FHA loan which doesn't require the insurance, and if you are able to make a downpayment of at least 20% of the home's value. Any time your equity in a home is at least 20%, you shouldn't have to carry PMI. Equity is the amount of the current value of the home as opposed to the amount you still owe. With the recent drop in home prices, many people have found themselves "under water," because they ended up having a negative equity in their home. That means that they still owe more than the property is worth.
Every case is different, though, so you will want to discuss your options with both your real estate agent and your lender to see if you will qualify for a loan without having to pay extra for PMI.

Legal Requirements for Taxi Insurance

The status of the driver for taxi insurance
You have to be licensed to do business before you can access taxi insurance. There are schemes for private drivers and this one is restricted to people that are involved in ferrying people around for money. Before you meet the licensing requirements, the authorities will put you through a series of tests which are meant to confirm that you are competent enough to follow through with the business. Drivers without licenses are not even allowed to drive.
The role of the local councils
Ultimately the local council is responsible for running the scheme for taxi drivers. They use it to collect revenue and will be part of the licensing process. In most cases you will need to make the application through the agencies that are managed by the local authorities. Make sure that you understand the rules that affect that locality. For example the fees and charges might change from time to time. It is in your best interest to follow the right principles in order to find the best policies.
The regulatory authorities and taxi insurance
There will be a regulatory authority which is responsible for ensuring that you follow through with the requirements. They will look at your driving skills and the safety measures which are in place. It is important that you follow the rules that are set by the authority in order to drive without hindrance. They will also put restrictions on the types of people who can receive taxi insurance because their approval is required before you get the original license. That is where the level of supervision is important. You might live under the jurisdiction of an authority which is very strict with these things.
Road safety campaigners and taxi insurance
It has been said that road safety campaigners have an interest in ensuring that there is adequate supervision of the taxi insurance industry. First of all, the accidents that happen are covered by the policy. This is also beneficial to the other drivers who might have to pay increased premiums if there were uninsured drivers on the road involved in the accidents. Furthermore it means that the victims have some way of claiming. In fact it might be that your passengers will benefit from the presence of the policy because they can sue you to get compensation for an accident l
Tourism and taxi insurance
The regulation of the taxi industry is directly related to the tourism industry. Tourists need to travel in safety. If their safely needs are not met then they will keep away from the locality. Therefore the authorities have to ensure that the taxi insurance policies are valid and that there is adequate support for the regulator. Tourists place a lot of importance on the safety of travel. There is no point in building an insurance industry and then letting it fall apart because the safety measure are not in synch with the requirements of the visitors to the locality.
The economy and taxi insurance
The economy is well supported if road safety is taken into consideration. The taxi drivers are an important element in economic development. It therefore makes sense to ensure that they are part of the regulatory authorities and that they do not do anything to harm the people who are using taxis. The taxi insurance policy will cover many things including the third party injuries, costs of medical care and the expenses that are involved in clearing the debris. It is important that all Mini Cab drivers get adequate coverage from a reputable company which will follow through with the rules.

How Premiums for Taxi Insurance Are Calculated

Looking at the increments in taxi insurance
The taxi insurance premiums are likely to go up over time. It is estimated that these premiums will increase the costs of travel by about six percent. Those are very high figures when you consider the problems that are troubling the economy at the moment. Therefore drastic measures could be required in order to ensure that there is parity in the implementation of the scheme. The actual increments do not exceed $50 per annum. These might appear to be low figures but they add up to something that can affect the motor industry in the long run.
Drivers and taxi insurance
It is estimated that younger drivers will be hit hardest by the taxi insurance that is increasing on a fairly regular basis. The premium tax rules mean that there is much more to be gained by increasing the net of people who fall under the rules. Of course the public may complain that they are already paying to much money but the reality is that this scheme is likely to continue in the long run. It is simply too much of a reliable revenue generation scheme to be left behind by the authorities.
A good driving record and taxi insurance
It is perfectly possible to reduce the amount of taxi insurance that you pay if you can accumulate the so called "No Claims Discount" or NCD. This is a scheme which is associated by those drivers that do not place a huge burden on the insurance industry. Therefore they are given some discretion as to how they manage the scheme. It is important to have a record of your driving habits so that you can claim discounts on the standard price which is charged to the public. If you have too many claims then you will be hit hardest by the increments.
Make sure that you shop around for taxi insurance
Although it is virtually confirmed that there will be increments in the level of taxi insurance, the reality is that most people can get a deal if they shop around. The internet has different websites which can assist you in this endeavor. You just have to identify the opportunity and take things from there. The comparison will reduce the premium that you have to pay. If you fail to shop around then you will end up paying the maximum amounts available on the scheme.
Unitary policies for taxi insurance
If you drive a taxi, then it is more than likely that you will join some sort of cooperative. For example the London Cab drivers have different associations which help them to negotiate unitary policies. Make sure that you explore the opportunities to put your taxi insurance requirements on the group scheme. It will almost certainly save you lots of money. In the long run you will find that the coverage is the same but that you are benefitting from an improvement in the level of discounts that you can expect from the scheme.
The dynamics of taxi insurance policies
Obviously the provider will be looking at the way that you are applying for the insurance policy. They will also make up their minds on the best way to project the various elements of the risk factors. For example if your route is located in a rough area then they will increase the premium. Likewise the drivers that do not store the vehicle in a secure place will be faced with a premium that is higher than the normal settings. It is in your interests to work out a fair scheme so that you do not get overcharged.

Commercial Insurance: Acquiring The Right Type of Policy

In the United Kingdom and by law it is necessary to have some types of insurance if you are in business, so it is important that you have the right set of facts before you when you are considering taking out insurance. There are many different types of insurance that you will need to consider depending on the type of business you operate. There are often many risks to which a business can be open to, so acquiring the right type of insurance that is correct for your business is vital.
Sometimes it's not that easy to specially identify the areas where you need to get covered, but some the things you might like to consider thinking about in obtaining insurance are buildings insurance, fixtures and fittings, any equipment and machinery you may have. Also take in to account any stock you have and loss of profit, this is often referred to as business interruption. Think where the areas your business maybe most at risk, this could be goods that you transport, and any loss of operational licenses.
You will need to get insurance cover for your employees, and depending on your exact business, most companies will have to get public liability cover for third party, and you will need to get cover for any money that maybe held on the premises or held by authorised personnel.
Do some homework on the exact type of insurance you need, and one of the best ways of getting better informed is by making use of the many brokers that are in the market place. You can visit them directly, call them, or as most people do nowadays is search for a broker on the internet, where you will find many a choice to be had. Any broker that you approach should be knowledgeable and be able to give you an in-depth breakdown of the different types of commercial insurances that are available and that are essential for your business whatever it is.
They should offer you a complete and efficient service and be able to give you competitive premiums with the added convenience of being able to pay these premiums on a monthly basis using direct debit, and make sure you only pay for the type of insurance that only your business needs, in this respect you will be able to keep the cost down, and make some great savings.
The more common name for commercial insurance is business insurance and this type of cover is used by corporations, as well as small and medium sized businesses. Business insurance will meet the needs of most businesses, but does include any cover for individuals it only covers the business from any sort of risks, such as fire and theft to vandalism, and it may well cover for any damage that is maybe done to an office. Cover for any harm that may occur to employees is also normally covered by this type of insurance, so if your insurance needs are in excess of this insurance it is well to take advice, as there are insurances that will provide you with the cover you are looking for.

Purchasing Taxi Insurance Online

For every businessman, money and time are very important. Today, one can buy anything via the internet. This saves the time and there is no need to roam here and there in markets. Taxi business owners would be delighted to know that they can get their taxis insured instantly online and thus saving their time. There are other benefits also when buying the taxi insurance policy online:
Comparison Becomes Easier: It is always necessary to have a comparison of quotes from four or five companies while purchasing the policy. This will help to find out the best policy at the reasonable price. However, shopping at the market for taxi cover will require much more time than online.
More convenient: There is no need to visit many companies to find the best insurance company. Just search for the companies providing taxi insurance on the net and proceed further.
Saves money: The cost of searching the policy online is much less than searching for it offline. Cost of petrol, wear and tear of your vehicle, and others are excluded on the net.
Saves time: Today, the schedules are so hectic that it is very difficult to find the time needed to search for a good taxi policy. Searching online will save a lot of time which can be utilized for other urgent matters.
Saves energy: Searching for the policy online saves energy as rolling on the mouse is much easier than rolling in vehicle. Nowadays, even cell phone can be used to search for a taxi policy.
Instant proof of the policy: After purchasing the taxi cover online, one can get an instant proof of the purchase made with few insurance cards. Get them printed and keep them as a record. They are completely legal and are admissible in the court.
Now, the question is how to start a search for a comprehensive policy. One can search for it in insurance directories, where there is a list of providers and sometimes there are highly detailed rate comparisons. When the search is complete, just fill in the form providing the basic information, get the quotes and it is done. Go for a company that has past records of responding fast to all the queries and settling the claims on time. If there is still a problem of finding the insurance websites, there are many brokers who will get insurance quotes and make a detailed comparison.
Buying the coverage online is fast, easy and effective. Don't waste any more time and go online for all taxi insurance needs.

Shopping for Public Liability Insurance Online

There are many different types of insurance out there, and almost all of them are important if you happen to be running a business of any kind. The thing to remember here is that without insurance, particularly that of public liability coverage, your business will face a number of different problems. For one thing, you will more than likely find that your business ends up owing a huge fine to either an individual or even another company. The reason of course will depend on several different factors.
For one thing, you need to look at the potential risk within your establishment. As with any other type of insurance out there, it is entirely possible to overpay. You could purchase a level of insurance that you do not actually need, or you might even find that you under-insure yourself. Either one of these can be a serious problem, and at some point you will need to come to grips with this.
Luckily, buying your insurance online is much easier than you would think. The first thing you will need to do is run a rather basic search, and this search should reveal a number of different insurance policies that will cover the public liability situation. Before doing so and committing to any particular insurance policy however, it is important that you understand precisely what public liability is, and you might be surprised to find out that it is precisely what it sounds like.
What you are essentially facing is a lashing out from either your public or from a former employee. This could happen for many different reasons of course, one reason being the accident factor. What are the chances that an accident will occur in your facility? Customers could slip and fall due to employee negligence, and employees could become injured due to their own negligence but it can still result in serious financial difficulty.
That being said, finding the right amount of coverage is paramount when it comes to public liability insurance, and when you are searching online, you will undoubtedly find a plethora of insurance agents that are more than willing to help you locate the right plan. Keep in mind that buying online is significantly cheaper than buying anywhere else, and if you wish, you can forgo the cost of an agent if you believe you can handle the purchase yourself.
Another great benefit to using this particular purchase method is the fact that you can choose the components of your insurance package on your own, and you can ultimately determine how much you are going to pay. In the end you will find that it is quite a bit of work, but when the time comes for you to call on your public liability insurance policy, you will be more than happy that you took your time, chose the right plan, and made it work out. After all, no one wants to deal with the downfall of a company, especially when it is avoidable.

Contractors Insurance Quotes and Getting the Most From Them

In respects to contractors shopping for contractors insurance there are two type of contractors, what I like to call knowledgeable and learning contractors. The knowledgeable contractors tend to have some years of experience in searching out their contractors insurance policies while the learning contractors tend to be within their first couple years of business. The knowledgeable contractors get right to the point giving their agents precise information and looking for exact figures of coverage which ultimately makes them easier to work with while the learning contractor can be difficult to be able to cover properly. Insurance is a language that some find hard to understand so the learning contractors don't seem to articulate their needs very well to their insurance brokers which leaves room for errors. As insurance brokers, part of our job is making sure to protect our contractors to the best of our ability and to help educate them as to what insurance might best be suited for their particular needs. For this to happen, both the contractor and the Insurance Agent need to be on the same page. Here I will go into some of the key points that I feel will help contractors find the best insurance quotes available from their Agent or broker.
First you will need to get an idea of what you are looking to insure. All contractors insurance policies are not the same. A painting contractor in Oregon might not require the same type of insurance policy as a General contractor would in California. Stop and ask yourself what it is exactly that you do. Think about what could go wrong in your operations. Find out if your state has construction defect laws that directly affect your type of work. Contact your state or local licensing agency to find out about any warranty that they require of your products after installation. If you find any, you would want to have an insurance policy that offers that coverage without excessive limitations.
Know your limits of insurance. This is different for everyone but a good place to start is to look around you and mentally add up everything you are worth. Then, take that as the starting figure and don't insure yourself for anything less. It wouldn't make sense to be worth a million dollars and be insured for only fifty thousand. I hear all the time that my clients only want their contractors liability insurance to be $10,000 since their project cost is only $10,000 but they fail to understand that the project cost doesn't dictate the cost of a claim and a $100 job could cause $500,000 in damages.
Don't be shy about telling your insurance agent everything. Remember, we as insurance agents work for you. We are here to make sure that you get insured for what you are doing. If you don't communicate to us what you need, then we won't know to provide it for you.
Make sure your broker is working with your best interest in mind. Insurance agents are like anyone else and can get lazy. Make sure you get the most competitive insurance quotes possible. Ask to get comparison quotes so that you know they are really shopping around for you and not just handing you the first quote they get back. Ask your agent what kind of experience in contractors insurance they have. Unless they specialize in contractors insurance, it might be a good idea to look for someone who does so that you know that your particular needs are understood. Ask if the quote comes with any added features such as free additional insured certificates, free waivers of subrogation etc. I have heard clients tell stories about their prior insurance agents charging them for regular certificates of insurance and because it was not placed on the proposal the insured signed, they could do nothing about it. Lastly, ask for different payment options. Along with the old pay in full option, most carriers allow for payments to be made throughout the year which lessens the financial burden for contractors insurance policies.
Being a knowledgeable contractor looking for insurance will ultimately save you money and possible coverage headaches in the future. Just by taking a little time to do some research on your local construction requirements can head off many costly problems down the road and helps build the confidence to ask your insurance agent for exactly what you need. Understanding contractors insurance is like learning a new language and may seem a bit intimidating but don't fret, your insurance agent or broker is there to help you along the way. Don't be afraid to call and ask whatever questions you may have, after all, that's part of what you're paying for.

Buy to Let Home Insurance - Multiple Properties

There are a lot of investors who prefer buying properties for the sole purpose of renting them out. It is therefore very important to take out a buy to let home insurance for multiple properties. This is different from just insuring one property; multiple properties can be considered by some insurers as a higher risk.
The multiple property insurance is good for two or more rental properties and can offer a simpler but better financial savings for the landowners. In fact, many of the policies can include the insurance of all of the properties under just one policy. This makes it simpler for the landowner to keep track of and also makes it cheaper in the long run. In fact, buying this type of policy for multiple properties can be considered bulk buying and this could mean discounts.
If the multiple properties are insured under one insurance provider this will mean less costs and less effort on the part of the insurer. Insuring different properties separately will mean a lot of costs and a lot of records to keep track of.
A lot of insurers can offer the multiple property coverage flexibility; however, it really depends on the insurer itself. This makes it doubly important for the landowner to look into the policy itself. There are some insurers which can include the building and the contents in one portfolio, but then there are others which do not. In fact, many insurers will insist that the extras be bought separately, also there are some extras they may insist be included which are not applicable for the specific needs. Look over the policy carefully and do not pay for those extras which are not needed.
It is also very important to consider the Act of God or the policy which can cover for natural disasters like flooding, tsunamis, fires, etc. The Act of God is considered to be a basic by some insurers, although there are some which do not offer this at all. This particular policy is sometimes considered a must by some finance companies which the properties are mortgaged to.
As could be read, buy to let insurance is no simple matter, but it is very important. Knowing what to look for and what to avoid is very important and could mean savings. But the wrong kind of policy can also mean unnecessary costs which may not even mean the right coverage. Read the policy carefully and talk to an expert before signing up for anything.

Protect Your Business, Get Restaurant Liability Insurance

If you are planning to open a restaurant, do yourself a big favour and get restaurant liability insurance. Restaurant owners need to be aware that they could be facing a lot of problems that could result from the food they prepare and serve their customers. They should also think about their employees as well, those who are at risk of getting injured when they are preparing the food and serving the hot dishes. There is also the restaurant itself, should any damage hit the equipment or the restaurant space, this could cost a lot of money. Running a restaurant is very satisfying but it is not without risks. Remember that when talking perishable, customers and employees, you are thinking of only one word - LIABILITY.
In the food business, the restaurant is effectively selling perishable goods that can degrade unexpectedly at the most inconvenient times. This food is going to be eaten by the customer, the employees and the owners themselves and in the event of a breakout of food poisoning the consequences could be devastating. This means that the restaurant, although highly profitable is a high risk type of business. Food poisoning can happen in an instant and unfortunately, this could be at the most inconvenient time.
As restaurant owners it is understandable to think about both operational costs and insurance costs. But you have to look at it from a different angle altogether. The insurance companies that are tasked with covering your liabilities should be your partners and the costs involved for paying for the policies should be part of the operational budget. If you treat the insurance companies as your business partner, then will take a different view on the cost of insurance.
It is very often that a disgruntled customer can take legal action against your restaurant, should they feel discomfort while eating or after eating the food that you prepared. They can sue your restaurant and that would mean legal costs and inevitably, costs of payments for the claims. With the insurers as your partner, they will guarantee that investigation into the claims would be thoroughly carried out because they have the resource to do it. If they find out, for example that your restaurant was not at fault or it was a fraudulent claim being made against you, then they could counter sue for your restaurant.
If they do find that the restaurant was indeed at fault, then they could help in the legal costs, making sure that it would be kept to the minimum as well as cover for the claim payments. This means money saved for your restaurant. Think about it, go through unnecessary financial hardship, or take out restaurant liability insurance. Obviously, the insurance policy should be your choice.

Helping Your Drug Plan Help You

Canada's healthcare system continues to change. Due to rising drug costs, government health insurance coverages that were once taken for granted are now being reduced, and the responsibility for many of these healthcare benefits is being shifted to the private sector. Now, more than ever, Canadians are depending on their employee benefit programs. The expense of maintaining these benefits is also escalating. The cost of prescription drugs is now the fastest rising component of an employee benefit plan. As well, the aging workforce and the introduction of new, more expensive medications contribute to this continuous escalation. Containing these costs is key to maintaining the quality of your drug plan. You can help yourself in the following ways:
SHOP "SMART" - There are two components to drug prices: ingredient costs and dispensing fees. The ingredient cost is the actual cost the pharmacist pays for the drug. The ingredient cost of new drugs is often much higher than that of drugs which have been on the market for some time. Newer drugs may not necessarily be therapeutically better than a drug marketed earlier. Sometimes new drugs are just repackaged for convenience, such as patches, sustained release drugs, or capsules rather than tablets. These convenience drugs usually come at a higher price. All of these factors result in higher costs to your benefit plan. The pharmacist also charges and additional fee for the time and effort required to fill a prescription. These dispensing fees can vary greatly from one pharmacy to another. You can keep costs down by buying less expensive drugs and shopping at a pharmacy that charges a lower dispensing fee.
The following are prices for a 90 tablet supply of a popular blood pressure and cholesterol medication.
Safeway Atacand - $122.46 Lipitor - $166.25 Dispensing Fee - $9.60
Shoppers Atacand - $132.45 Lipitor - $190.29 Dispensing Fee - $12.00
Costco Atacand - $108.38 Lipitor - $150.82 Dispensing Fee - $4.49
As you can see, shopping around for your prescriptions can save you and your drug plan money and you do not have to be a Costco member to use the pharmacy. Please note that Manitoba currently does not have a cap limiting dispensing fees in the province.
A FORMULARY - Another way your employer may try to contain the rising costs to your drug plan is through a managed drug care formulary. A formulary is a comprehensive list of drugs chosen because they are both medically necessary and cost effective. Typically, not all prescription drugs are covered under a formulary. Drugs such as smoking cessation or fertility prescriptions are often excluded. Convenience drugs such as capsules, patches and sustained release drugs might also be left off a formulary. In addition, many formularies now include mandatory generic substitution.
GENERIC SUBSTITUTES - A generic drug is an exact chemical copy of a brand-name drug, and is often significantly less expensive. In many cases, a generic equivalent drug can be prescribed instead of the more expensive brand-name drug. Ask your doctor when prescribing, or your pharmacist when filling a prescription, if there is a generic substitute available.
TAKE YOUR MEDICATION AS ADVISED - Prescription medications, like any drugs, have the potential to be harmful if used inappropriately. Taking a drug at the wrong time or circumstance or in combination with other drugs can be dangerous. As well, the therapeutic value of a drug can be reduced if the drug, dosage or duration of therapy is incorrect. It is estimated that 50 percent of prescription drug users do not take their medication according to their doctor and pharmacist directions. This can result in prescriptions being repeated unnecessarily, which translates into higher drug-plan costs.

Tenant's Insurance: An Overview

What is Tenants insurance?
When you rent property, even if it is not for a long period time, it will most likely be in your best interest to get cover for your contents. Several insurance companies provide a specialist policy for renters of property called tenant's insurance, or sometimes called renters insurance. Almost all policies offer cover for renters of private property. Many also provide cover for renters of council properties, and some provide cover for renters of housing cooperatives.
Whether the property you are renting is a furnished or an unfurnished property, you will most probably have paid a deposit to your landlord, usually one month's rent, which is partly to secure the flat, and also to protect the landlord against damage to their property.
If the property is fully furnished, and you do not own the contents, you will still be responsible for certain types of damage to them. This doesn't normally mean normal wear and tear of furniture, but damage that can be attributed to the irresponsibility of you or that of any of your visitors can be charged to you, and taken off your deposit.
However, as you can be held responsible for accidental damage to your landlords' property, you can cover yourself for this as well.
The landlord actually has to insure their contents too, but you may want to cover the value of your deposit. Also, you may have some personal possessions in the furnished flat which you will want to cover.
If you are renting an unfurnished property, you are responsible for insuring your own contents and possessions. You can also cover your personal possessions that are kept outside your rented accommodation by extending your policy to "all risks".
You can cover yourself for household goods, personal effects, furniture, coins, stamps and other collections, as well as other valuables. You could even have cover for the value of the frozen food in your deep freezer in case it breaks down and all your lovely food is ruined. Sometimes, you can be covered for loss of cash and anything else that belongs to you or items you are legally responsible for. You can cover yourself against all of the usual standard risks, but ultimately, this kind of insurance is covering you for the value of your personal possessions along with the deposit you have paid.
Landlords are completely responsible for getting buildings insurance, because it is their property, and they should also get contents insurance to cover their property in the flat. The deposit may not be enough to cover all of the possible damage that can occur when the landlord's property is rented out. The correct landlord's insurance in place, together with careful referencing of the tenants, could reduce the risks a landlord takes on significantly.
Often you will have to fill out the form as if you are looking for buildings insurance also, then exclude this option at the end. With some, you may have to get the quote for buildings and contents, then change your options and requote.

A Bit Of Insurance Help

There are, what feels like, a million various kinds of insurance around. There's life, house, death, funeral, health, hospital, car, building, business, professional and liability insurances and many, many others. So, to help make your life a little easier, the following is some facts on home insurance.
Who needs to have home insurance?
Everyone! Well, anybody who owns a residence that is. No matter who you are, your property is your most valuable asset. This means it should be protected from all things unexpected and all folks untrustworthy.
What does home insurance cover?
It can cover just about anything you desire it to cover. The most common constituents of household cover are contents insurance and building insurance. Each one covers a very different portion of the house.
Contents insurance covers everything within the house. This includes all your electronics and valuables. Your items are protected against theft and fire damage and against getting hit by lightning. It's vital that you just make certain that you get an accurate estimate of how much everything is worth so that you can be sure of getting it all back if the worst happens and everything is destroyed. It's an excellent notion to name the most valuable goods in your residence separately with a particular value attached to them.
Building insurance covers the physical structure in the house. When you are only renting the house, you ought to not require this level of insurance since it must be the home owners responsibility. In case you do require building insurance for your home, you need to get it on a rebuild value, not resell value. It often costs more to rebuild your home than a person would pay for it. Should you only get building insurance to cover your resell value then it is possible to discover yourself with a rather major issue if any reconstruction has to be done. Should you underinsure by twenty percent, then the insurance company will only pay out eighty percent of the price of making the repairs. The rest of the cost is for your pocket.
Who do I get house insurance from?
Only ever get house insurance from a dependable insurance company. They must have a very good reputation for paying out once they ought to and also have an excellent client care service. Also search for indications that the insurance business is financially stable and not almost certain to find itself in trouble anytime in the near future.
As you are able to see, under insuring your household is the worst thing you can do. Should things go wrong you will discover yourself in a good deal of trouble trying to replace that which was damaged. Rather you must get the correct quantity of insurance and cover your most valuable asset properly. You'll be able to skimp on some sorts of insurance or get a smaller amount of cover for your car or even opt to not have health insurance, but you need to get the appropriate house insurance every time. Also be certain that the company underwriting your household insurance is sincere and reputable.