US Health Insurance Costs Rising

Businesses and staff in the US are struggling to meet the increasing cost of health insurance policies, with the cost of yearly family premiums growing at a faster rate than wages.

The country is still dealing with economic issues, however premiums have risen an average of 8% compared to last year which exceeds the wage rise an average employee will have received.

The US system largely relies on employer provision of healthcare but worryingly there is a year on year decrease in the amount of people covered by their employer. Most schemes involve workers contributing towards the policy to allow it to cover their family too, with the average employee contributing 28% of the cost. This is an increase of 131% when compared to 10 years ago.

While no specific reasons have been given for the above inflation increase it has been widely suggested that insurance companies set their premiums in anticipation of the economy improving, which unfortunately has not yet happened.

Healthcare For The Self Employed

Many businesses large and small provide health insurance to their employees, but those who are self employed will need to arrange a policy themselves to cover any unforeseen illnesses.

One of the real advantages of working for someone else is the knowledge that you and your family can be protected through a company health insurance plan, with many people considering this a key component of their benefits package.

As a result it is important for self employed workers to have fast access to high quality healthcare to allow them to return to work as quickly as possible. Most insurers offer coverage to businesses, so it’s advisable to get a small business health insurance quote to ensure you are covered.

Policies will be available that cover just the individual, their spouse and even their immediate family. The cost of the policy will increase depending on the number of people included, so make sure to find something that suits your budget.

Related articles

• Health Insurance for Chronic Conditions (medicalinsuranceinfo.typepad.com)
• Small Businesses Are Overpaying For Health Insurance (medicare8.blogspot.com)

Healthcare at the heart of America Election Race

Even though the US presidential elections are still one year down the line, the battle to secure the nomination of the Republican Party is on full swing. As expected healthcare policies are very much a hot topic in the recent debates between the candidates.

Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, has taken much flack due the healthcare reforms that he pioneered when he was in charge. These reforms, which aimed to make healthcare universal, are very similar to the individual mandate introduced by Obama that forces individuals to buy a private medical insurance policy.

The following video by front runner Rick Perry, former governor of Texas, is an example of the animadversion that Romney's healthcare policies as a governor of Massachusetts generate accross the certain sections of the Republican Party.

You can watch the video here.

Getting the most from dog insurance

Our usual focus for this blog is of course on the myriad of topics around health insurance for people – however, as this is an ‘overall’ insurance blog we thought it may be useful to focus on the topic of dog insurance.

Peace of mind for you and your dog

We love dogs, but we are all too aware that their inquisitive nature of man’s best friend can get them into some potentially dangerous situations, which unfortunately can lead to consequences requiring some financial outlay. This is where a dog insurance plan can help to at least give you peace of mind should your dog require help of some kind.

Dog insurance policies - what they include

In line with the rest of the health insurance sector, there are differences between each dog insurance policy offered by the top insurers: including PetPlan, Animal Friends, Buddies and the RSPCA. What we would say is that there are a few key policy strands that you should insure are in place when considering a dog policy, these can be:

• Complementary treatment
• Help with behavioural problems 
• Overseas vet fees
• Personal liability
• Dental care for your dog
• Minding services
• Kennel fees if there's an emergency
• Vets fees in general

Shop around for dog insurance

As insurance experts advise, when considering taking out any sort of policy - its best to shop around. Get a dog insurance quote from a number of sources before making your final decision.

Are there any key elements that we have missed?
What dog policy do you consider to be the best?

Leave us a comment to let us know.............thanks!

Healthy Minds

Today is World Mental health Day - so if you're on Twitter and want to Tweet it to your followers, the hashtag is #worldmentalhealthday

The day seems to have really taken off on Twitter which should help raise awareness to a great degree, with all manner of celebrities using the hashtag and letting their followers in on this good cause.

There's not so much happening on YouTube, but I did find this video - check it out:

Would you get dental care abroad to save money?

According to a recent news report, private dental car in the UK is becoming so expensive that a growing number of patients are travelling to Eastern Europe for dental care, where treatment is remains much cheaper.

At the moment an average UK private dental check up bill can cost over a hundred pounds, but many people are now discovering that more expensive treatments can be obtained in countries such as Hungary and Poland. A number of health based travel company's have now been set up to offer packages to deal with the demand, with some claiming to offer flights, accommodation and treatment for less than a standard private dental operation in Britain. According to the operator Dentist Abroad, 70,000 people travelled abroad for treatment, but this figure comes with a warning - as the British dental association reports that 29% of these people had to be treated in the UK for complications after treatment abroad. Anyone considering treatment abroad is urged to check qualifications and the history of their chosen dentist, as regulations may not be as strict as they are in the UK.

However, with great saving to be made on health cash plans, there are ways to get private dental care without running up huge costs or having to arrange holiday days. Would you consider getting dental treatment abroad?

Can green tea stop us piling on the pounds?

Weight management is an important issue for many of us, and the benefits of being within a healthy weight range extend to everything from reduced risks of diabetes, to a longer lifespan.

And although we all know that eating sensibly and exercising is a good way to maintain the weight, it's sometimes good to know we can have a helping hand. This is where green tea might come in useful - as a recent study has shown that it may help slow weight gain.

The study revealed the effects after overweight mice were given compund epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) - which is commonly found in green tea. The mice, who were also fed a high fat diet, put on weight 45% more slowly than another group of mice being fed the same diet, without the green tea.

And instead of suppressing the appetite (as green tea is often thought to be useful for) - EGCG was shown to slow down the bodies ability to absorb fat, and help burn it more effectively.

Will you be drinking more green tea to help maintain your weight?

,