According to the LIFE Foundation – a Non-Profit Organization that promotes education and financial literacy about Life and Disability Insurance (LifeHappens.org), May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM). Disability Insurance is the type of insurance that pays in the event that you become ill or are hurt and unable to work for an extended period of time.

Most Americans pay little or no attention to this valuable and important type of insurance. The biggest reasons seem to be because we all think a disability won’t or can’t happen to us.

Now more than ever, Americans need to recognize that the ability to earn an income is the greatest asset they have.

Unfortunately, many don’t leaving themselves open to great personal and financial risk. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and America’s Health Insurance Plans nearly:

• 1 in 3 will suffer a disability of three or more months during their working careers.

Those are the types of odds that you don’t want to bet against. The numbers for even longer durations of disability aren’t much better -

• 1 in 5 workers will be disabled for one or more years,
• 1 in 7 face the risk of a disability lasting five or more years.

Making matters worse, the current economic conditions have lead many to deplete their savings. That along with decreased home values leaves even less to fall back on in the event of a disability.

Many assume that government insurance like Worker’s Compensation or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) will protect them.

The reality, according to the National Safety Council and JHA, is that over 95 percent of long-term claims due to injury or illness occur outside the workplace – exempting them from Workers’ Compensation coverage.

Additionally, about 60 percent of those who apply for SSDI are initially denied. Those that do end up receiving benefit often have to wait five months of longer before payments begin. To make matters worse, SSDI payments average just over ,000 a month – could you live on ,000 per year?

So what should you do? First, find a qualified and reputable “Financial Professional” that specializes in disability insurance. Be sure to interview them and check their license and professional association status’.

Second, complete a needs analysis with your “Financial Professional” to determine the financial risks should you be disabled. This should include all available resources and monthly expenses to determine your “income gap”.

Finally, take action. Once you have determined your need, implement a plan that provides the protection you and your family need. No matter how good the planning is, without action it is worthless.

Fortunately for her, she did not have to investigate individual Orlando health insurance rate plans. Her large and established company provided Orlando group health insurance to all its full-time employees. This was one of the many perks her new job held for her. In fact, the more she understood her policy, the happier she was with her coverage.

Erin’s policy offered the usual coverage for doctor and hospital visits but she also was covered for some services which fall under the heading of preventative care. Specifically, Erin was very pleased to be covered for mammogram screenings. With a history of breast cancer in her family, Erin knew regular mammograms were a necessary part of her care plan. Had they not been a provided service, she would have elected to pay for them on her own. She felt grateful to have this kind of care available.

Erin had been taking an expensive cholesterol drug for the past two years and was thrilled to discover that her coverage included a very affordable prescription drug plan. There had been a couple months over the last year when she had been unable to purchase her medication, due to its cost and her lack of funds. Having a very reasonable co-pay plan on prescription drug coverage would enable her to manage her high cholesterol on a monthly basis.

Erin was also glad her coverage included dental and optical services. She knew the importance of regular dental check-ups and planned on going twice a year, as her coverage allowed. Additionally, while her eye-sight was strong, she also planned on taking advantage of the allowable yearly eye examination.

Erin knew that she was very fortunate to be working for a company that offered such comprehensive coverage. Not only did her policy include the basic coverage of doctor and hospital services, but a whole list of added services as well. Having low co-pays and deductibles on such things as mammogram screenings and other preventative care screenings, having access to affordable prescriptions, and being able to benefit from low out of pocket dental and vision services, made Erin appreciate her new job all the more.

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Set a Target

Everyone needs protection. It is good if you can focus on employers to buy health insurance for a group of people. Employers play an important role for group lead mainly because they are the most popular users for this system. It does not matter if they are doing small businesses or managing big companies because insurance is always a must for everyone. As a good employer, he or she will definitely buy health insurance for all the employees. Thus, it will be easier for you to close sales with the employers.

Follow Up via Phone calls

If you really want to get profit in this field, it is compulsory for you to make follow up calls to your potentials customers.

Some of them are too busy to set an appointment with you even though buying insurance is one of the items in their To-Do-List. First of all, send them an email as a reminder and then follow with a phone call if they don’t reply to you. Don’t be shy if you really want the business.

Set an Appointment

Always check out your potential customers’ schedule and arrange an appointment with them straight away. You can always offer to meet at places that are convenient to your clients. Whenever you explain to your customers, the most important thing is to be confident. Study the products and provide accurate information to them.

This is very important to gain their trust in purchasing a group health insurance from you.

Health insurance is a competitive market nowadays. All insurance agents are searching for a greater business opportunity. It is not that difficult to get leads if you really put your effort in it. All you need is a systematic marketing tool to attract potential buyers.

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The first step is to understand the nature of a bad-faith disability claim and why it opens the door to extracontractual and punitive damages. An important motivation for obtaining disability insurance is to provide income during periods when the insured cannot work because of illness or injury.

Insureds do not seek to obtain a commercial advantage by purchasing disability coverage they seek protection against calamity. Disability insurance provides peace of mind and security in the event the insured cannot work. To protect these interests, it is essential that insurers fully investigate all possible bases that might support the insureds claim. Insurers must thoroughly investigate the claim and not withhold payment of claims unreasonably. If an insurer ignores evidence, it acts unreasonably toward its insured and breaches the implied covenant of good faith.

In Amadeo v. Principal Mutual Life Ins. Co., 290 F.3d 1152, 1164-65 (9th Cir., 2002), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revisited the reasons courts allow tort remedies, including punitive damages, against insurers who deny disability claims in bad faith. As the court explained:

The availability of punitive damages is compatible with recognition of insurers underlying public obligations and reflects an attempt to restore balance in the contractual relationship. These considerations are particularly acute in disability insurance cases where the very risks insured against presuppose that if and when a claim is made, the insured will be disabled and in strait financial circumstances and, therefore, particularly vulnerable to oppressive tactics on the part of an economically powerful entity.

Punitive damages are therefore made available to discourage the perpetuation of objectionable corporate policies that breach the publics trust and sacrifice the interests of the vulnerable for commercial gain. Consistent with this goal, a plaintiff may meet the state of mind requirement for an award of punitive damages by showing that the insurers bad faith was part of a conscious course of conduct, firmly grounded in established company policy.

The next step is to make sure disability claims are handled in accordance with insurance industry standards. These include:

*Insurance companies have a duty to treat their insureds fairly. First-party claims handling is not an adversarial process.*Insurance companies must treat the interests of the policyholder with at least equal consideration to their own interests.*Insurance companies must thoroughly and fairly investigate each claim. A diligent effort must be made to collect all facts necessary for a good-faith judgment on the claim. Facts must be weighed in a fair and honest way.*When evaluating a claim for benefits, the financial impact on the insurance company should not be considered.*An insurance company must not place undue emphasis on information favorable to itself. The company must give fair consideration to information favorable to its insured.*The insurance company should pay the claim unless there is a good reason not to –denial should not be based on speculation.

And finally, take a page from the recent Multistate Settlement Agreement between UnumProvident (the largest writer of disability insurance in the United States) and state insurance regulators. Be sure your claims handling procedures include the following:

*Give significant weight to Social Security disability awards.*Give weight to objective, subjective and the treating doctors opinions to evaluate impairment.*Look at co-morbid claims collectively.*Select unbiased, financially disinterested, fully trained medical examiners for independent medical examinations.*Require that in-house doctors be skilled and have all medical information before making impairment findings.*Have senior claim management involved at the earliest stages of a claim.*Require that claim personnel undergo rigorous training to ensure best claim practices.

These new claim objectives create a bright-line, good-faith checklist and, more importantly, should help disability insurers avoid bad faith litigation.

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Employer Contributed Coverage

Sometimes, even with the employer contributing a portion to can still be overwhelming. There are ways to lower your cost and keep more money in your pocket. If you are fairly healthy and require limited visits to the doctor, opting for higher deductibles is an option. While you may have to pay out of pocket once or twice a year when you visit the doctor, the weekly or biweekly deduction from your net income will be more.

Opting for higher deductibles is not recommended for individuals with pre-existing conditions that warrant regular visits for checkups or prescriptions. If this is the case, you can still save money by choosing a carrier that offers less perks, while still providing the benefit of doctor visit coverage.

Coverage for Self-Employed

Many individuals believe the only health coverage for the self-employed is too costly. As a result, many people working for themselves lack proper medical care. This is not good as it may result in underlying medical conditions worsening, resulting in higher medical expenses.

If you do not have the option of employer contributed benefits, consider local organizations that you belong to such as roadside assistance programs, warehouse shopping clubs, and even the local Chamber of Commerce. While most of these programs require a fee to join, some have discounted programs to fit your budget.

Finding Plans on the Internet

We all know the internet is used to search for any and everything and health care is no different. Aside from the big name companies offering benefits, there are many smaller companies offering the same or similar plans for a lot less. A simple web search will yield hundreds, perhaps thousands of companies. After you have found a few that interest you, take the time to read the fine print, review the benefits, and of course, the cost.

There are several group health insurance comparison sites that will let you perform side by side comparisons of different companies. This is helpful when searching for individual coverage as well as coverage for the entire family.

State and Government Insurance Benefits

Many people associate state funded benefits with being poor or underprivileged. The truth is, these benefits are available for those in need so why not take advantage of them. Many states have adequate plans for children and adults, and you do not have to receive welfare benefits to apply. Some programs offer sliding scale rates based on your income, which is a blessing for single parents who could not otherwise afford coverage for the entire family through their employer.

Group Health insurance is something that is not considered a necessity but an option. That is until you get sick and require medical attention. The cost of a one night admission to the hospital can leave one with unbelievable medical bills. Even the healthiest people require medical attention at some point. Do not get caught without medical coverage, be prepared, and find a plan to fit your budget so you and your family will always be protected.

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Medical problems come and go, now and then. Some are just like annoying visitors, and are easily forgotten. Others leave lasting scars and some can even be continuing burdens. Whatever the long term and short-term effects of a health problem, no medical aid comes cheap, wherever you live. California Health Insurance policies are designed to give that necessary healing touch to the people of the state and give them a sense of security while going about their jobs in adverse weather conditions, or doing double shifts to make both ends meet.

By the provisions of California Health Insurance, insurance companies are bound to offer employers California Group Health Insurance. However, employers can decide whether an employee is eligible for cover under the California Group Health Insurance policy that he buys. One of the rules that decide the eligibility of the employee is FMLA or Family and Medical Leave Act of the state. The rule allows employees to take leave without losing the benefits of their California Group Health Insurance during their leave. It is applicable only to businesses, which employ more than fifty people.

FMLA allows the employees to benefit from the coverage of California Group Health Insurance during periods of intermittent leave or a longer unpaid leave up to three months. His right to be covered by California Group Health Insurance will depend on the nature of the medical emergency. For example, a leave for cosmetic surgery may not always be considered a condition that allows a person to take leave and remain covered by California Group Health Insurance. The rule also helps an employee to keep his insurance cover if he has to leave for a few hours every day for some medical therapy. However, each case will have to be judged on its own merits, as there are different types of exceptions to the rule.

The premiums of California Health Insurance will vary depending upon the location of the company. Certain areas are considered to be more risky from a medical point of view and location of the insurance provider will also influence the rate of premium. If one company has different branches functioning at different locations, the premium for California Group Health Insurance of each of these branches may be different.

California Group Health Insurance policies can be further customized by adding what are known as benefit riders. Benefit riders are additional coverage that can be added to a policy to better tailor it to specific needs. For example, benefit riders for eye care, maternity benefits, or dental coverage can be added to an existing California Group Health Insurance to ensure better coverage for employees. An employer is expected to provide the same California Group Health Insurance policy to all his employees, irrespective of when they joined the company. This is expected to provide a harmonious working atmosphere and avoid discrimination claims.

Group health insurance policies take into account the risk factors. Like an individual insurance policy, that takes into account the health and risk factors of the individual’s health, group policies takes into account the risk factors of the entire insurable group.

There are several factors that insurance company’s look at to determine rates. The older the group being insured the higher the rates. They look for the number of smokers and the number of individuals that are overweight. The number of diabetics, those with high blood pressure, as well as a continual list of illnesses is taken into consideration.

The number and the amount of the claims filed yearly; help determine the dollar amount of the insurance premium. The same factors are considered every year.

An individual that has been on a continuing group plan cannot be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. However, an insurance company can raise the premiums on a yearly basis in an effort to offset the expected expenses.

Today health insurance companies focus on patient involvement. Some things a group can do to lower rates are engage in an exercise program, a stop smoking program, or a healthier eating program. The things a group can do to improve their health may actually lower rates, especially if the number and dollar amount of claims filed decreases.

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The easiest way to get group insurance is through your employer. Most employers offer their employees a group health insurance package, and some offer life, auto, and homeowners insurance coverage, too. In the event you must pay some of the group insurance premium, an employer will normally deduct the amount from payroll. Most employer-sponsored group insurance benefits are available to a policyholder’s family members, too.

Benefits of a group plan also include extended care in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Quite a large number of companies provide benefits to the family of the employees as well. However there are companies which do not offer any such plan which include medical benefits for the family members of the employees.

Pre-existing problems are not included in most of the insurance policies. However, in a group insurance the physical examination of employees is usually not done and you may take the advantage of medical facilities on a pre-existing problem. Problems like dental care or eye related health problems are not included in this type of a policy.

The first tip is really to make sure you understand what cover you actually need. As someone not working in insurance this is not always the easiest thing to establish so you could do this by actually getting in touch with a community group insurance specialists who should be able to point you in the right direction. If you are not sure what you need, find a specialist and ask them for their expert opinion. If you choose the right company, they should be able to tell you what you need, what you do not need and they should be able to give you an immediate indication of what level of premium you might expect to pay.

So if finding an expert is top tip number 1, how do you actually find a broker or insurance provider who specialises in community group insurance? Traditionally, if a community group or voluntary organisation was looking for an insurance quote, they would either walk up and down the high street or search through the yellow pages. However, all this pretty much guaranteed was you dealt with someone local and not someone necessarily an expert in your type of insurance.

In the field of life and health insurance, individual assurance is further classified into ordinary and industrial insurance. Industrial life and health indemnity, which is sold to low-income individuals through agent, is characterized by small policies and weekly or monthly premiums usually collected at the home of the policyholder. Generally, industrial insurance serves best those segments of the population requiring the collections and other series of the agent.

The largest U.S. companies have withdrawn from the industrial field as the need for this industry has declined: a considerable volume of industrial life insurance is written, however, particularly in the Southeast and Southwest. It represents only 4 4% of the total insurance in force in the United States. However, industrial insurance is a major force in the life and health assurance business of developing countries.

The good news is that a number of insurance companies have now started specialising in benefits for as few as one person. There are some restrictions, but group benefits for one is now available. As well, there are also employers utilising Health Spending Accounts to fill the gap once filled by Group Insurance.

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