Tag Archives: Simple
Finally, A Simple Break Down Of How California Health Plans Work.
Finally, A Simple Break Down Of How California Health Plans Work.
Understanding California Health Plans
This may be the best explanation you ever get in order to understand the many options available to you for California health insurance. This is just a simplified view of the plans so make sure to look at the details of any prospective plan. At the end of the article, we will discuss the various plans that differ from this simplification but this break-down will help with 80% of the plans on the market. Now…
California health insurance plans break down into three main categories.
1. Office consultation. With most health insurance plans, you will have a copay or co-insurance to pay for office consultations. The copay or co-insurance are typically not subject to the main deductible of the plan. A copay is a fixed amount such as for an office visit. Co-insurance is a fixed percentage such as 30% for an office visit. An example of co-insurance would be:
Office Visit: 0 charge
Negotiated rate: $ 60 charge
Co-insurance: 30%
In this case, the subscriber would pay 30% of the negotiated rate of for a total of . The negotiated rate is the charge that an in-network doctor or provider has agreed to in order to participate in that network. This usually applies to PPO type plans.
The office copay or co-insurance is only for the consultation itself. If the doctor runs labs, performs procedures, or does other services in addition to the consultation, these charges are handled in the third section and will be in addition to the copay or co-insurance.
The office consultation is one of the key items when looking at your California health insurance quote for Individual Family or Small Group insurance. You will typically see “” or “30%” in the results.
A quick note. With HSA qualified high deductible plans, the office visit consultation is subject to the main deductible. This means you must meet the deductible before you get a copay or co-insurance benefit. You will get negotiated rates for seeing an in-network provider even if the benefit is subject to the deductible. For example, in the case above, you would pay the as part of your deductible. Some plans do not cover office visits at all. They tend to be the least expensive hospital or catastrophic coverage plans.
2. Prescription coverage and California health insurance. With most plans, prescription coverage is broken out separately from the main deductible in the form of copays. Almost all plans on the market today distinguish between Generic and Brand name.
Insurance companies have a Formulary, or list of drugs they deem to be effective and cost-effective.
The lower-priced drugs are Generic and typically you have a smaller copay (around on average) which is not subject to any deductible.
Brand formulary drugs are more expensive and tend to be the patented drugs that are heavily advertised and marketed. Essentially, they are newer drugs. Usually, these drugs are handled with a higher copay (average around ) after a separate brand name deductible is met. This deductible tends to run 0-750 annually (per member) for individual family California health insurance and 0-250 for California Small Group health coverage. The deductible is usually per person (in a family policy) and it resets January 1st regardless of when the plan starts. One you pay the brand drug cost up to the deductible amount, following brand formulary drugs will just require a copay ( for example).
There is sometimes a 3rd category call Brand Non-Formulary. This essentially means the drug is very expensive and there are less expensive alternatives. With most plans, you will have to pay a percentage of the cost so there can be quite a bit more out-of-pocket with Brand Non-Formulary.
You can reduce your cost by asking your doctor if there a Generic equivalent. Some plans do not cover Brand drugs at all so double check this as the trend towards very expensive medications (10’s of thousands of dollars) for more exotic conditions.
3. Pretty much everything else. Most other coverage benefits (labs, x-rays, emergency, surgery, hospital) are typically subject to the main deductible. This is another item listed when you request your California health quote. The average deductible amounts run from no deductible up to 00 on average. The deductible is typically per person (usually up to two people a family) and it resets January 1st as well. When you see “2 member max”, this means that if two people meet their deductible in a calendar year, the other family members do not need to.
One note…HSA Health Savings Account plan deductibles are cumulative. This means that the family deductible (for two or more people on one policy) is not met for any individual on the policy until the family deductible is met. For example, if the individual deductible is 00 and the family deductible is 00, one individual on the family plan would not meet the deductible till the 00 was met. Other family members would have their deductible satisfied as well. Essentially, all individuals on the family plan are working towards one 00 deductible.
Once you meet the deductible you either go into a co-insurance sharing percentage or the carrier takes over 100%. For example, if your deductible 00, and the co-insurance percentage is 30%, with a max out of pocket of 00. Let’s say you have an ,000 hospital charge (in-network for covered benefits). You would pay the first 00, then you would pay 30% until you hit another 00 out of pocket. Essentially, you will pay 00 (max out of pocket) and the carrier will pay the ,500. With some plans, the max out of pocket is in addition to the deductible. The Deductible and Out of Pocket Max are two other important items listed when you get your health insurance quote.
With the Office Visit, Prescription Coverage, Main deductible and Max out of Pocket, you now can read the health quote results with confidence.
Life Insurance Made Simple: How To Find The Right Policy
Life Insurance Made Simple: How To Find The Right Policy
When you need to protect your family’s financial situation, life insurance makes a lot of sense. Many employers offer group life insurance or your financial adviser can recommend a quality company. Life insurance can also be purchased from online sources, but it’s important to do your homework so you know what to buy.
If you are considering purchasing life insurance you may want to look into possible coverage that is already offered by your employer. It’s common for employers to offer basic life insurance plans at good rates for their employees. You should make sure that the coverage is adaquate for your needs and purchase supplemental policies if additional coverage is desired.
A great tip to potentially save money on life insurance is to choose a term policy with a “conversion to permanent”� clause. This means you can switch this term insurance policy into a permanent one with no more medical exams. This can save you money if you have sudden health problems while your term insurance policy is still active.
To save money on your life insurance policy, it is important to understand how insurance companies and their associates make a profit. Insurance agents and financial planners that work on commission, are only paid if they sell you an insurance product, while fee based planners earn from sales, as well as fees.
Although term life insurance covers you for only a specified period of time, it does have some benefits that may make it the right choice for you. Term life insurance is vastly cheaper than whole life insurance, costing hundreds of dollars a year rather than thousands. It is flexible in that you can choose to be covered for as few as 5 or as many as 30 years with coverage ranging from 0,000 to millions. For short term needs, such as children graduating from college or a mortgage being paid off, term life insurance is ideal, especially if whole life insurance is not in your budget.
When you are looking into life insurance, you will want to determine how much coverage you will need. While there are online calculators that will help you find a more exact figure, the easiest way to determine the amount of coverage you need is to take your annual salary and then multiply that number by eight.
If you have minor children, purchase enough life insurance to offset their expenses until adulthood. The loss of your income could have a significant impact on your children’s lives, and life insurance can help close the financial gap. This affects not only day-to-day expenses, but also those larger ones like college costs.
Make adjustments on your plans as needed. Life changes to your policy can greatly affect it. Things that can cause a change to coverage, include marriage, divorce, birth of a child or the beginning of caring for an elderly parent. You could even reach a point, most likely after your kids reach adulthood and your retirement amount is achieved, where you could stop life insurance coverage altogether.
Life insurance can help you sleep at night, knowing your family is well-provided for, if something should happen. Finding the right life insurance for you involves an assessment of your personal needs. Decide on the level of coverage you need and start making inquiries. Life insurance is more affordable now than ever.
Simple Tips For Auto Insurance 2
Simple Tips For Auto Insurance
If you are in the market for an auto insurance policy, utilize the internet for price quotes and general research. Agents know that if they offer you a price quote online, it could be beaten by another agent. Therefore, the internet works to keep pricing down. The following tips can help you decide what type of coverage you need.
When you are making the final decision about your new auto insurance provider, you need to check out the company’s payment plan option. Is your premium due monthly? What happens if you make a late payment? All of these answers could lead you to find another company with more lenient practices with respect to premium payments.
When it comes to auto insurance and elderly drivers it is important to consider checking for signs that they should not be driving any more such as slow reaction time. This is very important to ensure their safety as well as making sure that their insurance rates do not skyrocket.
Although you may not want to switch your vehicle you ought to know that the vehicle you drive highly impacts your premiums. If you are driving a flashy sports car versus a simple entry model Chevy, the sports car will cost more to cover. So if you want to keep premiums down, keep the flashiness down.
Check with different senior advocacy groups to see if they offer a way for you to purchase auto insurance through them. Groups like these can leverage the power of their member base to reduce the cost of insurance for senior citizens. You can also check with your insurance company to see if they offer any discounts for seniors.
If you have a preferred garage or dealer for vehicle repairs, be sure to provide that information in the event of a claim. Most insurance companies have preferred providers but will work with customers with different preferences. If you do elect to go with a recommended provider, make sure you ask about repair guarantees and warranties.
If you trust in your own driving skills and cannot afford full coverage, then you can still protect yourself by adding uninsured motorist coverage to your liability policy. Since approximately 25% of drivers currently on the road are insured, uninsured motorist insurance ensures that you will not get stuck with the bill in an accident with one of these drivers.
If you are married, make sure that you have your spouse on the same car insurance plan. Many car insurance providers offer reductions to those who are married. This can save you a lot of money. Marriage indicates some level of stability, thus making you a more dependable driver in the insurance company’s eyes.
There are many options and extras available from auto insurance companies. Some of them will be useless to you, but others may be a wise choice for your situation. Be sure to know what you need before submitting an online quote request. Agents will only include what you ask for in their initial quote.
Condominium and Fee Simple Ownership of Real Estate
Condominium and Fee Simple Ownership of Real Estate
Real Estate Ownership
Generally, apartment-style buildings are called condos, two-story row houses are known as town homes, and free-standing homes on small lots are referred to as garden homes. Unfortunately, this description creates some confusion about real estate ownership. Apartment, town home, and garden home describe the design or construction of certain homes. The word “condominium” does not refer to a the layout or style of a building. Condominium is a form of ownership of real estate. The form of ownership of real estate cannot be recognized by observing the building design.
Condominium Regime
The legal definition of condominium is: the absolute ownership of a unit based on a legal description of the airspace the unit actually occupies, plus an undivided interest in the ownership of the common elements, which are owned jointly with the other condominium unit owners. Each unit owner of a condominium has individual title to the space inside his unit. The space is sometimes described as beginning with “the paint on the walls.” In addition, each unit owner has an undivided interest in the physical components of the condominium buildings and land.
A popular type of condominium development is the multi-story apartment. In this case, there is no land under each unit. In these developments, the condo association usually handles maintenance of the building exterior and common grounds, while the unit owners maintain the interiors of their units. A condominium association is selected to make decisions about expenditures for repairs, and to handle administrative work related to the common areas. Fees are collected from the unit owners to pay for common maintenance. The association normally holds an insurance policy covering the jointly-owned areas, while individual owners carry insurance for the interior components of their units.
Condo projects may resemble duplexes, town homes, garden homes, or residences on regular lots. In general, the creation of a condo regime allows the developer to get more density approved than would be allowed if he had done single-ownership lots. This is often the reason why the condo regime is chosen instead of a development with single ownership lots. A condominium may be built as two units of a duplex. In this case, the two owners may jointly make decisions concerning maintenance of any common areas. By setting up the units of a duplex as two condos, the owner is able to sell them to two different owners.
Each condominium has rules that are specific to the development, so no assumptions should be made about their requirements. It is important to read the condominium documents carefully before purchasing a condo. The documents specify the maintenance that is covered by the common budget. In one project, the association may handle exterior components, decks, pools, sidewalks and driveways. In another, the individual owners may be responsible for more maintenance of their units, including foundations, roofs, and exterior walls.
If you have questions about the division of labor between the common budget and the individual owners of a condominium, you can present your question to the condo board itself. The board can give you an interpretation of the rules and clarify how the issue has been handled in the past. Another possibility is to ask a real estate attorney to review the documents for you. Realtors, other unit owners, or maintenance workers are not appropriate or reliable sources for the interpretation of condo documents.
The Texas real estate contract for condominiums contains a provision requiring that the buyer be given a copy of the condo documents, with a period of time to review them. During the document-review period, the buyer may terminate the contract without penalty. In addition, a resale certificate is must be provided by the association president or manager. This document provides information on the current budgets, insurance coverage, special assessments, lawsuits and other matters that affect the association.
Fee Simple Ownership
In contrast to the condominium regime, you may own real estate by fee simple. “Fee”, which comes from the word, “fiefdom”, refers to legal rights in land, and “simple” means unconstrained. Fee simple is the most common type of ownership. It is the absolute legal title to real property, including both buildings and land.
In fee simple, there are several different possibilities with regard to your obligations of ownership:
(a) Your property may not be in a subdivision at all. In this case, your deed will not include any subdivision restrictions that control your use of the property. Be aware that there could be some deed restrictions put in place by previous owners. In addition to deed restrictions, you may be governed by city or county ordinances or zoning laws that limit your use of the property.
(b) Your property may be in a subdivision with very few restrictions, no common areas, no architectural control committee, and no mandatory dues. Usually these are older subdivisions.
(c) Your property may be in a subdivision of homes on large lots, or in a town home or garden-home community in which there is a legally created homeowners association. In this case, every homeowner is required to be a member of the association. The association may charge mandatory dues and enforce subdivision rules. A certain level of maintenance may be required of each property owner. For example, you may need association approval of exterior paint colors, fences, or additions to your home.
Like the condominium form of ownership, fee simple ownership does not prescribe how maintenance is handled or how developments are governed. For example, the owners of a town house, with fee simple ownership, may be required to fully maintain their units. Or, the owners’ association may cover painting, roofing and yard work for the owners. In subdivisions where there are single family homes on large lots, it is more common for the homeowners association to manage the common grounds, pools and parks, while the individual lot owners fully maintain their own properties.
Understand your ownership rights and obligations
Before buying into a condominium regime or purchasing a fee simple property, you should have a clear understanding of the type of ownership you will have in your property. If you are buying a condominium, it would be wise to read the condo documents carefully and understand how maintenance is divided between the individual owners and the condominium association.
If your ownership is fee simple, with individual ownership of the land, you should review the deed restrictions (if there are any) and understand the restrictions and obligations that apply to your property. In the fee simple form of ownership, there may be mandatory dues to pay for common area maintenance, or, in some cases, the dues may be used for partial maintenance of the individual properties.
If you have a question about your type of ownership or about your obligations as a homeowner, it would be wise to review the title documents with a real estate attorney before proceeding with your purchase. Ask plenty of questions! A clear understanding of your type of ownership, and of your obligations as a homeowner will result in a more satisfying real estate purchase.
Real Estate Ownership – Condominium or Fee Simple
Real Estate Ownership – Condominium or Fee Simple
Generally, apartment-style buildings are called condos, two-story row houses are known as town homes, and free-standing homes on small lots are referred to as garden homes. Unfortunately, this description creates some confusion about real estate ownership. Apartment, town home, and garden home describe the design or construction of certain homes. The word “condominium” does not refer to a the layout or style of a building. Condominium is a form of ownership of real estate. The form of ownership of real estate cannot be recognized by observing the building design.
Condominium Regime
The legal definition of condominium is: the absolute ownership of a unit based on a legal description of the airspace the unit actually occupies, plus an undivided interest in the ownership of the common elements, which are owned jointly with the other condominium unit owners. Each unit owner of a condominium has individual title to the space inside his unit. The space is sometimes described as beginning with “the paint on the walls.” In addition, each unit owner has an undivided interest in the physical components of the condominium buildings and land.
A popular type of condominium development is the multi-story apartment. In this case, there is no land under each unit. In these developments, the condo association usually handles maintenance of the building exterior and common grounds, while the unit owners maintain the interiors of their units. A condominium association is selected to make decisions about expenditures for repairs, and to handle administrative work related to the common areas. Fees are collected from the unit owners to pay for common maintenance. The association normally holds an insurance policy covering the jointly-owned areas, while individual owners carry insurance for the interior components of their units.
Condo projects may resemble duplexes, town homes, garden homes, or residences on regular lots. In general, the creation of a condo regime allows the developer to get more density approved than would be allowed if he had done single-ownership lots. This is often the reason why the condo regime is chosen instead of a development with single ownership lots. A condominium may be built as two units of a duplex. In this case, the two owners may jointly make decisions concerning maintenance of any common areas. By setting up the units of a duplex as two condos, the owner is able to sell them to two different owners.
Each condominium has rules that are specific to the development, so no assumptions should be made about their requirements. It is important to read the condominium documents carefully before purchasing a condo. The documents specify the maintenance that is covered by the common budget. In one project, the association may handle exterior components, decks, pools, sidewalks and driveways. In another, the individual owners may be responsible for more maintenance of their units, including foundations, roofs, and exterior walls.
If you have questions about the division of labor between the common budget and the individual owners of a condominium, you can present your question to the condo board itself. The board can give you an interpretation of the rules and clarify how the issue has been handled in the past. Another possibility is to ask a real estate attorney to review the documents for you. Realtors, other unit owners, or maintenance workers are not appropriate or reliable sources for the interpretation of condo documents.
The Texas real estate contract for condominiums contains a provision requiring that the buyer be given a copy of the condo documents, with a period of time to review them. During the document-review period, the buyer may terminate the contract without penalty. In addition, a resale certificate is must be provided by the association president or manager. This document provides information on the current budgets, insurance coverage, special assessments, lawsuits and other matters that affect the association.
Fee Simple Ownership
In contrast to the condominium regime, you may own real estate by fee simple. “Fee”, which comes from the word, “fiefdom”, refers to legal rights in land, and “simple” means unconstrained. Fee simple is the most common type of ownership. It is the absolute legal title to real property, including both buildings and land.
In fee simple, there are several different possibilities with regard to your obligations of ownership:
(a) Your property may not be in a subdivision at all. In this case, your deed will not include any subdivision restrictions that control your use of the property. Be aware that there could be some deed restrictions put in place by previous owners. In addition to deed restrictions, you may be governed by city or county ordinances or zoning laws that limit your use of the property.
(b) Your property may be in a subdivision with very few restrictions, no common areas, no architectural control committee, and no mandatory dues. Usually these are older subdivisions.
(c) Your property may be in a subdivision of homes on large lots, or in a town home or garden-home community in which there is a legally created homeowners association. In this case, every homeowner is required to be a member of the association. The association may charge mandatory dues and enforce subdivision rules. A certain level of maintenance may be required of each property owner. For example, you may need association approval of exterior paint colors, fences, or additions to your home.
Like the condominium form of ownership, fee simple ownership does not prescribe how maintenance is handled or how developments are governed. For example, the owners of a town house, with fee simple ownership, may be required to fully maintain their units. Or, the owners’ association may cover painting, roofing and yard work for the owners. In subdivisions where there are single family homes on large lots, it is more common for the homeowners association to manage the common grounds, pools and parks, while the individual lot owners fully maintain their own properties.
Understand your ownership rights and obligations
Before buying into a condominium regime or purchasing a fee simple property, you should have a clear understanding of the type of ownership you will have in your property. If you are buying a condominium, it would be wise to read the condo documents carefully and understand how maintenance is divided between the individual owners and the condominium association.
If your ownership is fee simple, with individual ownership of the land, you should review the deed restrictions (if there are any) and understand the restrictions and obligations that apply to your property. In the fee simple form of ownership, there may be mandatory dues to pay for common area maintenance, or, in some cases, the dues may be used for partial maintenance of the individual properties.
If you have a question about your type of ownership or about your obligations as a homeowner, it would be wise to review the title documents with a real estate attorney before proceeding with your purchase. Ask plenty of questions! A clear understanding of your type of ownership, and of your obligations as a homeowner will result in a more satisfying real estate purchase.
Home Owner’s Insurance And You – Simple Ideas For Success!
Home Owner’s Insurance And You – Simple Ideas For Success!
If you are looking for basic information regarding homeowner’s insurance plus some other tips that you might not have heard of, this article is for you.
You may want to think about purchasing an umbrella policy. Liability insurance goes into effect if someone is injured on your property. If you have assets, try to get an umbrella policy that would also provide you with extra liability coverage to your house. They tend to run cheap, usually around 0-0 per year.
Buy all your insurance policies from the same insurance company. By purchasing your home insurance, contents insurance, health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, travel insurance, flood insurance, pet insurance, mortgage insurance, credit insurance and auto insurance from the same insurance provider, you could be eligible for a large multi-policy discount.
Keep your insurance agent aware of any remodeling changes you make to your home. In case of a fire or other tragedy, you may be lacking in coverage to replace new carpeting, furniture, cabinets, flooring, appliance and pricey personal items. Your agent should offer to do a walk-thru of your home and make a reassessment of your insurance needs on a yearly basis.
Make sure your homeowner’s insurance policy is a “guaranteed replacement value” one. This protects the investment you have made in your home, because if your home is destroyed in a natural disaster, it will be reconstructed, regardless of the cost. Building a home increases in cost every year. This type of policy gives you a financial cushion and absorbs the increasing home-building costs, so you don’t have to.
When adding a feature such as a swimming pool or trampoline to your home, factor in insurance costs and recommendations in the project. Defined as attractive nuisances, these features have increased risks associated with them can increase premium, but following recommendations like adding a secure fence and gate can offset the expense somewhat.
On your homeowners insurance policy, you will be able to save money by choosing a higher deductible on your policy. You will generally start to get a discount at a 0 deductible and the discount increases as the deductible increases. Check with your lender first if you plan to go higher than a 00 deductible as some lenders do not allow this.
Make your annual homeowners insurance payments in one payment rather than on a monthly installment plan. Many insurance companies charge an administrative fee for monthly billing and payment. By paying the entire year’s premium at once, you save yourself this additional expense. Some companies even offer additional discounts if you pay all premium at once.
You should always review your homeowner’s insurance policy annually to make sure that you still have the right policy for your home. Compare your premiums with quotes from other insurance policies. Be sure to take note of any changes that could affect your premiums, both on your property and in the neighborhood.
As you have seen, there is quite a bit of information in regards to homeowner’s insurance. Hopefully, you will find these tips beneficial when making decisions regarding homeowner’s insurance.